August 1, 2016
This past Saturday, in the final outing on a five-match docket for the International Champions Cup that day, we witnessed the vaunted Paris Saint-Germain put on a venerable clinic against last season’s EPL champions, Leicester City, 4-0.
The sold out crowd at Stubhub Center in Carson, CA (which leaned notably in favor of PSG) was treated to plenty of action, drama, and goals. … Albeit not much in the way of a competitive contest.
Much of the match saw the cream of Ligue 1 dominate in possession and the passing game; and although the first goal came off a penalty kick for Edinson Cavani (26′), it was PSG consistently bringing numbers forward and pushing the tempo. Ikone (45′) would later deliver the club’s second goal just before the half, and with a 3-0 lead already in tow near the end of the match, it was Odsonne Edouard (90′) delivering the final blow against a helplessly isolated Schmeichel to seal Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-0 victory over Leicester City.
Notably missing for the Foxes was their symbolic and strike-heavy leader, Jamie Vardy. It came as a surprise to many that Vardy re-signed with Leicester for the coming season of the Premier League, with the star garnering offers from clubs with historically stronger pedigrees. That aside, Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri stated after the match that the loss was good for his side.
Looking at the experience as a learning moment for his players; of whom, once the EPL season begins again, all eyes will be on…a first for the men of Kings Power.
Paris sits atop the ICC standings with 9 points, holding a 5-point lead over second place FC Bayern Munich. This match marked the tournament finale for Paris Saint-Germain and likely gave them their second-conesecutive tournament crown.
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