Argentina patiently waiting its turn

Soccer Betting Lines

06/21/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Behind a devastatingly skilled attack and coached by a personality to match, it is a bit of a mystery as to how Argentina has faded into the peripherals of South Africa.

Despite having won both its matches in convincing fashion - even in the 1-0 win over Nigeria, they dominated the flow of the game - Argentina find themselves taking a back seat to headlines of early upsets and team mutiny.

Favorites by anyone's definition, the Albiceleste entered the 2010 World Cup without the same type of fanfare and hype allotted to countries such as Spain and Brazil.

This, in spite of a roster that includes one of the most talented players in the world, in Lionel Messi, and football legend Diego Maradona patrolling the sidelines.

And that Maradona guy - the one who almost single-handedly won the 1986 World Cup with a virtuoso performance cemented in soccer lore - he's more than happy to pull the curtain back and praise a group talented enough to win their third Cup title.

"I want to congratulate my players for having perfectly executed our game plan. We deserved a win like this because we'd already threatened this kind of result against Nigeria," Maradona said after his team's 4-1 thrashing of Group B rival South Korea.

"Except from the ... error [that led to South Korea's goal], we had all the play and did what we wanted with the ball."

Such confidence appears misplaced given Maradona's lack of pedigree when it comes to directing a squad on the pitch.

After navigating his team through an uninspiring qualifying round and with just two Cup games under his belt, there is plenty of ammunition to shoot down hopes of a third world title for the storied soccer nation.

Having all but secured a trip to the round of 16 prior to playing their final group match versus Greece on Tuesday, the Argentineans can look ahead to the elite portion of the tournament with shades of Germany fresh on their minds.

It was then that Argentina's 19-year-old prodigal striker, Messi, could only watch from the bench as his team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the host country in a heartbreaking penalty shootout.

For Messi, who scored at a rate of more than a goal a game for his club team Barcelona this year, performing on the international stage will be everything in defining his legacy as one of the all-time football greats.

And yet despite lofty comparisons to his coach - whose five goal performance in the '86 tournament stands as one of the gold standards in the history of the sport - Messi will have to start finding the back of the net if Argentina have any thoughts of knocking off Brazil, Germany, or Spain.

Through their first two games, the team's top striker has been held off the score sheet even though his electric speed and mesmerizing footwork has remained the focal point in an impressive Albiceleste offense.

Although questions as to the club's ability to defend and stop the opposing attack are considered to be its main deterrent to the final, Argentina's success will hinge on the performance of its two superstars.

But this time around, only one of those men can look on while the other tries to revive those fond memories of 24 years ago.

"Messi is my Maradona," the coach said upon assuming national team duties.

If such sentiment holds true, Argentina's story will be front and center this summer.

Wwwbingogala Soccer Betting News

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Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

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2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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