Episode 444 - The AFTN Soccer Show (Back In The Saddle - Vancouver beat Portland, Dr Ben Sporer, Lucas Cavallini, the week in MLS, and European Superleague)

The latest AFTN Soccer Show is out for another packed show of Vancouver Whitecaps, MLS, and football chat.

The new MLS season is underway and the Whitecaps are off to a winning start. We look back at the highs, the lows, and the main talking points coming out of Vancouver's 1-0 win over Portland, and we hear some postgame thoughts from Marc Dos Santos, Lucas Cavallini, Maxime Crepeau, and Jake Nerwinski.

Plus we round up the MLS action from the weekend, hear from Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff after his side's first match in the league, and get the thoughts of Montreal's Wilfried Nancy, Mason Toye, and Djordje Mihailovic after their big Canadian derby win over Toronto. And talking of TFC, we look ahead to the Whitecaps meeting with them next weekend.

Our feature interview this week is with the Whitecaps Director of Performance Strategy, Research, and Innovation, Dr Ben Sporer as we talk all things Whitecaps performance, health, and fitness related. How do the team need to adjust for living and playing in the altitude of Utah? How has Covid shaped how the 'Caps approach things? How do you deal with players quarantining to get them up to speed as quickly as possible? We talk about all of that and more in a fascinating discussion.

Plus we chat with 'Caps DP striker Lucas Cavallini about the season ahead and his good form, talk European Superleague plans, and Toronto based band Kiwi Jr features in this episode's Wavelength.

Here's the rundown for the main segments from the episode:

01.33: Vancouver v Portland postgame analysis - with audio from MDS, Cavallini, Crepeau, and Nerwinski
46.08: Montreal and TFC chat - with audio from Nancy, Toye, and Mihailovic
: The Week In MLS - with audio from Austin FC's Josh Wolff
74.21: Dr Ben Sporer interview and health and fitness chat
98.39: Lucas Cavallini chat
103.40: European Superleague chat
116.30: Wavelength - Kiwi Jr - Football Money