Prinz sets record as Germany downs Japan

Soccer Betting Lines

09/17/2007 - Hangzhou, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Birgit Prinz became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, scoring her 13th goal as Germany defeated Japan, 2-0, on Monday to wrap up the top spot in Group A.

Prinz's goal was her fourth of this year's tournament and Renate Lingor added her third goal in the closing minutes for Germany.

Germany (2-0-1) finished the group stage unbeaten, outscoring its opponents, 13-0. The defending champions play the second-place team from Group B, likely the United States or North Korea, on Saturday.

Prinz, a three-time FIFA Player of the Year, has scored in all four World Cups she's played in (1995, 1999, 2003, 2007). She was tied with the United States' Michelle Akers for the all-time lead. Akers scored 12 goals in three events, including 10 in 1991.

Japan (1-1-1) had a chance to advance with a win or tie against Germany, but was eliminated with the loss and England's 6-1 win over Argentina.

Germany controlled the pace of the game from the start as Petra Wimbersky had two great scoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes, but couldn't finish a pair of one-on-one chances.

Wimbersky was alone in the box for the first time in the fourth minute, but her hard blast was knocked over the bar by Japan goalie Miho Fukumoto. She was alone in the box again in the 20th minute, but again tried to shoot high and had her shot turned away by Fukumoto.

Although Wimbersky failed to finish either chance, a corner off the second miss led to Prinz's record-setting goal.

Lingor swung the corner into the box and it sailed over traffic to Prinz at the far post. Prinz touched the ball down and, from just a few yards, unleashed a shot that skimmed off the head of Japan's Tomoe Sakai and into the roof of the net.

Prinz had a couple more opportunities in the half, shooting wide in the 33rd and having a shot saved by Fukumoto in the 46th minute.

Germany's Sandra Smisek, who had three goals in an 11-0 win over Argentina, hit the frame late in the first half.

Japan was more aggressive after the restart, creating one of its few scoring chances four minutes into the second half off a header. Although Japan was more dangerous, it could never connect enough passes to get any good chances on goal.

Fukumoto came up big for Japan again in the 67th minute when she made a nice save to deny Fatmire Bajramaj on a breakaway.

Germany threatened again in the 76th minute when Prinz found Smisek on the left wing and she crossed to the middle of the box. Wimbersky got under a shot, putting the ball high.

Prinz misfired on another chance in the 79th minute, heading a ball wide of the left post.

Germany finally put the game away in the 87th minute when Lingor converted a penalty kick for her third goal of the tournament.Wimbersky helped set up the chance by passing to Martina Mueller, who was taken down in the box.

Lingor scored easily by getting Fukumoto to dive to the left post and she scored to the left side of the net.

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Betting the NFL preseason

Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."

When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. 

The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.

The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.

“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”

The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.

“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”

The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.

“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”

Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.

“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."

So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?

“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.

Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.

“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.

Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.

The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.

“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.

Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.