On Monday's episode of 2 Balls and a Mic, the Chromaniacs were invited on to break down and discuss Saturday's painful SDFC loss in penalty kicks to the Portland Timbers. Craig Elsten and Alex Peña joined Tony Sanchez, Chiva Villaseñor and Abe Zepeda to look at lineup and substitution decisions, how the Timbers now have a gameplan for the third and deciding match, and what adjustments SDFC head coach Mikey Varas can make going into Sunday's home series finale. 

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT: 

• SDFC captain Jeppe Tverskov gets a contract extension through 2027/2028
• The MLS playoffs are one match deep, where does everyone stand?
• The playoff format is fun...for now. It's about to get silly
• SDFC killing it with attendance
• Spooky question: who is the team in the West you are most afraid of?
• TAM Talk: putting the ghost of Milan Iloski to rest
• Training Ground Sound: Mikey Varas--CJ Dos Santos--Onni Valikari
• Match Two Preview: what strategic tack will Portland take, and how should SDFC respond?

Craig Elsten, Tony Sanchez and Alex Peña get together an hour after San Diego FC wins their first-ever playoff match, a 2-1 home result against Portland Timbers. The guys talk through an incredible atmosphere at Snapdragon Stadium, a composed and effective start from SDFC, and every step on the way to a playoff result that sets up Los Chromados well for what is to come. Also, hear post-match sound from head coach Mikey Varas, forward Anders Dreyer and midfielder Luca de la Torre. 

On today's show: 

• Alex Peñs reviews his trip to Portland to watch SDFC clinch first place
• Is the Chucky Lozano situation resolved? Was this best-case scenario?
• Who should start at left wing on Sunday, Lozano or Pellegrino?
• Mikey Varas and Anders Dreyer earn MLS award nominations
• Does Portland play to win or do they play for penalties?
• The #1 thing SDFC needs to avoid doing on Sunday

Saturday night, San Diego FC beat down Portland Timbers 4-0 at Providence Park, and the result combined with a Vancouver loss gave SDFC first place in the Western Conference of MLS, setting all-time expansion season records for wins, points and away wins. While both Craig Elsten and Tony Sanchez were working at the San Diego Wave FC match concurrently, they had the game on and got together live on YouTube late Saturday night to celebrate the club's win and accomplishments. However, it's never a 100% sunshine story in San Diego sports, so there is also the issue of Chucky Lozano's absence, and head coach Mikey Varas' cryptic comment about him after the match. Get hyped up with Craig and Tony, and hear what Varas had to say in this post-match show!


The guys will be back with Alex Peña on Thursday with reaction to the Western Conference Wild Card Game, and a preview of SDFC's first home playoff match on Sunday. 

Make sure to subscribe to Chromaniacs on YouTube and hit the notification bell to find out every time we go live after matches!

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT

• We go through every possible scenario on how SDFC can finish the season, from first to fourth place
• Training Ground Sound: Mikey Varas and Amahl Pellegrino
• The Never-Ending Search for a #9 (and it's NOT Pellegrino)
• Marcus Ingvartsen, where's Waldo
• SDFC-Portland Timbers preview!

In lieu of a traditional post-match show, on Monday night the Chromaniacs (Craig Elsten and Alex Peña) joined their fellow Chromaniac Tony Sanchez on his 2 Balls and a Mic podcast with co-host Abraham Zepeda. The guys broke down SDFC's 4-2 win in Houston, the breakout performance of Amahl Pellegrino, how much stock to put in SDFC's return to offensive form, the impact of international break departures and how the Chrome and Azul are set up in the endgame of trying to chase down the top spot in the Western Conference of MLS. 

The San Diego Padres have been eliminated. Now, SDFC has the chance to become the first major pro sports team in San Diego history to win a championship. But the road to the playoffs has been bumpy of late, filled with no-goal potholes. On the latest episode of the Chromaniacs, Craig Elsten, Tony Sanchez and Alex Peña discuss:

• SDFC's championship opportunity
• Could Marcus Ingvartsen return by season's end, and who should play the nine until he returns?
• Luca de la Torre left off the USMNT roster for October, what does it mean for club and player
• Training Ground Sound: Mikey Varas and Chris McVey
• SDFC at Houston Dynamo match preview 

Tony Sanchez is at Snapdragon Stadium, joined by Craig Elsten and Alex Peña in studio to break down a disappointing 1-0 home loss to San Jose Earthquakes. It seems like San Diego soccer fans have been shown the same match for almost four months now, with great possession but very little finishing touch, and goals conceded against the run of play. The guys work through their frustration over the never-ending hole at the #9 position, and hear the post-match comments from head coach Mikey Varas. 

