Liverpool mounts
spirited comeback to
sink Manchester City
on PK's
EVERLASTING LEGACIES
Reasons to celebrate some of soccer's
greatest dynasties of all-time.
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N EW YORK --
Manchester City and Liverpool signaled
their intentions for the upcoming
Barclays Premier League season in a
2-2 draw in the International
Champions Cup -- which Liverpool
ultimately won 3-1 in the penalty
shootout -- in a spirited game at
Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night.
Stevan Jovetic got both goals for City,
while Jordan Henderson and Raheem
Sterling got Liverpool's regular time
tallies.
Both teams are expected to be serious
contenders this season, as they were
last year, when City just beat out the
Reds at the finish line. But whereas
Liverpool are a team building -- and to
an extent rebuilding after the departure
of top scorer Luis Suarez -- City are
the side already built.
And that much was apparent, in the
baseball facility packed with 49,653
fans, which overwhelmingly colored the
red of Liverpool. The Reds, like they
have all preseason, had trouble
connecting in the final third. City,
meanwhile, continued to produce
chances as if they were rolling them off
an assembly line.
Gael Clichy got a weak and ill-advised
shot off early for the Citizens, but that
only foretold greater chances to come.
A few minutes later, Jovetic combined
splendidly with Edin Dzeko to get into
the box but he left the ball behind and
took a tumble, for which he got no call.
Liverpool showed some life then. In the
10 minute, Philippe Coutinho slid a
shot just wide. And then Henderson
dropped a lovely cross on Ricky
Lambert's head, but he nodded his
header into the chest of goalkeeper
Willy Caballero from up close.
In the weird series of plays that
followed, Dzeko ran at Liverpool's goal,
took a heavy touch and then a
theatrical tumble but got no call. But
Liverpool turned the ball over
immediately. And no sooner had Dzeko
gotten up or he was played through
and scored, only to be deemed offside
on a very tight call.
Joe Hart, the England number one who
came on at halftime to make his
preseason debut, made a pair of strong
saves for City wedged around their
opener. He denied Jack Robinson,
played in well by Daniel Sturridge, from
point blank range and then did the
same to Coutinho. But in between
those plays, the excellent Jesus Navas
saw his cross deflected by a defender
and poked behind Simon Mignolet by
Jovetic in the 53 minute. Liverpool
was spared a penalty when Robinson
stuck his arm high over his head to
block a Jovetic chip in the box not
much later.
Spared a doubled deficit, Liverpool
went on to equalize in the 59 minute.
Sterling played Sturridge into space,
but the striker was pushed off the ball.
Henderson was right there though,
ready to sweep it past Hart on a fine
finish.
City then seemed to take control.
Jovetic sent through Aleksandar
Kolarov on the left, whose square ball
for Bruno Zuculini was dinked off the
bar. But not much later, in the 68
minute, Navas cut a pass back for
Kelechi Iheanacho. The 17-year-old
Nigerian's shot was slowed en route
but set up well for Jovetic, who
stabbed in his second of the night.
Liverpool equalized again in the 85
minute, as Sturridge whipped in a cross
which was settled for Sterling by
Lucas. The little winger took a touch,
accelerated into the box and pinged
his finish off the inside of the far post
to make it 2-2. He seemed to have
scored the 3-2 as well, off a splendid
finish on a through ball, but he was
very wrongly called offside.
In the shootout, only Iheanacho
managed to score of City's four
penalty-takers, as Kolarov blasted his
effort over and Yaya Toure and Navas's
efforts were stopped by Mignolet.
Liverpool scored three of four -- the
decider coming off Lucas's foot -- and
took the game.
It is, of course, still only the preseason,
but if this game is to serve as a
harbinger, these sides are going to
make it tight again this year.