NYCFC duo Lampard, Pirlo impressive in much-needed win vs. Toronto FC
New York City FC midfielder Frank Lampard hasn't had the smoothest of welcomes to Major League Soccer.
The former Chelsea legend had struggled with injuries since joining his new side in July. But, at long last, he put those woes behind him, scoring his debut goal against Toronto FC on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
"It’s been frustrating for me," Lampard admitted after the match. "No one is more frustrated when you’re not playing than the player himself. I want to give back, show the people what I can do. It's a goal. I'll get fitter, I'll get better and there will be more goals I hope. I'm confident of that. Personally for me it was nice."
Related: VIDEO: Frank Lampard scores 1st goal with New York City FC
Lampard's goal came after a bit of nifty creative work in midfield and in the box, as his fellow star player, Andrea Pirlo, ignited a move that ultimately saw the ball land kindly to the Englishman at the edge of the area.
Lampard stroked home the effort, and Pirlo was credited with a second assist for the play. Afterwards, the Italian maestro gave credit to his teammates for their 2-0 victory.
"I think we had a very good result. I like to talk about the team. We played well together," Pirlo said with a translator. "It was a good result for the team. I don’t like to talk about individuals. I think it went very well for the entire team. We were more compact, we played a good offense, a good defense."
It may be too little too late for New York, which sits two spots outside of the playoffs with 31 points in 29 games - one point behind Orlando City.
Related: NYCFC's Frank Lampard admits there's 'immense pressure' to make MLS playoffs
Still, there are signs of life in Pirlo and Lampard, 36 and 37 respectively, that will give this new side's fans hope for the 2016 season.