Robert Lewandowski played 71 minutes for Chicago Fire in a 2-1 Major League Soccer victory over New York City FC at Soldier Field, helping spark an uphill battle after his side went down to ten men before halftime. Przegląd Sportowy reported that the Polish captain moved heavily across the pitch, dropping deep into midfield and drifting to the right flank during a scoreless opening half for his team. The Polish captain had previously ended his international duty with the Polish national team early due to accumulating yellow cards, allowing him to jump into overseas competition sooner.
Chicago Fire Falls Behind Early Before Red Card Shifts Match Momentum
The visitors struck first in the 19th minute when Austrian midfielder Hannes Wolf collected a pass at the edge of the 16-meter box and poked a low, deceptive shot past Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady. Chicago struggled to generate clean chances in the first half, registering seven off-target attempts while New York City relied on quick counter-attacks through returning Costa Rican forward Alonso Martinez. Returning from an injury, the Costa Rican forward proved either inaccurate or was stopped in stellar fashion by Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady. Just before the break, the team’s difficulties deepened when Dje D’Avilla committed a second unnecessary foul without realizing he would receive a second yellow card, leaving the Ivorian midfielder visibly surprised when referee Brandon Stevis ordered him off the pitch.
Robert Lewandowski Sparks the Equalizer After the Break
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chicago pressed aggressively after halftime and leveled the score in the 55th minute. Lewandowski worked the ball wide to Maren Haile-Selassie on an overlap, and the Swiss winger delivered an accurate cross into the penalty area where Anton Jonsson Saletros powered a header past United States international goalkeeper Matt Freese. While official MLS statistics do not formally track secondary assists, the sequence began with Lewandowski’s deliberate distribution in the buildup. For Saletros, it marked his debut-season goal in the league.
Late Blunder Hands Chicago Fire the Three Points
Even down a player, Chicago continued to press the attack rather than sitting deep in defense. Prior to departing, the Polish representative missed a decent opportunity and knocked down goalkeeper Freese with a shot before being replaced by Gomez in the 71st minute. The decisive moment arrived in the 88th minute when New York City goalkeeper Freese committed a costly turnover inside his own area, rolling a short pass directly to Haile-Selassie, who calmly slotted home the winner from close range to seal a 2-1 triumph. Right before the final whistle, the visitors nearly equalized, but goalkeeper Brady made a stellar intervention.
Eastern Conference Standings and Playoff Implications
The dramatic victory pushed Chicago Fire into second place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 48 points through 28 matches, though they sit 12 points behind table-leaders Nashville SC. With six games remaining in the regular season, the Fire strengthened their position heading into the postseason race. Saturday’s opponents occupy the ninth position in the conference.
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