Fernandes caps the Man U. revival with a spot in CL
Leicester shocked on final day of PL
4th of 4 rds at Highland Springs CC; Springfield, Mo.; Purse: $650,000; 7,115 yds; Par: 72
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Six months ago, when the coronavirus outbreak was a distant concern for English football, some things seemed more certain in the Premier League.
Manchester United would struggle to break into the Champions League places while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remained in charge. Leicester was a team revived under Brendan Rodgers, primed for a return to Europe’s elite competition. Who was to doubt that, with 14 points separating Leicester from United in fifth in January?
But this was a season like no other. By the time it ended Sunday — in July rather than May due to the pandemic-enforced hiatus in play — United was the team in third and Leicester four points behind in fifth.
A 2-0 victory for Solskjaer’s side in a final day showdown between the Champions League contenders completed a remarkable turnaround for United and capitulation for Leicester.
“They have taken on so many things, we’ve had our ups and downs,” said Solskjaer, whose side dropped to 14th in October. “It is a wonderful achievement by everyone.”
While United could make 100 million euros ($115 million) from the Champions League after a one-season absence, Leicester won’t make half that in the Europa League and could struggle to keep the squad together.
NFL: The Giants are releasing kicker Aldrick Rosas, who faces formal charges in an alleged high-speed California hit-and-run that led to his June arrest.
Sources confirmed the organization’s intentions to the Daily News on Sunday morning.
The Giants did not wait for an official ruling from the NFL on league discipline for Rosas, 25, that would have impacted his 2020 availability, sources told the News. The organization is preempting any official league decision by cutting their troubled kicker first. To replace Rosas, the Giants are signing Chandler Catanzaro to a one-year deal, sources confirm. Catanzaro, 29, is un-retiring after spending 2019 out of the league.
He kicked for the Arizona Cardinals (2014-16) for three seasons and the Jets (2017) for one before splitting 2018 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. Rosas was formally charged on July 15 with three misdemeanors in the Superior Court of California stemming from the alleged incident. The Daily News first reported his formal charging on July 16.
NBA: Joel Embiid is hurting, and that’s a cause for concern as the 76ers get set to restart their season this week. The All-Star starting center sat out Philadelphia’s scrimmage against Oklahoma City on Sunday with right calf tightness, something 76ers coach Brett Brown hopes is merely a minor blip.
Embiid has an extensive injury history, has never appeared in more than 64 games in a regular season and missed 21 of Philadelphia’s 65 games this season.
NHL: Coyotes general manager John Chayka earned a contract extension early this season for building the Coyotes into playoff contenders in four short years. He was being called a quitter by the team in a strongly worded statement on Sunday after stepping down a week before the Stanley Cup qualifier series against the Predators. Former player and current assistant GM Steve Sullivan will serve as interim general manager.
“The club is disappointed in his actions and his timing as the Coyotes prepare to enter the NHL’s hub city of Edmonton, where the team will begin postseason play for the first time since 2012,” the team said in a statement.