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Since the exit of 2014 World Cup champion Bastian Schweinsteiger in 2019, the Chicago Fire have been longing for a genuine European star to electrify fans in the Windy City—and now, they finally have one: Robert Lewandowski.
After missing his home debut last month and featuring twice away in defeats against Inter Miami and New York City FC, Lewandowski finally had the opportunity to perform in front of the Soldier Field crowd on Saturday, delivering in a 2–1 victory over Charlotte FC.
The 37-year-old forward netted his first MLS goal in the 20th minute, just two minutes after the Fire had conceded. Jonathan Bamba lifted the ball over the defense to MLS All-Star Philip Zinckernagel, before it dropped perfectly onto Lewandowski's right foot for a powerful long-range finish past Kristijan Kahlina.
Putting on a show for the Fire fans 🔥 pic.twitter.com/iWnJFI4rta
With the excitement already building around his debut goal in just his third appearance, the Polish international made sure fans left in even higher spirits, slotting home a neat close-range finish in the 68th minute following a sharp combination between Andrew Gutman and Robin Lod.
Supported by a solid performance from Chris Brady—the U.S. men's national team's third-choice goalkeeper heading into this summer's World Cup—the Fire secured their first victory since May and their first since offloading MLS top scorer Hugo Cuypers to Liga MX side CF Monterrey, a move that placed Lewandowski at the heart of their attack.
"Every time I join a new club, I'm waiting for that first goal," Lewandowski told Apple TV after the game. "It's important for me to show that I'm here, to score and help us win. I think it makes the next step a little easier—for the team and for me as well.
"I'm genuinely happy to be here. I enjoy every single day: the lifestyle, the club, and the organization. Everything is truly at the highest level. I can't say a single negative thing about the club, and I'm very impressed by how well everything runs, both on and off the pitch."
Lewandowski brace in his home debut! 😤
Chicago leads 2-1. pic.twitter.com/CBEV7skTYT
With that performance, Lewandowski became only the fourth player to score a brace on his Fire home debut, joining Frank Klopas in 1998, along with Andy Herron and Tomasz Frankowski, who both achieved the feat in 2008.
"It feels really great," Zinckernagel told reporters. "We still need to understand and learn how Lewandowski moves, his tendencies on the pitch, and what he prefers. But it was only a matter of time before he hit his stride. The chemistry is improving more and more."
Navigating the Lewandowski Shift
After moving on from 29-year-old Cuypers in favor of Lewandowski, questions emerged about whether Chicago had made the right call to compete this season and in the years ahead, given that Lewandowski is now in the latter stages of his career.
It took several matches for manager Gregg Berhalter to reshape his system to suit Lewandowski, who operates in a markedly different style compared to Cuypers's relentless and explosive goalscoring approach.
"You can see we're a team still trying to find our footing," Berhalter said. "That's what I observed on the field. But what we have established is the mentality and the work rate. And that's truly vital.
"There are still some positional aspects we need to address. There are balls into the box we need to keep delivering. There are runs in behind the defense we need to keep developing. The defensive shape could be tighter to cut off central access, but that will come with time."
Leagues Cup Provides a Chance at Silverware
The last time a celebrated former Barcelona player arrived in MLS during the summer, he went on to claim the 2023 Leagues Cup. Lewandowski may not be at the same tier as Lionel Messi, but he will aim to guide Chicago to the title, much as Messi did in his early weeks after joining Inter Miami as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
Featuring 18 selected MLS clubs and all 18 Liga MX sides, the Fire will be chasing the club's first piece of silverware since the 2006 U.S. Open Cup, facing Necaxa, Santos Laguna, and powerhouse Cruz Azul in the opening round, with the goal of finishing among the top four MLS teams in the cross-league group stage to advance to the knockout rounds.
"It's a really good feeling heading into what the Leagues Cup break represents," said defender Joel Waterman. "Hopefully we can carry that momentum into the cup, because we want to win it, and carry it through the rest of the season as well."