NEW YORK — New York City FC introduced Frank Lampard in Brooklyn after signing the 36-year-old former Chelsea midfielder to a two-year contract on Thursday.
“Why not New York? Talk about ticking all the boxes. I want to carry on challenging myself.” Lampard said at a news conference. “That’s a great challenge, isn’t it? City of hopes and dreams. That’s where you want to go to and play isn’t it?”
The club owned by Manchester City and the New York Yankees previously signed David Villa of Atletico Madrid.
Lampard was asked about a widely reported encounter with American travelers in 2001, shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, when he and teammates were fined following reports they were behaving drunkenly and boorishly in front of distraught Americans.
“I was naive and a young boy at the time and I have some regrets,” Lampard said. “I categorically didn’t insult anyone, set out to insult anyone, behave badly in front of Americans or in fact anyone. I’ve tried in the last 13 years at Chelsea to build up — well, to just be a good man really and not just be a good footballer, but a good man off the pitch. … Unfortunately it was very much misreported at the time in England, and it’s actually a chance for me to finally say that.”
Olympiacos 3, Milan 0
TORONTO — Olympiakos beat Milan 3-0 on Thursday in the opening game of the Guinness International Champions Cup friendly tournament, with goals from Alejandro Dominguez, Dimitris Diamantakos and Andreas Bouchalakis.
Dominguez opened the scoring for the Greek side in the 16th minute off a cross from Mathieu Dossevi. Dominguez brought the ball down and sent a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Gabriel.
Diamantakos doubled the lead in the 49th minute, angling in a cross from Arthur Masuaku. Bouchalakis scored in the 78th minute on a long left-footed shot.
The tournament, being played across various North American venues over 12 days, also involves English clubs Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, reigning European champion Real Madrid and Italian clubs Internazionale and Roma.
RSL 3, Montreal 1
SANDY, Utah — Real Salt Lake moved up to outright second place in the MLS Western Conference by winning 3-1 at home against ten-man Montreal on Thursday.
Olmes Garcia scored his first two goals of the season in the 70th minute and again in stoppage time to move Salt Lake within six points of conference-leading Seattle.
The hosts opened the scoring in the third minute when Luke Mulholland hammered in a deflected corner.
Montreal equalized when Hassoun Camara rolled the ball inside the far post in the 31st minute.
Montreal’s Issey Nakajima-Farran was shown a red card in the 65th minute after a studs-up tackle of Chris Schuler.
By wire sources