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07/31/2010 - Chester, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sebastien Le Toux scored his eighth goal of the season in the first half, but the Philadelphia Union settled for a 1-1 draw on Saturday at PPL Park against the New England Revolution.
Marko Perovic equalized Le Toux's goal in the second half on goal that took an awkward bounce over a diving Union goalkeeper Chris Seitz, as the Revolution earned just their second road result of the season.
Philadelphia (4-8-3) had dropped points at home in Major League Soccer matches just twice, with three wins and a draw in five previous matches.
New England (4-9-4) had lost six straight on the road. The Revs only previous road result was a 2-0 victory in April over D.C. United, which has the worst record in MLS.
Sainey Nyassi had an early chance for New England but shot just wide left from the right side of the area in the 14th minute.
Le Toux, who started Wednesday's 5-2 loss to Manchester United in the MLS All- Star game, put Philadelphia in front less than 10 minutes later with a perfect shot into the upper-right corner.
The Union used a nice series of passes, with Le Toux eventually playing the ball in from left to rookie Danny Mwanga at the top of the area. Mwanga tried to open space and the ball slipped away from him, allowing Le Toux to rush in and unleash an 18-yard shot that left New England goalie Matt Reis no chance.
Perovic fired a free kick just over the bar in the 41st and Le Toux had a free kick tipped over the bar by Reis in first-half injury time as both sides ended the half with good scoring chances.
New England didn't waste another free kick midway through the second half, and Perovic curled a shot from well outside the area past a stunned Seitz. Perovic drove the long shot around the Union's wall and it took a bounce in the box to hop over Seitz at the left post in the 70th.
Perovic nearly put the Revolution in front in the 84th, but missed the upper- left corner from 18 yards.
Philadelphia ended the game with three good scoring chances but Michael Orozco Fiscal was denied by Reis in the 86th, Le Toux had an open shot deflected in the 88th, and Le Toux turned a header wide of the left post in extra time.
The Revolution and Union remain level on points near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, well off the pace of the first-place Columbus Crew.
Philadelphia hosts Columbus on Thursday to start a two-match week. New England hosts D.C. United on Aug. 7 in its next match.
<< Broncos agree to terms with rookie WR Thomas
Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos on Saturday agreed to
terms with rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
Thomas was selected 22nd overall by Denver in this year's draft. According to
the Denver Post, the contract is
<< Colts sign second and third round picks
Anderson, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indianapolis Colts have signed their
second-round pick, linebacker Pat Angerer, and third-round choice, defensive
back Kevin Thomas.
No terms of the deals were announced.
Angerer was the 63rd
<< Azarenka ousts Stosur to reach Stanford final
Stanford, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka celebrated
her 21st birthday by upending top-seeded Samantha Stosur in straight sets
Saturday to reach the final of the $700,000 Bank of the West Classic tennis
event.
The Be
<< Rangers officially acquire Guzman from Nationals
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers officially acquired infielder
Cristian Guzman from the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
The move had been in place Friday, but could not be announced until Saturday
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Bayne wins third consecutive Nationwide pole >>
Newton, IA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Trevor Bayne captured his third straight pole in
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250 at Iowa Speedway.
Bayne's qualifying lap of 133.266 m.p.h. not only made him th
Dallas ties Colorado to extend unbeaten streaks >>
Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Julien Baudet's own goal helped FC Dallas
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Liverpool re-signs Brazilian defender Aurelio >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool re-signed Brazilian defender
Fabio Aurelio, who left the club two months ago when his contract expired, to
a two-year contract on Saturday.
New Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson offered Aurelio
Mexican captain Marquez leaves Barcelona >>
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mexican captain Rafael Marquez ended his
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Marquez, a teammate of Thierry Henry's at Barcelona, is reported to be on hi
(This is an update of a sportsbook for the May 4th issue of ESPN The Magazine).
The Kentucky Derby's post-position draw happened on Wednesday. And, as is always the case, shortly afterwards, a buzz raced around Churchill Downs. It was a low rumble at first, nothing that the squares in the mint julep crowd pick up right away. But by the time the sun set over the twin spires, the chatter was impossible to ignore. Everyone -- sharps, trainers, owners -- was talking about one thing: the wise guy horse, the pre-draw long shot us mopes didn't have on our radar until it was too late.
