SAN DIEGO — The name Chucky, in this case, is pronounced CHOO-kee.

Just rhyme it with spooky.

For San Diego’s soccer fans, spooky was what transpired in the 28th minute Saturday night in an otherwise celebratory first half of San Diego FC’s inaugural home opener.

Star forward Hirving “Chucky” Lozano was brought to a halt by an apparent leg injury at Snapdragon Stadium, where the announced crowd of 34,506 set a venue record.

Lozano left the field, tried to rally, but never rejoined a match that would end nil-nil.

It appeared the 29-year-old left wing grabbed at his left hamstring before departing.

Gulp.

If Lozano can’t play in matches such as Saturday’s contest against Real Salt Lake, in high-altitude Utah, San Diego will lack its top offensive player.

Lozano amassed 95 goals and 52 assists in 315 career matches with his teams in Mexico, Italy and the Netherlands. Seven years ago, the Mexico City native was named the top male player of CONCACAF, a confederation of all teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

San Diego FC spent $12 million to get him from his Dutch team, for which he had 10 goals and five assists in 33 matches over the past two seasons.

At 29, Lozano may be less spry than when he was cranking out 17 goals and eight assists in back-to-back seasons with his Dutch squad, Eindhoven.

Back then, he was in his early 20s.

But in San Diego FC’s opening match of the Major League Soccer season, in Carson, Calif., against LA Galaxy, the 5-foot-9 1/2 wing showed he can still tilt the game toward his team.

Defenders swarmed to him, allowing more breathing room for several other San Diego players.

Lozano’s smart pass to Anders Dreyer early in the second half of a scoreless match resulted in the first of the right wing’s two goals. Lozano led all players that night in scoring chances created, take-ons and successful take-ons.

In addition, he made a few defensive plays across his 87 minutes.

Six nights after the 2-0 upset of the defending champs made the San Diego newbies the talk of MLS, Lozano encountered a physical, well-organized St. Louis defense backed by league’s reigning goalkeeper of the year.

He attempted no take-ons, though he did get off one shot. Before long, his night was done. Afterward, the team provided no answers on when he might return.

If Lozano can’t play, opponents will gang up on Dreyer, who indeed saw tighter coverage Saturday night after his fellow wing exited.

Versus the Galaxy, it was Tomás Ángel, 22, who replaced a fatigued Lozano late in the match.

Ángel made a play worthy of Lozano. Poised in the face of two defenders who’d retreated to answer a counterattack, he waited for an unguarded Dreyer to finish a back-side run and threaded a perfect pass that became San Diego’s second goal. Last year, Ángel, a Colombian, appeared in five MLS matches with LAFC, scoring once.

Saturday, Emmanuel Boateng, 31, logged 48 minutes as Lozano’s replacement before giving way to Ángel. A Ghana native, Boateng has played for teams based in Portugal, Spain, China, Turkey and, last year, Saudi Arabia.

In response to Lozano’s injury, San Diego FC passed two tests: not allowing a goal in the four minutes in which it played without a left wing; and maintaining its edges in possession and shot creation.

“It is very difficult to replace Hirving because he is a very good player,” coach Mikey Varas said, “but we have other players on the bench who can also start and help the team.”

In the two matches, San Diego FC has outperformed its expansion status. The tactic of advancing the back line farther than normal has worked out well. A comfort with the ball throughout the lineup has stood out. Against both opponents, San Diego won the possession game by a large margin.

“It might be the manager,” Paddy McNair, a 29-year-old defender from Northern Ireland, who has earned minutes in England’s Premier League, said of Varas. “His ideas are very good. The way he sets us up to play, I feel like we are all starting to see the same wavelength.”

Two challenges, met.

But if Lozano were unavailable for a lengthy stretch?

That would be the toughest test yet in a young season that ultimately will stretch into mid-October.

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