Live Match Blog: Manchester City vs. Sporting Kansas City
By Jacob Rude
For those unable to watch part or all of the game or those looking to relive any part of the game, we bring you a live match blog with all your action over the 90 minutes.
Feel free to discuss all the action below in the comments!
Tonight, Manchester City take on Sporting Kansas City as part of the ESPN Summer Soccer Series on ESPN2.
Starting Lineups
Manchester City – Caballero, Richards, Kolarov, Boyata, Rekik, Navas, Fernanda, Zuculini, Kelechi, Sinclair, Jovetic
Available subs –
Kansas City – Gruenebaum, Juliao, Collin, Besler, Sinovic, Olum, Lopez, Feilhaber, Sapong, Dwyer, Saad
Available subs – Kempin, Peterson, Ellis, Palmer-Brown, Munoz, Claros, Kafari, Medranda, Dovale, Beiler, Zizzo, Steuble
First Half
0′ – Kickoff! City get the game underway
1′ – Early corner for Kansas City. Cleared away danger free by Man City
2′ – GOAL! Zuculini with a sensational strike from just outside the box. A deflection is perfectly directed off the post and in. 1-0 MCFC. Gif of goal from @City_Watch
4′ – Sporting KC come right back, Sapong hitting the crossbar. City clears it for a throw-in, which is reeled in by Caballero
7′ – A back and forth game sees neither side really able to maintain possession, aside for a cross from Navas which is easily cleared. Man City maintain possession
8′ – Corner for City. Navas whips it in, but after multiple Man City players get a touch, it is cleared out of the box
9′ – Dwyer draws a foul from 35 yards out, which is put in by Feilhaber after an initial save from Caballero, but was offside
12′ – Beautiful work on the endline from Dwyer leads to another corner for SKC
13′ – Corner finds a Sporting KC player, but is no where near goal
14′ – Immediate counter attack from City sees Sinclair’s shot go far wide
16′ – Iheanacho is through on goal, but his shot is deflected just wide of the goal for a corner. Corner is cleared
17′ – Poor clearance from SKC leads to a shot from Jovetic, which is easily saved by Gruenebaum
19′ – Counter attack from SKC after a corner is broken up at the brink of creating danger. City subsequently draw a free kick just outside the box
21′ – Dwyer’s shot is high and wide after a low cross finds him just outside the 18′, but good play from SKC, who have found openings down the wings
22′ – City’s corner from Navas finds Richards, but his header goes straight to the goalie
24′ – Free kick from SKC is headed near goal, but Caballero cleans it up with ease
26′ – Another corner from SKC, again down the left hand side. Corner causes little danger, but City commits a handball violation just outside the box
28′ – Back and forth play from the two sides eventually ends in a free kick from 35 yards out for SKC after a Zuculini foul. Kick is too deep and easily handled by Caballero
30′- Dangerous cross from Kolarov is handled by Gruenebaum
30′ – GOAL for Sporting Kansas City. Saad’s cross finds Sapong inside the 18′, who was lost by City’s defenders. Sapong settles and easily pushes the ball past Caballero. 1-1. Gif of goal from @City_Watch
35′ – Remains a back and forth game, with neither team truly threatening. Lots of possession in the midfield
36′ – Nifty footwork from Navas and Jovetic is for naught as the ball rolls over the end line for a SKC goal kick
38′ – Jovetic is through on goal and onside, but Collin’s last ditch tackle knocks the ball away and saves SKC from what was surely a goal
40′ – Another free kick for SKC from about 40 yards out following a handball violation. Initial cross is headed back across goal, but Rekik gets just enough to knock it away from Collin and Caballero cleans it up
41′ – Jovetic is through again, once again onside, but SKC’s last ditch defending saves them once more
44′ – First yellow card of the game delivered to Sinovic after a blatant foul robs Navas off a potential cross just outside the 18′.
