Two international soccer icons will go head-to-head at Audi Field when D.C. United host the Chicago Fire on Sunday, October 7 at 1 PM ET. Wayne Rooney and Bastian Schweinsteiger have been both teammates and foes over the years, and the two will face off for the first time in Major League Soccer this weekend as United attempt to move above the Eastern Conference playoff line and Chicago try to wrap up their season on a high note.
United forward Wayne Rooney started his professional career with Everton in 2002 at the age of 16. In 2004, he made his debut for Manchester United, where he would go on to have a record-setting run. The forward scored 208 goals during his Premier League career, making him the second all-time leading goalscorer behind Alan Shearer. He made 491 Premier League appearances and won the Premier League title five times.
Chicago's leading man, Bastian Schweinsteiger, spent most of his playing career at Bayern Munich in Bundesliga in Germany. Schweinsteiger signed for the club in 2002, and over the course of his Bundesliga career, Bayern won eight Bundesliga titles, seven DFB-Pokal (German Cup) titles, and a UEFA Champions League title.
Rooney and Schweinsteiger also have storied careers with their respective national teams. Rooney is the most-capped player in English history with 119 appearances, and leads the country in goals with 53. He appeared in three World Cups and three European Championships. Schweinsteiger made his debut for Germany in 2004 and made 121 appearances throughout his career. He appeared in three World Cups and won the title in 2014. He also appeared across four European Championships.
The icons' careers overlapped at Manchester United when Schweinsteiger joined the club in July 2015, and the two played alongside each other for the next 18 months. However, Schweinsteiger struggled to earn consistent appearances at Manchester United, and he moved to MLS and joined the Fire in March 2017. Rooney left the club that summer, returning to his boyhood team, Everton, before later joining the Black-and-Red in summer 2018.
Since coming to MLS, Rooney and Schweinsteiger have developed into major assets for their respective teams, serving as key contributors and also elevating the level of play of the teammates surrounding them. Schweinsteiger has filled a more defensive role in the midfield for Chicago, strengthening the defense and helping drive play forward out of the back. Rooney has showed his ability to play as a striker or attacking midfielder, scoring seven goals and tallying seven assists in his first 15 appearances with United. With such vast international experience and seasoned leadership qualities, both men also serve as captain of their clubs.
The Fire have been eliminated from playoff contention, but in 2017 Schweinsteiger helped lead Chicago to the MLS Playoffs, an impressive rise after their last-place 2016 season. Now it's Rooney who is looking to lead his team to a playoff spot, which would complete a massive comeback after the team's disappointing 2017 season and challenging first half of 2018. But to get to the postseason, the Black-and-Red will need to earn positive results against Schweinsteiger and the Fire twice before the end of the regular season.
Pack Audi Field this Sunday to watch the icons face off, and to see if this is the week United can make their move above the playoff line.
