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09/11/2007 - East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer is an up-and-coming league in the United States, but for it to get to the level Commissioner Don Garber envisions, the product on the field needs to continue on its current growth curve.
Nobody can argue that the addition of the designated player roster rule - which allows teams to pick one player on their rosters that don't have to fit under the salary cap - hasn't helped. Especially after the Aug. 18 slugfest at Giants Stadium between the Red Bulls and the Los Angeles Galaxy that saw New York prevail 5-4 in dramatic fashion behind the offensive prowess of two of the league's five designated players.
The game was played in front of a record 66,237 fans, most of whom were there to see the Galaxy's designated player, David Beckham, who recorded two assists in the game. New York's designated player, Juan Pablo Angel, also scored two goals, including the game-winner two minutes from time. Both players were pivotal in the free-flowing offensive shootout.
But even more pivotal was the fact that both teams seemed to throw defense out the window in an effort to give the record crowd something to cheer about. The result was one of the most exciting games in the history of the league.
"I think you saw tonight, two teams that wanted to play the right way, and that's going forward and attacking the other team, which is good," Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said after the game. "I don't think we set out to (combine for nine goals in the game). You don't set out to do that, but I think you saw some good players on the field that were dangerous, and when you have that you are going to see an exciting game."
So why can't there be more games of this quality in MLS?
The answer is that most coaches prefer to win 1-0 or settle for a scoreless draw, especially when playing on the road. They are more concerned with wins and losses than attracting fans to the games - and rightly so, that is their job.
"We need to teach this sport a little better in America so people understand it more," New York's Clint Mathis said after the Galaxy-Red Bulls clash. "(That way) we can have more games like this for the non-soccer fans so it's more of an entertainment value for them... instead of them expecting a 1-0 game or a 0-0 game."
The trend in MLS seems to be changing to that more offensive mentality, which bodes well for its future.
"I think if you talk to Frank Yallop and I behind closed doors, we would tell you that we had a lot of breakdowns throughout the night, but having said that, that is all part of the game," New York coach Bruce Arena said after the classic tilt. "Scoring goals is an important part of growing the sport in this country."
MLS has made great strides since last season, and possibly more important than the designated player rule, is the fact that it has added a number of new head coaches who all seem to be preaching the same thing - offense.
Steve Morrow has FC Dallas attacking from everywhere, the Chicago Fire are battling for a playoff spot with Juan Carlos Osorio adding creativity to the league, D.C. United is currently tops in MLS thanks to Tom Soehn's ability to keep the team in an attacking mode and Kansas City's new coach, Curt Onalfo, is also earning a reputation in the league for his aggressive style. His offensive mentality not only has the Wizards in playoff contention, but they currently have the third most goals in the league, no small feat for a team that didn't make the playoffs a year ago.
PLAYOFF RACE HEATING UP
Red Bull New York, the Kansas City Wizards and the Chicago Fire would be the final three teams to make the playoffs if they started today, but the Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew are in position to make a run if the aforementioned teams falter in their final six-plus games.
New York currently has 36 points, Kansas City 33 and Chicago 29, while Columbus and Colorado are tied at 28. All of the teams have six games remaining except the Fire, who have seven.
New York looks to be in good shape, needing to win just three of its remaining games to clinch a spot with its remaining schedule against Chicago, New England, Real Salt Lake, Toronto, Kansas City and L.A. The Wizards also probably get in with three more wins, with matches against Columbus, CD Chivas USA, L.A., D.C., New York and Dallas remaining. The Fire probably need four wins against their remaining schedule of New York, Dallas, D.C.(twice), Chivas USA, New England and L.A.
D.C., Houston, New England, Chivas USA and Dallas have their spots pretty well locked up, barring a collapse down the stretch.
CONSPIRACY THEORIST?
New England coach Steve Nicol was dismissed from Sunday's 4-2 loss to D.C. in the 68th minute after a non-call by referee Abbey Okulaja allowed a turnover, leading to United's go-ahead goal.
"What are you supposed to do? We can set up to play against teams but we can't set up to play against officials," he said after the game. "I'm not talking about a hairline decision one way or the other. I'm talking about a free kick that everybody within 20 yards could see what it was. Not one of them saw it? That's what they'll probably tell you. And if they did see it - are you kidding me?"
So was he blaming the officials or just venting after a tough loss?
Let's hope Nicol wasn't blaming one non-call for the outcome of a game his team lost by two goals, especially considering most teams suffer worse calls by the league's full-time referees every week.
Revs star striker Taylor Twellman probably had it right when he said, "To be honest, D.C. outplayed us today."
GOALLESS STREAK CONTINUES
Last-place Toronto FC's current goal-less drought was extended to an MLS- record 732 minutes at Dallas Saturday. Without attackers Ronnie O'Brien and Jeff Cunningham, who are out for the season with injuries, and Danny Dichio, who will miss the team's game Saturday vs. Real Salt Lake with an injury, chances of the streak extending are better than average.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"There is a gimmicky-type thing in the beginning with it and we didn't really react. But he's a quiet kid, he's very humble and every day he kind of won us over with his work rate. He works his butt off. Guys get after him and he just responds by playing harder and that's what you want out of a young kid. He doesn't seem to get a deer-in-headlights when someone has a go at him or when it gets really physical. He responds by playing harder and that's all you want out of a young guy."
- CD Chivas USA forward Ante Razov said of Jorge Flores, who won Chivas USA's Sueno MLS contest earlier this year and made his professional debut against the Red Bulls Sunday.
<< United's Emilio named player of the week
Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - D.C. United forward Luciano Emilio earned
his third Major League Soccer Player of the Week award Tuesday after scoring
four goals in two games last week.
Emilio had two goals in a 2-2 tie with Chivas U
<< Blue Jays sign McDonald to extension
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays have signed shortstop
John McDonald to a two-year contract. The deal is worth $3.8 million and
extends him through the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
McDonald, 32, is batting .252 with
<< Drake moves ahead of San Diego in Mid-Major Poll
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After coming up just two points shy of
first-place last week, Drake edged past San Diego by one point in the Mid-
Major Top-10 poll announced by The Sportsbook Betting Lines on Tuesday.
Both teams received e
<< Chiefs bring in K Rayner
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to terms
with kicker Dave Rayner on a two-year contract.
Rayner spent last season with the Green Bay Packers and connected on 26-of-35
field goal tries with 31 extra poin
This Week in Auto Racing September 14 - September 16 >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR begins the "Chase for the Nextel
Cup" this Sunday in New Hampshire, while across the pond, the Formula One
championship heats up both on and off the track.
NASCAR
Nextel Cup
Sylvania 3
CFB - Blowout City >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The four most important games this past
Saturday all fell under the category of "decisive victory" for the winning
team - LSU destroyed Virginia Tech, Oklahoma did the same to Miami-Florida,
Oregon took care
Bengals Get Some Breaks, Outlast Ravens >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The offense of the Baltimore Ravens tried its best to give
Cincinnati a win in its opener Monday night.
When that failed, the officials effectively tried to gift wrap the victory for
them.
That didn't work either, but w
Turnovers, Injuries, Penalties Mark Bad Night for Ravens >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It was a nightmare from which the Baltimore Ravens nearly
awoke.
The franchise's three most identifiable and arguably most important players -
quarterback Steve McNair, left tackle Jonathan Ogden, and linebacker Ray Lewis
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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