Episode 655 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Walk It Like You Talk It - Jesse Marsch and Jayden Nelson interviews; Armstrong heads to Sheffield)

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

What a week it's been in Whitecapsland! The big news was the sudden departure of Designated Player Stuart Armstrong to English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday and we're joined by Harjeet Johal to chat about the mess of how all of it played out. We also look at the latest two preseason matches for the 'Caps that saw a draw and a win, plus the team skipping this year's Leagues Cup and what that might mean to the Canadian Championship games.

We've two feature interviews for you this episode. First up is new Whitecaps winger Jayden Nelson who talks about his move to Vancouver, his footballing journey so far, his highs and lows over in Europe, the driving motivations to impress ahead of next year's World Cup, and just what do they put in the Brampton water?!

Next up is the man he is trying to impress, Canadian men's head coach Jesse Marsch. We chat with Jesse about his love of the game, where it all started, who shaped him along the way, where he calls home after a career of travels, and what legacies he'd like to see in the country after next year's World Cup. After all of that, we hear from him on getting ready for 2026, bringing games to Vancouver, the BC Place pitch, and more.

We also look at the big move for local lad Grady McDonnell, who heads to Club Brugges' second team in Belgium from Vancouver FC, in a big transfer for the CPL. All of this plus our Hot Chocolate Boy and Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive? segments are back, Pop Will Eat Itself begin their residency as our Album of the Month, we've another Britpop song, and Wavelength features a song about Sheffield Wednesday for obvious reasons!

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

01.28: Intro - tariffs and what they could mean for Canadian football
15.54: Hot Chocolate Boy - Caffe Artigiano
23.55: A preseason draw and a win for Whitecaps in Spain
30.22: No Leagues Cup for Whitecaps, Saturday games for Can Champ?
38.00: Goodbye Stuart Armstrong - we hardly knew ye (with Har Journalist)
71.50: The Whitecaps are in a state of flux
94.20: Jayden Nelson interview
116.13: Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive - Jayden Nelson
121.28: Jesse Marsch interview - Part One - what made the man?
138.25: Jesse Marsch interview - Part Two - the road ahead
158.02: VFC's Grady McDonnell transferred to Belgium
172.10: Wavelength - Big Ron's Barmy Army (aka Paul Carrack) - It's A Praise For Sheffield Wednesday