England legends Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard enjoy one of the most storied rivalries in football history. The debate over which attacking midfielder is the greatest has been said to destroy friendships, to surpass even the longest Parliament filibusters, and may even have broken up the Beatles. Despite 10 years spent on the same national team squad, the two men’s fierce loyalty to their Premier League clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea, always prevailed.

Now, both are set to join Major League Soccer this summer - Gerrard to Los Angeles Galaxy and Lampard to New York City FC. But how will each fit into his new team, and will the rivalry continue overseas?

Gerrard will be playing for the team that started the trend of MLS teams acquiring Premier League star power by signing David Beckham in 2007. The Galaxy have dominated the league in recent years, with championships in 2011, 2012 and 2014. This season, however, manager Bruce Arena’s squad has been riddled with injuries, and currently sits at fifth place in the Western Conference despite having played two more games than first place Seattle.

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Top goalscorer Alan Gordon and assist machine Jose Villarreal both suffered injuries in LA’s match against New England Sunday evening, and captain (and former Premier League player) Robbie Keane is out as well. All in all, the Galaxy are in desperate need of a healthy attacker, which makes Gerrard’s arrival in mid-July all the more anticipated.

Gerrard is an experienced and highly decorated competitor, who has won two FA Cup titles, a Champions League trophy and two England Player of the Year Awards, among others. Gerrard’s superb passing and play in set pieces will fit right in with the Galaxy’s possession-focused playing style. Hopefully the Liverpool skipper can pick up some silverware in Los Angeles.

On the opposite coast, Lampard’s new home team New York City FC are in even worse shape. A sister club to Manchester City, where Lampard spent his final Premier League season, 2015 is the team’s inaugural season in MLS. Fittingly, the squad’s performance over the past few months has resembled a baby taking its first steps.

City are dead last in the MLS with a dismal eight points in 13 games. Spanish international and former Barcelona star David Villa leads the side in all four offensive categories, but has only three goals and two assists in 40 shots (21 shots on goal).

It seems Lampard could be the cure to some of New York City’s offensive woes and provide some support for Villa on the attack. A column of Lampard’s strengths matches up almost exactly with City’s weaknesses: possession, finishing, concentration. The Englishman’s knack for long shots and direct free kicks also fits nicely with New York City’s style. For all of its attacking might, however, City are equally weak at the back; they have the second-worst goal differential in the league at -7. Lampard may have to revert back to the defensive midfielder position he played at Chelsea, whether it is in the 4-3-2-1 formation that the Blues used, or the 4-4-2 that New York City have favoured thus far.

All in all, both Gerrard and Lampard will surely take a front seat role for their respective teams when they arrive in the U.S. this summer. Lampard may have a slightly bigger hole to climb out of, but City are still very young, and there is potential for manager Jason Kreis to build the team around him in the future. Gerrard will likely face stiffer competition for a starting spot in the Galaxy’s lineup once the side is healthy again, but until then will have just as much of a burden on his shoulders.

Regardless of the situations the two Premier League legends have been dropped into mid-season, it will be interesting to see if they can sustain the rivalry while adjusting to MLS. Gerrard and Lampard are each players of exceptional quality with the ability to elevate those around them to another level and it is precisely this similarity that has bred such fierce competition. No doubt, it is not a contest that will produce a clear winner anytime soon. The football world will be holding its breath pending the Galaxy and City facing off August 23 in Los Angeles, but until then, let the debate continue.

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