United, Dynamo gear up for Champions Cup matches

Soccer Betting Lines

02/20/2007 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While most Major League Soccer teams are slowly building their fitness and preparing for the upcoming season - which kicks off April 7 - two clubs are under considerably more pressure.

The Houston Dynamo, the 2006 MLS Cup holders, and D.C. United, the 2006 Supporter's Shield holders, are both scheduled to compete in CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal first leg matches on Wednesday.

The Dynamo traveled to Costa Rica Monday, following a preseason match against the Chicago Fire on Sunday in Fla. at the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. The MLS title holders are scheduled to take on Central American Champion Puntarenas FC on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. ET at Miguel "Lito" Perez Stadium.

D.C. United traveled to Honduras for their first leg of their matchup against Club Deportivo Olimpia. Olimpia are usually contenders in the Honduran top flight and have won the Champions Cup twice, most recently in 1988. D.C. was the first MLS team to win the Champions Cup in 1998.

D.C. has a slight advantage with the addition of new striker Luciano Emilio, who will be making his United debut against his former club. His knowledge of the team as well as his ability to mesh with fellow offensive stars, Jaime Moreno and Christian Gomez, will be pivotal to United's chances on the international stage. Kickoff for this match will be at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Both matches figure to be tough early tests for the teams in hostile environments as they try to get into game shape. Following the away legs of the Champions Cup, Houston and D.C. will host respective second leg matches between Feb. 28 and March 1.

Below are the official rosters for the two MLS teams competing in the CONCACAF Champions Cup:

D.C. UNITED

Name (#, position): Troy Perkins (1, goalkeeper), Bryan Arguez (3, midfielder), Facundo Erpen (5, defender), Stanton Mediate (6, midfielder), Justin Moose (8, midfielder), Christian Gomez (10, midfielder), Luciano Emilio (11, attacker), John Wilson (12, defender), Ben Olsen (14, midfielder) Rodion Dyachenko (15, attack), Brian Carroll (16, midfielder), Joshua Gros (17, midfielder), Devon McTavish (18, midfielder), Clyde Simms (19, midfielder), Stephen DeRoux (21, midfielder), Jay Nolly (22, goalkeeper), Jamil Walker (23, attacker), Jeffrey Carroll (24, midfielder), Bryan Namoff (26, midfielder), Robert Boswell (32, defender), Jaime Moreno (99, attacker).

Head coach: Tom Soehn.

HOUSTON DYNAMO

Name (#, position): Zachary Wells (1, goalkeeper), Eddie Robinson (2, defender), Kevin Goldthwaite (3, defender), Patrick Ianni (4, defender), Ryan Cochrane (5, defender), Kelly Gray (6, midfielder), Chris Wondolowski (7, midfielder), Paul Dalglish (8, attacker), Brian Mullan (9, midfielder), Bradley Davis (11, midfielder), Julian Nash (12, attacker), Ricardo Clark (13, midfielder), Dwayne DeRosario (14, midfielder), Alejandro Moreno (15, attacker), Craig Waibel (16, defender), Mike Chabala (17, midfielder), Patrick Onstad (18, goalkeeper), Johnathon Michael Hayden (19, midfielder), Stuart Holden (22, midfielder), Mpho Moloi (23, midfielder), Wade Barrett (24, defender), Brian Ching (25, attacker), Jordan James (26, midfielder).

Head coach: Dominic Kinnear.

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Contract negotiations could get started as early as next week. Let's see which team has the deeper pockets. Will MLB baseball betting lines despite allegations of steroid use? Bet On It at www.MySportsbook.com .

Get all your baseball betting lines, MLB lines and MLB team props at the My Sportbook.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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