Gonzalo Higuain has nightmare Inter Miami debut with skied penalty, huge bust-up and thumped 3-0 by Philadelphia Union

GONZALO HIGUAIN had a nightmare Inter Miami debut he will be desperate to forget.

The Argentine striker, 32, skied a penalty over the crossbar and then was involved in a huge bust-up.

Gonzalo Higuain was involved in a fiery argument with Philadelphia Union players after missing his penaltyCredit: Getty Images – Getty

To make matters worse, his side were thumped 3-0 by Philadelphia Union as he made his MLS bow following a free transfer from Juventus.

But despite his horror game, Miami head coach Diego Alonso insisted the club were “happy with his work”.

Alonso said: “I think that he showed he was in good condition.

“Logically, he was going to need more games and with those games he’s going to prove more comfortable, he’s going to feel better. He was very eager to play.

“The penalty is a situation that could happen to any player – it could have been him, it could have been another player.

“We’re happy with his work and the work of the team and we need to continue to aim to perform better and minimise mistakes.”

Higuain almost made the dream start to life in America when he hit the post with a spectacular overhead kick early on.

But trailing 2-0 to Anthony Fontana’s opener and Ilsinho’s finish, Higuain had the perfect chance to get David Beckham’s team back into the game with 13 minutes to play.

The Argentine striker had the perfect chance to get his Inter Miami side back into the game on his debutCredit: Getty Images – Getty

But he got his spot kick all wrong and sent it sailing over the crossbar.

And in the aftermath, Philadelphia players celebrated the miss wildly, infuriating Higuain who reacted angrily.

Brenden Aaronson wrapped up the win for the home side in the sixth minute of injury time.

Inter Miami sit 13th in the MLS Eastern Conference table, level on 11 points from 14 games with bottom-side DC United.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk