Star striker Robert Lewandowski will finally make his MLS debut when his Chicago Fire visit Inter Miami in their return to league play on Wednesday night.
The 37-year-old Lewandowski joined Chicago (8-4-2, 26 points) earlier this month to bring an end to a glittering 20-year European career that included extended stays at Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and most recently FC Barcelona.
He was scheduled to make his first appearance last Thursday at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps and former Bayern teammate Thomas Muller, but smoke from Canadian wildfires affecting the Midwest led to a postponement.
Now, he’ll face the defending MLS Cup champions, though this version of the team will be without Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul.
Chicago manager Gregg Berhalter tried to downplay the impact of those absences.
“They have great players, and they are champions for a reason because they have a good mindset, good mentality, they compete,” he said. “For us, it’s about how do we take advantage of some of their weaknesses, and that’s what we’re going to be looking to exploit.”
Lewandowski joins a team that was on a three-match winning streak heading into the World Cup break, climbing to third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Meanwhile, Miami (9-2-4, 31 points) will play without Messi for only the second time this season.
The 39-year-old leads the Herons with 12 goals and eight assists. According to reporting from ESPN, Messi and De Paul will miss at least Miami’s next two matches and the MLS All-Star Game on July 29 as they take time to recharge following Argentina’s run to the World Cup final.
Up front, interim manager Guillermo Hoyos will likely lean on the combination of veteran Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez and Argentine-Mexican attacker German Berterame, who have combined to score 13 times.
The Herons will also look to continue growing into their new home stadium, which was opened only this April and has seen crowds near capacity for each of its first six MLS matches.
“If the fans come out and support us, it will help us tremendously,” Hoyos said. “I think both teams will step on the field with the desire and determination to win. Inter Miami is a club that always wants to be the protagonist and always looks to take control of the game.”
–Field Level Media
