Sports Quote of the Day:
"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." ~ Albert Einstein, World Renown Scientist
Bear Down Chicago Bears!!! Bears staying grounded heading into Steelers game.
By Larry Mayer
The Bears are one of eight 2-0 teams in the NFL, but they won't head into Sunday night's game against the 0-2 Steelers in Pittsburgh feeling overconfident or invincible.
Coach Marc Trestman is thrilled with the resiliency his team showed in rallying to beat the Bengals and Vikings the first two weeks of the season. But he knows there's a fine line between winning and losing in the NFL and that the Bears' record could just as easily be 0-2.
"It's extremely thin," Trestman said. "In the National Football League, it's very thin. You can see it. We're two or three plays away from sitting here on the opposite side of both games, no doubt about it. You've got to play them all for 60 minutes and if you keep playing you hope good things can happen. I think that's what we get out of it."
Despite the 2-0 record, Trestman realizes that the Bears must get better in several critical areas and hopes to see those improvements beginning Sunday night at Heinz Field.
"The best way to approach it is just take what you've learned, positively and negatively, from the games you've played and try to decipher what you need to get better through both," Trestman said. "I think we've shown to be a resilient football team for two weeks. We've been fortunate to be able to work through adversity.
"Our guys are playing smart, they're playing disciplined, and they're giving themselves a chance to win games in the fourth quarter. That's all you really want to do in the National Football League. You're seldom going to blow anybody out. You're going to have to play four quarters, and every minute counts. If you stay disciplined and stay poised and take care of the ball, you've got a chance."
Catch this: Running backMatt Forte established a career high with 11 receptions for 71 yards in Sunday's win over the Vikings, with several coming on check-down throws from Jay Cutler .
"They're a coverage team, although we did see more man-to-man coverage than we expected to," Trestman said. "They did mix it up by personnel grouping and by formation. But Matt was in position as a secondary receiver most of the time and Jay did a good job of getting through his progressions and getting the ball to him."
Since he entered the league in 2008, Forte ranks third among NFL running backs with 282 receptions and 2,437 receiving yards. He's also third in both categories on the Bears' all-time list among running backs behind Hall of Famer Walter Payton and Neal Anderson.
Off and running: Vikings rookie Cordarrelle Patterson returnedRobbie Gould 's opening kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown Sunday. It was the first kickoff return TD the Bears have yielded since Sept. 30, 2007 when the Lions' Casey FitzSimmons brought back an onside kick 41 yards in Detroit.
"They did a very good job and we didn't get exactly the directional kick that we wanted to, and Robbie talked about that [Monday] in the meeting," Trestman said. "But we've got to have Robbie's back too and we got stacked up a little bit.
"We knew [Patterson] was a big physical guy who could return the ball. We worked hard at trying to defend him during the week and we just didn't get it done. It's a collective effort certainly in those situations. Everybody's got to be in the right spot. When you get stacked up, there's a chance you leave a lane open and that's exactly what happened."
Reserving judgment: Playing in the rain Sunday, the Bears recorded only one sack for the second straight week. But the field conditions are one reason Trestman isn't jumping to any conclusions.
"It's tough to rush the passer in wet weather for both sides," Trestman said. "It's tough to get a pass rush with a soggy field. With rain really the advantage goes to the offense because [the offense] can sit back there and protect. It's really hard to configure a pass rush to get close.
"We got close at times, and we got close to get [Christian] Ponder outside the pocket. We just didn't do the job in our rushes to contain him the two or three times that he got outside. I thought Christian played well. He made some significant plays in the game to keep the clock running to keep their offense on the field, and he extended plays with his feet. But I think that we've got to wait for the right surface and more time to see where we are with our pass rush."
Coach Marc Trestman is thrilled with the resiliency his team showed in rallying to beat the Bengals and Vikings the first two weeks of the season. But he knows there's a fine line between winning and losing in the NFL and that the Bears' record could just as easily be 0-2.
"It's extremely thin," Trestman said. "In the National Football League, it's very thin. You can see it. We're two or three plays away from sitting here on the opposite side of both games, no doubt about it. You've got to play them all for 60 minutes and if you keep playing you hope good things can happen. I think that's what we get out of it."
Despite the 2-0 record, Trestman realizes that the Bears must get better in several critical areas and hopes to see those improvements beginning Sunday night at Heinz Field.
