NEW YORK — Ever since he was spotted alongside David Beckham at an LA Galaxy match a few weeks ago at The Home Depot Center, rumors have swirled of an impending switch to MLS.
But Frank Lampard was once again busy wearing the captain's armband and marshaling the Chelsea FC midfielder at a 2012 Herbalife World Football Challenge match held at Yankee Stadium on Sunday night.
After the match, the England international was met by a throng of reporters and the topic of conversation was obvious. Are the rumors true?
"I'm not sure," Lampard told media after the 1-1 draw vs. Paris Saint-Germain. "I have another year on my contract at Chelsea. We have a big season. We play in the Super Cup and the World Club Championship in December. Then it's up to Chelsea. If they want to speak with me about my future, then I'll speak with them. I wouldn’t rule anything out at the moment."
Goal: Piazon's equalizer for Chelsea
Do you think that answer was enough to quell the curiosity? No, of course not. The question came once again. Are you coming to MLS?
"Not at the moment, no," Lampard reaffirmed, "because I have a contract with Chelsea. Beyond that I don't know."
Aside from the persistent post-game questions, which he managed gracefully, Lampard experienced an overall pleasant night. First, the newly installed Yankee Stadium soccer field surpassed his expectations, and he also considered the massive number of Chelsea fans who filled the stadium as "a nice surprise."
Lampard admitted that the supporters had a lot to do with Chelsea's fightback to earn the 1-1 draw against PSG on a goal by reserve forward Lucas Piazón inside the final 10 minutes.
"When you're 1-0 down, even if it's a friendly game, we're playing in a big stadium with lots of support and on TV," Lampard said. "So you don't want to lose the match. I think the players in the second half showed the little bit extra to try to draw the match and try to win the match."
