Taylor Twellman is relieved. MLS has been flirting with a schedule change for years now. And finally, after 24 months of testing and even longer of speculation, the league has finally switched to the fall-spring calendar that it always needed.
"It's simple. I look at the business sense. I love the way they've got it set up, where you take the winter break, the way they do in Germany. I love it. I think it's a huge, huge momentum builder for the league," he tells GOAL.
It may prove to be a meaningful moment for American soccer, which could use another lift heading into the World Cup. The growth of MLS - the sport’s flagship domestic league - is a significant part of that. The bigger picture is for 2027, though, and the present remains compelling. The playoffs are now on a less-than-ideal two-week pause for the international window, but they should deliver plenty when they resume. Miami are the obvious headliners, and while they needed three games to get past Nashville, Twellman came away impressed.
Miami got it done without Luis Suárez, which now gives Javier Mascherano a genuine selection dilemma heading into the next round. Suárez’s absence didn’t slow the Herons, and it opened up questions about how the team functions with and without him.
"When the spine of your team is Suarez and Busquets, both arguably the best in their position or their generation, but both players are very limited in range, mobility, all of that," he says.
Beyond Miami, several other teams impressed. LAFC dominated Austin FC. FC Cincinnati looked good after triumphing against the Columbus Crew. And Minnesota might be a threat, too, after besting Seattle. It all has everything poised rather nicely at a crucial time of year.
Twellman talked MLS Playoffs, Luis Suarez, and a massive change in the league in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of analysts, announcers, and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad.
NOTE: This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
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