{"id":228930,"date":"2025-10-21T08:45:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T08:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/228930\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T08:45:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T08:45:09","slug":"episode-696-the-aftn-soccer-show-somethings-happening-round-here-axel-schuster-roundtable-joedrick-pupe-and-rayan-elloumi-interviews-mls-playoffs-and-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/228930\/","title":{"rendered":"Episode 696 \u2013 The AFTN Soccer Show (Something\u2019s Happening Round Here \u2013 Axel Schuster roundtable, Joedrick Pupe and Rayan Elloumi interviews, MLS playoffs and awards)"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps and Major League Soccer chat and interviews.<\/p>\n

It was a heartbreaking weekend for the Whitecaps, who battled valiantly for 80 minutes down a man at home to Dallas but couldn\u2019t find the point they needed to finish top of the MLS Western Conference. Great defending, a lack of finishing, and some questionable refereeing saw the \u2018Caps fall to second in the standings, setting up a more difficult playoff path ahead, ironically kicking off against that same Dallas side. We delve into all of that and a lot more, plus ponder what Whitecaps might be in the running for the end of year MLS awards.<\/p>\n

We also bring you a media roundtable with Whitecaps GM and Sporting Director Axel Schuster. A new stadium, ownership, Thomas M\u00fcller\u2019s future, Axel\u2019s future, end of year roster decisions, player pathways, the FIFA takeover of BC Place, and the club\u2019s relationship with the Canadian Premier League are all covered in the 46 minute discussion.<\/p>\n

Our feature interview this week is with a new Whitecaps signing that arrived with an injury but is ready to go for the playoffs, Belgian defender Joedrick Pupe. We chat with Joedrick about coming to Vancouver and MLS, his footballing journey, playing style, and more, plus as a co-owner of a coffee shop, we find out if he fancies a chocolate digestive. We also chat with rising Whitecaps homegrown Rayan Elloumi about his time away with Tunisia\u2019s U23 side, his experiences in the country, and is the door still open for playing for Canada.<\/p>\n

Music-wise, Kneecap continue their residency as our Album of the Month, we\u2019ve Britpop songs from Longpigs and Heavy Stereo, and feature in Wavelength with a song about.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the rundown for the main segments from the episode:<\/p>\n

01.26: Intro \u2013 mazes and the undeniableness that is UBC soccer
08.40: A discussion on refereeing, accountability, and communication
22.00: Dallas destroy Whitecaps dreams of finishing first in MLS West
52.30: The Whitecaps playoff redemption arc set to begin
69.37: Axel Schuster media roundtable
125.40: Jesper Sorensen reflects on the regular season
130.25: Which Whitecaps players deserve MLS season honours?
138.00: Jesper Sorensen \u2013 MLS coach of the year, but will he get it?
158.00: Joedrick Pupe interview
167.37: Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive? \u2013 Joedrick Pupe
171.15: Rayan Elloumi on his Tunisia U23 experience
177.00: Wavelength \u2013 MC Devil \u2013 Deviltime<\/p>\n

You can download and\/or listen to this, and all previous, episodes of the podcast on the following services:<\/p>\n

Direct Download<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple podcasts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n

YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n

Amazon Music<\/a><\/p>\n

iHeart Radio<\/a><\/p>\n

Podbean<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Podchaser<\/a><\/p>\n

CiTR Radio Show Page<\/a><\/p>\n

Or after all that, you could just listen on the player below!<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

Tags: Goalkeeper of the Year<\/a>, roundtable<\/a>, Belgium<\/a>, awards<\/a>, Defender of the Year<\/a>, postgame<\/a>, Britpop<\/a>, Interview<\/a>, refereeing<\/a>, Jesper Sorensen<\/a>, major league soccer<\/a>, FC Dallas<\/a>, Rayan Elloumi<\/a>, MLS<\/a>, Wavelength<\/a>, MLS run-in<\/a>, playoffs<\/a>, AFTN Soccer Show<\/a>, Kneecap<\/a>, podcast<\/a>, Anyone Fancy A Chocolate Digestive<\/a>, Allan Chapman<\/a>, referees<\/a>, VWFC<\/a>, Joedrick Pupe<\/a>, there’s still time<\/a>, Axel Schuster<\/a>, Tunisia U23. MC Devil<\/a>, Vancouver Whitecaps<\/a>, Best XI<\/a>, Coach of the Year<\/a>, MLS West<\/a>
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps and Major League Soccer chat and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":228931,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[440],"tags":[49,48,561,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-228930","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-soccer","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-soccer","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=228930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/228931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=228930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=228930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=228930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}