The Chicago Fire look like a team lost in time.
No top-five conference finishes since 2009? Check.
An ownership group utterly unwilling to spend much on players, even within the modest economic standards of MLS? Check.
A suburban stadium boondoggle shackling Bridgeview’s taxpayers? Check.
The lowest average attendance in the Eastern Conference yet again? Check and mate.
Hmm. Almost makes you pine for some good ol’ relegation.
In so many ways, New York City FC ought to take care of this team in a big way, Frank Lampard’s soleus strain notwithstanding. In a matchup if the modern versus the archaic, the team with the spiffy designated players, world-famous coach, and thoroughly jacked-up fans ought to have the edge.