Midweek games, especially midweek games near the end of the MLS season, aren’t supposed to be pretty. They are supposed to be dull, sloppy matches that both teams (and fans) want to get over with as quickly as possible. NYCFC defied that classic midweek match stereotype on Wednesday night, playing some beautiful, effective soccer en route to a 4-1 win over Atlanta United.



If New York City FC’s position on top of the Eastern Conference standings wasn’t enough to convince you that Domè Torrent’s team is a legitimate MLS Cup contender, their most recent win should have eliminated the rest of your doubt. The word “dominant” is probably overused in sports, but it would be inaccurate to call NYCFC’s performance at Yankee Stadium against Atlanta anything but that.



Both teams were without key players — Atlanta United missed Josef Martínez, Ezequiel Barco and Julian Gressel and NYCFC started without Keaton...