DC United 2-1 New York City: Frank Lampard scores after just 48 seconds but hosts come from behind to win at the death- New York City were held by DC United at the RFK Memorial Stadium
- Frank Lampard opened the scoring inside the first minute for the visitors
- It was former Chelsea midfielder Lampard's third goal in four games
- Fabian Espindola equalised for the home side after 73 minutes
- Alvaro Saborio won it for DC in injury-time to end a winless run of six
New York City supporters waited a year to see Frank Lampard in action for the MLS new boys but will now feel it was worth the wait.The former Chelsea midfielder missed the start of the campaign for his new club after spending the entirety of last season in the Premier League with sister club Manchester City.
But fans are now starting to see the best of the veteran midfielder after Lampard scored his third goal in four games inside the first minute but it wasn't enough to stop New York City falling to defeat against DC United on Friday night.
Fabian Espindola equalised for the home side with a simple tap-in with less than 20 minutes remaining before substitute Alvaro Saborio netted an injury-time winner.
New York came into the Eastern Conference clash in the US capital on the back of three consecutive MLS victories - a run that has fuelled talk of an unexpected late dash for a play-off place in the club's inaugural campaign.
And it took just 48 seconds for the visitors to assert their authority in the game. David Villa brought down a well-timed ball over the top but saw his effort thwarted by the legs of DC goalkeeper Bill Hamid.Lampard displayed the sort of attacking instinct that saw him score 177 times in the Premier League as the former Chelsea and Manchester City midfielder reacted quickest to the rebound to fire New York ahead.
Lampard's early strike, incidentally New York's fastest in their fledgling existence, will have done little to instil confidence in a DC side that had failed to win any of their previous six matches but, through a combination of inventive attacking play and woeful defending, the hosts looked threatening.
Fabian Espindola broke in acres of space down the left channel and when his low low cross took a slight deflection, New York goalkeeper Josh Saunders was forced into a low save.
New York City weathered that particular storm, which was minor in comparison to the torrential downpour the players had to contend with during the first half.
New York, themselves, poured forward on the break at every opportunity, Villa and Lampard providing the movement ahead of Andrea Pirlo, picking pin-point passes with regularity.
The Italian was involved when New York almost doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time. Pirlo picked out the run of Ned Grabavoy, who sprinted to the left byline and cut the ball back for Lampard.
The 37-year-old cleverly teed up Villa in the DC penalty box with a disguised pass but the former Barcelona and Spain star could only fire into the side netting.
DC came out with purpose in the second half as the rain continued to fall but the home side found wave after wave of attack propelled by New York.
United continued to press and were rewarded with an equaliser. On 73 minutes Chris Pontius cut in from the right flank and drove to the edge of the box before unleashing a low left-footed strike.
Saunders saved low to his right but could only parry it straight into the path of the grateful Espindola to tap into an empty net. It was no more that the hosts deserved.
Goalscorer almost turned provider when Espindola whipped in a curling free kick from the left but Pontius couldn't rise high enough to control his header and it sailed harmlessly over the bar.
But DC were not to be denied as Saborio tapped home from close range to win it in at the death to send the hosts second in the Eastern Conference, while New York remain eighth.
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