Around the MLS 8/21

There’s plenty of big headlines today, so I’ll run through them a little more briefly than usual:

Chicago at Los Angeles, 10:00 PM ESPN2

The Fire and Galaxy take the field for ESPN’s MLS Primetime (which has been pushed back to 10 the last few weeks and moved to ESPN2 as a reward for good ratings).  Both teams will be without stars (Beckham, Blanco, etc.) due to international duty, but Bruce Arena will make his big debut.  If the Galaxy don’t have enough depth to field a quality side of starters and they use front office people in Reserve League games, does that mean we should see some accountants on the field for LA tonight?

Chicago has been hot lately, they have plenty of depth, and LA is LA, so I’ll say Chicago 3-Los Angeles 1

Eddie Lewis to LA Galaxy

LA’s midfield mess should get a little bit tidier with the addition of American international Eddie Lewis.  34 years old, Lewis is mostly a link player and defensive midfielder, which is exactly what the Galaxy needed.  Lewis has spent the last 8 years playing for various high-level English clubs (Fulham, Preston, Leeds, and Derby County), picking up 80 caps along the way.  An added bonus is that Lewis is familiar with Bruce Arena from their US National Team days, so Eddie knows what he’s getting into.

Colorado Fires Head Coach Fernando Clavijo

After seeing a solid franchise slowly go downhill under the Uruguayan Head Coach’s tenure, the Colorado Rapids have fired Clavijo (or as the team put it, the two sides have “reached mutual agreement for termination based on personal reasons”).  Taking over will be Interim Coach Englishman Gary Smith, who led the Rapids to a 2-1 victory over Kansas City last week in Clavijo’s absence.