MLS round-up: Frank Lampard delighted with New York opener
Thursday 17 September 2015 07:51, UK
Frank Lampard hopes more goals will follow after he opened his account for New York City FC in a 2-0 win over Toronto FC on Wednesday.
The former Chelsea and England midfielder, making just his fifth MLS appearance after a series of injury setbacks, fired home from the edge of the penalty area to give his side a 20th-minute lead at Yankee Stadium.
New York City had to make do without star striker David Villa after he was ruled out with a hamstring injury but fellow forward Patrick Mullins made sure of the points when he headed home a second goal from an Andrea Pirlo corner in the 77th minute.
"It's great to get off the mark," said Lampard, who was captaining the side in Villa's absence. "I had a tough start with injuries, but I'm getting fitter and hopefully there's more to come.
"It's been frustrating for me. No one is more frustrated than the player himself. I want to give back. I want to show people what I can do.
"I'll get fitter and there will be more goals I hope. For me personally it was nice and for the team to win it is nice. Very important to get back on the winning track and important again on Saturday."
A first victory in five games saw New York City move up to eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
"We have to win every game, every match. It means cup finals every game,'' Lampard said. "If we can win pretty much every game, we'll see where we stand. It's sort of out of our hands. But what we can do is try to win our games. Chances aren't as great as you'd want them to be.''
The New York Red Bulls could not emulate their city rivals as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat at the New England Revolution, who replaced them at the top of the Eastern Conference standings in the process.
Diego Fagundez put the Revolution ahead inside 90 seconds at Gillette Stadium but the Red Bulls were level four minutes later courtesy of a fanastic Mike Grella strike.
Kelyn Rowe duly delivered a sixth successive victory for New England when he volleyed home a 65th-minute winner.
In the day's third and final game, Kyle Bekker's first-ever MLS goal rescued a 1-1 draw for the 10 men of the Montreal Impact against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Bekker scored in the 65th minute to earn the Impact a share of the spoils after San Jose had taken the lead after 35 minutes through Chris Wondolowski.
Montreal were reduced to 10 men early in the second half when defender Ambroise Oyongo was sent off for catching Wondolowski with a high foot.