"The best way to approach it is just take what you've learned, positively and negatively, from the games you've played and try to decipher what you need to get better through both," Trestman said. "I think we've shown to be a resilient football team for two weeks. We've been fortunate to be able to work through adversity.
"Our guys are playing smart, they're playing disciplined, and they're giving themselves a chance to win games in the fourth quarter. That's all you really want to do in the National Football League. You're seldom going to blow anybody out. You're going to have to play four quarters, and every minute counts. If you stay disciplined and stay poised and take care of the ball, you've got a chance."
Catch this: Running back
"They're a coverage team, although we did see more man-to-man coverage than we expected to," Trestman said. "They did mix it up by personnel grouping and by formation. But Matt was in position as a secondary receiver most of the time and Jay did a good job of getting through his progressions and getting the ball to him."
Since he entered the league in 2008, Forte ranks third among NFL running backs with 282 receptions and 2,437 receiving yards. He's also third in both categories on the Bears' all-time list among running backs behind Hall of Famer Walter Payton and Neal Anderson.
Off and running: Vikings rookie Cordarrelle Patterson returned
"They did a very good job and we didn't get exactly the directional kick that we wanted to, and Robbie talked about that [Monday] in the meeting," Trestman said. "But we've got to have Robbie's back too and we got stacked up a little bit.
"We knew [Patterson] was a big physical guy who could return the ball. We worked hard at trying to defend him during the week and we just didn't get it done. It's a collective effort certainly in those situations. Everybody's got to be in the right spot. When you get stacked up, there's a chance you leave a lane open and that's exactly what happened."
Reserving judgment: Playing in the rain Sunday, the Bears recorded only one sack for the second straight week. But the field conditions are one reason Trestman isn't jumping to any conclusions.
"It's tough to rush the passer in wet weather for both sides," Trestman said. "It's tough to get a pass rush with a soggy field. With rain really the advantage goes to the offense because [the offense] can sit back there and protect. It's really hard to configure a pass rush to get close.
"We got close at times, and we got close to get [Christian] Ponder outside the pocket. We just didn't do the job in our rushes to contain him the two or three times that he got outside. I thought Christian played well. He made some significant plays in the game to keep the clock running to keep their offense on the field, and he extended plays with his feet. But I think that we've got to wait for the right surface and more time to see where we are with our pass rush."
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Preseason turnout illustrates Hawks' growth in Chicago.
By Nina Falcone
(AP Images)
The United Center was painted red from top to bottom as the Blackhawks took the ice for one final scrimmage at their annual training camp festival. Despite being 24 hours from their first preseason matchup of the 2013-14 campaign, the city of Chicago appeared to be right back in regular-season form.
"We know we have great support here, it's pretty much sold out every single game we play here and it's a great atmosphere," Niklas Hjalmarsson said. "Every time we have something around the city there's always a big crowd, so we know we have great support. But a game like this when it's just a scrimmage within your own team, it's impressive to have this big of a crowd."
But the type of turnout seen at the Blackhawks' festival is still relatively new. Since chairman Rocky Wirtz took over back in 2007, the hockey scene in Chicago has undergone a complete transformation.
Throughout the last few seasons, the Blackhawks' fanbase hasn't stopped expanding, and the team's veterans have experienced the boom in popularity first-hand.
"We consider ourselves pretty lucky," Patrick Sharp said after his team's scrimmage."Monday night, you get a big crowd like that to support us, they're cheering for big hits, they're cheering for goals... it makes you proud to be out there and makes you proud to be a Hawk."
Those loud cheers will expand into Tuesday as the Blackhawks host the Red Wings. While it will be just a preseason matchup, the Blackhawks will have a little extra something to keep the adrenaline going as they face off against their longtime rival for the first time since their dramatic playoff series and since Detroit's joined the Eastern Conference.
Sharp, Smith score as Blackhawks win preseason-opener .
By Tracey Myers
Patrick Sharp scored late in the second period, and Ben Smith added one just over a minute later as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red Wings, 2-0, in their preseason-opener on Tuesday.
Corey Crawford stopped 18 shots for the Blackhawks. Jeremy Morin and Jimmy Hayes, whose shot Smith deflected, earned assists.
The Blackhawks showcased some of their younger players on Tuesday night. Teuvo Teravainen centered Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell, while Brandon Saad played his first preseason game at No. 2 center.
