Seattle, D.C. could welcome reinforcements for MLS clash
Soccer Betting Lines
07/14/2010 -
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two Major League Soccer clubs that sit
second-from-the-bottom in their respective conferences square off on Thursday
night when D.C. United hosts Seattle Sounders FC at RFK Stadium.
Both teams have been disappointing this season, but both expect to be better
the second half thanks to improved play as of late and reinforcements
entering the ranks.
For Seattle (4-8-4) that will come in the form of 35-year-old Swiss striker
Blaise Nkufo, who joined the club in training of Wednesday.
"I'm really happy to be back on the field and I'm ready to play the next
months," Nkufo told his club's website.
Nkufo comes to the Sounders after his appearance in the 2010 World Cup with
Switzerland.
"Well, it was my first training session [Wednesday] after 15 days off," he
said. "I'm going to work on my own and, of course, I want to be a part of the
team and playing [Thursday]."
On the club level, Nkufo last played for FC Twente in the Dutch League,
scoring 114 goals over the past seven seasons.
Don't expect Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid to start Nkufo Thursday after
limited training with his new club, but he could use him off the bench.
United (3-9-3) also could be unveiling two new players in Montenegrin
midfielder Branko Boskovic and Argentinean forward Pablo Hernandez if their
paperwork is completed in time.
That could be a big boost to the club, which is starting to find its form,
having just one loss in its last six league fixtures. Also, after going the
first 10 league games of the season without one, United have earned shutouts
in two of their last five games.
D.C. will be without midfielder Brandon Barklage, defenders Marc Burch, Bryan
Namoff, Juan Manuel Pena and Rodney Wallace and forward Luciano Emilio
because of injuries.
The Sounders are just as banged up, with midfielders David Estrada and Brad
Evans, forward Michael Fucito and defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado all out with
injuries. Midfielders Freddie Ljungberg and Michael Seamon are questionable,
and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso is probable, all with knocks.
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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.
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