Inter Miami overcame the absence of Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul as Luis Suarez scored twice before academy product Preston Plambeck struck a dramatic late winner to secure a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night, spoiling Robert Lewandowski's long-awaited Major League Soccer debut.
With Messi and De Paul unavailable after helping Argentina reach last weekend's World Cup final, the responsibility fell to Suarez, who captained Miami and delivered another decisive performance.
The Uruguayan scored his seventh and eighth league goals of the season before 20-year-old Plambeck emerged as the unexpected hero, volleying home the winner in the 87th minute in only his fourth MLS appearance.
The victory extended Inter Miami's winning streak to five matches and kept the Herons firmly in the Eastern Conference title race. Miami improved to 10-4-2 with 34 points, remaining second in the standings, five behind leaders Nashville.
The evening also marked the MLS debut of Lewandowski, who joined Chicago from Barcelona after helping the Catalan club win the La Liga title.
The 37-year-old Poland captain started in attack and played just over an hour, showing flashes of his quality but leaving disappointed as Chicago failed to take advantage of several promising opportunities.
"After just two days with my new team, I didn't expect everything to work perfectly in my first game," Lewandowski said.
"I also need a bit more time, and I'm sure that next time we'll play with fewer mistakes than today in defense.
"If we defend better, we can win this match next time."
One of the most prolific strikers of his generation, Lewandowski has scored more than 700 goals for club and country during a career that has included trophy-laden spells with Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Chicago made the brighter start and nearly took the lead in the 14th minute when Lewandowski saw his effort blocked inside the area. Four minutes later, the visitors were gifted the opener through an extraordinary goalkeeping error.
Making his first league start in place of Canada international Dayne St. Clair, Miami goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo completely missed a routine backpass from Ian Fray, allowing the ball to roll untouched into his own net.
Miami responded quickly.
Suarez equalized in the 27th minute from the penalty spot, calmly sending goalkeeper Chris Brady the wrong way with a precise finish that clipped the inside of the post.
The veteran striker put the Herons ahead early in the second half after combining brilliantly with German Berterame. Berterame's clever backheel split the Chicago defense, allowing Suarez to drive his finish beyond Brady in the 51st minute.
Chicago refused to fade.
South African midfielder Puso Dithejane, introduced shortly before the hour mark, leveled the match in the 67th minute. After a loose ball fell kindly following a deflection, Dithejane reacted first, swiveling sharply before firing a first-time shot between the diving Rios Novo and the near post.
The Fire appeared the more dangerous side as the match entered its closing stages, repeatedly testing Miami's defense while Lewandowski watched from the bench after being substituted in the 63rd minute.
Instead, Miami found the decisive breakthrough.
Suarez once again combined effectively with Berterame to create an opening inside the penalty area. Brady denied Suarez's close-range effort, but the rebound bounced perfectly for Plambeck, who adjusted his body superbly before volleying the loose ball into the net with his first touch for his first MLS goal.
The late strike capped a memorable night for the Miami academy graduate while ensuring Lewandowski's highly anticipated debut ended in disappointment.
Despite the victory, Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos stressed there was no intention of rushing Messi or De Paul back into action after their World Cup campaign.
"A World Cup is something immense, and there's physical and mental wear and tear, and they deserve their space," Hoyos said.
"We'll be waiting for them whenever they can come back and are in the right condition to be here."
The result left Chicago at 8-5-2 with 26 points, while Miami continued to show it can collect valuable victories even without two of its biggest stars.