Man U earns win after bomb scare
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND >> Manchester United beat Bournemouth 3-1 in an English Premier League game hastily rearranged because of a bomb scare, sealing fifth place and a spot in the Europa League group stage on Tuesday.
United was never likely to score the 19 goals needed to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League, so the aim was to get the win to guarantee an automatic spot in the Europa League and take some momentum into the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Wayne Rooney scored one goal and played a part in two others. Playing in center midfield, Rooney finished off a well-worked team move in the 43rd minute, for his first goal since Feb. 2, and delivered key passes in the buildup to goals from Marcus Rashford and Ashley Young.
United defender Chris Smalling scored an own goal with virtually the last touch of the game.
Even if United wins the FA Cup, the season will have been a disappointment for the team and its manager Louis van Gaal, whose priority and target was a topfour finish. Van Gaal has one year left on his contract and his future remains uncertain, with United linked with a move for the unemployed Jose Mourinho.
Van Gaal addressed United’s fans after the game, thanking them for their “unconditional support.”
“Now, we want to bring the FA Cup home to you,” Van Gaal shouted. “You deserve it.”
The original game on Sunday was called off after Old Trafford was evacuated because a fake bomb was discovered in the toilets of one of the stands. Police said hours later that the device was left behind by a private company following a security training exercise using search dogs.
It was not only an acutely embarrassing episode for United, it meant the team had to return two days later to play the game — disrupting preparations for the cup final. Van Gaal played a full-strength team, and appeared to avoid any injuries.
It was business as usual outside Old Trafford, with fans met with the same levels of security as previous matches. Security was not oppressive, and the atmosphere was calm.
It was also business as usual on the field for United, at least until Rooney’s goal, with the team’s build-up play ponderous and a crowd that was well short of the 76,635 capacity deprived of any entertainment. United finished its league campaign with 49 goals, a paltry total compared to the ones that United teams under Alex Ferguson used to plunder.
The match had a preseason feel to it. Old Trafford was eerily quiet, save for the chanting of Bournemouth fans who made the 500-mile (800-kilometer) trip at short notice and were given a free bus ride by their club as a gift.
By winning the Premier League title as a 5,000-1 longshot, Leicester delivered arguably the most unlikely storyline in the history of English soccer, but United might have even topped that if they had racked up the club-record 19 goals required to leapfrog Manchester City.
Given that United’s first shot on target came in the 43rd minute for Rooney’s goal, the preposterous scenario was never going to happen.
>> Carson Palmer had probably the finest season of his 13 years as an NFL quarterback. Yet he and the rest of the Arizona Cardinals must deal with the ugly way it ended in a blowout loss to Carolina in the NFC championship game.
Palmer knows he will carry the “can he win the big game” question with him until he gets a chance to redeem himself.
The Cardinals opened OTAs (organized team activities) on Tuesday believing they have the talent to get to the NFC title game again and beyond.
“You can’t win a big game until you win it,” he said after practice. “We’ll revisit that when we get back to the NFC championship game and that will be that. But right now I’m focused on what we’re doing today, what’s going in (the offense) tomorrow, what’s getting coached up in this afternoon’s meeting.”
Last season, Palmer set franchise records for yards passing (4,671), touchdown passes (35) and passer rating (104.6). He was secondteam All Pro and was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2006.
At age 36, he knows he doesn’t have many more chances to reach the Super Bowl. He is surrounded by a deep pool of skill players. Every player on an offense that led the NFL in yards per game (408.3) returns.
“We’re fortunate,” coach Bruce Arians said. “We’ve got a loaded wide receiver room, a loaded tight end room and a loaded running back room. So, knock on wood, we stay healthy (and) we’ll find a way to get them all the football.”
Palmer said he relishes the challenges ahead.
“I love this position, I love this game,” he said. “There is no better challenge — maybe having the lead Sunday at Augusta and trying to hold on, that’s an incredible challenge.
“Playing quarterback in the National Football League, getting to the Super Bowl, is an incredible challenge. I enjoy the challenge. That’s why I’m still playing. You get addicted to it . ... I enjoy working to prove doubters wrong. I enjoy waking up every morning and trying to improve on something. That’s why I play the position.”
He said he simply has moved on from when he, and just about every other player on the team, had such a bad day in that 49-15 loss at Carolina.
“You roll with the punches life deals you,” Palmer said, “a lot of good cards and a lot of bad cards and everybody’s different with the number of cards they get. I’ve been extremely fortunate and blessed to be where I am. I look forward to the challenge of getting back there and overcoming it. That’s how I feel.”
A year ago, Palmer was on the sidelines watching the OTAs as he worked to rehabilitate his surgically