International Friendly
Sporting KC vs Manchester City
Wednesday, July 23 - 8 p.m. CT
Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kansas
English TV: ESPN2
Spanish TV: ESPN Deportes
English Radio: Sports Radio 810 WHB
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
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The defending MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City will host the defending English Premier League champions Manchester City Wednesday night at 8 p.m. CT at Sporting Park. The match will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes with radio coverage in Kansas City on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Gran D 1340. A limited number of tickets still remain for Wednesday's match and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com.
The international friendly will consist of two 45-minute halves. If the match is tied at the conclusion of regulation, the two teams will go directly to a penalty kick shootout. The winner of Wednesday's friendly will take home the Champions Shield.
Sporting KC hoisted the MLS Cup on Dec. 7 defeating Real Salt Lake at Sporting Park. At the end of regulation and two 15-minute overtime periods, the match was tied 1-1 before eventually being decided by the longest penalty kick shootout in MLS history. Sporting KC defender Aurelien Collin was named MLS Cup MVP for his equalizer in regulation and game-winning penalty kick.
Sporting KC currently sits atop the Eastern Conference with 32 points and a 10-5-5 record that includes five victories in the club's last six MLS matches. Midfielders Benny Feilhaber and Lawrence Olum each netted a goal in Sporting KC's 2-1 victory last Saturday over the LA Galaxy. Feilhaber's goal was his second in as many matches earning him MLS Player of the Week honors for Week 19.
Manchester City enters the midweek match as part of a preseason tour in the United States to prepare for the 2014-15 English Premier League season. Sporting Kansas City will be the first of Manchester City's four scheduled matches in the United States. The marquee match between reigning champions is part of Summer in the Soccer Capital, presented by the Sprint Framily Plan. Following the match against Sporting KC, Manchester City will participate in the inaugural International Champions Cup against Liverpool FC, Olympiacos and AC Milan.
Manchester City finished the 2013-14 season in first place, winning their final match of the season against West Ham United to clinch the Premier League title. Under first year manager Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City finished with a 27-5-6 record an scored a club record 102 goals. The League title was Manchester City's second in the previous three seasons. Manchester City also hoisted the Capital One Cup earlier this year and advanced out of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Fan can follow the match online at SportingKC.com/GameOn or via Twitter @SKCGameday.