On tonight's show: 

• SDFC plays well for a half in Atlanta, then stumbles
• The battle for first place in the West tightens up
• Luca de la Torre's struggles in the midfield
• Who starts at left back wtih Bombino out?
• SDFC-San Jose Earthquakes preview

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT

• SDFC shows SDSU how to fill Snapdragon Stadium without giving away the house
• Looking back at a loss to the Loons
• How can SDFC reach next year's CONCACAF Champions Cup
• Mikey Varas wants SDFC to support all national teams (training ground sound)
• SDFC-Atlanta United preview
• Is this the ultimate trap game on the schedule? 

Tony Sanchez is live from Snapdragon Stadium, Craig Elsten and Alex Peña join from home to break down a 4-2 win over Club Tijuana in the first-ever Baja Cup. David Vasquez made a play for a bigger role in the offense with a goal and assist. Tomas Ángel delivered a beautiful assist on the Vasquez goal. Manu Duah nailed a header in the box on a corner kick for the lead. And "Guest Player 37" capped things off with a fourth goal. Guest player WHO? Tony has the answers on the names behind the guests. The guys hear from head coach Mikey Varas about the win. 

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT! 

• The international break is over, what happened?
• Right to Dream academy officially launches, MLS Next team coming
• SDFC vs Xolos, the "Baja Cup" is coming next week
• SDFC spoiled Sonny's debut for LAFC but NOT in South Korean AI recaps!
• Match preview: Minnesota at SDFC
• What's the dream scenario for Saturday's results? 
• How can Los Chromados overcome Minnesota's planned low-block defense?
• Audio: Onni Valakari from the SDFC training grounds

Monday night, the Chromaniacs and 2 Balls and a Mic got together for another epic roundtable, talking about the hottest team in MLS! SDFC's 2-1 win at LAFC was the signature win so far of an inaugural season that has already delivered more memories than could possibly be imagined. With no match this week, we wanted to share the excitement of our talk with the Chromaniacs audience! The panel went through the match in detail, the implications for the MLS table, how CJ Dos Santos has regained his firm grip on the goalkeeping position, and much, much more! 

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT

• Looking back at a 0-0 draw against Portland
• Why does SDFC play so much better away than at home? Craig has a theory
• Los Chromados about to be hit with call-ups for the U-20 USMNT
• VOICE OF THE SUPPORTER: Adriene (Papi Chavo) joins us to talk about the growth of the supporter section and what it takes to be a drummer for Frontera SD
• MATCH PREVIEW: SDFC faces their biggest test of the regular season when they travel to BMO Stadium on Sunday night 

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT

• What does Duru bring to SDFC?
• How can the Chromados use Duru now and in the future?
• How does this impact who is already here?
• The future of SDFC is youth AND selling
• Training Sound from Leo Duru and Mikey Varas
• The Last Team We Haven't Seen in the West: Portland
• Playoff Clinching Scenarios

Monday night's first hour of 2 Balls and a Mic (the flagship podcast of SanDiego.Futbol) brought together The Chromaniacs, along with Chiva and Abe of SD.F, for a fun hour of roundtable SDFC talk! The group focused on Sunday's road result, a 2-1 win in San Jose which gave SDFC six straight wins away from San Diego. Marcus Ingvartsen's return to center forward led to a pair of goals, is he the key to SDFC's offense going forward? The group dissect the game from start to finish, including some strong defense from the young back line, an egregious error at goalkeeper for the lone concession against, and how the lineup could change down the stretch. The hour wraps up with a look ahead to Saturday's home match against Timbers. 

We also invite you to check out the video version of this show on YouTube, where some of The Chromaniac's jokes might make a lot more sense :) 

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT

• A look back at SDFC's 2-0 win in Kansas City
• Who is SDFC's best young rookie?
• Could two SD pro teams win their divisions this year?

VOICE OF THE SUPPORTER

• Frontera SD Vice President Vanessa B joins the show!
• Creating supporter energy in San Diego
• the challenge of bringing multiple SGs under one banner

SD-SAN JOSE PREVIEW

• Alex Peña's experience becoming a soccer fan in San Jose
• Jeeping the Cristians under control
• Can SDFC keep their remarkable road run going?

The Chromaniacs gather late on a Saturday night after a 2-0 SDFC win at Sporting KC. 

• Getting your Designated Players right matters in MLS...a LOT
• Individual brilliance from Chucky Lozano for a 1-0 lead
• SDFC holding off an hour of spirited KC attack
• Dreyer using his determination and getting a little luck too
• CJ Dos Santos back in net with a clean sheet
• Why does SDFC play so well away from home? 

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT

• Milan Iloski to Philadelphia, a tale of TAM
• Corey Baird to SDFC, what kind of fit will he be?
• Is Marcus Ingvartsen the key player down the stretch at forward?
• Leagues Cup Review: a goodbye win over Mazatlan
• Another change in net
• Mikey Varas post-Mazatlan sound
• Sporting KC preview: can SDFC keep up their road form in the heat and humidity?