MLS + Friendly Gamethread: Week 20

Eric couldn't get the game thread this week, so like DeAndre Yedlin for Fabian Johnson I'll sub in to little fanfare and a lot of anxiety, only to be heralded as a blogging wunderkind and eventually moved to SBNation's Roma blog.

Today's MLS action sees a clash of two titans as the San Jose Earthquakes host the Chicago Fire. And by "titans" I mean two awful teams that aren't even going to make the playoffs. This is a version of the Earthquakes without Steven Lenhart, which if not like-able at least makes them kind of watchable. And the Fire. . . exist. Your Sounders rooting interest in this match is . . *hammers on calculator* . . *examines a beaker of liquid* . . *studies a chalkboard*. . TOTALLY IRRELEVANT. Nothing that happens here matters to the Sounders in the slightest, so relax and enjoy. If you demand prediction, I'll predict a scoreless draw.

In non-league action Sporting Kansas City is hosting fellow City Manchester City on the Deuce for a friendly, just three days before a game against Toronto that actually matters. So I wouldn't expect the starters to go more than a half. MLS reserves in the second half against Man City will probably be a fun spectacle. And Campeau (and possibly nobody else west of the Rockies) is tremendously excited that FCDallas is hosting Aston Villa, being streamed here.

And finally the Galaxy host . . another team from Manchester. Really original, guys. That'll be on Fox Sports 1, if you can stand seeing that many Mancunians (real word) in one day.