Episode 587 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Bobbing Along with Vanni Sartini, Axel Schuster, Sam Adekugbe, Ali Ahmed, and Mauro Biello)
We’re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps and Canadian soccer chat.
The Whitecaps end of season moves have started as they announced their roster decisions for moving into 2024. We delve into who’s coming back and who’s not and ponder whether these were the correct choices. Plus we chat with Whitecaps Sporting Director Axel Schuster about the decisions made and what this means for the team moving forward.
The fallout from Vanni Sartini’s comments about and reaction to referee Tim Ford continued this past week. Both Vanni and Axel addressed how last Sunday’s playoff loss to LAFC played out off the pitch, while we chat about the overblown reaction and what suspension may be coming to the way of the ‘Caps head coach.
Turning our attention to the international stage, Canada’s roster for the Jamaica Nations League quarter-final was announced and it features four Whitecaps. We chat with two of them, Sam Adekugbe and Ali Ahmed, about the games ahead the Whitecaps’ season, plus we hear from Canada head coach Mauro Biello about some of his squad decisions and what the future may hold in store.
All of this plus we review the football film Next Goal Wins that comes out this week and New Zealand lo-fi punk band Dick Move and Scottish legends The Yummy Fur continue their residencies as our new Artists of the Month.
Here’s the rundown for the main segments from the episode:
01.40: Intro – what a week for BC college soccer, U17 World Cup
15.16: Axel Schuster on the Whitecaps end of season roster decisions
31.55: Whitecaps roster discussion
63.33: The Tim Ford fallout continues – what suspension will Vanni get?
97.47: Mauro Biello announces Canada squad for Jamaica
119.00: Sam Adekugbe interview on Canada and the ‘Caps
131.55: Ali Ahmed interview on Canada and the ‘Caps
147.20: TVOD – Next Goal Wins (a review)
164.20: Wavelength – Jamine Man – Japanese Football Team
You can download and/or listen to this, and all previous, episodes of the podcast on the following services:
Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!
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Couple of comments after listening:
1) Regarding the discussion of referee abuse and chants that might (now, or simply always have been) distasteful in light of Sartini and ‘Caps’ player behaviour, agree that a consideration that references to bodily harm to referees whether by shooting or otherwise needs to happen. The environment around football, sports support in general changes over time, and we are in a spell where I believe more cognizance of the suggestion and weight words once thought simply a fun piss-take have is frankly, our responsibility as supporters. And, it’s in the same way that sexist, homophobic, and racist language in songs and chants has had the same examination and change.
2) On Sartini’s “apology,” agree with Zach’s sentiment that it was too casual and didn’t come across that he truly understood and owned what he’d done and said, and was unlikely to do it again. It very much came across to me as a “here because I should be to cover my ass but I have ‘reasons’ ” rather than a “I accept and understand I was completely over the line and there’s no reason or excuse for it.” Frankly personally I hope he receives a strong and lengthy punishment, in part due to how he conducted his apology as my perception is he does not own just how far over the line of acceptable dissent he was (and has been prior, also, to lesser extent.) He needs a strong lesson.