VIDEO | Miami City Cup Highlights: Barcelona SC vs Sporting Cristal
In a friendly match before the start of their respective leagues in their countries, each team showcased its talent—Barcelona SC representing Ecuador and Sporting Cristal representing Peru—in a showdown in Miami that brought out the best of both South American teams.
In a fierce clash between two teams eager to impress their fans who turned up for the match, both sides had a tough battle marked by numerous fouls and few opportunities in both penalty areas. The turning point came with the expulsion of Santiago González from Sporting Cristal, opening up the game for the Ecuadorian offense, which took the lead towards the end of the first half with a goal from Damián Díaz.
The second half saw Sporting Cristal, despite being a player down, attempting to showcase their strength to the fans with more than seven total shots. However, their efforts to equalize were unsuccessful, and the match ended in favor of the Ecuadorians, who expressed their gratitude to the fans and secured the victory in Miami.
