Episode 645 – The AFTN Soccer Show (D&D Adventures - Isaac Boehmer, Club World Cup, MLS State of the League, Ryan Gauld, Bobby Smyrniotis)

We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, and general soccer chat, in what's been another eventful week in the world of Canadian football.

It's D & D time in North American soccer, but instead of rolling the dice for some fantasy fun, it's clubs doing so in terms of a multitude of Drafts and Draws. Last week saw an insufferable draw for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, that doesn't bode well for what the one for the 2026 World Cup will look like, and there's a plethora of draws and drafts coming up over the next fortnight. Seattle will be hosting six matches in the Club World Cup. Will there even be one or will the players revolt? And what lessons, good and bad, might we glean for 2026 from the tournament's format and kick off times?

MLS Commissioner Don Garber gave his annual State of the League address last week. We pick over the bones of the main takeaways and talking points around the future schedule, how MLS will approach the various cup competitions next year, Apple TV metrics, and more.

Our feature interview this episode is with the Whitecaps Canadian Championship hero, goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer. It's been quite the 2024 for Isaac and we recap it here, as he battles for the number one jersey with the 'Caps next year. Could he also earn his first Canadian call-up in Jesse Marsch's Camp Poutine? And how is Muffin getting on? We get all the important answers!

All of this plus Ryan Gauld muses about Scotland's Nations League campaign and looks ahead to this Friday's UEFA World Cup qualifying draw, Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis talks to us about the upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup draw and next year's Canadian Championship, and music-wise we kick off our 2024 Festive 15 with the songs that came in at the numbers 10 to 12 positions.

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

01.24: Intro - advent calendars, a day with Dick, Spotify wrapped
15.21: Seattle host six matches after insufferable Club World Cup draw
39.40: Whitecaps, Cavalry, and Forge will soon learn Champions Cup fate
43.23: Bobby Smyrniotis on Champions Cup and Canadian Championship
52.37: AFTN's 2024 Festive 15 - #12 Lambrini Girls - Company Culture
57.05: Garber's MLS State of the League - the main talking points
93.07: LA Galaxy win 6th MLS Cup
105.06: AFTN's 2024 Festive 15 - #11 Sputn1k - Boys Never Cry
108.15: Isaac Boehmer interview
132.36: AFTN's 2024 Festive 15 - #10 Mogwai - Lion Rumpus
137.25: Ryan Gauld talks Scotland, Nations League, and World Cup qualification
145.25: Wavelength - Halftime Oranges - Yesterday's Hero