Melbourne City have shown glimpses of title-winning swagger in Friday nights 2-1 win over Adelaide United at AAMI Park.Bruno Fornarolis goals either side of halftime improved City to second on the A-League table.A first A-League goal for Sergi Guardiola frayed City nerves but John van t Schips side held on to bounce back from last rounds home defeat.Adelaide played their part in an entertaining game but took too long to click into gear, falling to a third-straight loss and their first away defeat of 2016.When City purred into action, the champions couldnt lay a glove on them.Citys link-up play in attack - where Fornaroli and Fernando Brandan threatened at will - dazzled the Reds defence.Brandans show-stopping backheel nutmeg of former City defender Ben Garuccio showed Citys intent.Soon after, Luke Brattan - playing as a No.10 and auditioning for a place in the Socceroos squad in front of coach Ange Postecoglou - sparked the first goal.Brattan hassled Tarek Elrich out of the ball, allowing Brandan to feed Fornaroli on the edge of the box.The Uruguayan bent his back and arched his shot inside the back post past Eugene Galekovic.Fornaroli should have had two before halftime, sidefooting over the bar late in the half when a fiercer strike might have done the job.With seconds left before halftime, United almost made City pay for their missed chances when Ryan Kitto rattled the crossbar from Isaias free kick.City upped the ante after the break and United couldnt go with them, earning successive yellow cards for late tackles and then conceding a second goal.Brandan, the shortest man on the pitch, sent a header from Brattans corner into Guardiolas outstretched arm. Fornaroli converted the penalty.City looked on track for a routine win but, in trademark style, gave their home fans grief by failing to close out the game.But when Dylan McGowan spooned a loose ball over from close range, it was clear City would stand firm for a steadying win.Van t Schip said he was delighted his side managed the fatigue factor, after a 2-0 FFA Cup semi-final win over Melbourne Victory just three days earlier.The mindset was very strong ... they were outstanding with their attitude, work rate and helping each other, he said.The Dutchman said Tim Cahill was suffering from soreness in his achilles and couldnt guarantee his fitness for next Fridays match against Brisbane.Adelaide coach Guillermo Amor said he would prefer to have more than one point from his sides opening four games but noted the similarities to last years title-winning season.The season is long. We must improve and learn things. Our squad is a good squad ... I have confidence. 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Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. MIAMI -- Thanks to an All-Star ace, a solid bullpen and an abundance of .300 hitters, the Miami Marlins can savor their best record at the All-Star break since 1997.First-year Marlins manager Don Mattingly says his job is to make sure his young team isnt satisfied with what it has accomplished so far.Thats why they brought me in, said Mattingly, who led the Los Angeles Dodgers to division titles in 2013-15. Im very happy with the club, but I think theres more in there. You get the feeling that everybody is really excited the club is doing this well. There is just another level, and I think our guys have it in them.The Marlins begin the second half of the season Friday with a record of 47-41 and are tied with the New York Mets for second place in the NL East, six games behind the Washington Nationals.Winning the division is our goal, Mattingly said. The wild card is not something you really want to talk about. Id rather be leading by six than be down by six, but theres enough time and weve got a good enough club.Thats heady stuff for a franchise that was 38-51 at the break last season, hasnt been the playoffs since 2003 and has never won a division title in its 23-year history.Here are reasons a first-place finish might happen in 2016, or might not:OFFENSIVE UPGRADE: 2015 NL batting and stolen base champion Dee Gordon is expected to return July 28 from an 80-game suspension for a positive drug test. He will move into the leadoff spot for a lineup with five players batting over .300 at the break, the most in the majors since 1999. That does not include fourth outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who is batting a team-high .335 and is 10 hits from 3,000.Gordon would not be eligible to play in the postseason.JOSES LIMITATIONS: Ace Jose Fernandez hasnt pitched a full season since his rookie yeaar in 2013, and the Marlins plan to limit him to about 180 innings.dddddddddddd Hes at 107 1/3 already, so he wont make his next start until week, giving him at least seven days rest.Fernandez is also expected to skip a turn later this year, with the goal of having him still available in late September.I would rather do it that way and have him all year, Mattingly said. You have a good team and feel you have a chance to make the playoffs, and you dont want to have your best guy shut down.STARTER NEEDED: Contention has made the Marlins buyers for a change as the trade deadline approaches, and theyre shopping for a starter to shore up a rotation thats shaky after Fernandez.But as usual the market for starters is tough, and the Marlins have few top prospects for bargaining.Its extremely challenging right now, president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. There are not a large number of sellers. Hopefully well be able to get something done.SLUGGERS SURGE: Giancarlo Stanton won the All-Star Home Run Derby with a record 61 homers, the latest sign hes emerging from a prolonged slump. He said hes not worried the derby might mess up his swing.Have you seen my swing the first half? he said.Stanton was batting .193 on June 15 and is on pace for a career-high strikeout total. But he hit five homers in the final five games before the break, increasing his season total to 20, and has raised his average to .233.INTRADIVISION RECORD: The Marlins are 16-24 within the NL East and 31-17 against the rest of the majors. It would help their chances of a division title if they could figure out how to beat the last-place Atlanta Braves, who have gone 8-4 against Miami. ' ' '