05/15/2008 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The United States men's national team will play World Cup semifinal round qualifying matches in Bridgeview, Ill., Washington, D.C. and Commerce City, Colo., if it defeats Barbados in the second round.
The United States, which plays friendlies against England, Spain and Argentina in the next month, plays the opening match of its home-and-away series against Barbados on June 15 at 5 p.m. (ET) at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The second leg of the series is June 22 at a time yet to be determined.
Should the United States advance, they will play their first home qualifier of the four-team semifinal round group on Sept. 10 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., at 8 p.m., against the winner of the Trinidad & Tobago-Bermuda series.
On Oct. 11, the United States would face either Cuba or Antigua & Barbuda at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. at 4 p.m.
Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., would host the USA's final match of the semifinals, with the team taking on either Guatemala or St. Lucia on Nov. 19 at 10 p.m.
Semifinal round qualifying in CONCACAF will take place from August to November in 2008, with the teams divided into three groups of four teams each. Playing a six-game round robin format, the top two finishers from each group advance to the final six-team group that will be played in 2009.
The U.S. is gearing up for a trio of blockbuster friendlies in advance of the Barbados match, beginning with a trip to famed Wembley Stadium for a May 28 clash with England. The U.S. will then face fourth-ranked Spain on June 4 at the Estadio El Sardinero in Santander, before heading back across the Atlantic to face No. 1-ranked Argentina on June 8 in New Jersey.
<< Brewers P Riske lands on DL
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher David Riske
has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hyperextended right elbow,
the team announced Thursday.
Riske left Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles
<< Brewers ink Braun to record-setting extension
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers have signed outfielder
Ryan Braun to a record-setting eight-year contract that sets the bar for
players with three years or less of major league experience.
The deal, worth a re
<< Phils send out Hamels in hopes of gaining series win from Braves
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Cole Hamels will try for a fourth straight start
without a loss tonight, when the Philadelphia Phillies host the Atlanta Braves
in the finale of a three-game set between National League East Division rivals
at Citi
<< Cubs aim to continue Wrigley success in finale with Pads
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wrigley Field has been a win factory this season for the
Chicago Cubs and will be today's site for the finale of a four-game series
versus the San Diego Padres.
Chicago has won two of the first three meetings wi
AFL approves instant replay for 2008 playoffs >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arena Football League approved the use of
instant replay for this year's playoffs.
The league's Board of Directors unanimously approved the change, marking the
first time in the AFL's 22-season history
Dodgers 3B DeWitt scratched from lineup >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Blake
DeWitt was a late scratch from the lineup for Thursday's game against the
Milwaukee Brewers after experiencing lower back pain.
Everyday catcher Russell Ma
Barcelona and MLS establish multi-year partnership >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer announced Thursday it has
entered into a multi-year partnership with Barcelona, one of the world's most
popular and celebrated professional soccer clubs.
The new, five-year partnership -
Coburn, Roberts out for Game 4 >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia defenseman Braydon Coburn and
Pittsburgh forward Gary Roberts will miss tonight's Game 4 of the Eastern
Conference finals at the Wachovia Center.
Coburn took a puck to the face early
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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