Defenseman Michael Kostka left the game in the first period after being boarded by Teemu Pulkkinen. The Red Wings forward was given a five-minute boarding major and a game misconduct.
“He’s not bad, but he couldn’t play. We’ll have a better assessment tomorrow,” said head coach Joel Quenneville. “He’s had a real good camp. We like what he brings to our team. He defends real well, he’s real active on the attack, he wants the puck, sees plays and makes plays. We think he’s going to be useful.”
As far as that hit on Kostka, Quenneville said, “I thought it was very dangerous.”
Jonathan Toews (lower body) did not play on Tuesday night. Coach Joel Quenneville expects Toews to play in his first preseason game this weekend. Marian Hossa also did not play vs. the Wings; he’s fine and is expected to play Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Quenneville said Brandon Pirri, who hasn’t skated since Saturday at Notre Dame, is expected to return to the ice in a few days.
Just another Chicago Bulls Session... Thibodeau wants to know how restricted area will be officiated this season?
By Kurt Helin
Reuters
Part of it is fun — you can get fitted for a suit, the coaches all go out to dinner together.
Another part of it is work, such as going over the league’s officiating “points of emphasis” for the upcoming season. That’s when the NBA tells the coaches what rule they are going to start to really enforce this season (something that often kind of reverts to form halfway through the season). For example a couple years ago it was the quick technical for anyone seen as showing up an official (something that is now inconsistently enforced).
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told NBA.com what he wants to talk about is play in the restricted area.
“After a summer of watching our games [from last year], watching how the restricted area’s being officiated is always something I’m concerned with. I think initially the offensive player was getting the benefit and they were throwing themselves into the defensive players and getting to the free-throw line.
“Then I think the officials adjusted to that – but now maybe going the other way. There are a lot of guys who are fouling in the restricted area and the defense is getting the benefit of the doubt. So I’m curious to see how that changes.”That will be one thing to watch, but you can bet there will be others. It will be interesting to see the league’s new focus, we just know it’s not flopping.
TNT's Steve Kerr predicts Bulls will knock off Heat this year.
By Kurt Helin
(Getty Images)
So expect a lot of people to pick against the Heat to three-peat this year.
That starts with Steve Kerr, the analyst for TNT, who told the Los Angeles Times he is picking his old team from the East to knock off Miami.
“There’s a reason these teams don’t do it,” TNT analyst Steve Kerr said. “Emotionally, it’s just exhausting to keep doing it year after year, particularly when you have to deal with everything Miami has to deal with on a daily basis, just the constant critiquing and scrutiny on the team, and then you factor in the injuries with Wade and Bosh and their health. I don’t think Miami will get out of the East this year….
“I just feel like it’s all sort of teed up for Chicago with Rose coming back, guys like Noah and [Taj] Gibson entering their prime,” Kerr said. “I think Chicago will have something special this year.”The Bulls with a healthy Derrick Rose makes for an interesting matchup — they have the size and defense to challenge the Heat, but will they have the offense when LeBron James lines up to defend Rose? The Bulls were just starting to hit the stride two years ago when Rose blew out his knee and we have never seen peak Bulls against the Heat. It would be a great matchup.
To me the Pacers took the Heat seven games in the playoffs and then went out and got a lot better — they get Danny Granger back plus they added depth with C.J. Watson, Luis Scola and Chris Copeland. Not to mention Paul George, Roy Hibbert and others are at the point in their careers where there can be considerable improvement year to year.
Then out West there are the Spurs (who had the Heat all but beat in the Finals, the Thunder with Russell Westbrook back and the Los Angeles Clippers — a team with questions but if Doc Rivers can meld them and get them to play defense (we’re looking at you, DeAndre Jordan) they can be right there.
The league feels more wide open than it has in years — we just need to start the season already.
Woods, Stenson paired for Tour Champ. Round 1.
By Will Gray
Tiger Woods and Henrik Stenson will get to spend some more quality time together this week in Atlanta.
After playing the first two rounds together at the BMW Championship, Woods and Stenson have been paired for the first round of the Tour Championship, as they rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the season finale.
The duo will begin the fourth leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs at 2 p.m. ET Thursday.