"You think you're hearing the scoop," says handicapper Lane Gold. "Then you get to the window, the odds are short, and you missed it."
Recognizing a wise-guy horse early is as hard as picking a Derby bonnet. That's because handicappers don't like hype (see ya, I Want Revenge). They want Thoroughbreds who look good losing prep races like the Santa Anita Derby. They eye horses who ate up the field after starting wide or made an easy transition from synthetic tracks to dirt. They look for ponies who showed muscle gain race to race and those who ran hard after several weeks' rest.
"A wise guy," says John Avello, a bookmaker at Wynn Las Vegas, "looks for a horse who can improve."
When I first wrote Horse Betting for The Mag, which I turned in a three weeks before Wednesday's draw, I predicted these three horses had wise guy potential:
CHOCOLATE CANDY (15-1 in mid-April, currently 20-1 according to Avello): His second-place finish at Santa Anita, following a seven-week layoff, proved two things: He can run after resting, and -- by losing a high-profile prep race -- he wouldn't be overhyped.
DESERT PARTY (15-1; 15-1): He was upset in the UAE Derby by a horse he had beaten twice. The public remembers his loss, but the wise guys his wins.
PIONEEROF THE NILE (8-1; 4-1): The big favorite at Santa Anita struggled to win, so he initially got less hype than Quality Road and I Want Revenge.
You may have noticed that the odds on Pioneerof the Nile have been cut in half, from 8-1 to 4-1. Which means the wise guys took a shine to him long before the post-position draw. But, to be honest, this is one of those years with four elite horses getting everyone's attention, squares and sharps alike.
"You're not gonna get a lot of chatter about a horse that isn't in that group, which includes Pioneer, I Want Revenge, Dunkirk and Friesan Fire," Avello told me Wednesday. "We don't have a group of horses behind those top four who look like real legit contenders."
Come Derby week, the final two elements in picking a wise guy horse are how he's working out and what gate he's coming out of.
(By the way, picking a Preakness favorite is a whole different bale of hay, partially based on how horses finish in the Derby. You can see my analysis of who has the best shot at Pimlico on Insider Sunday morning.)
Well, early in the week I Want Revenge, Pioneerof the Nile and Friesan Fire were working out better than anyone. Some thought Friesan Fire, currently 6-1, might have run too fast, burning a five-furlong run in :57 4/5. "When you are running that fast you have the sense that it took something out of him," says Gold. "The Derby is longer than any horse has run, and if they need that extra surge you worry they won't have it because they burned it in the workout."
But, Gold points out, Friesan Fire's trainer is Larry Jones, Two years ago his horse Hard Spun did a five-eighths workout in :57 3/5 and then went on to finish second, behind Street Sense, in the Derby. "Every trainer has different methods," says Gold. "And clearly he knows what he's doing."
Now, as for starting position, Gold says to remember this: Churchill Downs traditionally has 14 starting gates. For the Derby, it brings out auxiliary gates and between the original 14th gate and the new 15th gate, there is a little more space than there is between gates 1-14. "That 15 position will give you a precious second or two to sort out what's happening to your inside," says Gold. "Sixteen is also okay because you can follow the horse in front of you."
Dunkirk, one of the race favorites, is coming out of gate 15. In 16 is Baffert's Pioneerof the Nile. I Want Revenge drew 13, where Smarty Jones won from in 2004, and Friesan Fire picked the sixth position. "He doesn't have a lot of speed to the inside of him," says Gold. "So he will get a clear shot to be near the front."
All the jibber-jabber means this: Pioneerof the Nile has leapfrogged from 8-1 to being the second favorite, along with Dunkirk, behind I Want Revenge. Meanwhile, Friesan Fire, with a good trainer, a strong week of training and a decent post position, is still at 6-1. "By Saturday, it's possible he could go from fourth to the favorite," says Gold.
In other words, meet Friesan Fire, your 2009 wise guy horse.
"Now," says Avello, "it's time for action."
To visit this horse betting site go to MySportsbook.com for all your horse racing betting needs.
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