L.A. escapes Chicago with dramatic draw
Soccer Betting Lines
09/04/2010 - Bridgeview, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Omar Gonzalez scored in stoppage time and the Los Angeles Galaxy escaped Toyota Park with a 1-1 draw against the 10-man Chicago Fire on Saturday, despite a missed penalty from Landon Donovan and a late goal from Collins John.
Donovan's first-half penalty was stopped by Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson, then John scored the opening goal in the 88th minute to put Chicago in position for its second win over L.A. in just over a month.
L.A. responded just seconds into stoppage time through Gonzalez, who jumped to meet a corner kick from Donovan and headed powerfully past Johnson from just a few yards out.
The Galaxy (13-5-5) avoided their fourth loss in their last five games, a span that started with a 3-2 loss to the Fire on Aug. 1.
Chicago (6-7-7) followed that win over Los Angeles with a tie against Red Bull New York and a win over New England, but then lost back-to-back matches to the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders FC. The Fire are now winless in three.
L.A. had the best chances in the opening half, including a header over the bar by MLS leading scorer Edson Buddle in the 15th minute and another header over the bar in the 39th from Donovan.
The key play of the first half was in the 23rd minute, when Donovan failed to convert a penalty kick after Gonzalo Segares was sent off for a foul in the area. The U.S. star drove his penalty to the right but did not place it well, and Johnson dove to his left to deflect the shot.
L.A. nearly erased the frustrating first half midway through the second when a nice back-flick pass from Donovan set up Sean Franklin, who fired just wide of the left post.
Chicago notched the first goal two minutes from time off a free kick as John, who just entered the match minutes earlier, drove the ball around L.A.'s wall and into the bottom-right corner from 22 yards.
Gonzalez spoiled Chicago's celebration seconds later, as Donovan delivered the corner from the right, and the central defender soared to reach the ball near the edge of the six-yard box. His strong header left Johnson no chance.
Johnson, who finished with seven saves, was called into action one final time, and he responded with a one-handed save on Franklin two minutes into stoppage time.
Chicago continues its busy September on Wednesday, when Toronto FC visits. The Galaxy host the Columbus Crew on Sept. 11 in a battle of two of the best teams in MLS.
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<< Bengals chop 22, including WR Jones, K Rayner
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wide receiver Matt Jones and kicker Dave
Rayner were among the players released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday,
as the team reduced its roster to the 53-man NFL limit.
Jones, a former first-round pick
<< Snedeker joins Day in Deutsche Bank lead
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to join Jason Day in the lead after 36 holes of the Deutsche Bank
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Day, who shared the first-round
<< Buccaneers cut 20, including WR Clayton
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former first-round draft choice Michael Clayton
was among the players released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, as the
team reduced its roster to the 53-player NFL maximum.
Clayton, who posted 221 catches
<< Pickens: Gundy's done a good job at Oklahoma St.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -Prominent Oklahoma State booster T. Boone Pickens says he's pleased with the performance of football coach Mike Gundy and is predicting an eight-win season for the Cowboys.Pickens spoke Saturday before Oklahoma State hosted W
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Hamlin edges Newman for Atlanta pole >>
Hampton, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denny Hamlin earned his first pole of the
season by topping Ryan Newman in Saturday's qualifying for the Emory
Healthcare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Hamlin turned in a lap of 187.380 m.p.
Ducks dominate in opener against New Mexico >>
Eugene, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kenjon Barner rushed for 146 yards and four
touchdowns on 17 carries as 11th-ranked Oregon used a powerful first
half to dismantle New Mexico, 72-0, in the first-ever meeting between the
schools
25th-ranked West Virginia opens by blanking Coastal Carolina >>
Morgantown, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geno Smith completed 20-of-27 passes for a
career-high 216 yards and two touchdowns in his first collegiate start and
Noel Devine ran for 111 yards and a score to lead West Virginia to a 31-0
drubbin
Giants make cuts, QB Bomar among them >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Quarterback Rhett Bomar was among the
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Bomar, a fifth-round 2009 draft choice out of Sam Hous
Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.