MLS history will have to be made the hard way.
New York City FC entered Sunday night with hopes of reaching their first-ever Eastern Conference final and had lost just once in their past 21 games at Yankee Stadium.
That couldn’t prevent third-seeded NYCFC from stumbling at home when it mattered most, dropping the first leg match of their semifinal, 1-0, to the second-seeded Atlanta United.
The United host the final leg of the series next Sunday, with NYCFC needing an upset to keep their season alive. NYCFC, which has lost in the semifinals the past two years, is 4-9-4 away from home this season, while the United are 11-2-4 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.