Yankee Stadium was awash in blue on Sunday when NYCFC and Toronto squared off, but it was not purely the sky blue of NYCFC (and our benevolent overlords), but instead the royal blue of “The Pensioners”, of “The Blue Lions” of, as any wearer would tell you, as they told me, poking their stubby fingers into my chest, the blues – Chelsea. And they were here for one reason and one reason only. To see Villa? No. Giovinco? Nope. For a little American style footie? Not at all. They were here to see their hero Frank Lampard.
They were going to be disappointed.
For Lamps was down with a calf injury, having struggled during midweek training sessions to keep up, and was announced as a scratch on Friday – much to the surprise, dismay, anger and frustration of the legion of #8s I explained this to, in as many different languages as I could muster.
Look, I understand. Frank signed (well, it looked like he signed) a two year deal with NYCFC in July of last year ostensibly as the club’s first player. Less than a week later it was explained to us he was “on loan” to Man City until the end of 2014 – which was fine, as long as he was here for the home opener in the Bronx, right? When that expired at the stroke of midnight, we learned, no, sorry, he’s staying at the Etihad to finish out the EPL season, with Pellegrini even hinting that Frank could spend a second season in Manchester. Happy New Year indeed. Of course, all that was quickly papered over when Frank signed something called a “pre-contract” to start playing for NYCFC on July 1, and everyone made nice-nice and all was forgiven. Sort of.
And then this happened.
I also, however, understand Kreis’ refusal to risk that very same marquee player who the fans have waited so long for in a match between NYCFC and Toronto. God forbid you rush him out on to the converted baseball diamond and he’s only 50% and something happens and he’s done for the season. Especially in a game that turned out to be as chippy and physical as it did (apparently NYCFC and Toronto don’t like each other). For while I’m not suggesting that our Canadian brothers would go after Frank in his first game in the Bronx, they did cut down Villa several times (no doubt as payback for what they felt was unjust treatment of Giovinco on Toronto), and hey, accidents happen, right?
So we waited. Again.
After the game there was talk of Frank being fit enough to debut on Saturday in Foxboro. And while we believe Coach Kreis is an honorable man (so are they all honorable men), forgive us if we, on the one hand, will believe it when we see it, and, on the other, think it would be a tactical and marketing disaster of epic proportions if we did.
For as our friends at Blue City Radio reminded us the other day, MLS players have routinely voted Gillette Stadium the worst pitch (“pitch”? ahem…) in the league. One the likes of which our Frank has played on only once in his career. Eight years ago. In Russia. As a sub. You really want to risk his 37-year-old legs on that symbol of Robert Kraft’s unwillingness to do right by one of MLS’s founding clubs?
But also, why would you give a bunch of Eastern Conference rivals the honor of finally welcoming NYCFC’s signature signing to the league? Yes, Third Rail, Hearts of Oak, the Blue Ladies and other faithful will make the trek up I-95 and will do their mightiest and loudest to make Frank feel at home (in spite of not being allowed to bring drums or large flags into the stadium). But it’s not going to be the same as what would have gone down at Yankee Stadium before the whistle blew on NYCFC and Toronto.
No, much more sensible to wait. To introduce Frank on the 26th against Orlando, alongside Il Metronomo (well, let’s hope). And perhaps alongside Jefferson Mena, the Colombian defender who reports say will be available “later this month” (pending paperwork and other legal niceties). And alongside Iraola and Angelino, both of whom, we should point out, had extremely promising debuts in the game between NYCFC and Toronto.
And, hey, you know what they say – “every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.” Right?
But hold on.
Now we’re hearing reports that Didier Drogba is in negotiations with NYCFC. Again.
You know, Mark Twain once said “If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a minute.”
He could’ve been talking about NYCFC’s roster.
