Big Clubs, Small Pitch: AC Milan defeat Manchester City in The Bronx

Two of Europe's biggest clubs took center stage in The Bronx Saturday afternoon, as reigning Premier League champions Manchester City faced off against storied Serie A side AC Milan, as part of each club's preseason tour of the US. Finishing 3-2 in favor of the Rossoneri, the soccer on display complemented the atmosphere nicely — for the most part.

It was a spectacle from the jump, with over 45,000 fans making their way into Yankee Stadium, filling every section from the Legends Suites to the 400 level. Despite the heavy Italian influence NYC is known for, the crowd had a distinct tint of Sky Blue, with the Cityzens receiving a much warmer welcome to the Big Apple. That said, when either side scored, the crowd went LOUD, a far cry from the typical scenes seen during New York City FC matches.

And for good reason as well. This was like a rock band going on a world tour.

Fans lined the streets outside Yankee Stadium for hours, waiting for their chance to witness world superstars like Erling Haland, Jack Grealish, and Christian Pulisic with their own eyes. Though this massive influx of fans put a bit of a strain on the match-day operations, with massive lines to enter the stadium and virtually nowhere to park, the vibes inside the stadium were top-tier.

On the pitch, however, was a slightly different story, as both sides attempted to make do with the small pitch size. And as clumps of dead sod dotted the field and the turf monster spared no prisoners, fans were quick to question and mock the state of the field. The size, the dead sod, the Man City high press: We may need to conduct a welfare check on Fikaio Tomori.

In addition to the soccer on display, fans in attendance were treated to a special surprise following the halftime interval, as both sides changed kits for the second half. Manchester City switched from their Sky Blue home kit to the newly released burgundy Third Kit, which debuted this week during the Cityzens' events in Manhattan.

As for AC Milan, the Rossoneri took this opportunity to debut the club's never-before-seen away kit for the 2024/25 season, a classy white strip with black accents. In conjunction with this surprise, the clubs will be auctioning off the match-worn kits for charity.

The scenes from tonight's match perfectly encapsulate what MLS wish matches looked like in the Big Apple every week, topped off with a ten-minute cameo from Captain America Pulisic. But, there's still a decent way to go before that happens, or at least as long as these matches are hosted on the Field of Dreams.