Soccer Picks For Online Sports Betting

Did you know that betting on soccer brings in more money each year in the United States than any two other sports combined? Whether we are talking amateur or professional play, people are quick to jump at the opportunity of making the sport a little bit more exciting through laying a bet. In fact, there are some people who are able to make some good money betting during the course of a soccer season.

You might have dreams of winning big through football bets one day, but the odds are pretty good you aren’t there yet. You might know all the statistics and figures for every team in the NFL, but unless you have a knowledge of how soccer picks and sports betting in general works, that knowledge won’t get you very far. This article is designed to help set you on the road to winning ways as far soceer picks goes.

The most popular types of bets in football are bets made on the spread. The spread refers to the number of points a team will win by in a game. A team must win the game by that amount of points, or more, in order to be considered the winner.

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SEC Futures - Online Soccer Betting

If you enjoy sports betting you probably know that online soccer betting is truly an art.

Considered by many to be one of the toughest conferences in college football, the Southeastern Conference features a number of very good teams.
Which one will take this year’s SEC title?
Florida is currently the odds-on, listed at -225.
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Football Betting - Brett Favre Stays Retired

It’s been reported that Brett Favre has let the Minnesota Vikings know that he won’t be playing football betting in this season.

"It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made," Favre told ESPN. "I didn’t feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable."

The news came as a blow to the Viking organization and to those sports bettors who had put money on the Minnesota to win their division, the NFC and/or the Super Bowl. The football betting on the Vikings at most online sportsbook jumped once news broke that they were chasing Favre. The team opened around +2200 at most online betting outs, but the money started to pour in on Minny, dropping the odds to as low as +1500.

At respected sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com the Vikings were sitting at 16-1 Tuesday evening, hours after the report he was not going to suit up.

This is a team with one of the best defences in the league and on the other side of the ball, they have one of the top running backs in the game, Adrian Peterson. The glaring weakness has been, and apparently will continue to be at the QB spot. If Favre stepped in to this offense, despite being 39 years old and clearly not as effective as he had been several seasons ago, he made this team a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Minnesota won the NFC North division last year despite the lack of production at QB and there is every indication they could be better this year, with or without a chance behind center.

Heading into camp the QB battle will now be left to Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Look for Rosenfels to win that battle, but he still needs to prove he can be an effective, consistent starter.

The NFC North division is wide open, particularly now that the Chicago Bears have a starting QB who might actually be able to move the offense. The future odds on the Bears to win the Super Bowl is currently 20-1, with odds of 15-8 to win the division.

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Online Soccer Betting - Bets on Online Soccer Betting

To date, online soccer betting has reached a new height of recognition. Because of the players' present remarkable talent coupled with unsurpassed skill they have become widely recognized in the online sports betting game. Add to that the fact that people who love to bet online are enormously growing, unstoppable success was achieved and online soccer playing becomes one of the most preferred. Since there are lots of people who can afford internet connection, online betting becomes a trend. Owing to the fact that there are more people who love to bet online, online soccer betting grows. It has now become a worldwide craze. Because of online soccer betting, the game itself has gained a new face.

When you take part in an online soccer betting you are given numerous tips. This is to aid and guide you when you bet. One of the most essential tips when you want to bet online is that you must have a thorough understanding of what the sports is all about. Know what are the capabilities of the teams who are playing. Be familiar with each team's profile. Having the correct information about the team that you are betting your money with will yield you winnings. Unfounded knowledge could become your loss.
Soccer is one of the most fashionable sports played all over the world. So many teams these days have outstanding records because of their good team work. Placing your bet on the wrong team because of your tainted decision will defeat your purpose. Bear in mind your intention of placing your bet online, and always consider the team who has the greatest potential of winning. You are not betting online for your favorite team, but you are betting for your money to grow. You can double your money by betting wisely..
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Gold Cup Semis and Final Predictions - Online Soccer Betting

Between the Confederations Cup in South Africa and now the Gold Cup on American soil it seems like the U.S soccer team has been in action for months in a row. Those in charge of the national team infrastructure are probably growing tired of the endless competition, but they'll certainly be hoping that they have two more games left to play. They play Honduras in the Gold Cup semifinals at Soldier Field on Thursday. Costa Rica and Mexico clash later the same day on the same field. The winners of those matches will meet on Sunday afternoon at Giants Stadium. Here's a look at the two semifinals, along with a brief look at the finals.


