On episode #23 of The Chromaniacs, Craig Elsten, Tony Sanchez and Alex Peña get together to discuss...

• Another sellout for SDFC in the playoffs as the 11/24 game is already sold out
• International Break, time for Lozano, Dreyer, Godoy and McNair to STAY HEALTHY

Then a full MLS Schedule change discussion...

• How will the July-to-May schedule work?
• What does it mean to switch to a single table playoff?
• How will the scheduling divisions work?
• Does this benefit MLS for the league, players, and growth?
• How does the schedule change benefit SDFC and RIght to Dream?

If you enjoy the podcast, please leave us a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, and/or a kind written review, thank you! 

Craig Elsten, Tony Sanchez and Alex Peña got together live on YouTube an hour after San Diego FC ended their playoff series against Portland with a dominant 4-0 home win. The guys talk about the surprising decision to stick with Amahl Pellegrino over Chucky Lozano, and how he delivered a brace along with SDFC MVP Anders Dreyer. SDFC moves on to play Minnesota United FC on Monday, November 24 in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Craig Elsten, Tony Sanchez and Alex Peña got together on Friday, November 7, 2025 to record episode #22 of The Chromaniacs. On this show: 

• A full Sunday for San Diego soccer fans
• A brief look back at Match Two
• Anders Dreyer wins MLS Newcomer of the Year and is on MLS Best XI
• Mikey Varas a distant third for MLS Coach of the Year
• It's our gameplan vs theirs, who prevails in Match Three?
• Pablo Sisniega Confidence-o-Meter?
• Training Ground Sound: Mikey Varas--Anders Dreyer--Corey Baird

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.