Frank Lampard scored the first hat trick in NYCFC history
Frank Lampard scored the first hat trick in NYCFC history, to help lift New York City FC to a 5-1 win over the Colorado Rapids Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.
Tony Taylor and Steven Mendoza added a goal apiece for NYCFC (10-7-6), which extended their lead atop the Eastern Conference with 36 points, five ahead of the second-place Red Bulls with their sixth win in the last eight games. Colorado (10-3-8) had their 15-match unbeaten streak snapped, dating back to a 1-0 loss at Real Salt Lake on April 9.
Lampard put NYCFC in front on 28 minutes with a sliding effort inside the six-yard box after latching onto a flicked header by Tommy McNamara after an initial cross by Diego Martinez. It was Lampard’s sixth goal since June 18, tying him for most in the league with Ronald Alberg of the Philadelphia Union and the Columbus Crew’s Ola Kamara during that stretch, per Opta Stats. The match was delayed 40 minutes because of severe weather and only a few minutes after it resumed, Colorado’s Michael Azira was sent off for his second bookable offense in the 37th minute.
Three minutes from halftime, Taylor doubled NYCFC’s lead on his second goal of the season. Tommy McNamara made a run into the box and sent a low cross to Taylor, who followed his blocked shot with a goal off Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard from eight yards out.
Mendoza netted his second goal of the season with a quarter hour remaining, stealing a pass intended for Eric Miller, cutting inside the substitute defender before scoring back across his body.
Lampard added his second in the 81st minute with a brilliant finish from 17 yards out inside the far post and netted the hat trick, the first in NYCFC history, from the penalty spot three minutes later. Shkelzen Gashi broke up Josh Saunders shutout bid deep in second half stoppage time with a deflected free kick.
It is the largest margin of victory ever for NYCFC, Frank Lampard was only the third player to score from the penalty spot for NYCFC, joining David Villa and Patrick Mullins Tony Taylor and Steven Mendoza each scored their second goals of the season Maxime Chanot made his NYCFC debut to start the second half Assistant Coach Christian Lattanzio assumed the head coaching responsibilities with Patrick Vieira suspended.
The NYCFC is now 3-1-1 in their last five matches at Yankee Stadium and remains atop the Eastern Conference standings.
On the press conference the NYCFC
Assistant coach Christian Lattanzio
The today’s match was “about us and our team. There was a good speed and their was a strong belief in the way we were working. Even after the last match against the Red Bulls, which obviously hurt us, it showed that they kept that belief in the way they were playing. They were eager to get out and prove to themselves that we can have blips in certain games but certainly we cannot win two games in a row.”
“I mean I’m please. Listen David’s our captain and does a very good job, not just on the pitch where he scores a lot of goals and leads us from the front but off the pitch. I think is important for all the players to show their leadership and been around a long time playing for a long time with great captains and as captain myself at
times I tried to use the experience to help today and I think everyone perform well today.”
On getting a win today with a few players out… “We are about a squad and through the season is not always easy for players who are not playing regularly to understand. But when you have players who come in today like Tony Taylor up front comes in and scores and when you are bringing in a new signing straight in off the plane almost to come and play, I think it shows the depth, it shows unity and more than anything it shows a lot of those individuals that are not playing but are keeping fit.”
