hiago Silva (suspension) and Neymar (b
MANCHESTER, England -- Wayne Rooney scored twice as Manchester United came from behind to beat Aston Villa 4-1 in the Premier League on Saturday as fans came out in support of struggling manager David Moyes at Old Trafford. It looked like being another miserable day for Moyes when Ashley Westwood put Villa in front from a 13th-minute free kick. But Rooney headed United level seven minutes later, and the striker netted his 16th of the season for the struggling champions from the penalty spot before halftime. The lead was extended in the 57th when Juan Mata scored his first United goal since joining from Chelsea in January for 37.1 million pounds (then $61 million), and substitute Javier Hernandez wrapped up the victory in stoppage time. "We had to respond and it was difficult," Rooney told BT Sport television. "We had a slow start, going behind, but we came through it and got the win and deserved it. It was a good win for us. "We know the support the manager has got from the players and from the fans and thats what matters. The support he got from the fans was incredible again today." United wont have long to savour the victory as a far sterner test comes up at Old Trafford on Tuesday with the visit of European champion Bayern Munich. Winning the Champions League is Uniteds only realistic hope of returning to the competition next season as it is in seventh place -- far from the four qualification spots. United maintains that Moyes future is not under threat during the uneasy transition following 26 years under Alex Ferguson. The start of the game had fans looking to the sky when a much-publicized plane flew overhead with a banner emblazoned with "Wrong One - Moyes Out." Just one person, who said he is a United fan, has claimed responsibility for the stunt with no supporters groups backing the protest. In fact, fans inside the ground were supportive from the start for Moyes despite back-to-back league losses at home to Liverpool and Manchester City, booing as the plane flew overhead. That faith was tested when Westwood put Villa in front. Rafael da Silva barged over Villa striker Christian Benteke on the edge of the box to earn a booking and Westwood responded by sending a dipping free kick over the wall and beyond stretching goalkeeper David de Gea. The home fans went silent. The only noise heard inside the ground came from the plane, which was still buzzing around above the stadium, and the Villa fans, who proclaimed Moyes as a "football genius." But Rooney sparked the comeback, finding space in the box and getting on the end of Shinji Kagawas pinpoint cross to head past Brad Guzan. The England striker would have had a second soon after had it not been for a last-ditch tackle from Ciaran Clark and some impressing defending from Ron Vlaar. United had increased the pressure on the away side, but the hosts still lacked quality and imagination in the final third. Too often it was a case of hit and hope for Moyes men. The game seemed destined for a halftime stalemate before Mata was brought down in the Villa box by Leandro Bacuna and Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot. Rooney held his nerve to power the ball to Guzans left and the home crowd started to relax. At the start of the second half, substitute Michael Carrick stuck his boot in to deny Villa striker Christian Benteke after the Belgium striker completely missed the ball going for a volley. Benteke missed another chance soon after, heading over from six yards while unmarked. But then Buttners header found Marouane Fellaini in the Villa box and he clumsily worked the ball to Mata, who struck past Guzan. The sense of relief was clear on Moyes face. Benteke missed yet another easy chance, this time shooting wide from close range, again unmarked, before Hernandez made no such mistake in turning home fellow substitute Adnan Januzajs cross at the end. "Of course at times we havent done as well as wed like, and we didnt start the game well today," Moyes said. "But the crowd were brilliant the way they got behind the team." Rod Carew Jersey . In the late match, Shinji Okazaki scored two goals to pace Mainz to a 3-2 victory at Werder Bremen. Goals from Milan Badelj, Maximilian Beister and Hakan Calhanoglu ended Hamburgs two-match losing run and kept Hannover winless in seven games. Kent Hrbek Jersey . She was a pioneer. She did things on skis that made the birds take notice. http://www.authentictwinsgear.com/twins ... ey/.Brooks, a three-year veteran, was slow to get up after suffering the injury during a 5-yard run by Arian Foster.Brooks limped off the field midway through the quarter and then slowly walked to the locker room a few minutes later. Byron Buxton Jersey . This week they discuss Russias mens hockey team, the ineptitude of the IOC handling the Nicklas Backstrom situation, John Tortorellas many apologies, and Canadas strong showing in curling. Bert Blyleven Jersey . LA (SportsNetwork. To this day, in his mind, his side were the best team. "We knew we were much better than them, we were not afraid at all." Johan Cruyff shakes his head when thinking back to the day his Dutch side lost in the 1974 World Cup final to hosts West Germany. The shake, however, is not full of bitterness, bewilderness or even disappointment. Cruyff didnt need a trophy to tell him his team was the best. After all, for the next 40 years, all he and the rest of us have heard is how good that team was. It speaks volumes about Cruyff, and indeed the Dutch philosophy, that they were happy to be the Peoples Champions, rather than the World Champions. Greatness, instead, is used to describe the team that came from behind to beat them that day, a team featuring stars like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller and