Episode 516 - The AFTN Soccer Show (Time To Take Control with guests Axel Schuster, Martin Nash, and Theo Collomb)

We're back with another packed episode of the AFTN Soccer Show for your listening pleasure, with lots of Vancouver Whitecaps, MLS, and World Cup chat. What a busy week of football news it's been, with perhaps the most exciting news of all being the official confirmation that Vancouver will be a host city for the 2026 World Cup. We look at what that means for the city, both short and long term, chat about affordability versus future returns, and get the thoughts of Whitecaps CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster about what it will mean for the club and the place he now calls home. It's also been a big week for Major League Soccer, who announced a billion dollar 10 year streaming deal with Apple TV+. How good is the deal for the league? How good is it for a club like the Whitecaps? Will it be a game changer or will it turn off the casual fans? We chat about all of that and more, plus we hear the thought of Axel Schuster. The Whitecaps were in action twice this past week with road games against Seattle and Dallas and what contrasting performances they were from the ridiculous to the sublime. We pick over the bones of both and look at where Vancouver's three point haul leaves them in the playoff picture. They've now got a big Canadian Championship semi-final coming up on Wednesday night against CPL side York United. We look ahead to that one and chat with their head coach, former Whitecap Martin Nash. We also look at the good form of WFC2 and chat with their latest two-goal hero Theo Collomb. Plus music from artists of the month Thick and The Abnormal are in this episode's Wavelength. Here's the rundown for the main segments from the episode: 02.53: The 2022 World Cup is all set 10.50: The World Cup is coming to Vancouver 28.10: Axel Schuster interview - part one 46.06: MLS get slice of Apple pie in new streaming deal 58.40: Axel Schuster interview - part two 75.40: Whitecaps v Seattle and Dallas - a tale of two cities 104.52: Canadian Championship semi-final preview feat Martin Nash 112.36: WFC2 round up 116.20: Theo Collomb interview 120.26: Wavelength - The Abnormal - Football Song