Atlanta United's hot streak continued on Wednesday night as they defeated FC Cincinnati 4-0 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta won their sixth game in a row, thanks to a Josef Martinez brace, Luiz Araujo's first MLS goal, and Ezequiel Barco's late free-kick golazo, pushing them into sole possession of the Eastern Conference's seventh Audi MLS Cup Playoffs position. Within five minutes, the hosts seized the lead due to a stunning solo effort by Araujo, who enthralled the home fans with a 1-0 scoreline, his first since joining on deadline day from reigning Ligue 1 champions Lille.

Meanwhile, an opportunity for FC Cincinnati to draw level was squandered in the 23rd minute when Brenner's touch in front of the net on a cross went wide. After pouncing on a bad Atlanta turnover just before the half-hour mark, the Brazilian striker had an even better chance, but he blasted past Brad Guzan's goal.

When Atlanta extended their lead in the 40th minute on a set-piece routine, the Orange & Blue would lament those lost opportunities. Martinez doubled the Five Stripes' lead with a header past Przemyslaw Tyton after Alan Franco's touch inside the area on an Araujo free-kick.

Martinez scored his second goal of the game in the 55th minute, catching Tyton off guard with a curling attempt that pushed Atlanta's lead to 3-0. Martinez's double came in his 100th regular-season appearance, and his 85 goals in that time are the most by any player in MLS history in their first 100 games. Still, Barco placed the icing on the cake in the 86th minute, blasting a free-kick past Tyton to finish the scoring.

[Photography by ICONIC photographer Rachel Pearce]