How will Bastian Schweinsteiger fare in MLS?
Today Chicago Fire announced the signing of Manchester United player Bastian Schweinsteiger. Will the German World Cup winner be successful in the MLS?
Chicago Fire have announced the signing of German World Cup winner and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger. It’s a move that many expected to happen after the former Germany player was spotted meeting with Fire manager Veljko Paunovic back in November. However, the announcement has been met with questions about how sensible this move really is for the Chicago club.
Schweinsteiger will come in as a designated player and scoop up a huge payday for a one year contract. According to the Chicago Tribune his salary is around $4.5 million, so it’s no wonder he decided to switch Manchester for Chicago. For a player that hasn’t played consistent soccer in the past three seasons that seems like a lot of money and a big risk to take, yet Paunovic is confident in his signing.
The Fire manager heaped praise on the former Bayern Munich player, per the Tribune:
"“He still is somebody that can show that on the field and (demonstrate) how our guys have to work, prepare, behave, think and work together in order to get to that level.”"
Being a champion might not be enough for Schweinsteiger to be successful in MLS. Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and Steven Gerrard have all won major trophies yet struggled to come to terms with life in North American soccer. So much so that their impact on their respective clubs’ has not been as impressive as many expected.
With this in mind Schweinsteiger needs to treat this move like he would a move to a huge European club and that’s exactly what he’ll do. He’ll need time to get back into the game after being frozen out at Manchester United but once he’s playing consistently, Schweinsteiger should have a positive impact on Chicago Fire’s season. The German is often praised for his ability to make incisive passes or score goals from midfield but a lot of his quality comes from the work he does off the ball.
Much like the best central midfielders in the game, Schweinsteiger’s positioning is great and he will always find space to play defense-unlocking passes. As MLS is played at a slower pace than the English game, he should naturally have more time and space to express himself as well.
The big question is where he’ll fit in a midfield currently occupied by Juninho and Dax McCarty. Will he play replace one of them in holding midfield, will Paunovic switch to a midfield three or will the German play in more of a number 10 role?
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Only time will truly tell the answer to that question, but if he applies himself there’s no reason he can’t be successful in whatever system he’s used in. Schweinsteiger will join up with his new club as soon as he receives clearance to play in the USA.