Puso Dithejane scored his first Major League Soccer goal on Wednesday, but it was not enough to help Chicago Fire avoid defeat to defending champions Inter Miami.
The former TS Galaxy attacker came off the bench to score, but compatriot Mbekezeli Mbkazi missed the match through what the club called a “lower body injury”.
Chicago fell 3-2 away against Inter Miami, who were playing without Lionel Messi so soon after the World Cup final.
Chicago handed a debut to forward Robert Lewandowski, who played 63 minutes from the start after signing last month from Barcelona.
With all eyes on Lewandowski’s first minutes with his new team, a back pass slipped under the legs of Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo and rolled in for an unexpected 1-0 Fire lead less than 20 minutes in. The hosts shook off the shock of their own goal, however, earning a penalty kick that was converted by Luis Suárez in the 27th minute.
Coming out of the break with the score level, Miami took the lead five minutes into the second. Forward German Berterame combined with Suárez to put the Uruguayan striker in position to score his second from point-blank range.
Dithejane, who moved to the U.S in February, quickly made an impression after he came on in the 62nd minute, making several dashes into the box, and within five minutes scored to equalise.
But Miami won the game with three minutes to go when Suárez’s hattrick effort was saved, but Preston Plembeck pounced on the rebound to seal the points.
Chicago now head to Yankee Stadium to take on New York City on Saturday.