London – Yesterday at breakfast the newly-minted England captain urged caution and patience from the supporters for Thursday night’s Euro 2016 qualifier against San Marino at Wembley Stadium. John Hannah Patriots Jersey . “If it takes 30-35 minutes for the first goal then so be it,” proclaimed Rooney over his morning tea and crumpet. Wayne’s tea leaves we now know were not far wrong. Phil Jagielka opening the Wembley proceedings last night with a headed goal at the 24th minute mark. Much of the focus going into the San Marino encounter was the captain’s England legacy - more specifically Rooney’s place amongst the all-time scoring leaders for the national team. Rooney sits amongst quite exalted English company. Going into the match against the nation FIFA ranks as the absolute worst as they sit rooted to the bottom in 218th place. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian was fourth on the overall goal scoring charts, just a hat trick away from joining Jimmy Greaves, the Chelsea and Spurs legend, on the podium. Having managed a brace against San Marino when the two teams met in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley just under two years ago and with Rooney having now taken over penalty duty following the twin retirements of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard it was amongst the realm of possibility at Wembley last night that Rooney would bang in three. We all now know of course Rooney only managed a penalty on the stroke of halftime last night. Welbeck, Townsend and an own-goal in the second frame resulting in the 5-0 score come the final whistle. Now on 42 goals Rooney sits just seven goals away from Sir Bobby Charlton at the top. One of the all-time Manchester United legends notched up 49 goals over his 12-year England career before retiring from international duty after England’s de rigour World Cup Finals quarter-final exit at Mexico 1970. Three more points deposited in the Euro 2016 qualification bank was expected last night, as was the rain. What wasn’t expected was the low turnout. The 55,990 crowd represented the lowest crowd since 2007’s New Wembley re-opening. With the FA tasked to ensure every single penny of the near ￡800 Million (CAD $1.43B) reconstruction costs are paid back and fully aware that disjointed Euro 2012 and Brazil 2014 campaigns have led to a trend for a supporters preference to watch England’s home matches from the comfort of the sofa, or camaraderie of the pub the English governing body is now looking to outside sources to increase the coffers. Hello, London NFL Franchise. Yes folks, you read that right. The NFL’s UK head said this week that if his league expands abroad, as many predict and expect, then NFL UK will aggressively pursue the rights to a franchise. Underwriting these comments is the FA’s now-stated priority to land a London franchise which they could call Wembley Stadium their home. Only late last month, of course, the Raiders hit the Dolphins out of the fabled Wembley Stadium park when registering the 38-14 W in front of the close to 90,000 sell out. Boisterous, knowledgeable and becoming more and more NFL sophisticated the capital city left Dan Marino suitably impressed. Later this month the NFL International Series will see the Falcons take on the Lions, with the three-game series concluding Remembrance Day weekend with a Cowboys and Jaguars matchup. All games taking place at the so-called Home of International Football [Round Ball Division]. Adding further intrigue comes in the not too inconsiderable shape and form of Jacksonville’s maverick owner Shahid Khan who also conveniently owns Fulham. In summer 2012 the Jaguars signed a deal whereby Wembley would be their ‘home’ for one match per season between 2013 and 2016. What this would mean for the England team - and 2017 is the target here - is that they would move out of a stadium they have called home since 1923 and tour the country. Just like what occurred when Wembley was closed for reconstruction between 2002 and 2007. Rooney scored his opening goal for country at West Ham’s Upton Park in a friendly against Australia in early 2003. Much must happen before NFL London turns to reality. However, it was with much coincidence that earlier in the week (and after a six-year absence) official Barclay’s Premier League talk returned regarding the so-called, ‘39th Game.’ The plan now re-branded as the ‘38th Game’ calls for all 20 BPL clubs to play one competitive fixture each season in far flung places from Mumbai to Melbourne and all global hot spots in between. Hello, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. The National Football League in London, England in Everton and Sunderland in Singapore – the goal posts have most certainly moved. This morning at a breakfast time briefing Rooney told the assembled media Thursday night’s result and performance had elevated the squad’s confidence ahead of Sunday evening’s tilt against Estonia at Le Coq Arena. I guess we’ll have to wait for Sunday morning’s tea leaves before the England captain provides his latest match-day prediction. What the future holds for Rooney post-England and Manchester United is unwritten. So if you bump into him on your nearest football field practising field goals and refining his punting technique perhaps it’s a future in the NFL and not with MLS which awaits. Noel Butler can be reached at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel on Twitter TSN, TSN