Frank Lampard hasn't been having the best of times in New York.
Injuries limited the former England international to just 10 appearances in his first season with New York City FC, and his first game of the 2016 campaign came in a crushing 7-0 defeat at home to the New York Red Bulls.
But the veteran has since made up for lost time, and wrote himself into club and league history on Saturday night by scoring NYCFC's first ever MLS hat-trick.
He had already scored the club's quickest ever goal, but the treble against the Colorado Rapids was even more impressive.
https://twitter.com/MLS/status/759554194671927296
NYCFC's 5-1 win leaves Patrick Vieira's team top of the Eastern Conference and well on track to be seeded in the end-of-season playoffs.
Lampard now has eight goals in 11 MLS games (eight starts) this season, scoring at a rate of one goal every 86 minutes.
Only David Villa has more goals for New York City FC this season, while Montreal's Ignacio Piatti and Portland's Diego Valeri are the only midfielders to outscore the former Chelsea man in Major League Soccer in 2016.
Lampard missed out on a spot in the MLS All Star XI that faced Arsenal, though club team-mates Villa and Andrea Pirlo both featured.
https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/personal-abuse-from-pundits-and-dull-quarter-finals
Feisty from Heimir. Heimir Hallgrimsson announced his Ireland squad earlier today, ahead of next week’s World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia. There were four uncapped players named – Harvey Vale, James Abankwah, Bosun Lawal, Josh Keeley – with Lawal in with a good shot of getting a debut, following an injury to midfielder Josh Cullen. […]
Fans are puzzled. Heimir Hallgrimsson has announced his Ireland squad for the World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia next Thursday. There was even more big news, with the manager revealing at the end of the press conference that he has signed a new contract until the end of the Euro 2028 campaign. Hallgrimsson stated that […]
A huge occasion. Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson has named his squad for his side’s crucial World Cup play-off semi-final against Czechia next Thursday (kick-off, 7.45pm). The winner of the tie will face the winner of Denmark vs North Macedonia on Tuesday, 31 March. QPR attacking midfielder and former England U20s star, Harvey Vale, has been […]