Robert Lewandowski has been nominated for the Major League Soccer Goal of the Year award following his volley for Chicago Fire against Inter Miami.
The Poland national team captain is one of 18 players shortlisted for the league's top individual scoring honour. Inter Miami forwards Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, who both previously starred for Barcelona, are also among the nominees. Fan voting for the award runs until November 16.
The nominated strike came in the 10th minute of the match on September 9. Andrew Gutman delivered a cross from the left side of the pitch, allowing Lewandowski to score with a precise volley from around eight metres that left the opposing goalkeeper with no chance of making a save.
The goal made a strong impression across the league and had already been selected as the best strike of MLS matchday 25. The match carried extra significance as the first meeting between Lewandowski and Messi on American pitches.
Chicago Fire campaign
Lewandowski moved to Chicago Fire in the summer of this year after leaving Spanish club FC Barcelona, quickly becoming a key figure for the team. The forward has made 19 appearances for the club, scoring nine goals and providing four assists during his opening months in the United States.
Major League Soccer is the premier professional soccer division in the United States and Canada, with Chicago Fire competing in the Eastern Conference. The Illinois-based club added the Polish striker to bolster their squad following his celebrated career in European football.
Before his move across the Atlantic, Lewandowski had established himself as one of the modern game's most prolific forwards, winning numerous league titles and European honours during spells in Germany with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich before moving to Spain with Barcelona.
Poland national team fixtures
The striker is currently on international duty with Poland as the squad prepares for its final two group stage matches in the UEFA Nations League. The competition is European football's biennial tournament for senior men's national teams, organised by UEFA across the international calendar.
Poland will travel to face Romania away on November 14 before returning home to host Sweden three days later in their concluding group fixtures.
Those matches offer Lewandowski another opportunity to improve his scoring record for the national team. The Poland captain has 92 international goals to his name and has made clear that reaching a century of goals remains an enticing target, leaving him just eight strikes short of the historic milestone.
