Rodrigo De Paul and Robert Lewandowski faced off in an intense altercation at the end of the 1-1 draw between Inter Miami and Chicago Fire at Soldier Field during a new MLS matchday.
The incident occurred just a few minutes before the end of the match when Lewandowski first argued with Ian Fray, the defender of Inter Miami. De Paul intervened to defend his teammate, leading to a heated exchange of words with the Polish striker. “Who are you, fool? I’ve won two Copa Américas and one World Cup. And you?” the Argentine midfielder expressed before both benches and teammates intervened to separate them.
This clash was not isolated, as both players have had previous confrontations during their respective tenures in European football, with De Paul at Atlético de Madrid and Lewandowski at Barcelona. They also met at the 2022 Qatar World Cup during the group stage, in a match between Argentina and Poland. The shared history and the intensity of the match explain the heated nature of the incident in Chicago. Despite the confrontation, neither player was sent off or received a card due to their encounter.
During the match, Chicago Fire took the lead quickly, with Lewandowski scoring eight minutes in thanks to a cross from Andrew Gutman. This was his seventh goal since joining the team. Inter Miami managed to equalize in the second half, two minutes in, when Casemiro headed in a corner taken by Lionel Messi. Messi also had two clear goal-scoring opportunities, both stopped by goalkeeper Christopher Brady, who stood out as the star of the match.
With the draw, Inter Miami could not capitalize on Nashville’s loss to Toronto, remaining with 44 points in second place in the Eastern Conference, nine points behind the leader. The team has seen a decline in its performance, winning only one of its last six matches, which affects its fight for the MLS Supporters’ Shield. Inter Miami and Nashville will face each other again next Saturday at the Nu Stadium in Miami in a crucial conference top clash.
Source: www.infobae.com