Radio, TSN.ca, TSN Mobile and TSN GO are your exclusive Canadian homes for the Euro 2016 Championships. Julian Edelman Jersey . Sijsling, ranked 74th in the world, was leading 6-0, 4-1 when his Italian opponent called it quits after just 39 minutes on court. In a match pitting together two qualifiers, Michal Przysiezny of Poland defeated local favourite Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4) for only his second Tour win of the season. Jarrett Stidham Jersey . While coach Doc Rivers high-fived fans and pumped his fist at the crowd, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul quietly congratulated each other. https://www.patriotssportsgoods.com/Womens-Drew-Bledsoe-Inverted-Jersey/ .C. - NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick headlines this years electees into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.NASHVILLE -- With a year-long federal fraud investigation looming over it, the huge truck-stop chain owned by the family of the Cleveland Browns owner and Tennessees governor is doing some housecleaning at its highest levels. Several top executives at Pilot Flying J, including the president, abruptly left this week, more than a year after FBI agents raided the Knoxville, Tennessee, headquarters of the nations largest diesel retailer. Ten former employees have previously pleaded guilty to helping cheat trucking companies out of promised rebates and discounts. Those cases and this weeks departures, observers note, could indicate that prosecutors are entering the final phase of a methodical probe that has included records suggesting Pilot CEO and Browns owner Jimmy Haslam knew of the scheme, something he denies. One expert said Haslam might be cutting ties with his senior staff in a bid to persuade prosecutors not to charge the company his father founded decades ago, one in which his brother, Gov. Bill Haslam, still holds an undisclosed stake. Pilot President Mark Hazelwood and Scott "Scooter" Wombold, vice-president of national accounts, left the company Monday, with Haslam sending a company-wide email thanking Hazelwood for his service but saying nothing about why or how he was leaving. Tuesday saw the departure of five more members of the sales team. Dennis B. Francis, a Knoxville attorney who has worked in federal criminal defence for 40 years, said the only way this weeks departures make sense to him is if some of the people leaving are co-operating with prosecutors. For a defendant to get a lighter sentence than federal guidelines mandate, prosecutors have to file court papers saying that person provided substantial assistance to the government. Once prosecutors have the evidence they need to convict, they no longer offer any promises of special consideration. "They call it getting on the bus," said Francis, who is not involved in the Pilot case. "And theres only so much room on the bus." Wombolds attorney, John E. Kelly, said in an email that his client had been "helping the company repair many customer relationships during the past 14 months. Mr. Wombolds departure from the company is not connected to past guilty pleas entered into by former employees, and any inferencce that there is a connection is not accurate. Rob Gronkowski Womens Jersey. " Hazelwoods attorney declined to comment. Company representatives said they couldnt comment on specific personnel moves, which took place while Jimmy Haslam was meeting with fellow NFL owners in Atlanta. "Nothing more should be read into the events of this week than things playing themselves out," spokesman Tom Ingram said Wednesday. "Otherwise, the company continues to go full steam ahead and business as usual, and is doing very well." Jimmy Haslam has denied any previous knowledge of the fraud or any personal wrongdoing. The governor has said he is not involved with operating Pilot Flying J. Pilot agreed in November to pay out nearly $85 million to settle claims in a class-action lawsuit with 5,500 trucking companies. Several companies have filed separate lawsuits against Pilot that are ongoing. Nashville criminal defence attorney and former prosecutor David Raybin said that, based on his observations and experience, the departure of so many managers at once indicates that criminal charges could soon be filed. And he suggested that prosecutors are aiming high. "You dont make a bunch of people plead guilty at the lower levels and then let the top people off with a fine," said Raybin, who does not represent anyone in the case. "Theyre potentially jailing five to 10 people. You dont do that unless you are targeting the highest levels of the company." An affidavit filed last year to obtain a search warrant for Pilot headquarters states that a confidential informant told the FBI that both Hazelwood and Jimmy Haslam knew about the fraud at the company because it was discussed openly at sales meetings where both were present. Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor who teaches at George Washington University Law School, said that while the sudden departures are unusual, they could mean any number of things. For example, Pilot might be fearful that the company could be charged criminally, or the companys board of directors may have decided that the people who have left recently were partly responsible for what happened. "One reason the company might fire them is to say, Look, were cleaning house. Were getting rid of the bad people, so dont indict the corporation," Eliason said. ' ' '