The New York Red Bulls’ didn’t leave their fans much to celebrate after the opening leg of the 2018 MLS Eastern Conference semifinals. RBNY slumped to a 1-0 loss on the road against Columbus Crew, setting up a win-or-go-home second leg for the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena.
But at least one good thing came out of the disappointing start to RBNY’s playoff campaign: the Red Bulls have confirmed the kickoff time for the second leg. With broadcast arrangements, diverse deals governing stadium use, and MLS’ incessant desire to meddle (or rather “optimize its product”, if you’re a marketing MBA candidate), the league’s playoff scheduling can occasionally feel hastily improvised.