Even before they became champions, the Atlanta Chiefs were beating champions.



During a span of 20 wondrous days in 1968, the North American Soccer League team beat English champion Manchester City not once, but twice on home soil.



Now, that certainly was no mean feat. The Chiefs were in their second year of existence in the NASL’s inaugural season and Man City had been alive and kicking since 1888.



The first victory “caused quite a stir,” former Chiefs vice president Dick Cecil told The Athletic in an interview earlier this week. The second stunning result “got a lot of world notice,” he added.



Those results were just a precursor to more success. That September, they captured the very first NASL title, becoming the first Atlanta pro team to secure a championship.



This year just happens to be the 50th anniversary of that title team, an accomplishment the Atlanta United will attempt to emulate against the...