45′ – GOAL for Man City. Boyata loses Collin and heads in Navas’ free kick from directly in front of goal. 2-1, Man City. Gif of goal from @City_Watch
45′ + 1 – One last moment for SKC, who have a free kick from 30 yards out. However, the training ground play is for naught and City clear easily.
HALFTIME
Second Half
45′ – A host of substitutions for KC as all 11 have changed. Will update momentarily. City swap out Richards for Gael Clichy
New SKC XI – Kempin; Peterson, Palmer-Brown, Ellis, Munoz; Claros, Kafari, Medranda; Zizzo, Bieler, Dovale
48′ – Sporting KC’s fresh legs draw a foul early on in the second half from 35 yards out. The ball is drifted to the far post, headed back across, but cleared out
49′ – Beautiful passing from Man City lead to a Jovetic chance that narrowly misses. Subsequent corner leads to nothing and cleared by SKC
51′ – Iheanacho lines up a shot from deep, but it is far wide.
53′ – Bieler’s open header is wide, but replays show he was likely offside despite not being called.
55′ – Navas’ cross is too deep, missing the run to the near post by Jovetic. Still, City is finding their way into the final third much more easily this half
59′ – Neither team maintaining much possession, and neither team threatening. Lot of City players warming up on sidelines with substitutions likely upcoming
61′ – Dangerous attack from SKC is cleared out by Rekik, but SKC draw a foul and have yet another free kick from roughly 35 yards out. This time, their training ground play earns them a corner
62′ – Initial corner is lifted directly onto goal, which Caballero pushes over the bar. Second corner is still close to Caballero and cleared out. Medranda bursts onto goal, but his shot is wide
65′ – Substitution: Fernando comes off for Javi Garcia, Jovetic off for John Guidetti
66′ – Zizzo barges down the right side, finds Kafari at the near post but Caballero pushes it out for a corner, which is caught by Caballero and cleared out
68′ – Rough foul by Claros leads to the second yellow of the game
69′ – Bieler lines up a shot from 20 yards out that is deflected out for a corner. Corner is flicked on to the far post, but too far wide and leads to a goal kick
70′ – Ever the dangerous down the flank, Kolarov’s low cross is just past the outstretched leg of Guidetti, who committed a foul in pursuit anyway
71′ – Iheanacho and Sinclair link up to put Sinclair through, where is taken down from behind by Kafari for a penalty kick
72′ – GOAL for Manchester City. Kolarov blasts it into the back of the net from the spot. 3-1, Man City
74′ – Substitution: Nastasic and Huws come on for City for Rekik and Zucullin. SKC make yet another sub, with Kafari off for Martin Steuble
77′ – Clichy bursts down the middle, finds Navas wide who whips in the cross, but Guidetti pushes off his defender and the foul is called
79′ – Again Navas flies down the right side and puts in a cross, which is initially intercepted before being won back by Iheanacho. However, the shot that followed was blocked and SKC regain possession
81′ – Another cross, this one from Kolarov, finds Guidetti in the box, but he can’t get a clear shot away and Kempin scoops it up
82′ – Dovale gives the first bit of life to the SKC attack in quite some time, which eventually leads to Bieler finding himself open in front of goal before Nastasic knocks it out for a corner, which is knocked out for a goal kick
84′ – Guidetti creates the chance for Iheanacho, who fires high and wide of the goal. Still, fantastic game from the Nigerian
87′ – Zizzo founds a pocket of space down the right side, but is turned away by Nastasic. Despite personnel changes, City’s backline has held together well save for the goal
88′ – GOAL for Manchester City. Again, Navas flies down the right hand side, cuts back to Iheanacho, who hits it first time from just outside the 18′ and into the bottom left-hand corner. 4-1, Man City
89′ – Substitution – Leigh on for Scott Sinclair
90′ + 2 – Substitution – Denayer on for Iheanacho. Bravo to the 17-year old, who has a bright future ahead of him.