Lewandowski Bags Debut Brace for Chicago Fire
Robert Lewandowski announced himself to the Soldier Field faithful in stunning fashion, scoring a brilliant brace on his home debut to secure a 2-1 victory for Chicago Fire FC against Charlotte FC.
The blockbuster arrival from FC Barcelona made an instant impression in front of a roaring crowd, turning the tide after the visitors took an early lead.
Charlotte struck first in the 18th minute when Pep Biel met Idan Toklomati’s delivery to slot past the keeper. However, the response from the hosts was immediate.
Just 93 seconds later, Jonathan Bamba whipped in a ball for Philip Zinckernagel, who cushioned a header into the path of Lewandowski. The Polish marksman took two sharp touches before hammering a precise strike from outside the penalty area to bring the Fire level.
Chicago completed the turnaround in the 68th minute through a magnificent team move involving more than 25 passes. Andrew Gutman and Robin Lod combined neatly down the left flank before slipping a ball to an underlapping Lewandowski. Displaying signature composure, the 37-year-old deftly chipped the ball past Charlotte goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina into the side netting.
With his two-goal performance, Lewandowski became only the fourth player in Chicago Fire history to score multiple goals in his home debut, joining Frank Klopas (1998), Andy Herron (2008), and Tomasz Frankowski (2008).
”That type of quality is hard to find,” said Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter post-game. “When you look at the two goals he scored and some of the other plays he made, it’s just very high quality. He’s dynamic, smart, and clever. Most importantly, in the box, he’s an absolute killer.”
Line-ups & Match Info:
- Chicago Fire FC: Brady, Souquet, Waterman, Terán, Gutman, Acosta, Salétros, Bamba, Lod, Zinckernagel, Lewandowski.
- Charlotte FC: Kahlina, Byrne, Malanda, Privett, Uronen, Westwood, Diani, Biel, Bronico, Abada, Toklomati.
- Goals: Pep Biel 18′ (Charlotte); Robert Lewandowski 20′, 68′ (Chicago).
- Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago.
