With Bastian Schweinsteiger on board, the Chicago Fire plan to dominate soccer from the Windy City to Moscow.
An unidentified reporter asked the German midfielder Wednesday at his introductory press conference with the Fire whether he would help them win the “World Cup.” Most, including Schweinsteiger, presume the reporter meant the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, rather than the annual FIFA Club World Cup. The cringeworthy question quickly went viral, refueling stereotypes about how little the United States knows about soccer.
The Fire dropped this gem on Twitter on Thursday, capitalizing on their moment in the world soccer spotlight with a photo from Schweinsteiger’s first practice session.
The Fire finished last in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference the past two seasons. They won’t compete in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the pathway to the Club World Cup for MLS teams, until 2019 at the earliest.
Schweinsteiger, 32, joined Chicago on a one-year contract and is thought to be winding down his career in MLS.
So no, he won’t help Chicago win any sort of World Cup, but thanks for asking.
