We have to start this episode by discussing Alonso Martínez and the devastating knee injury he suffered while with Costa Rica during the international break that divides the MLS Cup Playoffs.
New York City FC now has to adjust on the fly to an injury to a key player that sends ripples across the club and feels like it could be franchise-altering, not just in these playoffs but in the next MLS season that follows them in 2026.
Your hosts Mark Radigan and John Baney and producer Andrew Leigh try to pick up the pieces left behind in the wake of losing Martínez for the long-term, an injury made possible by the fact that the current MLS league calendar makes it necessary to pause for two weeks in the middle of the playoffs.
Fret not, though, as after we've lamented the loss of Alonso, we're on to talking about how MLS will fix the exact international break problem that led to his injury by changing the entire league calendar starting in 2027. Say goodbye to February-to-December seasons and say hello to July-to-May seasons, plus there's a new winter break, and a whole reformatted competition format that does away with the Eastern and Western Conferences and creates a single league table, but with the twist of breaking teams up into five geographic divisions.
There's a lot to digest about all the changes MLS is making in 2027 and we dutifully catch you up on all the biggest points there before we switch gears and get to the meat of this episode: Our preview of the Eastern Conference Semifinal between New York City FC and the Philadelphia Union.
How will Pascal Jansen compensate for the absences of Martínez, plus the injured Andrés Perea and the suspended Aiden O'Neill? We debate the merits of lining up with three-at-the-back, set our expectations for who needs to step up the most amid the trio of absences, and wonder if some of the super-young players left healthy on NYCFC's bench will have a say in the result in Pennsylvania.
Listen to the full episode to get as ready as you possibly can be for the latest playoff meeting between Philly and NYCFC – available to listen below, or on Apple, Bleav, Spotify, or wherever else you get podcasts.
