SAN JOSE, Calif. ā To Chris Wondolowski, thereās a very easy explanation for how Frank Lampard has begun to silence his MLS critics in recent weeks.
ā[Lampard] is healthy now,ā the San Jose Earthquakes captain said Thursday, punctuating his statement with a laugh and a shrug. āI donāt know [what to say]. It really is that simple. Heās obviously a world-class player. Itās not like he just lost it when he comes to the United States and canāt find it. When heās healthy, heās going to show it.ā
In this case, āshow itā has meant eight goals in as many matches since June 18 for Lampard, including a hat trick last weekend against the Colorado Rapids.
That kind of form has helped push NYCFC to the top of the Eastern Conference table, making them that much more formidable an opponent for the Quakes to face Friday night at Avaya Stadium (11 pm ET; UniMƔs in US | MLS LIVE in Canada).
āA lot more dangerous,ā Quakes coach Dominic Kinnear said of an NYCFC attack featuring an in-form Lampard. āNo offense to the other guys in the lineup, but I think Iām sure if you asked [NYCFC coach] Patrick Vieira if heād rather have a healthy Frank Lampard or another option, I think heās going to pick a healthy Frank Lampard.
āThe kid Jack Harrison is playing well for them right now. [Andrea] Pirlo does his things. They break well, and their movement seems to be a step ahead. They find the pass before maybe some other guys do, and it gives them space on the field. And Frank Lampard is one of the best at coming late and being deadly in front of the goal.ā
That fact puts immense pressure on a Quakesā backline that hasnāt posted a clean sheet since May 28 and only has four shutouts on the season after collecting 12 last year.
āIām a Chelsea fan, so Iāve seen a lot of him over the years,ā San Jose defender Jordan Stewart said of Lampard. āHe always used to find those positions where the ball was getting cut back on the edge of the box and heās always come in and score those goals and be in the right place at the right time. ā¦ Itās of one those things where, if youāve got talent, itās eventually going to come to show and, as you can see, heās been performing well."
Said Kinnear: āThe one thing that anybody whoās ever been around him or followed his career knows, heās a goalscorer from midfield. Thatās why heās had the career that heās had.ā
It helps also that Lampard is playing on a team that boasts some of the leagueās biggest concentration of firepower. NYCFC currently leads MLS at 1.74 goals per game.
Stewart joked that he would be getting in touch with Bradley Wright-Phillips to learn āthe secret keyā that Wright-Phillipsā Red Bulls squad uncovered in walloping their cross-town rivals 7-0 early this season. But Vieira might have already called in a locksmith; his squad was far more prepared to deal with the pressure in beating the Red Bulls 2-0 last month.
āFrank, when he gets on the ball, whether heās deep or not, he can find passes,ā Stewart said. āHeās got a good range of passes, whether itās long or short or little dinks over the top for players. So heās a dangerous player, along with a lot of the New York City guys. Itās up to us to kind of nullify that and press high and, being at home, to be the aggressor.ā