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04/24/2009 - Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Fire travel to take on the Columbus Crew in a Major League Soccer clash at Crew Stadium on Saturday. The fixture will be a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference final, although the teams are on the opposite sides of the table five games into the 2009 season.
The Crew are one of just two winless teams in MLS with an 0-2-3 record while the Fire (2-0-3) are one of only two unbeaten clubs, meaning their fortunes have changed since Columbus defeated Chicago route to the 2008 MLS Cup championship.
Chicago is coming off a 2-2 draw with Kansas City last weekend in which it gave up two late goals to settle for a share of the points.
"It was a great game for 75 minutes," Fire defender Bakary Soumare said. "And then we lost our concentration. We kept things tight and kept playing the way we had been playing. Being up 2-0, we didn't feel much pressure to score a third or fourth goal. You play hard for such a long time and then blow it at the end ... it's unspeakable."
Despite the fact that the team felt it gave two points away, Fire coach Denis Hamlett was very happy with his team's performance, especially in the first half when two Brian McBride goals gave his club the early lead.
"I think it was the best half the team has played this year," he said. "I think our mentality showed from the start. We were on the same page - playing one and two touch soccer, moving the ball and when we created opportunities to go one-on-one we did that.
"Brian [McBride] scored two good goals. It was unselfish soccer and I tell the group when we play like that, it looks good. I think the second half got away from that in terms of trying to get that third goal, we didn't really need it, we just kept pushing and we got caught in an open game."
The Crew, who haven't played since April 11, are coming off a 1-1 draw with Colorado that snapped a two-game losing streak. The team actually had an early lead, but gave up a late goal.
"I am proud of the team because they had a very good performance. We were better in every aspect of the game," Crew coach Robert Warzycha said. "We were just unlucky not to score some goals. We give up a goal at the end and we give up two points."
Columbus' bye week has allowed it to get a little healthier, but veteran back Frankie Hejduk will be out, and goalkeeper Will Hesmer is questionable for Saturday. Also out for the Crew are forward Jason Garey and midfielder Cory Elenio, while defender Chad Marshall midfielder Robbie Rogers are probable with injuries.
"I feel so much better. I don't even feel it [hamstring] at all," Rogers said. "I'm glad I took the rest. I was in more of a passing role . I really couldn't take guys on. Pressuring guys defensively was tough because it was hard for me to stop and cut but I was trying to help as much as possible. It's going to be a different me when I start playing again."
Chicago will be without forwards Peter Lowry and Calen Carr and defender Daniel Woolard, defender C.J. Brown is doubtful, defender Wilman Conde is questionable, and defender Gonzalo Segares is probable with injuries.
<< Spain coach Del Bosque sets out future
Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vicente del Bosque has revealed his current
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The 58-year-old tactician replaced Luis Aragones at the helm of the national
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Palermo, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Palermo defender Morris Carrozzieri has
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Madrid, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Deportivo has handed coach Miguel Angel Lotina
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Lotina has guided Depor to the fringes of the European qualification places
this season and is now under contract at th
<< Ibrahimovic could leave Inter
Milan, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sweden international Zlatan Ibrahimovic has
hinted that he could leave Inter Milan this summer.
The striker is under contract at the San Siro for another four years but has
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Galaxy, Colorado ready for Round 3 >>
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When the Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles
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San Jose, Seattle hope to get back on track >>
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Jose Earthquakes travel to Seattle for
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Canada rolls past Belarus in World Championship opener >>
Zurich, Switzerland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dany Heatley and Steve Stamkos each
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Heatley added an assist for Canada, w
Gonzo ousts Verdasco to reach Barcelona semis >>
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Fernando Gonzalez
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In an all-Fernando quarterfinal he
NEW YORK (AP) -By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.
No. 1 always seems to fit USC.
Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.
Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.
Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No 3.
"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."
Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.
"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."
The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.
"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."
Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.
"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"
USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.
"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Josh Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."
While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.
But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.
Get the latest 2009 BCS Championship odds at MySportsbook.com.
The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.
The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.
The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.
No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.
Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.
Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.
The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.
South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.
The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.
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NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
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