Poland's record goalscorer again underlined his value in the draw against the club from Florida. Lewandowski, who captained the side on Thursday, scored Chicago's temporary lead.
That was not the first statement from the 38-year-old striker in the USA. Since joining on a free transfer in the summer, the veteran has already produced seven goals and two assists in 13 competitive appearances.
His goal threat also continues to impress his coach. "That desire to get the ball and then score it in that way. There are not many strikers in this league who can score a goal like that," Berhalter explained.
Getty ImagesWhat does Gregg Berhalter particularly praise about Robert Lewandowski?
Beyond the numbers, Chicago's coach has above all highlighted the human qualities and influence of the new signing within the squad hierarchy. The former Bayern Munich player is said to have noticeably changed the structure in Illinois in a very short time and raised standards across the board.
"Communication in the team is probably five times better since Robert has been here, and that is an essential part of his role. He shows that he wants to win, you can see how important that is to him," Berhalter continued. However, to increase Lewandowski's output even further, the coach also called on the Pole's team-mates to do their part: "We simply have to work even better to get him into good positions."
Talk of Lewandowski moving to North America had already surfaced in the spring. In May, the striker then officially announced that he would not extend his expiring contract with Barcelona. Chicago Fire made their move at the end of June and secured the exceptional free agent's services from 1 July. Shortly before that, Lewandowski had been knocked out by Sweden in the World Cup play-offs with the Poland national team.
Robert Lewandowski won 14 league titles in total
By moving to the USA, the striker opened a new chapter in a remarkable career. In Germany, Spain and his homeland of Poland, he won 14 league titles in total. He celebrated the greatest success of his career in 2020, when he won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and completed the treble. He also set standards internationally: with 167 caps and 89 goals, he is his country's undisputed record appearance-maker and record goalscorer.
Now in Chicago, Lewandowski is following in famous footsteps. At Fire, he is continuing the path of Bastian Schweinsteiger. His former team-mate from their days in Munich played for the MLS franchise for just under three years from 2017 before ending his playing career there in autumn 2019.