England, Germany should produce another classic

Soccer Betting Lines

06/26/2010 - Bloemfontein, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England and Germany have played just four games in the FIFA World Cup, but three of those - including the 1966 final - were not decided until extra time or penalty kicks.

So, when England and Germany meet in the round of 16 on Sunday in Bloemfontein at Free State Stadium, the European powers should produce another classic.

"Any meeting with England is huge, and we're really looking forward to it," Germany captain Philipp Lahm said.

Germany defeated Ghana in its final match in Group D to advance as the winner, while England set up the showdown by finishing second in Group C to the United States on goal differential.

Since the countries first met in the World Cup 44 years ago, when England used two extra-time goals for a 4-2 win in the final, they've also battled in 1970, 1982 and 1990.

Germany beat England 3-2 in extra time in the 1970 quarterfinals, as it overcame a two-goal deficit. After a 0-0 tie in the second group stage in 1982, Germany got the best of England again in the 1990 semifinals on penalty kicks.

The Germans went on to claim the title in 1990, the most recent of their three crowns. England hasn't won since 1966. Now, one of the two faces an early exit in South Africa.

"We're not bothered about who we face next. We're not afraid of anyone," said German midfielder Mesut Ozil, who scored against Ghana, "because we know what we're capable of.

"We have to win every game from now on, and I'm convinced we can."

Germany may be very confident ahead of the anticipated round of 16 match, but so is England.

"This was the team that I know," Capello said after England beat Slovenia 1-0. "I'm also happy that I found the team that I knew from the qualifiers. This team can go forward now."

Germany opened the group stage with a convincing 4-0 win over Australia, as it got goals from Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose, Thomas Muller and Cacau. Serbia stunned Germany in its second match, when Klose was sent off late in the first half, with a 1-0 win.

But Germany responded in a must-win game against Ghana and claimed the group. England secured its spot earlier that day as it followed draws against the U.S. and Algeria with the win over Slovenia.

Klose and England's Jamie Carragher return from one-game suspensions, but the Germans face injury concerns, with Bastian Schweinsteiger the big unknown.

Schweinsteiger left the Ghana match in the 81st minute with a thigh injury and would leave a huge void in midfield against England if he is unable to play.

German coach Joachim Loew said Schweinsteiger will be a "last-minute decision" and "could definitely imagine Toni Kroos taking his place" if necessary.

"Bastian is the heart of the team, the midfield motor, who both defends and attacks well. It wouldn't exactly be to our advantage if he can't play," Loew said.

Both Lahm and England captain Steve Gerrard admitted before the game the teams are preparing for penalties, but history has shown that's not the scenario the Three Lions want to face against the Die Mannschaft. Germany also beat England on penalties in the semifinals of Euro 1996.

"We need to find consistency now in the knockout stages," Gerrard said. "If we turn up and we play close to our potential we are a match for anyone."

Wwwmp3now Soccer Betting News

<< Suarez fires Uruguay into WC quarterfinals
Port Elizabeth, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Luis Suarez scored a goal in each half, including a spectacular winner 10 minutes from time, as Uruguay advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 win over South Korea a

<< Wizards' Blatche has foot surgery
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche is expected to be out of action for three months after having surgery on his right foot. The procedure, which was performed Friday night by Dr. Ed Magur at

<< Rockies continue series with Angels
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams trying to remain in striking distance of their respective divisions clash in the middle contest of a three-game series tonight, as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim tangle with the Colorado Rockies at Angel Stadium.

