Rarely one to let the script writers down, Bastian Schweinsteiger made an immediate impact in his debut for the Chicago Fire. His headed goal and late assist were not enough to secure a win, however.Bastian Schweinsteiger’s first Major League Soccer game ended in a 2-2 draw with the Montreal Impact on Saturday evening.
The veteran Germany international opened the scoring after just 17 minutes wearing yet another red jersey – that of the Chicago Fire. Late in the game, he rescued a draw for the Chicago Fire, who played much of the second period with just 10 men after Juninho received his marching orders.
Schweinsteiger netted with a header from the back post, rising to meet a cross from the right flank and powering the ball home – delighting his new employers.
Just over 15,000 spectators turned out for the German’s debut at the Toyota Park, but would have been disappointed to see the Impact recover and take a 2-1 lead against Chicago’s 10 remaining men. Schweinsteiger was again involved in salvaging a tie, picking out striker Luis Solignac with a lofted pass. Solignac took a touch to control and then blasted in the equalizer.
The 32-year-old had a strong game in attack and defense alike, even rolling back the years and showing off his dribbling skills near the corner flag at one point.
Schweinsteiger moved to MLSas it became apparent he was surplus to requirements at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese manager, who even sent Schweini to train with United’s under-23s at one point, has since said it may have been a mistake not to give the midfield playmaker more minutes, acknowledging that he would have been a useful addition to the squad late in the season.
Prior to his 2014 move to the English Premiership, Bavarian Schweinsteiger spent more than a decade with Bayern Munich, winning an array of silverware including the Champions League. Now retired from the German national team, after 121 caps and 24 goals, Schweinsteiger was part of 2014’s World Cup-winning squad.
