Page 19 - Aruba Today

SPORTS A19
Wednesday 13 January 2016

English Roundup:

Boring United? Van Gaal’s team in 3-3 thriller at Newcastle

opening day, beating Crys- Also, West Ham came proach, few would have
tal Palace 1-0 courtesy of a from behind to beat Bour- foreseen their end-to-end
goalkeeper error by Wayne nemouth 3-1, with Enner match. It was a throwback
Hennessey. The Wales in- Valencia scoring twice and to many of the exciting
ternational let Joleon Le- fit-again playmaker Dimi- games in Alex Ferguson’s
scott’s header slip through tri Payet scoring the other reign at United.
his grasp and over the line, goal for the visitors. Rooney’s ninth-minute goal
ending Villa’s 19-game West Ham moved into fifth from the penalty spot set
winless run and giving the place, above Man United. the tone, before the Eng-
team renewed hope of sur- With Newcastle struggling land striker led a counter-
viving relegation. for goals of late and Unit- attack that ended with
Villa provisionally is eight ed seemingly restricted by Lingard scoring from a low
points from safety. Van Gaal’s suffocating ap- shot.q

Newcastle United’s Ayoze Perez, right, vies for the ball with
Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini, left, during the English
Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and
Manchester United at St James’ Park, Newcastle, England, Tues-
day, Jan. 12, 2015.

(AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

STEVE DOUGLAS manager Louis van Gaal,

AP Sports Writer whose side slipped to sixth

MANCHESTER, England (AP) place in the standings.

— So much for Manchester “It feels like a defeat,” said

United being boring. Van Gaal, who acknowl-

In one of the most enter- edged before the game

taining matches of the that even he was “very

English Premier League, bored” during some United

United squandered a two- matches. “We have given

goal lead, went back in it away.”

front through an exquisite A positive for United

shot from Wayne Rooney, was the performance of

and then conceded a Rooney, who scored twice,

90th-minute goal to draw set up the other goal by

at Newcastle 3-3 on Tues- Jesse Lingard, and put in

day. an impressive all-round

The thriller at St. James’ performance. He has four

Park might briefly silence goals in three matches in

the many critics who have 2016, having struggled for

been criticizing United’s of- form in the first half of the

ten ponderous style of play, season.

but that will come as little Last-place Aston Villa col-

comfort to under-pressure lected its first win since the