MIAMI, Fla. - The Robert Lewandowski era in Chicago has begun.
It was an eventful night at Nu Stadium, though Lewandowski and the Fire came up short in a 3-2 defeat at Inter Miami CF on Wednesday night. Having arrived in the United States a little over a week ago, the legendary Polish striker was in the starting lineup on debut.
“It was a priority for us to get him on the field today,” Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter said postgame. “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.”
First impressions
Lewandowski’s arrival came at the end of a lengthy free agency in which the Fire beat out top European and Asian clubs for his signature.
The 37-year-old didn't score in his 63 minutes on the pitch, but had some good moments, especially in tight spaces, completing 87.5 percent of his 14 passes.
“Before the game I knew I could play a maximum of 60 minutes,” Lewandowski said. “One week is not a lot of time to be ready. Before the game I tried my best to prepare. The game was tough for us. In the end, I think we made too many easy mistakes and Inter Miami scored the goals. So we have to keep working. I think for the next game, with more knowledge, it will be better.
“In football, you never have everything from the first day. You need to keep working. You need to play games to understand your teammates, how they play, the movements.”
Building back up
Although the pregame cameras were focused on Lewandowski, Miami ultimately came away as the team smiling.
Lewandowski’s predecessor as FC Barcelona’s big-time No. 9, Luis Suárez, scored on either side of halftime before homegrown Preston Plambeck netted a late winner to secure all three points for the Herons, who played without Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul fresh off competing for Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
Despite the defeat, Chicago remain in third place in the Eastern Conference with 26 points (8W-5L-2D) and young South African winger Puso Dithejane came off the bench to score his first MLS goal, a 2-2 equalizer.
“He’s been the star of this new preseason that we’ve had,” Berhalter said of Dithejane. “He scored against Minnesota, he scored against Columbus and now he scores again against Miami. He’s coming on, pushing for minutes. You can see how dangerous he is, and he has a bright future.”
Lewandowski's search for his first Chicago goal will take him to Yankee Stadium when Chicago face New York City FC on Saturday (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV).