After a win Monday at Conway Farms that vaulted him to fourth in the overall points race, Zach Johnson will tee off at 1:50 p.m. alongside Adam Scott, himself a winner of a playoff event last month at The Barclays. Both players, along with Woods, Stenson and No. 5 Matt Kuchar, will win the overall FedEx Cup – and $10 million first-place prize – with a win this week at East Lake.
Other notable first-round pairings include reigning FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker with U.S. Open winner Justin Rose, BMW runner-up Nick Watney alongside Jim Furyk, who came up short in Chicago despite a second-round 59, and Jason Day paired with Jordan Spieth, who will become the youngest player to ever tee it up in the Tour Championship after turning 20 years old this past July.
Full pairings for Thursday's first round are below (all times ET):
11:40 a.m. – Luke Donald and Dustin Johnson
11:50 a.m. – Brendon De Jonge and D.A. Points
12 p.m. – Sergio Garcia and Boo Weekley
12:10 p.m. – Charl Schwartzel and Roberto Castro
12:20 p.m. – Webb Simpson and Billy Horschel
12:30 p.m. – Kevin Streelman and Jason Dufner
12:40 p.m. – Gary Woodland and Bill Haas
12:50 p.m. – Hunter Mahan and Keegan Bradley
1 p.m. – Jordan Spieth and Jason Day
1:10 p.m. – Jim Furyk and Nick Watney
1:20 p.m. – Justin Rose and Brandt Snedeker
1:30 p.m. – Graham DeLaet and Phil Mickelson
1:40 p.m. – Matt Kuchar and Steve Stricker
1:50 p.m. – Adam Scott and Zach Johnson
2 p.m. – Tiger Woods and Henrik Stenson
Power Rankings: It’s a Joe Gibbs Racing switcheroo at the top.
After playing the first two rounds together at the BMW Championship, Woods and Stenson have been paired for the first round of the Tour Championship, as they rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the FedEx Cup standings heading into the season finale.
The duo will begin the fourth leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs at 2 p.m. ET Thursday.
After a win Monday at Conway Farms that vaulted him to fourth in the overall points race, Zach Johnson will tee off at 1:50 p.m. alongside Adam Scott, himself a winner of a playoff event last month at The Barclays. Both players, along with Woods, Stenson and No. 5 Matt Kuchar, will win the overall FedEx Cup – and $10 million first-place prize – with a win this week at East Lake.
Other notable first-round pairings include reigning FedEx Cup champion Brandt Snedeker with U.S. Open winner Justin Rose, BMW runner-up Nick Watney alongside Jim Furyk, who came up short in Chicago despite a second-round 59, and Jason Day paired with Jordan Spieth, who will become the youngest player to ever tee it up in the Tour Championship after turning 20 years old this past July.
Full pairings for Thursday's first round are below (all times ET):
11:40 a.m. – Luke Donald and Dustin Johnson
11:50 a.m. – Brendon De Jonge and D.A. Points
12 p.m. – Sergio Garcia and Boo Weekley
12:10 p.m. – Charl Schwartzel and Roberto Castro
12:20 p.m. – Webb Simpson and Billy Horschel
12:30 p.m. – Kevin Streelman and Jason Dufner
12:40 p.m. – Gary Woodland and Bill Haas
12:50 p.m. – Hunter Mahan and Keegan Bradley
1 p.m. – Jordan Spieth and Jason Day
1:10 p.m. – Jim Furyk and Nick Watney
1:20 p.m. – Justin Rose and Brandt Snedeker
1:30 p.m. – Graham DeLaet and Phil Mickelson
1:40 p.m. – Matt Kuchar and Steve Stricker
1:50 p.m. – Adam Scott and Zach Johnson
2 p.m. – Tiger Woods and Henrik Stenson
Power Rankings: It’s a Joe Gibbs Racing switcheroo at the top.
By Nick Bromberg
It's time for Power Rankings! After every race, we'll opine about who we think is at the top of the Sprint Cup heap and how and why they got there. Remember, this isn't scientific, as our formula is the perfect blend of analytics and bias against your favorite driver.
(Getty Images)
2. Kyle Busch (LW: 1): Busch was perhaps the greatest example of clean air during the Geico 400. When he had the lead he couldn't be touched, and then when he lost the lead, he couldn't touch his teammate. Still, the fact that he was just one spot away from a weekend three-peat should not be lost. That's impressive, even if Busch in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races is unfair to everyone else.
3. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 2): OH MY GOODNESS IT WAS A NASCAR CONSPIRACY TO PREVENT JOHNSON FROM WINNING THE CHASE WHEN THE OFFICIAL ON PIT ROAD TOLD THEM TO CHECK THE LUGNUTS FOR NO REASON. WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO HIM? CAN'T NASCAR EVER BE NICE TO HIM? Signed, no one.
4. Kevin Harvick (LW: 7): That was quite the typical Harvick race, wasn't it? Team adjusts on the car throughout the first part of the race, dials it in in the middle third, and voila, where the heck did Harvick come from in the waning laps? I'm sure this has been written in this space many times already this season, but can you describe Harvick's third place finish any other way?
5. Kasey Kahne (LW: 4): 10 Chasers finished in the top 12 and Kahne was the 10th of those 10. But he's here because that car got pretty beat up on pit road and at one point he was 31st. Survey time: was anyone disappointed that Kenseth wasn't beating Kahne to the line Sunday? That might have broken poor Kasey's soul.
6. Kurt Busch (LW: 9): Juan Pablo Montoya's debris minefield caution was a fortuitous break for Busch who had taken the Lucky Dog when the race resumed after a speeding penalty on pit road during the day portion. Again, the speed is there, it's just that the Kurt Busch Wheel of Destruction keeps feeling the need to be spun. Thankfully for Busch, the wheel of good fortune also gave it a whirl.
7. Clint Bowyer (LW: 8): Should we do what NASCAR could have done and dock Bowyer Power Rankings points in the Chase? No, we're not that mean, but that had to have been the most uncomfortable media week for a driver since when? Should have called Jeremy Mayfield and asked him to come take some pressure off by crashing NASCAR's press conference or something.
8. Carl Edwards (LW: 5): Edwards says he and his team are going to win the Chase and we completely (100 percent, NASCAR) support his efforts to be confident in his team. However, nights like Sunday are why we can't buy in to what Edwards is selling just yet. The 99 car wasn't bad again, but it wasn't great. And it's going to need to be great.
9. Ryan Newman (LW: 10): If you went to Outback on Monday, you got a free Bloomin' Onion because Newman finished in the top 10. Is that a deal you have to ask for when you go, or do a bunch of non-NASCAR fans luck into free appetizers on these Mondays? Inquiring minds that haven't been to an Outback in 10 years want to know.
10. Jeff Gordon (LW: NR): Jeff, you'd be legitimately in our top 12 this week if you weren't in the Chase. That was a nicely timed caution for Gordon to stay on the lead lap, and that car might have been ultimately faster than the 6th place finish showed.
11. Brad Keselowski (LW: NR): This spot ultimately came down to Joey Logano, Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Greg Biffle. All three were plagued by engine issues. That'd be no fun, wouldn't it? That's why we'll go with the defending champion. He's not boring. And we also want to
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (LW: NR): Boyfriend! After finishing 8th at Richmond, Stenhouse finished 8th at Chicagoland for the first two top 10s of his career. And yes, this now means that Stenhouse has more top 10s than Patrick. Hope she paid for that Sonic he got during the rain delay.
Lucky Dog: We have to do one of these this week? Let's go Aric Almirola by Morning, because of bacon.
The DNF: Junior and Logano. That was easy.
Dropped out: Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Soccer-Revitalized Rooney hits two to inspire United.
Reuters; By Sonia Oxley
* United beat Leverkusen 4-2 in opener
* Rooney on form after speculation over future
* We gave United too much respect - Hyypia
Wayne Rooney drew a line under an unsettled few months as he scored twice to chalk up 200 goals for Manchester United in a 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in their Champions League Group A opener at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Rooney, whose future at the club had been in question after he was left out of key games last season and was courted by Chelsea in the transfer window, scored United's first and third goals and provided the assist for the fourth.
"Wayne was great today," United manager David Moyes told a news conference.
"He's got a real chance to be one of the all-time leading goalscorers at the club and if he keeps playing like he did today he'll get there."
The England striker put the Premier League champions ahead in the 22nd minute with a close-range volley and had chances to stretch the lead before Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes levelled after 54 minutes.
Robin van Persie re-established the three-times European champions' lead five minutes later with an acrobatic volley and Rooney made amends for an earlier miss by squeezing home a right-footed shot after a defensive mix-up.
