NYCFC takes on the Philadelphia Union on Sunday in their MLS Eastern Conference semifinal matchup at Subaru Park in Chester, PA.

City could not make it past this stage of the playoffs last season, falling 2-0 to cross-town rivals Red Bull New York at Citi Field in the first-ever Hudson River Derby playoff match.

With the November international break falling between Round 1 and the conference semifinals, head coach Pascal Jansen has had two weeks to get the NYCFC squad ready for their biggest match of the season so far. However, star striker and top scorer Alonso Martínez tore his ACL and meniscus while playing in Costa Rica’s World Cup qualifier match against Haiti last Thursday.

“It’s a big blow for them,” Danny Higginbotham, former Premier League midfielder and TV analyst for MLS Seas

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