RECAP: Lewandowski Scores Home Debut Brace as Fire Down Charlotte, 2-1
Just when things were looking bleak, the Chicago Fire have turned it around. On their (delayed) homecoming after the World Cup, the Men in Red triumphed 2-1 against Charlotte FC.
32,183 fans descended on Soldier Field as Robert Lewandowski netted a brace to open his Fire account.
The club snapped a two-game skid and retained its spot in the top four of the MLS Eastern Conference with the win.
More importantly, though, the team appears to have once again found its identity.
90-Second Goal Fest
A quiet start to the game ended in an instant at the 18-minute mark. Pep Biel combined with Idan Toklomati for an attractive one-two before slamming a right-footed finish into the top corner. Charlotte took a 1-0 lead and silenced the fans at Soldier Field.
The crowd came alive very quickly. Just a minute later, Jonathan Bamba played a lovely ball over the top towards Philip Zinckernagel, who chested it down to Lewandowski. The Pole took a touch and duly placed a low shot past the outstretched arms of Kristijan Kahlina. The Men in Red had their equalizer; Lewandowski was off the mark, and the lakefront roared in approval.
It was an end-to-end half the rest of the way, but despite the attacking pressure from both teams, it stayed 1-1. As the players retreated to the locker rooms, Chicago felt like the better of the two sides.
Lewandowski Seals the Deal
As the second half got underway, the Fire picked up where they left off, dominating possession. They got their first major opportunity in the 56th minute courtesy of Zinckernagel. The All-Star returnee took control of the ball in midfield, playing in Lewandowski, who fed it immediately back into his path. Though Zinckernagel was able to break free of the back line, his angled shot was saved relatively easily by Kahlina.
Chicago finally took the lead for the first time in the 68th minute. Zinckernagel dropped to midfield once again, this time picking out Andrew Gutman on the left, who in turn found Robin Lod. The latter fed Lewandowski, who made absolutely no mistake. He took three touches inside the box and checkmated Kahlina with a simple finish. The Fire took a 2-1 lead into the final 20 minutes of the game.
Charlotte never truly threatened to level it, and the Fire stayed composed at the back. When the final whistle sounded, it came as a long-awaited reprieve for Chicago. A precious three points had been secured, and the club’s new star man had his first goals.
A Whole-Team Effort
The Fire look like their pre-World Cup selves once again, this time with a new goal-getter up top. The win over Charlotte felt like a fitting curtain-raiser for a new era in the Windy City, and it took a village.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter told the media post-match:
“It’s fantastic to have Robert make a big mark on the game… he set the tone.“
Lewandowski offered some insight into his newfound goalscoring form and whether the Fire’s shift to a 4-2-3-1 helped him.
“In the end, [formation] isn’t most important,” he told CHISN after the win. “Using the space, I can be on the left, the right, inside, up front…”
In addition to the world-class performance from the striker, Berhalter also praised the much-improved showing from his defenders.
“We challenged them after last game because we know what they can do,” Berhalter said about center-backs Joel Waterman and Jack Elliott.
Waterman, who had one of his best games in recent memory, was aware of the implications after the game.
“Obviously, I wasn’t really happy with the first half of the season, how it went,” the Canadian reflected.
“If I can step in and just do my job and help the team win, that’s all I care about. It’s all 11 guys too, not just me.”
Another player showing signs of his best form on the night was Zinckernagel.
“We still have to understand and learn how Lewandowski moves and his behavior on the pitch,” the attacking midfielder explained.
“But yeah, I think the understanding is getting better and better.”
Up for the Cup
The grind does not stop for the Men in Red after the big win. MLS will go on its second hiatus of the year, this time for Leagues Cup.
The Fire will make their first appearance under the new format, which pits them against three Liga MX sides in the league stage.
Zinckernagel said about the upcoming competition.
“I’m confident that we have a good squad and we have enough players to rotate.”
Chicago kicks off its campaign on Thursday with a 7 pm kickoff against Necaxa at Seatgeek Stadium.
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