Antonio Valencia made it 4-1 after 79 minutes before Omer Toprak's late consolation for Leverkusen as Moyes enjoyed his first taste of managing in the Champions League group stage with a victory.
"They played ever so well and scored four good goals and maybe could have added to that, so I'm really pleased with the performance," Moyes said.
United, who had not scored a goal in open play in their last three matches, showed an intent to remedy that with an attack-minded lineup as midfielders Shinji Kagawa and Marouane Fellaini made their first starts of the season.
After dominating possession, the hosts seized the initiative when Patrice Evra crossed to an unmarked Rooney, whose volley bounced over Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno.
The goal was controversial, though, with Leverkusen players claiming offside in the build up and obstruction by Valencia on Leno as Rooney's shot flew in.
'BETTER TEAM'
Rooney went close to a second with a free kick shortly before halftime that went over the wall and just wide while Kagawa missed by a whisker.
Wearing a headband to protect a gash on his forehead, Rooney should have scored just after the break when Toprak's backpass fell short and the striker rounded the keeper only to fire across the face of goal rather than shoot into an open net.
The misses might have become costly as a livelier Leverkusen pushed for an equaliser, finding one when Son Heung-min picked out Rolfes, whose first-time left-foot shot curled into the corner via a slight deflection off Michael Carrick.
However, United, drawing on their European experience despite their manager's lack of it, pulled ahead again through Van Persie when the Dutchman volleyed in Valencia's cross with Leno slow to react.
Rooney pounced on Leverkusen's defensive mistake to register his 200th goal for United. He is fourth on the club's list of all-time leading scorers, led by Bobby Charlton on 249.
Rooney then set up Valencia for United's fourth of the evening before being substituted to a standing ovation.
"We lost to a better team," Leverkusen manager Sami Hyypia, making his managerial debut in the competition, told a news conference.
"United showed quality in their passing game and possession. We can learn a lot from today ... we said beforehand that we should give them respect but perhaps we gave them too much and we were a little bit nervous today."
* Rooney on form after speculation over future
* We gave United too much respect - Hyypia
Wayne Rooney drew a line under an unsettled few months as he scored twice to chalk up 200 goals for Manchester United in a 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in their Champions League Group A opener at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Rooney, whose future at the club had been in question after he was left out of key games last season and was courted by Chelsea in the transfer window, scored United's first and third goals and provided the assist for the fourth.
"Wayne was great today," United manager David Moyes told a news conference.
"He's got a real chance to be one of the all-time leading goalscorers at the club and if he keeps playing like he did today he'll get there."
The England striker put the Premier League champions ahead in the 22nd minute with a close-range volley and had chances to stretch the lead before Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes levelled after 54 minutes.
Robin van Persie re-established the three-times European champions' lead five minutes later with an acrobatic volley and Rooney made amends for an earlier miss by squeezing home a right-footed shot after a defensive mix-up.
Antonio Valencia made it 4-1 after 79 minutes before Omer Toprak's late consolation for Leverkusen as Moyes enjoyed his first taste of managing in the Champions League group stage with a victory.
"They played ever so well and scored four good goals and maybe could have added to that, so I'm really pleased with the performance," Moyes said.
United, who had not scored a goal in open play in their last three matches, showed an intent to remedy that with an attack-minded lineup as midfielders Shinji Kagawa and Marouane Fellaini made their first starts of the season.
After dominating possession, the hosts seized the initiative when Patrice Evra crossed to an unmarked Rooney, whose volley bounced over Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno.
The goal was controversial, though, with Leverkusen players claiming offside in the build up and obstruction by Valencia on Leno as Rooney's shot flew in.
'BETTER TEAM'
Rooney went close to a second with a free kick shortly before halftime that went over the wall and just wide while Kagawa missed by a whisker.
Wearing a headband to protect a gash on his forehead, Rooney should have scored just after the break when Toprak's backpass fell short and the striker rounded the keeper only to fire across the face of goal rather than shoot into an open net.
The misses might have become costly as a livelier Leverkusen pushed for an equaliser, finding one when Son Heung-min picked out Rolfes, whose first-time left-foot shot curled into the corner via a slight deflection off Michael Carrick.
However, United, drawing on their European experience despite their manager's lack of it, pulled ahead again through Van Persie when the Dutchman volleyed in Valencia's cross with Leno slow to react.
