Manchester City

LONDON - Manchester City always seems to be second best in its own backyard, like a little brother overshadowed by his bigger and stronger sibling. In England's third-largest city, Manchester United always seems to one-up City. What happened when City won its most recent English league title, in 1968? United beat Benfica to win the European Cup, club soccer's most prestigious trophy. And in the 2000-01 season, when the Sky Blues were promoted to the English Premier League, after four years in lower divisions?

In the final moments of the English Premier League's most dramatic season yet, Manchester City had just enough time Sunday to produce one final twist. City looked to have thrown it all away by letting 10-man Queens Park Rangers rally from a goal down to take the lead in the second half and went into the five minutes of stoppage time needing two scores. Meanwhile, rival Manchester United had completed a 1-0 win at Sunderland, and were lingering on the field ready to start celebrating.

A total of 1.35 million viewers tuned into the U.S. television coverage of the final day of the English Premier League season, an increase of 72 percent over 2011. U.S. networks televised all 10 games on Sunday. The largest rating was for Manchester City's title-winning 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers, which was seen by an average 600,000 viewers on ESPN2 and 189,000 on ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen Media Research. Queens Park Rangers says it will investigate the actions of captain Joey Barton once the Football Association has completed its own hearing on the midfielder's sending off in the game against Manchester City.

Doha and Baku were eliminated from consideration for the 2020 Olympics on Wednesday by the International Olympic Committee. Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul made the cut as the IOC executive board settled on the finalists in a meeting in Quebec City. Doha, capital of the Gulf state of Qatar, and Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, also failed to make the final list for the 2016 Games. Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul will go through a 17-month competition until the IOC votes in 2014. SOCCER: Queens Park Rangers captain Joey Barton was given a 12-game ban and fined $118,000 by the Football Association for violent conduct in the last English Premier League game of the season.

The Eagles are among four finalists for the Beyond Sport United Award for Sport Team of the Year for their community efforts. The Eagles are finalists for the second consecutive year from Beyond Sport, a worldwide organization that uses sports to promote social change. The Eagles are being recognized for their community outreach; the work of the Eagles Youth Partnership (playground build, Breast Cancer Awareness, Book Mobile, Eye Mobile); and their Go Green initiatives. The other finalists are Premier League soccer clubs Liverpool FC and Manchester City, and the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.

Penn and Penn State earned at-large bids to the NCAA Division I women's lacrosse tournament on Sunday, and West Chester was selected in Division II. Penn, 9-7 and runner-up in the Ivy League tournament, will face No. 6 seed Loyola on Sunday in Baltimore. Penn State (11-5) will travel to No. 8 Towson. Florida, Northwestern, Maryland, and Syracuse are the top four seeds in the 16-team tournament. West Chester (14-3) is seeded sixth D-II and will travel to No. 5 Limestone (17-1)

Fulham vs. Aston Villa 10 a.m. Saturday (ESPN2)   Despite the riots that are ravaging England's major cities, the Premier League season kicks off this weekend. ESPN2 was to air Tottenham vs. Everton, but that game was canceled. Getting to watch Fulham's American star Clint Dempsey is a fine consolation prize. Colombia vs. Mexico 8:45 p.m. Saturday (ESPN3.com) While Cafeteros Faryd Mondragon, Carlos Valdes and Roger Torres are playing for the Union, their country's under-20 national team will be competing in the world championship quarterfinal on home soil.

The Eagles have been named sports team of the year by an international organization that recognizes teams' efforts in their communities. Beyond Sport, which promotes using sports as a route to social change, honored the Eagles for the team's Youth Partnership, which provides eye care and mentoring programs to needy children, its Tackling Breast Cancer campaign, and Go Green environmental initiatives. "When Jeffrey and I first bought the Eagles, we quickly understood that we had a very important platform with the team," said team co-owner Christina Lurie, referring to her husband and co-owner.

THIS EDITION of High and Inside is all about money. Not so much who needs it, but who has it and who likes dishing it out. Let's begin with the Phillies, who moved up four spots from No. 13 to the No. 9 sports franchise with the highest-paid athletes, according to ESPN the Magazine's annual "money issue," which hits newsstands Friday. In a survey that encompassed 14 major professional sports leagues, the Phillies' average salary is $5.8 million. In all, 10 international soccer teams, six NBA teams and four MLB teams compose the top 20 spots.

MANCHESTER, England - In the final moments of the Premier League's most dramatic season, Manchester City had just enough time to produce one final, stunning twist. With the club's title hopes fading by the second, with fans anxiously tearing at their hair in the stands as a stubborn Queens Park Rangers clung to a surprising 2-1 lead after 90 minutes, City threw all of its attacking might forward to secure one of English football's greatest comebacks. Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero both scored in injury time to clinch a 3-2 victory Sunday that secured the club's first league title since 1968, finishing ahead of crosstown rival Manchester United on goal difference.

