September 17, 2024

Episode 632 – The AFTN Soccer Show (To Live For The Weekend with Jesse Marsch, Ali Ahmed, Sebastian Berhalter, and Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau)

2 hours 27 minutes

We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, MLS, CPL, and Canadian national team chat and interviews.

The Whitecaps got back to winning ways at the weekend, with a 2-0 win over San Jose, that wasn't pretty but crucially got the job done. We pick over the bones of that one, look at the season run-in and the in-form runners and riders, look at the signing of Jeevan Badwal to a MLS Homegrown deal, and chat with Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau about signing his own first team deal.

Our feature interview this episode is with Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. We chat with Seba about his journey to Vancouver, a life spent in football, carving his own path, where he sees his ideal position, the abuse his dad has received when US head coach and how it affects the family, and more.

Turning our attention to the Canadian national teams, we hear from men's head coach Jesse Marsch about the rise of Ali Ahmed, what the rest of the year looks like, and talk to him about his own growth as a coach from when he first to came to Canada in 2011 with Montreal. We also hear from Ali Ahmed himself about his time in the recent Canada camp and coming back to Vancouver, plus we chat about the kickfest that was the Mexico game and look at the women's U20s defeat at the World Cup.

All of this, plus we look at the weekend's CPL action, there's more Britpop chat and music, Big Country continue their stint as our Album of the Month, and Halftime Oranges are back in Wavelength with a song about footballers' hair!

Here’s the rundown for the main segments from the episode:

01.27: Intro - another busy week, match fixing

14.15: Whitecaps beat San Jose with another clean sheet

33.50: The lie of the land in the MLS West

48.40: Sebastian Berhalter interview and discussion

66.45: Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive? - Sebastian Berhalter

75.25: Canada crash out of U20 Women's World Cup to Spain

79.55: Canada kicked off the park in Mexican "friendly"

85.33: What rest of year looks like for the CanMNT

97.17: Jesse Marsch's growth as a coach

107.30: Ali Ahmed talks about being away with Canada

112.50: Jesse Marsch's thoughts on Ali Ahmed's continued rise