Rooney pounced on Leverkusen's defensive mistake to register his 200th goal for United. He is fourth on the club's list of all-time leading scorers, led by Bobby Charlton on 249.
Rooney then set up Valencia for United's fourth of the evening before being substituted to a standing ovation.
"We lost to a better team," Leverkusen manager Sami Hyypia, making his managerial debut in the competition, told a news conference.
"United showed quality in their passing game and possession. We can learn a lot from today ... we said beforehand that we should give them respect but perhaps we gave them too much and we were a little bit nervous today."
Five Things to Know about the WNBA playoffs.
The Associated Press
Chicago Sky guard Elena Delle Donne (11) protects ball against forward Rebekkah Brunson (32) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game, Saturday, September 14, 2013, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs).
Now the 6-foot-5 budding young star will try and help the Eastern Conference's top team keep the run going in the playoffs. Delle Donne, the overwhelming favorite to win rookie of the year, said she and her teammates are looking forward to the challenge.
''It's going to be a great experience,'' she said. ''We're all very excited about it, we're all going in it for the first time.''
Chicago will have a tough test in the opening round, facing defending WNBA champion Indiana. The Fever, beset by injuries all season, got back star Katie Douglas last week. She sat out 30 games with a bulging disc in her back.
Here's a look at five other intriguing story lines for the WNBA playoffs that begin Thursday:
ON A MISSION: Ever since losing to Indiana in the WNBA finals last season, Maya Moore and her Minnesota Lynx teammates have been hungry to get back there. Minnesota took the first step toward winning its second title in three seasons by clinching home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Lynx are 15-2 at the Target Center this season. ''Home court is huge,'' Moore said. ''Our fans are awesome and they really make it hard for teams to come in and beat us.'' Minnesota will open against Seattle, a team the Lynx swept during the regular season.
OVERACHEIVERS: Mike Thibault was brought to Washington with hopes of turning around a struggling franchise. It only took the veteran coach one season to start the rebuilding process as the Mystics won 17 games - more than the previous two years combined. The Mystics, who were 11-57 the previous two seasons combined, will face Atlanta in the opening round in a rematch of the 2010 series. The Dream, an enigma all season, are led by the league's top scorer in Angel McCoughtry (22.0 points) and are always a tough playoff out.
CALLING IT A CAREER: Tina Thompson hopes to have one last hurrah as her WNBA career comes to a close. The four-time WNBA champion will be playing in her final playoffs as Seattle faces Minnesota. Thompson, who is the only player left from the inaugural WNBA class, will finish her career as the league's all-time leading scorer (7,488) and second leading rebounder (3,070). She averaged 14.1 points and 5.8 rebounds to help injury-plagued Seattle make a surprising run to the playoffs without injured stars Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. ''I want to go 12 more games,'' she said, referring to the postseason.
SECOND CHANCE: The Phoenix Mercury had high expectations with No. 1 pick Brittney Griner joining a talented group led by Diana Taurasi. But the team struggled under coach Corey Gaines, who was fired in early August. The coaching change turned things around and the Mercury flourished under interim coach Russ Pennell, closing the season with nine wins in their final 13 games. ''We're playing defense better. We're stopping teams,'' Griner said. ''We're getting stops. We're running out. That's big with coach Pennell.''
MISSING PIECE: Candace Parker has pretty much done it all in her basketball career. From NCAA championships, to Olympic gold medals and league MVPs, she has a stellar resume. Yet one thing is missing, a WNBA title. Parker hopes to change that when the Sparks open up the playoffs against Phoenix. The 27-year-old, who won MVP honors of the league's All-Star game this past July, has a strong group around her led by Kristi Toliver and Nneka Ogwumike.
Buckeyes unimpressed with FAMU.
The Associated Press
No. 4 Ohio State's players aren't exactly thrilled to be playing a Football Championship Subdivision opponent on Saturday.
Asked if he'd prefer to be playing a team similar in stature to the Buckeyes, safety Christian Bryant said, "I would. I like to showcase our talent. I would like to play, like, bigger games."
Baseball Results, Tuesday, September 17, 2013.
That's the dilemma facing the Buckeyes (3-0) heading into Saturday's game at Ohio Stadium against Florida A&M (1-2). They would like to tune up for the start of Big Ten play the following week, but first they must play an overwhelming underdog that doesn't exactly get the juices flowing.
