Episode 593 - The AFTN Soccer Show (Have Yourself A Messi Little Christmas)

We’re back with our 2023 Christmas special! Another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, and Canadian soccer chat, but this time with added festive fun and games! It'll all get a bit messy or maybe it's just a cheese dream. The Whitecaps' 2024 schedule dropped this week and forget Santa Claus, it's Lionel Messi that's coming to town in May. Barring injury, Christmas has come early for 'Caps fans who want to spend their cash gifts on some football fun. We delve into the good and the bad aspects of the schedule, chat about the Messi circus, and look at the two latest Whitecaps additions - draft picks Eliot Goldthorp and Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau. Our feature interview this episode is a player that will be well known to Whitecaps, TFC, Pacific FC, and Vancouver FC fans, Canadian defender Kadin Chung. We chat with Kadin about the highs and lows of his career so far, coming to play for his new hometown team, and look ahead at what's to come. Plus we find out what Christmas is like with the Chung family and with his teammate Callum Irving's family. We also look at the US Soccer Federation standing up to MLS in the US Open Cup row, chat with Canadian Players of the Year Jesse Fleming and Stephen Eustáquio about their busy year and Christmas plans, find out if Canadian women's national team head coach Bev Priestman is able to get a break this Christmas, whether Whitecaps midfielder Ali Ahmed fancies a chocolate digestive, and just what is Tristan Blackmon's favourite jam? Harjeet Johal joins us for the fun and chat and play 20 Questions, plus we continue AFTN's 2023 Festive Fifteen with numbers 6 to 4. Here’s the rundown for the main segments from the episode: 01.45: Intro - getting ready for Christmas aka buying too much cheese 11.55: A Callum Irving Family Christmas 14.36: Messi coming to town as MLS schedule drops 36.45: Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive - Ali Ahmed 38.11: 20 Questions - Whitecaps edition 44.26: Festive Fifteen #6 48.29: Whitecaps add two intriguing draft picks 59.35: USSF stand up to MLS in US Open Cup row 74.46: Tristan Blackmon's Favourite Jam 76.45: 20 Questions - CPL edition 86.01: Festive Fifteen #5 90.25: Kadin Chung interview and discussion 121.40: A Kadin Chung Family Christmas 123.45: Festive Fifteen #4 129.00: Jessie Fleming and Stephen Eustáquio on a busy year and Christmas plans 135.55: 20 Questions - Canadian national team edition 144.40: Bev Priestman's Christmas plans 146.00: Wavelength - Armchair Loyal - All I Want For Christmas Is A Dukla Prague Away Kit