Inter Miami extended their impressive winning run in Major League Soccer with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Chicago Fire on Wednesday night, overcoming the absence of Lionel Messi to spoil Robert Lewandowski’s long awaited MLS debut.
The encounter at Chase Stadium delivered everything football fans had hoped for. There were five goals, costly defensive mistakes, moments of individual brilliance and a dramatic late winner that sent the home supporters into celebration.
Much of the attention before kickoff centered on Lewandowski, who made his first appearance for Chicago Fire following his high profile move from Barcelona. The Polish striker arrived in the United States as one of the most decorated forwards of his generation, having enjoyed remarkable success in Germany and Spain.
However, despite showing flashes of his class during his 62 minute outing, the evening ultimately belonged to Inter Miami veteran Luis Suárez, whose experience and clinical finishing inspired the hosts to another important victory.
Chicago Fire made the brighter start and stunned the home crowd in the 18th minute. Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo attempted to control a slow back pass from defender Ian Fray, but the ball slipped under his foot and rolled into the net for an unfortunate own goal, gifting Chicago an early 1-0 advantage.
Rather than panic, Inter Miami responded with confidence and began dominating possession. Their persistence paid off in the 27th minute when Suárez restored parity.
The Uruguayan striker timed his run perfectly before calmly finishing beyond Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady to level the score at 1-1. The goal energized the home side, who ended the first half on the front foot after recovering from the early setback.
Inter Miami carried that momentum into the second half and completed the turnaround just six minutes after the restart.
In the 51st minute, Germán Berterame produced a brilliant back heel pass inside the penalty area, allowing Suárez to fire home his second goal of the evening with a composed finish. It was another reminder that the former Liverpool, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid striker remains one of the most dangerous forwards in Major League Soccer.
Chicago Fire refused to surrender and continued to push for an equalizer. Head coach Gregg Berhalter introduced fresh legs midway through the second half, including South African midfielder Puso Dithejane after Lewandowski was substituted in the 62nd minute following an encouraging debut.
The tactical changes quickly paid off.
Just five minutes later, in the 67th minute, Dithejane announced himself in style by finding the back of the net to make it 2-2. The youngster capitalized on defensive hesitation inside the Miami penalty area before calmly beating Ríos Novo to restore parity and set up a tense finale.
With the score level entering the closing stages, both teams created opportunities to snatch victory. Chicago looked dangerous on the counterattack while Inter Miami continued pressing in search of a decisive breakthrough.
That breakthrough finally arrived in the 87th minute.
Suárez once again played a crucial role, forcing goalkeeper Chris Brady into an excellent save after a powerful effort from close range. The rebound fell kindly to academy graduate Preston Plambeck, who reacted quickest to smash the ball into the net for his first ever MLS goal and send the home crowd into wild celebrations.
Chicago threw bodies forward during eight minutes of added time and even won a dangerous free kick in the closing moments. However, Inter Miami’s defense remained composed to preserve a hard fought 3-2 victory and extend the club’s winning streak to five league matches.
Although Lewandowski failed to score on his debut, there were encouraging signs for Chicago Fire. The 37 year old displayed intelligent movement, linked play effectively and showed glimpses of the quality that made him one of Europe’s greatest strikers. With more training sessions and improved chemistry with his new teammates, the Polish captain is expected to become a major attacking weapon for the Fire.
For Inter Miami, the victory was particularly significant because it came without Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, who were both rested following Argentina’s recent FIFA World Cup campaign. Their absence allowed Suárez to take center stage, and the veteran striker delivered another outstanding performance by scoring twice and playing a key role in the winning goal.
The result strengthens Inter Miami’s position near the top of the Eastern Conference and highlights the depth within the squad. Young talents such as Plambeck are beginning to make meaningful contributions, while experienced stars like Suárez continue to prove their value in crucial moments.
As the MLS season gathers momentum, Inter Miami will look to build on this impressive victory when Messi returns to action, while Chicago Fire will hope Lewandowski opens his goal account in the coming weeks after an encouraging, though ultimately disappointing, debut.
Match Summary
Inter Miami 3-2 Chicago Fire
Goals:
18′ Rocco Ríos Novo (Own Goal) 0-1
27′ Luis Suárez 1-1
51′ Luis Suárez 2-1
67′ Puso Dithejane 2-2
87′ Preston Plambeck 3-2.
