Episode 583 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Living Day To Day, Each Must Find Their Way)
We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps, Major League Soccer, Canadian Premier League, and international football chat.
With the Whitecaps having a bye week for the international break it gives us the chance to delve into a few issues. Their playoff path has become a little clearer after the two matches that were played this past weekend. We look into that and ponder whether the success on the pitch will lead to a boost in attendance off it. The fans tell us why they’re coming back and why they’re not.
Turning our attention to the CPL, we look at the weekend’s drama-filled playoff games and take an end of season dive into Vancouver FC’s attendance issues this year. Why are fans not coming out in larger numbers? We also delve more into the league’s U21 rule and hear the thoughts on it from Halifax head coach Patrice Gheisar, Vancouver head coach Afshin Ghotbi, and Cavalry head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
Here’s the rundown for the main segments from the episode:
01.31: Intro – Canada get gubbed in Japan
09.06: News of the World – World Cup 2030/2034, Euros 2024/2028, Messi
20.50: Whitecaps playoff path clearer after weekend’s matches
34.00: Will Whitecaps on-pitch success see rise in crowds?
72.15: Trying to solve the Vancouver FC’s attendance issues
131.15: CPL U21 rules need fixing
151.10: Feisty CPL playoffs produce drama galore
160.50: Wavelength – Saints Alive – Dancing In The Streets Of TNS
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Overnighting in Langley is bullet-to-your-head boring after the match for you and your mates if you’ve come from outside the Lower Mainland and want to party with lomited commuting. Come for the soccer, stay for the churches? Brutal! Nothing to do compared to going to downtown Victoria (pub crawl central) and downtown Vancouver (peelers/Skytrain). Just suburbia thrust upon a traditionally rural/farm area: Christ, there’s a hobby farm near the field!! You can’t even walk to a Tim’s or Starbuckos “kitty corner” to the LEC, which has been in existence for what? A decade? It’s a bandwagon fan base and the ONLY way it will get better is MAYBE through winning compared to the Caps going back to underachievement.
More likely in 2025 is the club heading to Kelowna with a new SixFive prefab stadium put in at the Elks baseball field area north of the city centre and getting rebranded as Ogopogo Albion or Fire FC (too soon?).
I would definitely buy Ogopogo FC stuff to go with my Loch Ness FC kits!
There are plans to have more things in and around the stadium as the new houses get built. Hopefully some in time for next season as it’s not a fantastic place to have to hang around.