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03/23/2007 - Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer's D.C. United were the best team in the regular season during the 2006 season but ended up losing in the Eastern Conference Final Series to the New England Revolution because it couldn't finish quality offensive chances.
This offseason, United are taking steps to make sure that doesn't happen again.
The first step was to sign Brazilian forward Luciano Emilio from the Argentinian League team, River Plate. Emilio has made his presence felt in United's first few Champions Cup games, scoring four goals in three contests.
"We didn't just fall into Luciano, we did our research," United head coach Tom Soehn said. "We have had our eye on him for awhile. We always try and find the type of player that not only fits your needs on the field but also fits the bill on what he brings to the clubhouse. We knew coming in what we were getting and he has done nothing but prove us right on those accounts."
United also recently finalized a deal to acquire Brazilian forward, Fred. Not the most notable Brazilian forward named Fred, who currently plays for French Ligue 1 power, Lyon, and is its leading scorer. This Fred is a 27-year-old who played in the Australian league this past season and, while not as skilled as the previously mentioned player, will be a very good addition to the D.C. attack.
Fred, who is expecting to get his international clearance and officially join United's roster in the near future, will team up with Emilio and United's career goals leader, Jaime Moreno, up top with 2006 MLS MVP Christian Gomez running the attack from the midfield.
Those four players will highlight the D.C. attack that will, no doubt, be one of the strongest groups in the MLS this season. Not only is it highly skilled, but it has much more experience than last season with the trade of 17-year-old Freddie Adu to Real Salt Lake.
"We have a good balance of technical players and a good balance of workers and we are always looking to add another piece," Soehn said. "Fred is a Brazilian who actually adds to the technical part. We take a lot of pride in possession and attacking and defending as a team to create attacking situations."
On the defensive side, United return 2006 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Troy Perkins, and 2006 MLS Defender of the Year, Bobby Boswell, two of the hardest working players on the team.
"Evaluating our team, we always try to get the right balance of technical players along with the type of players who work hard," Soehn said. "Anytime you find that right balance usually you can make things happen. We have built the team with a lot of depth which will give us a lot of options and that is very important to a long season."
Another one of the changes on the team this season is the promotion of Soehn to head coach. Soehn worked under previous head coach, Peter Nowak, for three season's before being promoted when Nowak accepted a job with the U.S. National Teams under Bob Bradley.
"It really hasn't been that different," Soehn said about his promotion. "Peter and I shared a lot of the same philosophies and a lot of the same responsibilities. Having the core of guys come back, they know what to expect from me and I know to expect of them. It has been a pretty easy transition."
From top to bottom, United look to be one of the top teams in MLS this season. Whether that is enough for United to play in the 2007 MLS Cup - which will be played at RFK Stadium on Nov. 18 - in front of their home fans, remains to be seen.
<< Vancsik moves one ahead in Portugal
Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Argentina's Daniel Vancsik
fired a six-under 66 Friday to grab a one-stroke lead at the halfway point of
the Madeira Islands Open.
Vancsik completed 36 holes at 10-under-par 134. Chris
<< Injury-riddled England faces must win against Israel
Jerusalem, Israel (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Saturday's Group E qualifier at Ramat
Gan Stadium on Saturday will go a long way in determining the EURO 2008 fate
of both England and Israel.
The two club's are level on points with seven after f
<< Cowboys bring in Hamlin
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Dallas Cowboys on Friday signed free agent
safety Ken Hamlin. No further details of the signing have been released.
Hamlin, who will be entering his fifth season, spent his first four years in
the NFL i
<< Sacramento Monarchs (WNBA)
Acquired LaTangela Atkinson from the Indiana Fever in exchange for a 2008 second-round draft pick.
Seahawks re-sign Engram >>
Kirkland, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Seattle Seahawks re-signed wide receiver
Bobby Engram to a multi-year contract on Friday.
The 11-year veteran originally signed with Seattle in 2001 after spending the
first five seasons of his career
Surprise! Tiger on top at Doral >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiger Woods fired the lowest round of the day on
Friday with a six-under 66 and moved atop the leaderboard after two rounds of
the World Golf Championships - CA Championship at Doral.
Woods finished 36 holes a
Knicks sign Kentucky's Morris >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Knicks signed University of
Kentucky junior forward/center Randolph Morris to a contract on Friday.
The 6-11, 260-pound Morris averaged 16.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks
for the Wil
Royals acquire Tony Pena Jr. from Braves >>
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kansas City acquired shortstop Tony
Pena Jr. from Atlanta on Friday in exchange for minor league pitcher Erik
Cordier.
Pena made his major league debut last season with the Braves and hit
Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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