Major League Soccer returned from its six-week World Cup break on Wednesday night with a statement of intent from the competition’s biggest names, and it was a 39-year-old Uruguayan, not the two marquee European arrivals making their debuts, who stole the show.
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Miami march on without Messi
Inter Miami handled business at Nu Stadium, beating Chicago Fire 3-2 in a pulsating return to action.
With Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul taking extended rest following Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, it fell to Luis Suarez to keep Miami’s momentum alive.
The veteran Uruguayan delivered, scoring twice to send the Herons to a fifth consecutive victory and take his tally for the season to eight goals.
Chicago opened the scoring through an own goal in the 18th minute before Suarez stepped up from the spot in the 28th to level, converting coolly after David Ruiz was fouled inside the box by Jack Elliott.
German Berterame put Miami ahead before the break, but Puso Dithejane came off the bench to equalise in the 67th minute with a first-touch finish from inside the area.
It looked as though the points might be shared until homegrown midfielder Preston Plambeck arrived in the 87th minute to score his first-ever MLS goal and send Nu Stadium into raptures.
Miami are now five points behind Nashville SC in the Supporters’ Shield race, with a Matchday 18 trip to CF Montreal coming up on Saturday.
Lewandowski’s debut falls flat
It was an eventful night for Chicago despite the defeat, with legendary Polish striker Robert Lewandowski making his long-awaited MLS debut as a starter at Nu Stadium.
Having arrived in the United States only a little over a week ago, the 37-year-old came off the bench at half-time and offered glimpses of his quality without being able to change the outcome.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter was measured in his assessment of what to expect from Lewandowski in the weeks ahead, tempering expectations while making clear the impact will come.
“It was a priority for us to get him on the field today,” Berhalter said. “He’s only trained for seven or eight days, so we expect him to make a big impact as he continues to get fit.
“Like any player, you build up, you get strong, you get your power, and then you’re good. The timing is different for every player. We’re not in preseason right now, we’re in the middle of a season, and that’s something to consider.”
Griezmann off the mark immediately
It is hard to imagine Antoine Griezmann’s Orlando City debut going any better than it did on Wednesday night in California.
The 35-year-old Frenchman, signed from Atletico Madrid in March and the club’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals in 488 appearances across his two spells in the Spanish capital, announced himself to the Orlando faithful as the Lions hammered San Jose Earthquakes 4-0 at PayPal Park.
Eduard Atuesta was the creative force behind the performance with three assists, but it was Griezmann who provided the moment the crowd had been waiting for.
David Brekalo opened the scoring in the seventh minute with an unmarked header from Atuesta’s perfectly placed free kick. Ivan Angulo made it 2-0 in the 29th minute, ripping a low shot past Angus Gunn with no pressure to speak of. Then, 48 minutes in, Griezmann got his moment.
Justin Ellis picked off a pass in the attacking third and found the Frenchman, who slipped past a trio of defenders before firing a low shot inside the near post.
Griezmann led the game in chances created with five, led Orlando for touches and passes, and stayed on for the full 90 minutes.
The result lifts Orlando to 10th in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind DC United for the final play-off position.
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