Sporting Kansas City announced on Tuesday the team’s Summer in the Soccer Capital series of events, presented by The Sprint Framily Plan, featuring an international friendly against English Premier League club Manchester City on July 23 at Sporting Park and official World Cup watch parties at KC Live! in the Power & Light District.
Ticket information for the international friendly, Manchester City’s first against an MLS club since winning the English Premier League and first on their tour of the United States this summer, will be released at a later date.
Manchester City – Premier League champions in 2012 and runners-up in 2013 – are currently positioned for their fifth consecutive top-five finish in the world’s most-watched league and are vying for a berth in their fourth straight UEFA Champions League tournament. Led by manager Manuel Pellegrini, the Manchester City roster features 14 players who helped their countries qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Forward Sergio Aguero ranks third in the Premier League with 15 goals this season, while Yaya Toure’s 13 goals are tied for fourth most among Premier League players. Fellow attackers Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas and David Silva all feature for the world’s No. 1 ranked national team, Spain, and the club’s defense is anchored by England goalkeeper Joe Hart along with a backline of Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta, Gael Clichy and Martin Demichelis.
Manchester City’s full roster for the international friendly will be announced prior to the team's arrival in Kansas City. Following the friendly, Manchester City will participate in the International Champions Cup with group stage matches against A.C. Milan (July 27), Liverpool (July 30) and Olympiacos (Aug. 2).
QUOTES
It is a pleasure to host a world-class club like Manchester City. It will be a great event not only for our fans, but our players as well to measure ourselves against one of the best teams in all of soccer. - Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes
The team is excited and will be ready to face another Premier League team. We have so many memories from the last time we played a team from Manchester and now playing at Sporting Park will make this even better. - Sporting KC captain Matt Besler
Manchester City is a fantastic team having an outstanding year. The event will be great for our team, organization, fans and city, and showcases how far Kansas City has come in the soccer world. - Sporting KC midfielder Graham Zusi
Every time we visit the US, we’re always blown-away by the incredible reception we receive from our American fans. The whole team is looking forward to not only returning to the states this summer, but also to playing in Kansas for the first time. Having won the MLS title, Sporting Kansas City’s reputation for being formidable opponents is richly deserved. It’s sure to be a tough test and a fantastic game of football for the fans. We’ve heard a lot about the city, so it will be great to see what it has in store. - Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero
Summer in the Soccer Capital, presented by The Sprint Framily Plan, will kick off with Kansas City’s official 2014 FIFA World Cup watch parties hosted at KC Live! in the Power & Light District. Beginning with the opening match on June 12 and continuing through the World Cup final on July 13, all 64 matches will be shown live on Kansas City’s largest outdoor video screen in the center of the KC Live! Block, as well as screens in surrounding bars.
Admission to the KC Power & Light District for Summer in the Soccer Capital will be free for all ages. Food and drink specials will be available for supporters, as well as limited edition “For Club and Country” merchandise. Additional programming, including VIP opportunities, will be provided for all United States Men’s National Team matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup:
- Monday, June 16: United States vs. Ghana at 5 p.m. CT
- Sunday, June 22: United States vs. Portugal at 5 p.m. CT
- Thursday, June 26: United States vs. Germany at 11 a.m. CT
Sporting Kansas City had five players named to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster earlier this year, including defender Matt Besler and midfielder Graham Zusi whose appearances in FIFA World Cup qualifying helped the U.S. finish first in the CONCACAF region and reach their seventh straight World Cup. Seven players in club history have been selected to a World Cup roster, including a representative at each of the last four World Cup tournaments.
“One of the most transcendent moments in the history of Sporting Club were the World Cup watch parties of 2010,” said Sporting Club CEO Robb Heineman. “I’m excited to see what happens with this fan base in 2014 and their response to how great these World Cup watch parties are going to be.”
More than 35,000 fans attended the 2010 FIFA World Cup watch parties at the KC Power & Light District -- including a standing-room only crowd of 12,000 for the Round of 16 match between the U.S. and Ghana – making it one of the largest outdoor FIFA World Cup viewing parties in the United States.
Manchester City FC honors:
European Cup Winners’ Cup: 1970
Football League Champions: 1936-37, 1967-68, 2011-12
Division One Champions: 2001-02
Division Two Champions: 1898-99, 1902-03, 1909-10, 1927-28, 1946-47, 1965-66
FA Cup Winners: 1904, 1934, 1956, 1969, 2011
Leage Cup Winners: 1970, 1976, 2014
FA Charity Shield Winners: 1937-38, 1968-69, 1972-73
FA Community Shield Winners: 2012-13
2014 FIFA World Cup | Manchester City FC players in qualifying:
Argentina: Sergio Aguero, Martin Demichelis, Pablo Zabaleta
Belgium: Vincent Kompany
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Edin Dzeko
England: Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott, James Milner
France: Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri
Ivory Coast: Yaya Toure
Spain: Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo, David Silva
Sporting KC | All-time players at a FIFA World Cup:
1998: Uche Okafor (Nigera), Preki (USA)
2002: Tony Meola (USA)
2006: Jimmy Conrad (USA), Eddie Johnson (USA), Josh Wolff (USA)
2010: Roger Espinoza (Honduras)
Sporting Kansas City (1-0-2) vs. Premier League opponents:
KC Wizards 2, Manchester United 1 -- 7/25/10 at Arrowhead Stadium
Sporting KC 0, Newcastle United 0 -- 7/20/11 at Sporting Park
Sporting KC 1, Stoke City 1 – 8/1/12 at Sporting Park
Sporting KC vs. Manchester City – 7/23/14 at Sporting Park
International matches at Sporting Park (non-league):
Canada 1, Panama 1 on 6/14/11 (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
U.S. MNT 1, Guadeloupe 0 on 6/14/11 (CONCACAF Gold Cup)
Sporting KC 0, Newcastle United 0 on 7/20/11 (friendly)
U.S. WNT 1, Canada 1 on 9/17/11 (friendly)
Sporting KC 2, CD Guadalajara 2 on 10/12/11 (friendly)
Honduras 3, El Salvador 2 on 3/31/12 (Olympic Qualifying)
Mexico 3, Canada 1 on 3/31/12 (Olympic Qualifying)
Mexico 2, Honduras 1 on 4/2/12 (Olympic Qualifying)
Montpellier HSC 3, Sporting KC 0 on 7/24/12 (friendly)
Sporting KC 1, Stoke City 1 on 8/1/12 (friendly)
U.S. MNT 3, Guatemala 1 on 10/16/12 (World Cup Qualifying)
Sporting KC 1, Real Esteli FC 1 on 9/17/13 (CONCACAF Champions League)
U.S. MNT 2, Jamaica 0 on 10/11/13 (World Cup Qualifying)
Sporting KC 0, CD Olimpia 0 on 10/23/13 (CONCACAF Champions League)
AS Roma 3, MLS All-Stars 1 on 7/31/13 (friendly)
Sporting KC 1, Cruz Azul 0 on 3/12/14 (CONCACAF Champions League)
Sporting KC vs. Manchester City on 7/23/14 (friendly)