Paul Breitner. Sixteen years later, in Rome, West Germany became World Champions once again. Great players like Lothar Matthaus, Andreas Brehme and Jurgen Klinsmann helped to dispose of an extremely average Argentina team. It was only one game of football. The same length of a match that can happen at your local park. Yet, despite it being an awful match, it accomplished something so important. It was able to separate greatness and mediocrity, ensuring the chronicles of football history were told the way they should. Since then five other teams would go on to win the World Cup in their own different ways. Some were better than others, but all of them deserved to win it and were better than their opponents. In Brazil we are now down to the final four. It has been a great World Cup, full of great moments, many of them coming from great players. However, where greatness has yet to be sprinkled is upon any of the teams. Brazil, Germany, Argentina and Netherlands is a wonderful final group to have in the semi-finals. Indeed, it is the first time ever that the two South American powerhouses have been at this stage in the same World Cup. All four are true giants in the game, without question, but so far the 2014 versions have been far from great. They all head into the final two laps of this World Cup knowing one of them will become the champions when they cross the line for the final time next Sunday inside the famous Maracana. All four have shown glimpses of individual greatness. Netherlands, who had to come from behind against Spain, Australia and Mexico, are inexperienced in defence and have significant weaknesses in midfield but they have lethal, clinical, great finishers who have helped them get this far although Robin Van Persie has gotten progressively worse as the tournament has gone on. Argentina saved their best performance for their latest victory, a 1-0 quarter-final defeat of Belgium. However, it was far from an outstanding performance. Coach Alejandro Sabella will be glad some players stepped up in key areas that badly needed to be improved but they remain a team that is very vulnerable in defence and the collective balance of the side is still nowhere near complete. Lionel Messi has been great at this World Cup, scoring or assisting on five of their eight goals so far, but Argentina have benefitted from a very kind draw and, other than at Messi, it would be wrong to place any kind of greatness on anyone else at tthe moment.dddddddddddd In fact, it has been a clinic in countering the argument that Messi himself must carry Argentina to glory, showing glaring examples of how average the team really is. The same can be said for Brazil, whose two truly great players will not feature for them in the semi-finals. Thiago Silva (suspension) and Neymar (back injury) will be a huge loss for the hosts against Germany. However, what this allows us all to do is to sit back and see if greatness can be found by others. It will be up to the other eleven players for Brazil to see if they can reach the final in front of an expectant home crowd. The Brazilian public often demands to see winners, while being entertained at the same time, and so far the team has only managed to, barely, win. With two games to go to win an historic World Cup on home soil it appears, based on the quarter-final crowd, that the winning ugly method is fine as long as they keep jumping the hurdles towards greatness. However, more often than not, winning ugly and losing usually meet at the same point. Eventually. Luiz Felipe Scolaris side have not been anywhere close to great at this World Cup but have two games left to save their reputation and cast aside any labels that have been thrown at them so far. Standing in their way is a Germany team who has also showed some significant flaws getting to the last four. Their captain Philipp Lahm hasnt been at his best, in either position he has been played at, while Mesut Ozil and Mario Gotze have been dubbed the invisible duo by the German press while coach Joachin Low remains undecided on who plays up front. However, their latest victory, a narrow 1-0 win over France in the quarter-finals, did give us a glimpse into what could be a victorious German team going forward. The balance of the midfield is better with the outstanding Sami Khedira in it, Bastian Schweinsteiger is starting to look more and more fit and influential, while Mats Hummels returned from the flu and ensured the back four were excellent for the first time. Make no mistake, this is not a great team. Yet. However, of the final four, they look the closest to such a label at the moment. It is a team that relies heavily on the influence of its Bayern Munich players, winners who have succeeded at the highest level of the game. It is a team that has learned how to lose at the international level and modeled themselves on past victors, Spain. Spain are on their holidays now but they have played an enormous part of what is happening in Brazil. Four years ago, at this stage, they were preparing for a game against the aforementioned Germans, after finally getting over the hump of the World Cup quarter-finals, a hurdle that had knocked them out so many times before. Their run to the trophy in South Africa showed us all what greatness was. This time we have had to wait much longer for it to show up. With one week left to go at this World Cup we still need to be patient. Four teams in a knock-out stage tournament where only one will reign supreme. Thankfully, we know from past years that at least the World Cup will hand us a deserved winner. There is still time for a Peoples Champion to be crowned but there is no time for more than one team to become great. It has taken some time but it is coming. 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