NEW YORK – Frank Lampard scored his first Major League Soccer goal and Patrick Mullins added his sixth of the year as New York City FC defeated Toronto FC, 2-0, in front of a crowd of 25,075 Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
NYCFC, which snapped a three-match losing streak, kept their slim playoff hopes alive with their second win in the last eight matches. NYCFC pulled within a point of the Montreal Impact, who are in sixth place with three games in hand.
Lampard opened his account in the 20th minute on a play that started with a terrific ball from Andrea Pirlo to a sliding RJ Allen near the end line. The ball caromed off Allen’s foot back to Lampard at the top of the 18-yard box and the former Chelsea legend tucked a knuckling bouncer inside the far post to give NYCFC (8-14-7) a 1-0 lead.
The giddy 37-year-old midfielder, who has battled injuries throughout his two months with NYCFC, turned and pumped his fists to the Third Rail behind the net.
Mullins headed in a Pirlo corner from the edge of the six-yard box for his sixth goal of the year in the 77th minute to double NYCFC’s lead.
Michael Bradley had a pair of chances to level for Toronto FC (11-13-4), but he tapped wide of the far post from the edge of the six-yard box in the 25th minute and was denied by Josh Saunders seven minutes later.
Jozy Altidore also had a quality chance in the first half when he turned and used his strength to shield Shay Facey before Saunders dived to his right to push the shot away.
Saunders came up big again on the hour mark, diving to his right to save Sebastian Giovinco’s deflected free kick from 30 yards out.
Giovinco put another free kick on frame two minutes later, but Saunders punched it away.
In the 70th minute, Saunders twice robbed Bradley, first on a low shot that caromed back out to the TFC captain and then on a high blast that he pushed away for a corner.
Toronto FC returns to BMO Field Saturday (2 pm ET, TSN1 in Canada, MLS LIVE in US) to take on the Colorado Rapids, while NYCFC will host the San Jose Earthquakes at Yankee Stadium Saturday (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
