The Armchair Analyst has grabbed a well-earned bit of vacation time before the MLS run-in cranks up to its full levels of insanity. So I’ve been called off the bench for a substitute cameo as we try to make sense of a lively Matchday 35.

Let’s make the most of these minutes and leap straight into the fray… Crown ‘Em

The league’s two hottest teams, led by arguably its top two goalkeepers, raised the curtain on the weekend in an early kickoff for ‘Kids Day’ at sunsplashed Yankee Stadium. And if all that sounds like a nice, happy vibe, we should clarify that New York City FC , Charlotte FC and referee Tim Ford duly combined for 27 fouls, nine yellow cards and three penalty kicks, reflective of the postseason-level intensity that rolls in at this time of year.

When the dust settled, Th

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