Coach Urban Meyer recognizes the problem. He's heaped praise on the talent of opponents Buffalo, San Diego State and California - calling at least one player from each as one of the best in the nation at their position. But even he can't make the Rattlers sound like a viable threat.
"I could give you some coach-speak up here (but) it does make a difference" when the opponent is from a lower division, Meyer said. "So we are going to have to really coach (the players) hard this week."
The game marks the second time in recent years that Ohio State has elected to pay big money to an FCS - or, in the case of Youngstown State back in 2008, NCAA Division I-AA - school to come to Columbus.
Florida A&M, coming off losses to Tennessee State and Samford, will get $900,000 to take on the Buckeyes at noon on Saturday.
If he had a choice, Bryant said the opponent would "definitely be a top-10 team."
"But it's really out of our control," he said. "I'm not really sure who makes the schedule, but we've still just got to go out there and face whatever team is put in front of us."
The days of ranked teams playing FCS teams may be nearing the end, with Ohio State and most other top teams upgrading their schedules to accommodate the new four-team football playoff which begins next season. The Buckeyes have home-and-home series with Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, TCU, Oregon and Texas over the next decade.
For now, though, the Rattlers will have to do.
Ohio State is averaging 44.7 points a game - and that's without its top quarterback, Braxton Miller, who has missed almost all of the past two games with a sprained ligament in his left knee.
Meyer isn't worried. He stopped short of calling an overmatched team a "faceless opponent," but said he believes his team is in the right frame of mind.
The Buckeyes entertain Wisconsin a week from Saturday in their first conference game of the season. It's difficult to muster much motivation for the Rattlers.
"The one thing I told my guys today, I said, `Listen, this week is about us,'" tight ends and fullbacks coach Tim Hinton said. "This is a challenge (for) us. The bottom line is how well do we do what we need to do. Normally the odds are in our favor that if we do a pretty good job, we'll win the game."
The Buckeyes don't have a whole lot to clean up. They've walloped all three opponents so far, outrushing them by a 3-to-1 margin while passing for almost as many yards and forcing almost twice as many turnovers.
There still are some wrinkles to iron out, however. Cal quarterback Jared Goff threw for 371 yards, so maybe the pass rush could supply more pressure.
Defensive line coach Mike Vrabel said there's no hiding from the fact that an FCS team doesn't capture the imagination of the players.
"The players know it, everybody knows it," he said. "But our job is to go out there and be ready to play 60 minutes of physical, tough, Ohio State football."
Backup quarterback Kenny Guiton has been stellar since stepping in for the injured Miller. He's completing almost 70 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and just one interception. This week's Big Ten offensive player of the week has also run for 175 yards the past two games.
Regardless of the opponent, Guiton said, the goals are always pretty much the same.
"You come out and you sharpen up your tools," he said. "We want to be perfect. You're never going to be perfect, but that's what you play for."
Reuters
(Home team in CAPS)
WASHINGTON 6 Atlanta 5
WASHINGTON 4 Atlanta 0
TORONTO 2 NY Yankees 0
DETROIT 6 Seattle 2
Baltimore 3 BOSTON 2
San Francisco 8 NY METS 5
Texas 7 TAMPA BAY 1
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 Minnesota 3
Cleveland 5 KANSAS CITY 3
Cincinnati 10 HOUSTON 0
St. Louis 11 COLORADO 4
LA Dodgers 9 ARIZONA 3
OAKLAND 2 LA Angels 1
WASHINGTON 6 Atlanta 5
PHILADELPHIA 6 Miami 4
San Diego 5 PITTSBURGH 2 WASHINGTON 4 Atlanta 0
TORONTO 2 NY Yankees 0
DETROIT 6 Seattle 2
Baltimore 3 BOSTON 2
San Francisco 8 NY METS 5
Texas 7 TAMPA BAY 1
CHICAGO WHITE SOX 4 Minnesota 3
Cleveland 5 KANSAS CITY 3
Cincinnati 10 HOUSTON 0
St. Louis 11 COLORADO 4
LA Dodgers 9 ARIZONA 3
OAKLAND 2 LA Angels 1
***************************************************
Please let us hear your opinion on the above articles and pass them on to any other diehard fans that you think might be interested. But most of all, remember, Chicago Sports & Travel, Inc./AllsportsAmerica wants you!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment