MANCHESTER, England - Manchester City maintained its supremacy over fierce rival Manchester United in unconvincing style on Sunday, winning a frenetic derby 1-0 through Sergio Agueros second-half goal after playing with an extra man for more than half the game. Stan Smith Sneakers Wholesale .Chris Smallings 39th-minute sending-off for two quick yellow cards and an injury to fellow centre-back Marcos Rojo at the start of the second half left United with a makeshift defence that held out until the 63rd minute.The resistance was broken when Aguero turned home a cut-back from Gael Clichy for his league-high 10th goal of the season.United was the more dangerous side in the last 20 minutes and the final whistle was greeted with relief by City fans, who have seen their side win four straight league matches against their biggest rival for the first time since 1969-70.We played very, very well until we scored a goal, City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. For different reasons, we dropped a little bit more than we needed, we lost the high possession of the ball we had before that. It is normal in a derby.City ended a three-match winless run in all competitions but is still lacking the intensity and ruthlessness it showed in winning the league and League Cup last season. The gap to unbeaten leader Chelsea is six points whereas ninth-place United is 13 points off the pace — with just half the points of Jose Mourinhos side — despite a summer outlay of about $250 million.It is Uniteds worst start to a league season after 10 games since 1986.I have seen the willpower of this team that I said to the players is fantastic, United manager Louis van Gaal, but we have still only 13 points out of 10 games and that is not so much.Smallings red card was a turning point in a typically frantic, high-tempo derby, although City had already taken command by that point with United goalkeeper David de Gea saving twice from Aguero and also point blank from Jesus Navas in a three-minute spell.Booked needlessly in the 31st for impeding an out-of-hand clearance by goalkeeper Joe Hart, Smalling dived into a challenge on James Milner eight minutes later and knew what was coming from referee Michael Oliver.The second yellow card is a stupid yellow card, Van Gaal said.When you have a yellow card, he added, you have to deal with that. You know that. You cannot do what he has done with the second yellow card. That is not very smart.The visitors survived until halftime, somewhat fortunately as Rojo — as the last man — appeared to foul Yaya Toure in the final seconds. But their situation became even more critical at the start of the second half when Rojo was carried off on a stretcher with a left shoulder injury in the 55th following a challenge with Martin Demichelis.For the final 35 minutes, Uniteds unfamiliar defence contained two midfielders, in Antonio Valencia at right back and substitute Michael Carrick at centre back, and two 19-year-olds in second substitute Paddy McNair and left back Luke Shaw.It was always going to be a struggle for United to hold out and Aguero was not to be denied.A searching pass from Toure found Clichy — a last-minute call-up after Aleksandar Kolarov picked up an injury in the warmup — and the left-backs cross from the byline was steered in by Aguero, who moved beyond Diego Costa as the leagues top scorer.It was only then that United started to create chances, with Angel Di Maria bringing a sprawling save from Joe Hart and Marouane Fellaini heading wide when meeting a cross from Di Maria.Navas struck the post at the other end but United was pressing more when the full-time whistle was blown.United is nearer the bottom three than the top three after more than a quarter of the season.We are very close but not close enough, Van Gaal, and we have to make steps still to improve. Wholesale Yeezy 350 . Thats exactly what happened. And they enjoyed every moment. Durant remained sizzling with 33 points, Serge Ibaka added 22 and the Thunder roared back from an abysmal start -- they trailed 22-4 early -- to embarrass the Miami Heat 112-95 on Wednesday night, erasing that big deficit out of the gate by outscoring the two-time defending champions by 43 points over a 33-minute span. Discount Air Force 1 . The closer wasnt available. The road trip, a disaster to that point.TORONTO - When a Vancouver Whitecaps training session ended this week newcomer Mauro Rosales remained on the field doing some extra work with Kekuta Manneh. Rosales, the veteran Argentine midfielder acquired last week in a trade with Chivas USA, was the teacher and Manneh, the speedy Gambian left-wing, was an eager pupil. The two worked on some patterns which would allow Manneh to create space for himself and hopefully help generate more goals, something the Whitecaps desperately need as they prepare to face the Portland Timbers on Saturday night at BC Place Stadium in a Major League Soccer match that has playoff implications for both teams. "We are working on some tactics, how to break them down," said Manneh, 19. "We need to score goals. "Our whole team is doing a good job defensive wise. Its just attacking wise we need to figure something out and score more goals for the team." The Whitecaps (7-5-12) hold the fifth and final playoff spot in the MLSs Western Conference with 33 points, two ahead of the Timbers (7-8-10). The Colorado Rapids are also in the mix, sitting in seventh spot with 30 points. Vancouver has 10 regular-season games remain while Portland has nine. Both teams are coming off losses. Vancouver dropped a 2-0 decision to the L.A. Galaxy last weekend while the Timbers were beaten 4-2 by Seattle. The Whitecaps also won 4-3 in Portland the last time the teams met in June, their first MLS win over their Cascadia rivals. "Its a massive game for us," said Vancouver coach Carl Robinson. "We beat them in their own backyard earlier in the season. "We have to make sure we come with the same intensity. We have to bounce back. I think it was an OK performance against L.A. but I dont think we deserved to win. We have to make sure we do deserve to win and we get the win." Portland coach Caleb Porter said his team cant afford to squander any chance to pick up points, especially against a squad above them in the standings. "We have to keep fighting and grinding," Porter told reporters in Portland. "This game was going to be important whether we won against Seattle or not. "We have to get ready for Vancouver. The next nine games are going to determine whether or not we get in (the playoffs). Its probably going to come down to whether or not we get more points in the next nine games than Vancouver gets in the next 10." The Whitecaps have just two wins in their last 10 games (2-3-5). During that span Vancouver has managed just eight goals and has been scoreless four times, including three times in the lasst four games. Air Force 1 Store. Vancouver has speed up front with players like Manneh, Darren Mattocks and Erik Hurtado. One of the reasons the Whitecaps acquired Rosales was to insert a veteran into the lineup with a touch for delivering the ball and setting up scoring chances. Much of the playmaking has fallen to Pedro Morales — who leads the Whitecaps with nine assists — but Rosales will add some balance and poise. Prior to joining Chivas this year, Rosales spent three MLS seasons with Seattle, recording 12 goals and 34 assists in 86 matches. Since 2011, the 33-year-old has 42 assists, the second most in MLS. He started 16 of 21 games for Chivas, collecting eight assists. Manneh, who has struggled since suffering a pre-season back injury, has managed three goals this season but Rosales believes he has the ability to score more often. "Im just trying to be helpful," Rosales said. "He has the right energy and a lot of quality in his feet. "He just needs some advice. Not just him but everybody on the field needs to be organized, in good shape for these important games." Rosales has only been with the Whitecaps a week his influence is already being felt. "We definitely need this kind of player on the team," said Manneh. "All our attacking players have speed. Hes a different kind of player. Hes more of a playmaker and very tactical. Hes technically disciplined. If we can have a playmaker like him and Pedro deliver us the balls there wont be any excuses. I am really excited to play with him." So far Robinson has liked what hes seen from Rosales. "He has excellent delivery, excellent distribution," said the coach. "He brings a little bit of guile we have probably been lacking the last couple of games." At the start of the season the Whitecaps rained goals, scoring 16 in the first 10 games. Robinson said the recent goal drought can partly be attributed to teams playing better defence and his young team dealing with a long season. "If you look at teams through the league they go through periods of time when it doesnt go their way," he said. "Its a work in progress. We are in contention. We played some super stuff at the start of the year. We played some very good stuff recently without getting results. Were not scoring goals and its something we need to address." With both teams feeling the playoff pressure Saturdays game should have some edge. "It will be a high-octane game full of passion," said Robinson. "Tackles will be flying and some good football." ' ' '
