Episode 167 - The AFTN Soccer Podcast (That Was Then, This Is Now)

12/09/16 • 55 min

Remember us? We thought we'd come out of winter hibernation to bring you a couple of end of year podcasts to round off what's been a pretty miserable 2016 with a bang.
It's been a fairly quiet offseason in Whitecapsland but with things starting to happen this week, it seemed only right to come back with a round-up of all the latest news and rumours and to bring you some unheard interviews we did towards the end of the season with Vancouver Whitecaps players and management.
It's been a week to officially confirm departures and which options have and haven't been picked up for the season ahead and we look at two of the more newsworthy ones - captain Pedro Morales and goalkeeper Marco Carducci - and look at what holes the 'Caps need to fill and whether a MLS Cup between two fierce rivals will force the front office to act.
On the interview side, we hear from 'Caps coach Carl Robinson about his search for difference makers, his offseason plans, squad harmony, Alphonso Davies, and more, while Costa Rican veteran Christian Bolanos looks back at his first season in MLS with the Whitecaps and talks about his dream of making it to a third World Cup with the Ticos.
We also hear from two Canadians, one who may be the new club captain, David Edgar, and one who has returned to his former club at the end of his loan deal, Fraser Aird, and a player hoping to earn his first MLS contract in 2017, WFC2 goalkeeper Spencer Richey.
There's a lot of talk to be had, so have a listen.

Previous Episode

Episode 166 - The AFTN Soccer Podcast (Ending on a high note)

Well, if you've had a disappointing season, at least end it with a bang and send the fans home happy. And that's just what Vancouver Whitecaps did with their 4-1 demolition of their bitter rivals, Portland Timbers.
We're joined by Harjeet Johal to look back over the game, pondering, as everyone else is at the moment, just where that team has been all years and looking at the performances that got the job done.
Giles Barnes, Pedro Morales, and a whole load more players are all up for discussion as we look back at the year that was and what the Whitecaps need to do this offseason to be in a different position in 12 months time.
We ponder signings, salaries, the future of Carl Robinson if he can't turn things around, and a lot more besides.
We also bring you some postgame audio from Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson, Portland Timbers coach Caleb Porter, and Timbers striker Fanendo Adi, who coincidentally falls to the ground in games like a felled tree.
There's a lot of talk to be had, so have a listen.

Next Episode

Episode 168 - The AFTN Soccer Podcast (The State of the Whitecaps with guest Carl Robinson)

2016 has been a pretty shitty year all round. From a Vancouver Whitecaps perspective, it hasn't been on of their best, but that's all in the past now and we just need to look forward to the better times ahead.
But not without our fourth annual State of the Whitecaps end of season chat with 'Caps coach Carl Robinson (at 37:16 mark).
In our latest one on one with Robbo we look at just what went wrong this season past, what's he's learned, what needs to be done to make this team better, and a look at the players moving on and those possibly coming in. We chat referees, Fabian Espindola, Seattle's MLS Cup success, those rumours linking him with the Swansea City job, and a lot more.
Round about our chat with Carl, AFTN writer Jay Duke and Curva Collective's Zachary Adam Meisenheimer join Michael and Steve to look at some of the main talking points so far this offseason in Whitecapsland and discuss what Robbo had to say.
There's a lot of talk to be had, so have a listen.