Impact beat NYCFC 3-2 in Frank Lampard’s MLS debut

NEW YORK (AP) – Argentine striker Ignacio Piatti spoiled Frank Lampard’s Major League Soccer debut by scoring a pair of goals in the Montreal Impact’s 3-2 win over New York City on Saturday.

The game in 100 words (or less/more): Games played at Yankee Stadium, while rarely resembling “good” soccer, sure are entertaining, aren’t they?

NYCFC announced Lampard’s signing in July 2014 but his loan with Manchester City was controversially extended through the end of the 2014-15 Premier League season.

The 37-year-old joined the fray at Yankee Stadium with New York trailing 2-1, ex-Spain hitman David Villa having simply fired his 13th aim of the season from the penalty spot to halve Montreal’s lead.

Andrea Pirlo made his first MLS start and played all 90 minutes, while Frank Lampard came off the bench in the 69th minute and made his MLS debut.

Dominic Oduro also scored for Montreal, while Villa converted a penalty and helped create Thomas McNamara’s 85th-minute goal for the hosts.

Lampard has been out of training for three weeks nursing a calf strain that forced him to miss three matches since his arrival stateside.

“It’s exciting to be at a place where we nearly have all of our players available for the very first time this year”, Kreis said.