Episode 500 - The AFTN Soccer Show (You Play Football With Your Heads with special guests Vanni Sartini and Rob Friend)

We're back with another packed episode of the AFTN Soccer Show for your listening pleasure and it's a special bumper one as it's a milestone episode for us as we reach number 500 (cue party poppers).

To mark the occasion we've got a couple of special interviews, bring back all of our old favourite fun segments, introduce a new favourite, and, of course, there's lots of football chat as well.

The MLS season gets underway next weekend. We sit down with Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini for an in-depth interview about the current state of the team and the season ahead. Are they stronger or weaker than last year? How will the new formation help their attack? Can we take much from the preseason? How does he see the West playing out this year? And a lot more. Plus we also delve into the man off the pitch. How does Vanni unwind? Come for the football chat, stay for the Italian political philosophers talk.

Our second feature interview is with Pacific FC CEO and Managing Partner of SixFive Sports and Entertainment Rob Friend. Rob chats with us about Pacific's Canadian Premier League championship win, the offseason of change, and the first three years of the league. Plus after announcing that they will be launching a new team in the lower mainland in 2023, Rob shares how that is going and there's some exciting exclusive news about it all.

We also do a quick preview of the MLS Western Conference and look at the latest Whitecaps away kit.

All of this plus we chat chocolate digestives with Axel Schuster, find out what is Florian Jungwirth's favourite jam, talk take out food with Ryan Gauld, TV with Jake Nerwinski, we introduce our new segment, as Vanni Sartini talks toast, and Armchair Loyal feature in this week's Wavelength section.

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

01.36: Intro and looking back on 500 episodes
09.55: TVOD - Jake Nerwinski
11.59: Whitecaps preseason wraps up
31.54: Take Me Out - Ryan Gauld
37.34: Vanni Sartini interview Part One - the coach
57.12: Unpacking Vanni
77.10: Vanni Sartini interview Part Two - the man
95.00: Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive? - Axel Schuster
98.57: Whitecaps 2022 kit discussion
103.47: Florian Jungwirth's Favourite Jam?
105.40: Western Conference preview
124.48: Vanni Sartini's Toast
129.52: Rob Friend Vancouver CPL interview
160.11: CPL in Vancouver discussion
168.50: Wavelength - Armchair Loyal - Play Football With Your Heads