USA clinches group with Chalupny's winner

Soccer Betting Lines

09/18/2007 - Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lori Chalupny scored just 55 seconds into Tuesday's match against Nigeria and the United States held on for a 1-0 win to clinch the top spot in Group B and advance to the quarterfinals.

Chalupny's goal, the second fastest in the history of the World Cup. helped the Americans weather Nigeria and Typhoon Wipha to win the "Group of Death."

Tuesday's match was played in steady rain as Wipha closed in on Shanghai. The storm nearly forced the game to be moved, but it went on as scheduled in poor conditions.

The United States (2-0-1) plays England (1-0-2) in the quarterfinals Saturday.

The United States couldn't have gotten off to a better start against Nigeria, scoring in the first minute off a throw in. Cat Whitehill took the throw from the left side, finding Abby Wambach a few yards into the box.

Wambach flicked a header deeper into the box to Chalupny, who chested the ball down and poked a shot off a Nigeria player and into the lower left corner. The deflection fooled Nigeria goalie Precious Dede, who wasn't able to adjust and make an attempt on the ball.

The Americans didn't have another good scoring chance until the 20th minute when captain Kristine Lilly dribbled around a defender on the left sideline and sent a cross into the box. The cross found Wambach, but she headed wide.

The chances continued for the United States, starting with Lilly's free kick just over the crossbar in the 24th minute. She also put a header just wide of the left post in the 41st minute off a cross from Chalupny.

The five-time World Cup veteran set up another chance in the 43rd minute with a nice give-and-go that led to her cross to Wambach in the box. But Wambach's strong header was pushed high by Dede.

The United States had two more chances in the final minutes of the opening half, but Wambach and Shannon Boxx each put headers wide.

The United States' chances continued early in the second half when Lilly took a free kick from the right and Heather O'Reilly tried to redirect it on goal with a header but touched it just wide in the 50th minute.

The pace slowed considerably over the next 25 minutes as neither team created any real scoring threats and the United States seemed content to play for the one-goal win.

But Nigeria started to make things interesting in the 75th minute when it had the first of a few great scoring chances.

Perpetua Nkwocha broke free down the right side for the first chance, holding off Whitehill to get into the box and send a shot just a few feet wide of the left post.

Nigeria had another golden opportunity in the 85th minute when a cross rattled around the box and Nigeria had two shots on goal that were turned away before U.S. goalie Hope Solo finally jumped on the loose ball.

Dede made another nice save in the 88th minute to keep Nigeria within striking distance, but Solo sealed the win with a diving save right before the whistle.

Nigeria (0-2-1) played well in the toughest group in the tournament, but with just a tie against Sweden failed to advance for the fourth time in five World Cups.

Sweden defeated North Korea, 2-1, on Tuesday in the group's other game. North Korea still advanced and plays Germany in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

Wwwherald Soccer Betting News


<< Canucks' Salo sidelined with wrist injury
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vancouver Canucks defenseman Sami Salo is sidelined indefinitely with a wrist injury. Salo suffered the setback after retrieving a loose puck in the corner and getting checked in an intra-squad gam

<< 2007 Three or More Homer Games
Players who have hit three or more home runs in a game this season:American League3 - Frank Thomas, Toronto, Sept. 17 vs. Boston3 - Brad Wilkerson, Texas, July 3 vs. Los Angeles Angels3 - Justin Morneau, Minnesota, July 6 at Chicago White SoxNationa

<< No. 12 South Carolina, No. 15 Clemson making fans happy
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -Nothing makes Clemson and South Carolina supporters happier than winning. Right now, there are lots of happy football fans in the Palmetto State.South Carolina's two major programs share 3-0 records and spots among the country's

<< Off to surprising 2-0 start, Packers prepare for San Diego
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -On the master list of things the Green Bay Packers have had to worry about over the past few years, letting success go to their heads probably ranked somewhere in between not selling enough No. 4 jerseys and running out of ched

<< Figgins, Angels beat Rays to shrink magic number
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chone Figgins hit the go-ahead RBI triple in the fifth inning and had three of Los Angeles' 18 hits, as the Angels inched closer to the AL West title with a 10-7 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Figgins

Report: Cowboys to bring in Tank Johnson for physical >>
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Cowboys will reportedly bring in suspended defensive tackle Tank Johnson for a physical on Tuesday. According to the Dallas Morning News, citing multiple sources, the Cowboys would like to s

Lotta goals not enough for Sweden to advance >>
Tianjin, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sweden came up short in its bid for a fifth consecutive appearance in the quarterfinals of the Women's World Cup, beating North Korea 2-1 on Tuesday, but failing to achieve the three-goal win that was necessa

Hingis, Szavay reached second round in China >>
Beijing, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis and rising Hungarian Agnes Szavay were among Tuesday's first-round winners at the $600,000 China Open. The fifth-seeded Swiss Hingis, who was rained out here on Mo

Hingis, Szavay reach second round in China >>
Beijing, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis and rising Hungarian Agnes Szavay were among Tuesday's first-round winners at the $600,000 China Open. The fifth-seeded Swiss Hingis, who was rained out here on Mo

Braves, Marlins continue set in Atlanta >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie southpaw Jo-Jo Reyes takes the ball for his eighth big-league start tonight when the Atlanta Braves host the Florida Marlins in game two of a three-game series at Turner Field. The Braves enter the game with fading

FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.

Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook

Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds.  The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.

Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.

Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).

Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.

World Series odds

Adam Dunn 15-1

Albert Pujols 5-1

Alex Rodriguez 12-1

Alfonso Soriano 15-1

Andruw Jones 25-1

Barry Bonds 50-1

Carlos Delgado 40-1

David Ortiz 8-1

Jermaine Dye 40-1

Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1

Lance Berkman 40-1

Manny Ramirez 20-1

Richie Sexson 40-1

Ryan Howard 6-1

Travis Hafner 20-1

Vladimir Guerrero 40-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.