Henry to New York exactly what MLS needs
Soccer Betting Lines
07/12/2010 -
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In one of the worst-kept secrets in soccer, French striker
Thierry Henry will be announced as Red Bull New York's second designated
player at a press conference on Thursday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
What does the signing of the former Arsenal and Barcelona star mean to New
York and Major League Soccer?
Everything.
Not only will signing the 32-year-old star add a big name to help Red Bull and
MLS gain some long-term traction in the New York market, but it will
immediately put MLS in the news cycle after the dramatic World Cup exploits of
the United States national team put soccer's popularity in America at an all-
time high.
The fact that New York is able to add one of the top scorers in English Premier
League history, a player only three years removed from being Arsenal's captain,
is a major coup for MLS.
Don't believe me? Ask Henry's buddy, Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash, also
part-owner of the 2011 MLS Expansion Vancouver Whitecaps.
"He's played at some of the biggest clubs in the world," said Nash at Red Bull
Arena on Saturday. "He's had a fantastic time at Arsenal, a fantastic time at
Barcelona and when you've been a professional soccer player at the highest
level with all those expectations since you're 17, sometimes you welcome a
change."
Nash went on to talk about how much Henry loves New York and the United States,
and how much he can add to MLS.
"I think we're lucky, too, because Thierry's still a world-class player," he
said. "We've seen players come over before who've shown how great they were
but not necessarily every night. I think he's still capable of playing at the
highest level of this game. It's amazing that he's willing to come over here
at this stage of his career, to be honest."
Not since the Los Angeles Galaxy signed David Beckham prior to the 2007 season
has MLS scored such an international star.
In a league where the Galaxy have cornered the market in both points and
headlines (even with the long-term Achilles injury to Beckham), New York now
has an opportunity to balance out the spotlight with its own star, in the first
year of its brand-new soccer-specific stadium.
Prior to the 2010 MLS season, New York's other designated player, striker Juan
Pablo Angel, told The Sportsbook Betting Lines he was "excited about [opening Red Bull
Arena] because I'm sure it will change the perspective of the game in this
region."
Now with Henry, and the Red Bulls reportedly closing in on a third DP, that
perspective should continue to evolve.
"Getting top-quality, experienced players is obviously going to help us
continue what looks like a decent year for the club," New York general manager
Erik Soler told media on Saturday. "We're going to get a good player in and
we'll have to take it from there and see. It will lift the whole team and make
everybody even sharper and better, and it will be a great experience for us."
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Canton, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - ESPN host Chris Berman has been recognized as
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AL Notebook: Cano finally starting to 'get it' with Yankees >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It wasn't long ago that there were some people inside the
New York Yankees organization who wanted to deal Robinson Cano.
Some felt he was too lazy in the field. Others didn't like his approach at the
plate. His harshest c
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There may not be a more random All-Star on this year's
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Forget the moonball he served up to Ryan
Canucks sign D O'Brien, three others >>
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Vancouver Canucks on Monday announced the
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This Week in Golf - July 12th through July 18th >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, The Old Course
at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland - The season's third major championship
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Andrews
NFL Football Betting Online
The San Francisco 49ers (5-11 SU, 5-10-1 ATS in 2007; 1-1 SU & ATS in pre-season) found some offensive life last week, and they will try to build some momentum on Thursday night as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Bears (7-9 SU & ATS in 2007; 0-2 SU, 0-1-1 ATS in pre-season) in an NFL matchup that is set to get underway at 8 PM ET at Soldier Field (natural turf) in Chicago.
Thursday, August 21
NFL betting odds: CHICAGO -3 (-120), Total 37
NOTABLE STAT: San Francisco was last in points, last in total offense in 2007
KEY NFL BETTING TREND: SF has lost its last seven SU on pre-season road
In the BetUS NFL pre-season football betting odds, the Bears are listed as a three-point favorite (laying -120), with the total posted at 37 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup (reflecting numbers going into the 2008 season):
* SF has lost 11 of its last 14 games SU
* SF has covered three of its last 11 games
* SF has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* SF has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has covered five of its last eight games
* CHI has played five of its last seven games OVER the total
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 home games
* SF has lost its last seven pre-season road games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last seven home pre-season games
Well, I guess we should congratulate the Bears on making their quarterback choice for the season's opening game, as they have designated Kyle Orton the starter against Indianapolis. The Bears obviously have lost patience with Rex Grossman, and what they do with him at this point is anybody's guess. But suffice it to say that there isn't a quarterback competition anymore, at least in training camp.
Meanwhile, the quarterback competition may also be settled in San Francisco, where the Niners bounced back from a lackluster 18-6 loss to the Raiders, in which they turned the ball over four times, to execute a 34-6 rout of the Packers last Saturday. However, coach Mike Nolan has stopped short of saying that, insisting that the job is still open. But J.T. O'Sullivan, the longshot of the trio of Niner signal-callers who opened camp, will start his third straight pre-season game here. Against Green Bay, O'Sullivan was only 8-for-17, and was intercepted, but he also threw for 9.1 yards an attempt, which included a 59-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan. The others struggled.
Some offensive cohesion is badly needed, in light of the Niners' dismal 2007 campaign, in which they were dead last in the NFL in scoring, with just 13.7 points a game. And O'Sullivan is the guy who is most familiar with offensive coordinator Mike Martz's exacting system, because he learned it last year in Detroit. O'Sullivan will go at least the entire first half and may even last longer. He'll be relieved by Alex Smith, with Shawn Hill doing the mop-up work. Three receivers who were out last week - Bryant Johnson, Ashley Lelie and Arnaz Battle - will miss this game too.
That may hurt a little here, especially since the Bears will be using a lot of their defensive starters. And it's the defense that has been keeping the Bears in games thus far. In fact, the defense and special teams were responsible for the first 19 points Chicago scored against Seattle last time out, as the offense really struggled with Grossman at the controls. But maybe the first-team offense has a chance to settle a little bit as it works more with Orton at the helm.
Certainly we have concerns about the Bears' offensive line, but we like the scenario for them here, especially if O'Sullivan doesn't make some bis plays. The Niners may have nowhere else to turn right now, and they have lost seven straight road games in the pre-season. Let's take Chicago, the three-point favorite in the NFL football betting odds.
CHICAGO -3 (-120) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
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