MANCHESTER, England - Manchester City maintained its supremacy over fierce rival Manchester United in unconvincing style on Sunday, winning a frenetic derby 1-0 through Sergio Agueros second-half goal after playing with an extra man for more than half the game. Stan Smith Sneakers Wholesale .Chris Smallings 39th-minute sending-off for two quick yellow cards and an injury to fellow centre-back Marcos Rojo at the start of the second half left United with a makeshift defence that held out until the 63rd minute.The resistance was broken when Aguero turned home a cut-back from Gael Clichy for his league-high 10th goal of the season.United was the more dangerous side in the last 20 minutes and the final whistle was greeted with relief by City fans, who have seen their side win four straight league matches against their biggest rival for the first time since 1969-70.We played very, very well until we scored a goal, City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. For different reasons, we dropped a little bit more than we needed, we lost the high possession of the ball we had before that. It is normal in a derby.City ended a three-match winless run in all competitions but is still lacking the intensity and ruthlessness it showed in winning the league and League Cup last season. The gap to unbeaten leader Chelsea is six points whereas ninth-place United is 13 points off the pace — with just half the points of Jose Mourinhos side — despite a summer outlay of about $250 million.It is Uniteds worst start to a league season after 10 games since 1986.I have seen the willpower of this team that I said to the players is fantastic, United manager Louis van Gaal, but we have still only 13 points out of 10 games and that is not so much.Smallings red card was a turning point in a typically frantic, high-tempo derby, although City had already taken command by that point with United goalkeeper David de Gea saving twice from Aguero and also point blank from Jesus Navas in a three-minute spell.Booked needlessly in the 31st for impeding an out-of-hand clearance by goalkeeper Joe Hart, Smalling dived into a challenge on James Milner eight minutes later and knew what was coming from referee Michael Oliver.The second yellow card is a stupid yellow card, Van Gaal said.When you have a yellow card, he added, you have to deal with that. You know that. You cannot do what he has done with the second yellow card. That is not very smart.The visitors survived until halftime, somewhat fortunately as Rojo — as the last man — appeared to foul Yaya Toure in the final seconds. But their situation became even more critical at the start of the second half when Rojo was carried off on a stretcher with a left shoulder injury in the 55th following a challenge with Martin Demichelis.For the final 35 minutes, Uniteds unfamiliar defence contained two midfielders, in Antonio Valencia at right back and substitute Michael Carrick at centre back, and two 19-year-olds in second substitute Paddy McNair and left back Luke Shaw.It was always going to be a struggle for United to hold out and Aguero was not to be denied.A searching pass from Toure found Clichy — a last-minute call-up after Aleksandar Kolarov picked up an injury in the warmup — and the left-backs cross from the byline was steered in by Aguero, who moved beyond Diego Costa as the leagues top scorer.It was only then that United started to create chances, with Angel Di Maria bringing a sprawling save from Joe Hart and Marouane Fellaini heading wide when meeting a cross from Di Maria.Navas struck the post at the other end but United was pressing more when the full-time whistle was blown.United is nearer the bottom three than the top three after more than a quarter of the season.We are very close but not close enough, Van Gaal, and we have to make steps still to improve. Wholesale Yeezy 350 . Thats exactly what happened. And they enjoyed every moment. Durant remained sizzling with 33 points, Serge Ibaka added 22 and the Thunder roared back from an abysmal start -- they trailed 22-4 early -- to embarrass the Miami Heat 112-95 on Wednesday night, erasing that big deficit out of the gate by outscoring the two-time defending champions by 43 points over a 33-minute span. Discount Air Force 1 . The closer wasnt available. The road trip, a disaster to that point.TORONTO - When a Vancouver Whitecaps training session ended this week newcomer Mauro Rosales remained on the field doing some extra work with Kekuta Manneh. Rosales, the veteran Argentine midfielder acquired last week in a trade with Chivas USA, was the teacher and Manneh, the speedy Gambian left-wing, was an eager pupil. The two worked on some