<< Pirates hope to solve road woes in clash with Athletics
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Pirates will attempt to end a 15-game road losing skid tonight, as they continue a three-game set with the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum. Last night, Cliff Pennington went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a ru

<< Garcia tries to pitch White Sox to 11th straight win versus Cubs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's safe to say that not many people predicted that Cubs hurler Carlos Silva and the White Sox's Freddy Garcia would have combined for 16 wins before the end of June. Yet, both starters are going for their ninth win of th

Keselowski takes Nationwide pole at New Hampshire >>
Loudon, NH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brad Keselowski will start on the pole for Saturday's New England 200 Nationwide Series race after topping Carl Edwards in qualifying at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Keselowski, who currently holds a 23

Mexico faces another quick exit against Argentina >>
Johannesburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mexico advanced to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup for the fifth consecutive time, but to end its run of four straight round of 16 exits, will have to beat Argentina on Sunday. Mexico f

Dredge moves three clear in Germany >>
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bradley Dredge fired a five-under 67 Saturday to grab a three-stroke lead after three rounds of the BMW International Open. Dredge, a two-time European Tour winner, completed 54 holes

Sharks sign 2 more potential free agents >>
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -The San Jose Sharks have signed two more of their potential free agents before they hit the open market.The team announced Saturday that it agreed to one-year deals with forward Scott Nichol and defenseman Niclas Wallin. Both

Baltimore recalls Bergesen, puts Montanez on DL >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles have recalled pitcher Brad Bergesen, who will start Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals. Bergesen was called up from Triple-A Norfolk and will begin his third

Albert Pujols to be This Year's Home Run Champ Says Online Sportsbook

Barry Bonds is a 50-1 long shot to be this year's home run champ odds.  The favorite to be this year's home run champ is none other than Albert Pujols, however.

Now that Barry Bonds is signed and in Giants camp, it is on to his pursuit of all of sports most prestigious records: the all-time home run mark. Bonds sits just 21 homers shy of tying Hank Aaron for the career mark at 755. Word out of Giants’ camp is that Bonds is the healthiest he has been in a few years. Bonds is just two seasons removed from his injury riddled 2005 campaign where he played in only 14 games and hit only 5 home runs. He did come back last year and had a solid season hitting .270 with 26 bombs. All eyes will be on Bonds this spring and summer not only because of his home run chase but his highly publicized steroid abuse allegations. If and when Bonds breaks the record, he surely will not get the positive attention one should for breaking a record that was once thought of as “unbreakable”. Despite Bonds decent season last year, he is just 50-1 at MySportsbook.com to lead the MLB in long balls this season.

Not surprisingly, the favorites to go deep the most times this season are Albert Pujols 5-1, Ryan Howard 6-1, David Ortiz 8-1 and Alex Rodriguez 12-1. With 49 homers, Pujols finished second in the National League behind Howard (58). Pujols is considered the favorite due to the consistent power numbers that he has posted since breaking into the league in 2001. Also one must consider the fact that he played in 16 fewer games then Howard did due to an injury. Howard smashed 58 homers in his first complete season of big league play en route to the National League MVP odds award. He silenced his critics by successfully hitting left-handed pitching. Howard also displayed the ability to use his power to the opposite field. Two attributes which should keep Howard amongst the league leaders in long balls for years to come. From the American League representatives, David Ortiz leads the field. Ortiz was second in the majors last year with 54 home runs. Except for 1999 when he only played in 10 games, Ortiz has improved on his home run numbers each year he has been in the majors (1997).

Be sure to log onto online sports betting site MySportsbook.com to check out the odds for who will lead the MLB in home runs this season. Below is just a sample of the players listed. With the highest credit card rates in the industry, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on baseball this summer.

World Series odds

Adam Dunn 15-1

Albert Pujols 5-1

Alex Rodriguez 12-1

Alfonso Soriano 15-1

Andruw Jones 25-1

Barry Bonds 50-1

Carlos Delgado 40-1

David Ortiz 8-1

Jermaine Dye 40-1

Ken Griffey Jr. 100-1

Lance Berkman 40-1

Manny Ramirez 20-1

Richie Sexson 40-1

Ryan Howard 6-1

Travis Hafner 20-1

Vladimir Guerrero 40-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.

Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch

Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.

Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.

"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.