City triumph on pens to win ISC

• City finally proved we have the winning mentality required to end the 34 year wait by taking the prestigious International Soccer Challenge on penalties. After drawing 1-1 with Club América we won the shoot-out 4-1, thanks to two Shay Given saves. It was generally a decent performance: excellent possession in the first half, although the final ball was lacking. The second half was ropier generally but we did create a few chances of our own. And then Given recreated his Aalborg heroics to win us the historic trophy.
  

• The first half was probably our best performance yet, and consistent with steady improvement on the tour. This was largely thanks to the appearance of Yaya Touré and Gareth Barry, playing at the heart of a 4-1-4-1 which allowed us to dominate possession. Both were impressive, muscling opponents off the ball and moving it forward and wide quickly and intelligently. As it happened, whenever the ball went to Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge or Adam Johnson in wide areas they put in a bad cross, and chances were limited. But as a team performance it was impressively coherent.

• Fortunately there are things Adam Johnson does well beyond simply crossing. Buying penalties is one of them. Think Bolton Wanderers or Aston Villa at home last year, or the attempt at the Boleyn Ground. Ten minutes before half time he collapsed under some fairly routine contact, the penalty was awarded and Emmanuel Adebayor - who was commendably diligent running the left channel throughout - sent the 'keeper the wrong way.

• Half time changes disrupted our rhythm, though. Joleon Lescott ought to have conceded a penalty one minute into the second half for hauling down City legend Vicente Matías Vuoso. Justice was done in the very next minute, as Enrique Esqueda wriggled past the hapless Lescott and slotted the ball under Shay Given to equalise. With the side re-adjusting to a lopsided 4-4-1-1 system (Vladi Weiss wide right, Stephen Ireland tucked in from the left, Jô off Adebayor) we struggled to regain the tempo of the first half. When we did get it out to Weiss he invariably tried a stepover and was pushed straight off the ball.
  

• As the game went on it started to open up. Club América's counter-attacks became increasingly threatening, and it took a few key interventions from Pablo Zabaleta - our stand-out second half performer from holding midfielder - to keep us in the game. But the best late chances were ours: with ten minutes left Guillermo Ochoa spilt Weiss' shot into the path of Jô, whose attempt was well saved by the turf-bound keeper. Two minutes from time Ochoa tipped Adebayor's shot onto the bar. And then Jô failed to make contact with an easy chance from Greg Cunningham's cut-back.

• And so the shoot-out. First Emmanuel Adebayor repeated his earlier success from the spot, clipping it into the bottom corner. Pavel Pardo equalised. Then Jô scored his, and Aquivaldo Mosquera hit his straight at Shay Given. Vladimir Weiss confounded my expectations to score, and Given saved again from Daniel Montenegro. Aalborg all over again. Who better to take the deciding penalty than Patrick Vieira - and he finished well, leading to wild scenes of jubilation on the pitch and in the stands. International Soccer Challenge today, the Premier League next.