patterns which would allow Manneh to create space for himself and hopefully help generate more goals, something the Whitecaps desperately need as they prepare to face the Portland Timbers on Saturday night at BC Place Stadium in a Major League Soccer match that has playoff implications for both teams. "We are working on some tactics, how to break them down," said Manneh, 19. "We need to score goals. "Our whole team is doing a good job defensive wise. Its just attacking wise we need to figure something out and score more goals for the team." The Whitecaps (7-5-12) hold the fifth and final playoff spot in the MLSs Western Conference with 33 points, two ahead of the Timbers (7-8-10). The Colorado Rapids are also in the mix, sitting in seventh spot with 30 points. Vancouver has 10 regular-season games remain while Portland has nine. Both teams are coming off losses. Vancouver dropped a 2-0 decision to the L.A. Galaxy last weekend while the Timbers were beaten 4-2 by Seattle. The Whitecaps also won 4-3 in Portland the last time the teams met in June, their first MLS win over their Cascadia rivals. "Its a massive game for us," said Vancouver coach Carl Robinson. "We beat them in their own backyard earlier in the season. "We have to make sure we come with the same intensity. We have to bounce back. I think it was an OK performance against L.A. but I dont think we deserved to win. We have to make sure we do deserve to win and we get the win." Portland coach Caleb Porter said his team cant afford to squander any chance to pick up points, especially against a squad above them in the standings. "We have to keep fighting and grinding," Porter told reporters in Portland. "This game was going to be important whether we won against Seattle or not. "We have to get ready for Vancouver. The next nine games are going to determine whether or not we get in (the playoffs). Its probably going to come down to whether or not we get more points in the next nine games than Vancouver gets in the next 10." The Whitecaps have just two wins in their last 10 games (2-3-5). During that span Vancouver has managed just eight goals and has been scoreless four times, including three times in the lasst four games. Air Force 1 Store. Vancouver has speed up front with players like Manneh, Darren Mattocks and Erik Hurtado. One of the reasons the Whitecaps acquired Rosales was to insert a veteran into the lineup with a touch for delivering the ball and setting up scoring chances. Much of the playmaking has fallen to Pedro Morales — who leads the Whitecaps with nine assists — but Rosales will add some balance and poise. Prior to joining Chivas this year, Rosales spent three MLS seasons with Seattle, recording 12 goals and 34 assists in 86 matches. Since 2011, the 33-year-old has 42 assists, the second most in MLS. He started 16 of 21 games for Chivas, collecting eight assists. Manneh, who has struggled since suffering a pre-season back injury, has managed three goals this season but Rosales believes he has the ability to score more often. "Im just trying to be helpful," Rosales said. "He has the right energy and a lot of quality in his feet. "He just needs some advice. Not just him but everybody on the field needs to be organized, in good shape for these important games." Rosales has only been with the Whitecaps a week his influence is already being felt. "We definitely need this kind of player on the team," said Manneh. "All our attacking players have speed. Hes a different kind of player. Hes more of a playmaker and very tactical. Hes technically disciplined. If we can have a playmaker like him and Pedro deliver us the balls there wont be any excuses. I am really excited to play with him." So far Robinson has liked what hes seen from Rosales. "He has excellent delivery, excellent distribution," said the coach. "He brings a little bit of guile we have probably been lacking the last couple of games." At the start of the season the Whitecaps rained goals, scoring 16 in the first 10 games. Robinson said the recent goal drought can partly be attributed to teams playing better defence and his young team dealing with a long season. "If you look at teams through the league they go through periods of time when it doesnt go their way," he said. "Its a work in progress. We are in contention. We played some super stuff at the start of the year. We played some very good stuff recently without getting results. Were not scoring goals and its something we need to address." With both teams feeling the playoff pressure Saturdays game should have some edge. "It will be a high-octane game full of passion," said Robinson. "Tackles will be flying and some good football." ' ' '
