Frank Lampard had one of those special nights for an athlete in New York City. The midfielder for NYCFC was honored prior to the game Thursday night at Yankee Stadium for his plateau of scoring 300 goals and of course he was the hero when the evening concluded.
The veteran had the winning goal late in the second-half stoppage time that was that was the factored in the NFCFC win over D.C. United. The win propelled NYCFC,(12-8-8) into first place in the Eastern Conference, with 44 points ahead of second place Toronto.
Lampard tool a feed from Khiry Shelton and took a touch around a sliding Jalen Robinson before finishing with his left for his sixth goal in the last six games.
“It takes something special to score in a crucial period of the game and tonight it was Frank (Lampard) and I’m very pleased,” said NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira. “I’m really pleased for him because he went through a difficult period early in the season where he didn’t play and the way that he responded was fantastic.”
Lampard would also put NYCFC in front, 2-1, five minutes from the full time. The goal was produced by pouncing on a ball tackled off the foot of David Villa and scored from 10 yards out. Villa tied the game in the 79th minute on a defensive mistake, his league leading 17th goal of the season.,
“I think he really showed how good he is, and to see him score goals, that’s something that we’re used to, but to see him keep scoring goals at this level, I think is terrific,” said Vieira about Lampard.
Lampard was asked if scoring his 300th goals and the game winner was as fun as the first, and said, “Yeah, certainly. Last minute winners are always the best ones and I don’t get bored at that. I think that’s what you work for and when I was injured early in the season, you slug away in the gym and you kind of drain the months like that and that’s what inspires you to keep working away.”
But, this latest goal that clinched a win, as Lampard said, “was the best one because it was important for us to get the win.”