In 2019, LAFC tore up the Major League Soccer record books, scoring a ridiculous 85 goals, posting a plus-46 goal differential and notching 72 points. But while Bob Bradley's juggernaut struggled down the stretch, winning just two of their last eight matches and looking vulnerable for the first time all year, a club across the country used an impressive final two months of the season to install themselves as serious MLS Cup contenders.

Thanks to just a single loss since Aug. 11, New York City FC...