Episode 707 – The AFTN Soccer Show (2025 Christmas Special - Axel Schuster talks Whitecaps, a Jesper Sorensen Christmas, our Whitecaps awards, Festive Fun with the 'Caps)

We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps and Major League Soccer chat, and it's our 2025 Christmas special so there's lots of added festive fun, cheer, music, and games along the way. Even with Christmas approaching the news didn't let up in Whitecapsland as Jayden Nelson was traded to Austin, Yohei Takaoka re-signed with the club, and there were some fresh additions to the roster from WFC2 and the MLS SuperDraft. We delve into all of the week's big talking points and we get thoughts on all of them from Whitecaps GM and Sporting Director Axel Schuster. It's also finally time to hand out our AFTN Whitecaps awards for the year. What were the best game and best goal? Who were the best players and the ones to watch across the Whitecaps teams at all levels? What was the best save of the year? We chat about all of those and more! Let us know if you agree! Our Christmas chats this year sees us find out what the festive period is like in the Jesper Sorensen, Emmanuel Sabbi, Tate Johnson, and Jayden Nelson households, and we talk Whitecaps Secret Santa and Christmas dinner invites with Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter. Music-wise, it's December, so you know what that means - the return of AFTN's Festive Fifteen! Our countdown of our favourite tracks of the year continues with the songs at positions 4 to 6, plus we have a Christmas themed football song in Wavelength and our favourite Christmas song of the year rounds off the show. Here’s the rundown for the main segments from the episode: 01.31: Intro - ready for Christmas? Let us know what football gifts you get 11.10: A Jesper Sørensen Christmas 18.05: Whitecaps News - Takaoka re-signs, Nelson traded, thoughts of Axel 45.15: Whitecaps Secret Santa - Brian White 48.30: 2025 Festive Fifteen - #6 Pulp - Spike Island 55.28: Christmas Countdown - round one 61.55: Whitecaps add two from WFC2 to a stacked defence (+ thoughts from Axel) 70.50: Whitecaps add four in MLS draft (+ thoughts from Axel) 83.23: A Tate Johnson Christmas 86.45: Axel Schuster talks more on Whitecaps' stadium issues 94.00: Whitecaps will play 2026 Leagues Cup - Axel explains it's to reward players 101.45: Whitecaps Secret Santa - Sebastian Berhalter 105.20: 2025 Festive Fifteen - #5 Strange Neighbors - Hate Me Less 109.15: Christmas Countdown - round two 114.30: AFTN 2025 Whitecaps awards - Player, Young Player, WFC2, Academy Player of the Year 131.45: An Emmanuel Sabbi Christmas 133.25: AFTN 2025 Whitecaps awards - Best Addition, Unsung Hero, One to Watch 145.40: 2025 Festive Fifteen - #4 Camille Schmidt - Cult In Denver 148.55: Christmas Countdown - round three 154.10: AFTN 2025 Whitecaps awards - Game, Goal, and Save of the Year 169.50: A Jayden Nelson Christmas 171.27: AFTN 2025 Whitecaps awards - Haircut, International Performance, Quote, and Awayday of the Year 181.30: Wavelength - Lions Out Loud - Christmas Tree Formation 183.51: A Christmas Goodbye and The Dead Milkmen