Episode 591 - The AFTN Soccer Show (I Can Taste The Mood In My Mouth featuring Vanni Sartini, Don Garber, and Bev Priestman)

We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, Canadian national team, and international football chat. We're joined by special guest Vanni Sartini in this episode for our 11th annual end season chat with the man at the helm of the Whitecaps. We have a frank half hour chat about the 2023 season, look ahead to 2024, talk about his personal growth and what he needs to learn, and chat about his six-match suspension to start the new campaign. It's been another busy week on both the club and international front. The 2023 MLS Cup champions have been crowned. We look back at Columbus Crew's win, what it means to the league, and look at a bad week for LAFC both on and off the pitch. Plus it was the latest MLS State of the League address from Commissioner Don Garber. We hear a bit from the address and chat about selected highlights, the nightmare that is going to be the 2024 schedule, and could we be seeing Messi in Vancouver in 2024 or 2025? It was also the week we said farewell to Christine Sinclair on the international stage. We look back at an emotional night at BC Place, hear from Bev Priestman, look at the nominees for the 2023 Canadian male and female players of the year, and what the Copa America draw hopefully threw up for Canada. Plus we continue AFTN's 2023 Festive Fifteen with numbers 10 to 12. Here’s the rundown for the main segments from the episode: 01:35 Intro - it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas 10.00: Vancouver Whitecaps are 50! 12.20: What a week to be a Columbus fan 30.55: LAFC and supporters punished for flare display 40.32: Festive Fifteen #12 44.00: Vanni Sartini end of year interview 83.40: Festive Fifteen #11 88.25: Don Garber talks MLS scheduling issues 98.10: MLS State of the League - the key talking points 118.40: Is Messi heading to Vancouver? 132.55: Festive Fifteen #10 137.00: A special farewell to the GOAT at BC Place 157.33: Canadian male and female Players of the Year 164.10: It's Messi vs Canada at Copa America - hopefully 169.35: Wavelength - Sir Robert Orange Peel - A Soccer Ball Is Worth More Than 100 Rifles