Kritik und Lob » D: The biggest need is figuring out

MANCHESTER, England -- A 24-hour delay couldnt put prolific Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero off his stride in the Champions League on Wednesday.Aguero scored a hat trick to lead City to a 4-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach in their rescheduled Group C opener that was washed out Tuesday because of torrential rain before kickoff at Etihad Stadium.The Argentina international is compiling some impressive numbers under new coach Pep Guardiola this season: Nine goals in five games; two hat tricks so far in the Champions League, with the other coming in the playoff round against Steaua Bucharest.So, too, is Guardiola. This was Citys seventh straight win to open the Spaniards coaching tenure and his teams attacking intensity was too much for Moenchengladbach to handle.Kelechi Iheanacho -- a late replacement for Aguero -- added a fourth goal for City, which did its best to keep pace with group rival Barcelona, a day after the Spanish side thrashed Celtic 7-0.There were positives all over the field for City, perhaps no more so than the sight of Ilkay Gundogan running midfield on his debut following an offseason move from Borussia Dortmund. It was the Germany internationals first game since April, when he dislocated his right kneecap, and he slotted right into Guardiolas team -- much to the coachs surprise.But that couldnt take the limelight from Aguero, who was back in the team amid a three-match domestic suspension for elbowing an opponent during a Premier League game. He tapped in the opening goal from Aleksandar Kolarovs low cross in the ninth minute, converted a penalty in the 28th after Gundogan was tripped, and completed his hat trick by rounding the goalkeeper in a one-on-one chance set up by Raheem Sterling in the 77th minute.Ever the perfectionist, Guardiola said that if Aguero worked harder for the team, even more goals will come his way.I wanted to convince Sergio that his talent in the box to score goals is natural -- I cannot teach him that, Guardiola said. But he has to know that behind there is a team thats going to help him, if hes going to help, and that is what I want to convince him.OK, the goals will come along. But if he can help us in that way, hes going to score a lot of goals.Agueros early goals quietened a reduced contingent of Moenchengladbach fans who had stayed on an extra day to support their team. Some of them had slept in a coach at the Etihad overnight and when they got to their seats for Wednesdays hastily rearranged match, they found an absence letter -- drafted and signed by the clubs sporting director, Max Eberl -- that could be given to the fans employers to explain why they might have missed work.The German club had its moments, such as when captain Lars Stindl brought a great save from City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from a well-worked corner routine late in the first half. But the visitors couldnt stifle Citys attacking threat and conceded chance after chance in the final minutes.The whole team knew what to expect. Its not untypical of City, Moenchengladbach coach Andre Schubert said. We knew theyd press us high, particularly the first 25 minutes, and exert their power on us.We have to play to our limits. We had to get everything right, be very courageous, attack high up with high intensity. We didnt manage to do that.City reached the Champions League semifinals for the first time last season, losing to eventual champion Real Madrid, and Guardiola spoke in his program notes about creating history at a club that has never won Europes top trophy.The next step with this club is to be there every single season, quarterfinal, semifinal and maybe in the final, Guardiola said. It is not the point to arrive once and after disappear.Walter Payton Jersey . Louis Cardinals. Victorino is batting sixth and playing right field after missing two games because of back tightness. Dan Hampton Youth Jersey . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. http://www.bearsrookiestore.com/Bears-Devin-Hester-Jersey/ . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. Jim McMahon Womens Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Khalil Mack Jersey . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No.MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Mike Conley are playing for their third different head coach since starting the best run in Memphis Grizzlies history.Conley said theres one simple reason the aging core is eager to follow first-year coach David Fizdale.Youre going to listen because you know that he has a vision for this team to win a championship, and well do whatever it takes, Conley said.Injuries ravaged Memphis last season with neither Gasol nor Conley able to finish. The Grizzlies used an NBA-record 28 players last season, slumping to a 42-40 finish and the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies fired coach Dave Joerger on May 7 and replaced him with Fizdale.He walks in with a championship resume from working with the Miami Heat. He also has a proven track record of working with stars like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to rookies like Josh Richardson. Fizdale inherits a roster that also includes Vince Carter, who turns 40 in January, and a handful of young players Memphis needs developed to advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time since this teams lone trip in 2013.Fizdale spent the preseason trying to space out the Grizzlies on offense and speed them up, a style they will have to prove they can stick with once the regular season starts.So far, the Grizzlies leaders have seen enough to believe and keep following to extend a playoff streak of six straight seasons that ranks third in the NBA for the longest active streaks behind only San Antonio (19) and Atlanta (9).This is the year that we have to be more hungry and have more grit and grind to get to where we want to go, guard Tony Allen said.---Some other things to know about the Grizzlies who open the season Wednesday night hosting Minnesota:WATCHING MINUTES: Gasol started training camp with a surgically repaired right foot, an injury that ended his season in February. He dealt with a bone bruise in the same foot during preseason, but Fizdale already planned to limit the 7-foot-1 centers minutes to keep Gasol fresher for the postseason. That also goes for Conley, who had his season ended in early March by left Achilles tendinitis.dddddddddddd Conley played an average of 31.4 minutes in his 56 games last season before signing the NBAs richest deal to that point at five-year, $153 million deal in July to stay in Memphis. But Fizdale also is pushing Gasol to shoot more 3s and is giving Conley more opportunities and freedom on the court.Z BO COMING OFF BENCH: Fizdales biggest move has been replacing Randolph in the starting lineup with JaMychal Green. The 26-year-old Green led the Grizzlies in games played last season (78), and he averaged 10.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in the 29 games after the All-Star break when the injuries stacked up. Randolph is going into the final season of his contract at the age of 35, and Fizdale has sold him on the concept of being the leagues best sixth man to help his future marketability while giving Memphis more scoring off the bench.BACKUP POINT GUARD: The biggest need is figuring out who backs up Conley. The Grizzlies drafted Wade Baldwin IV out of Vanderbilt with the 17th pick and hes competing with Andrew Harrison, who spent his first year out of Kentucky in the D-League last season.CHANDLER PARSONS: The Grizzlies brought their biggest free agent ever to Memphis in July signing Parsons to a four-year, $94 million contract . The forward has been recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee in March and very limited this preseason. Memphis needs him healthy to provide the 3-point threat the Grizzlies have never had. Parsons shot 41.4 percent outside the arc and averaged 13.7 points per game last season.HEALTHY BRANDAN WRIGHT: The big free agent signee a year ago was forward/center Brandan Wright who was limited to 12 games by injuries to his right knee. He had surgery Dec. 17th and sprained his right MCL on Feb. 27. But he is healthy finally for Memphis.---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker ' ' '