Things are not calm in Yankee Stadium.
New York City FC lost in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, but now they have bigger things to worry about. In a public statement, cultured midfielder and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard announced he’ll leave NYCFC once his contract ends in December this year.
The departure of Lampard leaves a huge void in midfield for Patrick Vieira’s team. Even though the Englishman struggled with injuries during his stint in MLS, he proved to be a difference maker when fit. Lampard netted 12 goals in 19 matches this year while playing as a midfielder. He was stellar for NYCFC, and his whole season was a roller-coaster.
The 38-year-old got off to a rocky start when fans booed him against the New York Red Bulls this season. However, Frank Lampard never gave up and he won them over with a few spectacular displays. Arguably one of his best moments in MLS came this season when he scored a hat-trick against the Colorado Rapids:
The veteran midfielder finished his MLS career with 15 goals in 31 appearances across two seasons.
Lampard now has to decide what he’ll do in 2017. He can either play somewhere else, see if he returns to England, or even retire to pursue another job. Becoming a coach is certainly a possibility, but he has said before he intend to keeps on playing. Who knows? Maybe the Chinese Super League would welcome him with open arms.
The task to replace him is going to be pretty difficult for New York City FC. They can try to replace him with Jack Harrison playing on a more central role. Or perhaps they can look at the free agent pool to see which players are available. But the best option would be to sign another Designated Player. Who knows? Maybe Bastian Schweinsteiger is willing to come to America. NYC has the money, and he would be a very good option to add in midfield next to Andrea Pirlo and Andoni Iraola.
Whatever happens, NYCFC needs to make a decision soon. They lost one of their best players, and replacing his production (and leadership) is not going to be easy.