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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
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.
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