It's rivalry week in Major League Soccer, but there's one match that would be important even if there weren't rivals involved.
On Friday night, Atlanta United will visit Orlando City, a matchup that has grown in intensity in the two seasons since Atlanta joined the league as an expansion team.
All eyes will be on United striker Josef Martinez, who is on the verge of making MLS history.
Last weekend in a 3-1 United victory over the Crew, Martinez scored his 27th goal of the season to tie the record for most in a single season. He joined Tampa Bay's Roy Lassiter (1996), San Jose's Chris Wondolowski (2012), and the Red Bulls' Bradley Wright-Phillips (2014).
The 25-year-old Venezuelan was asked afterward about joining the elite group.
"I mean, I tied it, but what I really want is to break it. So once I break it, I'll be even more happy," he said.
Martinez scored in the 31st minute, dedicating his goal to his pregnant aunt, who lives with him, by tucking the ball under his shirt.
"I thought about it, and I had thought about doing it before at some point this season. But I wanted it to be a special occasion," he said afterward.
Martinez is in his second season in MLS. His first year he scored 19 goals in 21 matches. His 46 (and counting) goals in back-to-back seasons are a league record. His six career hat tricks also top MLS.
Martinez has scored in eight straight games, a game shy of the league record set last season by Portland's Diego Valeri.
Friday night's game is the first of nine games remaining, so it's entirely possible that Martinez won't just break the record, but pad it. He tied the mark in just 25 games this season, putting his average at over a goal a game.
"The track record speaks for itself. It's incredible. It really is," United defender Michael Parkhurst said. "The fact that that record has stood for as long as it has, and he's crushing it in his first full season. Last season, he missed months; I don't know how many games, but a lot. This season in his first full year, he's crushing it. It's unbelievable."
Atlanta sits atop the Eastern Conference at 15-4-6, while Orlando is in 10th at 7-15-2. The Union won the first two meetings this season.
