USA tops Costa Rica to seal Olympic berth
Soccer Betting Lines
01/27/2012 - Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The U.S. women's national team punched its ticket for the 2012 Summer Olympics on Friday with a 3-0 win over Costa Rica in the semifinals of CONCACAF Olympic qualifying.
After outscoring its three opponents in the group stage by a combined score of 31-0, the Americans ran into a determined Costa Rica side that made them work for their place in London.
Tobin Heath put the U.S. in front after 16 minutes, but it wasn't until the 72nd minute that the berth looked secure as Carli Lloyd added a second goal before Alex Morgan tallied one of her own in the closing minutes.
The opening goal arrived from a corner kick as Lauren Cheney played the ball to the back post for Shannon Boxx, who sent a header on target.
Costa Rica goalkeeper Erika Miranda got a palm to the ball, but Heath was on hand to head it over the goal line and put the U.S. in front.
The lead almost disappeared 11 minutes later when a shot from Costa Rica's Karol Sanchez struck the crossbar, leaving the two teams separated by a goal at the break.
However, the Americans began to take charge of the game in the second half and doubled their advantage when Abby Wambach sent a chip over the head of the goalkeeper that needed to be cleared off the line by defender Daniela Cruz.
The ball only made it as far as Lloyd at the edge of the area though, and she beat Miranda with a left-footed shot that calmed the nerves of the U.S. team with Morgan adding a late goal that made the final score a bit deceiving.
Despite punching its ticket for the Olympics the U.S. will face the winner of the other semifinal between Canada and Mexico in Sunday's final.
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FOOTBALL 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.
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