Inter Miami secured a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, even without Lionel Messi. Luis Suarez netted two goals, while substitute Preston Plambeck provided the decisive strike late in the match, overshadowing Robert Lewandowski’s first appearance in Major League Soccer.
Suarez served as captain in the absence of Messi and Rodrigo de Paul, who were resting following Argentina’s World Cup final loss to Spain. Lewandowski, the 37-year-old Polish forward, played 63 minutes for Chicago after joining from Barcelona. Despite the loss, he remained optimistic, noting that he needs more time to integrate with his teammates and improve the team’s defensive cohesion.
Chicago initially took the lead through an own goal by Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo. Suarez equalized via a penalty before giving Miami the lead shortly after halftime. Although Puso Dithejane leveled for the Fire in the 67th minute, 20-year-old academy graduate Plambeck secured the win by converting a rebound in the 87th minute. Inter Miami now holds second place in the Eastern Conference, as coach Guillermo Hoyos stated that Messi and de Paul will be given ample time to recover before returning to the pitch.
