New York City FC quietly brilliant

When discussing who the very best teams in MLS this season are, the usual suspects always pop up: LAFC, the Galaxy, Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta, the Red Bulls, D.C. United. New York City FC often go unmentioned in this debate, as if they have been forgotten about. But they might be, bar LAFC, the best of the lot.

The win over Sporting KC moves NYCFC into third position in the East. They are just one point behind Atlanta United and four behind the Philadelphia Union. But they have three games in hand on both. They will move top if they win one, draw one and lose one.

Their goal difference is also plus-12, the second-best in MLS — goal difference, incidentally, is often a more accurate barometer of how good a team actually is. And they have the third-highest Points per Game, just 0.01 behind the Galaxy and top of the East.

Whisper it quietly, but New York City FC are brilliant, even if no one is paying attention.