Episode 542 - The AFTN Soccer Show (Out With The Old and In With The New)

Happy New Year everybody! The AFTN Soccer Show is back with our first show of 2023, so there's no better time to kick off our year end reviews and year to come previews, starting with a Vancouver Whitecaps focused show.

2022 was certainly a bit of a mixed bag for the Whitecaps both on and off the pitch. It felt in many ways a season of regression. Can they advance again in 2023 and can they take the great leap forward that they really need to do after 12 fairly mediocre MLS seasons to date? We look at all the highs and all the lows and ponder what may be in store for them this year as they fight for glory in MLS, the Canadian Championship, the CONCACAF Champions League, and the new Leagues Cup.

With the team back in training at the end of this week, we take a look at the new season that's coming up fast, delve into the schedule, the transfer rumours, and chat about the players selected in last month's MLS SuperDraft, getting some thoughts from head coach Vanni Sartini and Sporting Director Axel Schuster along the way.

Plus we pay tribute to the legend that was Pele, find out if Stephanie Labbe fancies a chocolate digestive, and reveal the top three in AFTN's 2022 Festive Fifteen.

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

01.53: Intro
05.19: Pele tribute
19.05: Whitecaps Year in Review (Part One) - Canadian Championship success and the CCL path ahead
45.20: Whitecaps Year in Review (Part Two) - MLS, WFC2, and L1BC
69.54: Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive - Stephanie Labbe
71.53: Hopes for the 2023 Whitecaps
82.09: Whitecaps 2023 schedule discussion
92.35: Prioritizing the six trophies the Whitecaps will play for
102.20: Whitecaps transfer news and rumours
107.26: Whitecaps draft picks discussion with Vanni and Axel audio
132.08: Wavelength - Luis Alberto del Parana - O Rei Pele