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02/20/2007 - Eindhoven, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven handed English Premier League power, Arsenal, its first defeat in any competition of 2007 when the UEFA Champions League resumed with the first leg of the first knockout phase on Tuesday.
A brilliant strike by Ecuadorian International Edison Mendez is the 61st minute proved to be the difference in the game as Arsenal put forth a lackadaisical effort for most of the Round of 16 contest.
The game started passively for both sides, but Arsenal had the first quality scoring chance 13 minutes in.
Thierry Henry fed Tomas Rosicky with a one-two on the left side of the area, and the Czech midfielder found a seam. He fired a low shot at the far post which was saved by PSV's Brazilian goalkeeper Gomes, but not without some suspense. He got a hand on the ball to stop it as he was falling away, leaving the ball inches from the goaline before Carlos Salcido cleared it away.
Mendez got PSV's first shot on goal in the 21st minute from 20-yards but the effort was easily saved by Arsenal 'keeper Jens Lehman.
About five minutes later, Arsenal striker Henry had another quality effort from the left side, but bent a shot over the crossbar.
PSV had the next quality chance in the 39th minute when Jason Culina touched the ball around a defender in the midfield and found space where he raced on goal before unleashing a shot. Lehman made the save with little difficulty, however, as the shot was right at him.
Henry had a couple of minimal chances before the break, but was able to do little with them and the teams went into halftime tied at 0.
The teams came out with little energy to start the second half before Mendez was able to put the home squad on top.
After taking a well placed pass from Arouna Kone, Mendez struck a low hard shot into the bottom-left corner of the net to give PSV the lead at the hour mark. The 25-yard strike just eluded the fingertips of a diving Lehman to find the back of the net.
After the goal, PSV made history by subbing in Sun Xiang, who made his Champions League debut - the first ever appearance by a Chinese player in UEFA Champions League competition.
The Gunners created few chances the rest of the way with Francesc Fabregas' effort from about 20-yards out being the best about 20 minutes to time.
His strong strike was deflected over the crossbar by Gomes as he drove to his left to ensure the slim lead.
Arsenal outshot PSV 12-9 in the contest while Gomes made six saves to earn the win. The loss is the first for Arsenal at Philips Stadion in Eindhoven in three Champions League matches there - this the first in the knockout phase.
In the other UEFA Champions league matches on Tuesday, Spanish power Real Madrid outscored German champion Bayern Munich 3-2 behind two goals from Raul, Celtic and AC Milan battled to a 0-0 draw and Manchester United used a controversial quick start, freekick goal by Ryan Giggs seven minutes from time to secure a 1-0 win at Lille.
The rest of the first leg contests will be played Wednesday with Barcelona, FC Porto, Inter Milan and Roma hosting Liverpool, Chelsea, Valencia and Lyon, respectively.
At the conclusion of the first leg matches Wednesday, Champions League matches will resume March 6-7 at the higher seeds' home stadiums for the second leg of the Round of 16 phase.
<< Bears promote Babich to defensive coordinator
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears named Bob Babich the
team's defensive coordinator on Tuesday, one day after announcing that Ron
Rivera would no longer own that title.
Babich has been an assistant coach in Ch
<< Forsberg's impact on Predators not reflected in his stats
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In two games as a member of the Nashville Predators, Peter
Forsberg has yet to record a point. But judging by the team's performance
Monday against the Phoenix Coyotes, there's little to reason for Music City
fans to panic.
<< Kings get chance to be spoilers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Los Angeles Kings are all but out of this year's
playoff race, they will get an opportunity to put a damper on some other
team's chances as well.
This past weekend, the Kings managed to split a home-and-home seri
<< Blackhawks activate F Bourque
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks activated forward Rene
Bourque on Tuesday.
Bourque missed the past 21 games with a crack in his ankle. He was assigned to
the team's AHL affiliate in Norfolk for conditioning purpose
Zambrano, Cubs agree to one-year deal >>
Mesa, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs and starting pitcher Carlos
Zambrano avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract worth a
reported $12.4 million on Tuesday.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the deal w
Phillips signs long-term deal with Chargers >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Chargers signed linebacker
Shaun Phillips to a six-year contract on Tuesday.
Phillips, in his third year with the Chargers and first as a full-time
starter, recorded a career-high
Tampa Devil Rays >>
Agreed to terms with pitchers Tim Corcoran, Edwin Jackson, Jeff Ridgway, Chris Seddon, Brian Stokes, Jon Switzer and Mitch Talboton, outfielder Elijah Dukes, and catcher Dioner Navarro on one-year contracts.
Cowboys make Garrett offensive coordinator >>
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Garrett, who was added to the coaching
staff of the Dallas Cowboys last month, was named the team's offensive
coordinator on Tuesday.
Garrett, who had spent the previous two seasons as the qu
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
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