MANCHESTER, England -- While Manchester United stumbles along in the Premier League, Europe is proving to be a very welcome distraction for the English champions. . United cemented top spot in Group A of the Champions League on Wednesday with a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad, secured through the earliest goal in this seasons competition. Only 69 seconds had elapsed when Inigo Martinez clumsily booted the ball into his own net after a shot by Wayne Rooney, the matchs standout player by a distance, came back off the post following the strikers mazy run past three defenders. United couldnt grab the second goal its overall display deserved, with Antonio Valencia driving a shot against the post and Phil Jones having a header saved from point-blank range. But it still took a one-point lead in the group over Bayer Leverkusen and a big step toward qualification. "We should have won the game by three, four or five goals," Rooney said. "But Im happy we got the win, which was the most important (thing). We played some great stuff and defended well." Sociedad slipped to a third straight loss and only stayed alive in the match through Uniteds profligacy. The Spaniards did, though, hit the goal frame twice -- through Antoine Griezmanns free kick and Alberto de la Bellas mis-hit cross -- to guarantee a nervy finish at Old Trafford. "We need to get a bit more ruthless. We have to score more," said United manager David Moyes, whose team is languishing in eight points behind Premier League leader Arsenal after eight games. Moyes was without striker Robin van Persie because of toe and groin problems, but Rooney more than made up for the absence of the prolific Dutchman. Sharp and full of energy, Rooney is seemingly back to his very best form. He was at the heart of all Uniteds attacks and often at the end of them, volleying straight at goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in the 14th minute and then sending a scissor-kick over the bar soon after. "I was going to say it was back to the old Wayne Rooney," Moyes said, purring over the England striker. "But I think its better to say its the new Wayne Rooney." There was more noise than usual inside Old Trafford as United was trialing a special "singing section" in one corner of the stadium, in an unusual experiment undertaken to generate a better atmosphere at home games. Odes to many of the clubs greats -- Roy Keane, Matt Busby, George Best, Cristiano Ronaldo, among others -- were belted out one after the other on a chilly evening in northwest England. Barely a minute after kickoff, it was Rooneys name on their lips. After dancing around three would-be tacklers, Rooney curled in a shot from the angle that struck the post and rebounded out. Under pressure from Javier Hernandez, Martinez only succeeded in planting the ball into the corner of his own net from eight yards (meters) out. "It was a disastrous goal to concede," Sociedad coach Jagoba Arrasate said through a translator. "We never recovered from it." United has had a tendency to surrender the initiative in games this season and it happened again here, with Sociedad finding some joy toward the end of the first half. Haris Seferovic had a fierce long-range shot tipped over before Griezmann curled a free kick against the post three minutes before halftime. An increasingly concerned Moyes stepped out of his technical area to voice his displeasure. Sociedad resumed control after the break, overpowering a lightweight United midfield containing a 39-year-old Ryan Giggs, who nevertheless lasted the whole game. De la Bello sounded another warning by firing a cross against the top of David de Geas bar. United still looked dangerous, though. Jones should have increased the lead when he headed straight at Claudio Bravo from inside the six-yard box before Valencia drove a low shot against the base of the post. Rooney also had chances to kill the game off -- and claim a goal his performance merited -- but United had to settle for a narrow win. [url=http://www.shopnflonline.net/Black-Friday-Buffalo-Bills-Bruce-Smith-Jersey-... Smith Cyber Monday Jersey . It is the second straight off-season Cobourne has been released by the team. Cobourne was the teams leading rusher last season with 737 yards on the ground mainly sharing time with rookie Chevon Walker. . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. [url=http://www.shopnflonline.net/Black-Friday-Arizona-Cardinals-Daryl-Washingto... . -- Adrian Peterson shouldnt have any reason to get "hot" at Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier this week. [url=http://www.shopnflonline.net/Black-Friday-Baltimore-Ravens-Darian-Stewart-J... Stewart Black Friday Jersey . According to the Hosuton Chronicle, Ching has decided to report to the Impact, the team that selected him first overall in the MLS expansion draft. . Vogelsong gave up five early runs before retiring his final 10 batters and helped his cause by walking with the bases loaded as the San Francisco Giants rallied for a 7-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.LONDON -- A day after goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was briefly knocked unconscious but continued to play, Tottenham defended its decision despite criticism from FIFA and the football players union. Lloris was knocked out Sunday when his head smashed into Everton striker Romelu Lukakus knee during a Premier League match. The goalkeeper was treated on the field but, despite medical advice and not remembering the incident, he was allowed to continue playing. "The player should have been substituted," FIFA chief medical officer Professor Jiri Dvorak said. "The fact the other player needed ice on his knee means its obvious the blow was extensive. "Its a 99 per cent probability that losing consciousness in such an event will result in concussion." On Monday, Tottenham said that brain scans gave Lloris the all-clear. But the extent of the injury would not have been known during the match. "When he has been knocked unconscious, the player himself may not see the reality," Dvorak said. By allowing Lloris to finish the match, the FIFPro players union said Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas and his staff "failed to protect the goalkeeper." "FIFPro condemns that the health and safety of players are left to coaches/trainers or even to players themselves," FIFPro medical advisor Vincent Gouttebarge said. "Medical professionals should be aware of any relevant medical guidelines and apply them in order to empower the health and safety on the field. The health and safety of the players should be the No. 1 priority and should prevail against any other matters." English Football Associatioon regulations say that a player who is treated after being "immobile and unresponsive to verbal commands following a head injury" should not return to action that day. [url=http://www.shopnflonline.net/Black-Friday-Detroit-Lions-Calvin-Johnson-Jers... Johnson Black Friday Jersey. But if the player experiences "a transient alteration of conscious level," he can resume playing. "If there is any doubt, keep the player out," Dvorak said. The Professional Footballers Association in England said that players who suffer severe head injuries or loss of consciousness should automatically be taken off. "When treating a player on the pitch, it can be very difficult to determine the severity of a head injury," PFA deputy chief executive John Bramhall said. "It is important to take the pressure off the players, club medical staff, and the manager -- removing the need for them to make a very difficult decision." Tottenham, however, saw nothing wrong with its decision to allow Lloris to continue. "Once the relevant tests and assessments were carried out we were totally satisfied that he was fit to continue playing," said Wayne Diesel, Tottenhams head of medical services. Football has been subjected to less focus on how it handles concussions than other sports, which experience more impact injuries. In August, the NFL agreed to pay $765 million to settle lawsuits from thousands of former players who developed dementia or other concussion-related health problems. More than 4,500 former players, some of them suffering from Alzheimers disease or depression, accused the NFL of concealing the long-term dangers of concussions and rushing injured players back onto the field. ' ' '