Doha and Baku were eliminated from consideration for the 2020 Olympics on Wednesday by the International Olympic Committee. Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul made the cut as the IOC executive board settled on the finalists in a meeting in Quebec City. Doha, capital of the Gulf state of Qatar, and Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, also failed to make the final list for the 2016 Games. Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul will go through a 17-month competition until the IOC votes in 2014. SOCCER: Queens Park Rangers captain Joey Barton was given a 12-game ban and fined $118,000 by the Football Association for violent conduct in the last English Premier League game of the season.

A total of 1.35 million viewers tuned into the U.S. television coverage of the final day of the English Premier League season, an increase of 72 percent over 2011. U.S. networks televised all 10 games on Sunday. The largest rating was for Manchester City's title-winning 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers, which was seen by an average 600,000 viewers on ESPN2 and 189,000 on ESPN Deportes, according to Nielsen Media Research. Queens Park Rangers says it will investigate the actions of captain Joey Barton once the Football Association has completed its own hearing on the midfielder's sending off in the game against Manchester City.

MANCHESTER, England - In a city that's more used to a sea of red during title celebrations, it was blue confetti that fell over the streets of Manchester on Monday. About 100,000 fans packed the streets as Manchester City paraded the Premier League trophy through the city to celebrate its first English title in 44 years. Blue and white ticker-tape and streamers rained down on the team bus as City players showed off the trophy they had wrestled away from crosstown rival Manchester United in nailbiting fashion a day earlier.

MANCHESTER, England - In the final moments of the Premier League's most dramatic season, Manchester City had just enough time to produce one final, stunning twist. With the club's title hopes fading by the second, with fans anxiously tearing at their hair in the stands as a stubborn Queens Park Rangers clung to a surprising 2-1 lead after 90 minutes, City threw all of its attacking might forward to secure one of English football's greatest comebacks. Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero both scored in injury time to clinch a 3-2 victory Sunday that secured the club's first league title since 1968, finishing ahead of crosstown rival Manchester United on goal difference.

In the final moments of the English Premier League's most dramatic season yet, Manchester City had just enough time Sunday to produce one final twist. City looked to have thrown it all away by letting 10-man Queens Park Rangers rally from a goal down to take the lead in the second half and went into the five minutes of stoppage time needing two scores. Meanwhile, rival Manchester United had completed a 1-0 win at Sunderland, and were lingering on the field ready to start celebrating.

LONDON - Manchester City always seems to be second best in its own backyard, like a little brother overshadowed by his bigger and stronger sibling. In England's third-largest city, Manchester United always seems to one-up City. What happened when City won its most recent English league title, in 1968? United beat Benfica to win the European Cup, club soccer's most prestigious trophy. And in the 2000-01 season, when the Sky Blues were promoted to the English Premier League, after four years in lower divisions?

Penn and Penn State earned at-large bids to the NCAA Division I women's lacrosse tournament on Sunday, and West Chester was selected in Division II. Penn, 9-7 and runner-up in the Ivy League tournament, will face No. 6 seed Loyola on Sunday in Baltimore. Penn State (11-5) will travel to No. 8 Towson. Florida, Northwestern, Maryland, and Syracuse are the top four seeds in the 16-team tournament. West Chester (14-3) is seeded sixth D-II and will travel to No. 5 Limestone (17-1)

THIS EDITION of High and Inside is all about money. Not so much who needs it, but who has it and who likes dishing it out. Let's begin with the Phillies, who moved up four spots from No. 13 to the No. 9 sports franchise with the highest-paid athletes, according to ESPN the Magazine's annual "money issue," which hits newsstands Friday. In a survey that encompassed 14 major professional sports leagues, the Phillies' average salary is $5.8 million. In all, 10 international soccer teams, six NBA teams and four MLB teams compose the top 20 spots.

Vincent Kompany's header in first-half stoppage time was enough to give Manchester City a 1-0 win over Manchester United on Monday and put his team in position to secure its first title in England's top division in 44 years. Kompany rose above Manchester United defender Chris Smalling to meet David Silva's in-swinging corner and send his header past goalkeeper David de Gea. A Premier League title that looked to be firmly in United's grasp just two weeks ago is now again City's to lose.

Serena Williams defeated Lesia Tsurenko , 6-3, 6-2, on Sunday to send the United States back into the Fed Cup World Group by clinching a series victory over Ukraine in Kharkiv. Williams' win gave the U.S. an unassailable 3-0 lead. Christina McHale later won, 7-5, 6-3, against 17-year-old Ukrainian Elina Svitolina to secure a sweep of the singles matches. Americans Liezel Huber and Sloane Stephens finished a 5-0 rout with a 6-4, 6-1 doubles win over 19-year-old twins Lyudmyla and Nadiya Kichenok . Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-1, to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the eighth straight year.