U.S. (-160) vs. Honduras (+400) - On paper the Americans should be the dominant team in this tournament. It hasn't necessarily been that way, though. They needed a penalty kick 105 minutes into their quarterfinal game against Panama to make it this far. Honduras is a far better team than Panama, so the Americans can't afford to play to that same level here.

For more, check out Online Soccer Betting at SPORTSBETTING.COM.

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NFL Betting - NFL Draft to expand to three days in 2010

The audience for the NFL draft has been growing, and the league has responded by expanding the event from two to three days.

Commissioner Roger Goodell notified teams Thursday that the NFL draft will be spread over three days in 2010, running Thursday, April 22, through Saturday, April 24.

In addition, the first round will start in prime time at 7:30 p.m. ET.
ESPN and the NFL Network will televise the entire show.

The second and third rounds will start at 6:30 p.m. ET on April 23.

Rounds 4 through 7 will be on April 24, starting at 10 a.m. ET.

A total of 39 million viewers watched the draft this year.

The NFL said the first round lasted just under 3½ hours in 2009, which would fit neatly into a prime-time slot.

For more, check out NFL Betting at SPORTSBETTING.COM.

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NFL Gambling - Pittsburgh Steelers Preview - 2009 NFL preseason

As the 2009 NFL preseason quickly approaches, we have been analyzing each of the NFL divisions and individual teams, looking for betting value on the NFL future odds board. The betting volume on the NFL future odds with online sportsbook has been increasing steadily the last week or so, as more NFL news and attention is focused on the league with training camps about to start.

Today we look at the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. They are coming off a 12-4 record in 2008, managing to be barely profitable betting them against the spread, as they posted a 9-7 ATS mark.

An interesting storyline is breaking today related to star QB Ben Roethlisberger, who has been named in a sexual assault case brought by a Nevada women. What impact could this looming legal issue have on Roethlisberger’s performance heading into the new season? Hard to tell obviously, but a few bettors appear to be willing to risk that it will negatively impact the team.

Popular online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com saw wagering action that looks like it was triggered by the news. SPORTSBETTING.com betting analyst Mike Sullivan said they saw a flurry of money come in on the Baltimore Ravens to “Win the AFC Central Division” as the story broke and started to gain momentum. As well, bettors weighed in on the “Under” 10.5 wins on the NFL future odds offer of the “Season Win Total” for the Steelers.

That aside, the Steelers head into 2009 looking pretty healthy...in fact they could be better than last year. After a quiet off-season, which is always a good thing for a team off a Super Bowl win things were looking good. But then this Big Ben legal situation jumped up. Remember the last time the Steelers won the big game and the off-season they endured that year? Bill Cowher stepped down, Jerome Bettis retired, a helmet-less Roethlisberger drove his motorcycle into a car and broke his jaw and Santonio Holmes was arrested. The result was a dreadful campaign the next year.

But this year, the offensive starters are back and they’ve added Rashard Mendenhall, who should be a playmaker. The one key item that needs to be highlighted is the fact this offensive line is going to be much better this season. Remember, last year four of the five O-lineman were playing their positions for the first time. It’s why the O-line was the big weakness in 2008. That won’t be the case in 2009.

Defensively...well, defensively they’re going to be very difficult to face again in 2009. They have a front seven that 90% of the league can only dream of having. The secondary is strong vs. the run, but can be exposed if a team gets a chance to go after them through the air. However, few opponents will have the chance to drop back and pick this unit apart, as the Steelers are so good at getting pressure.

And they get an easier schedule in 2009, as compared to one of the toughest in the league last year.

Looking at the NFL odds for Super Bowl, Conference Championship and Division winner, Pittsburgh is near, or at the top of all them.

Check the updated NFL Lines

I expect the Steelers to win the AFC North and while I likely won’t put a bet in on this one, I do see them winning 11 games or more, which means they would go “Over” their posted odds for Season Win Total. I’m not betting it as I just don’t quite see enough value in a number that high with this team.

AFC North Odds

Cleveland Browns 11 - 1

Cincinnati Bengals 10 - 1

Baltimore Ravens 16 - 5

Pittsburgh Steelers 2 – 5

For more, check out NFL Gambling at SPORTSBETTING.COM

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Online College Football Betting Cues - Soccer Betting

A number of dicey factors, including the disparity between the nation's finest teams and those that still have struggling programs, the massive turnover of personnel each year, and the absurdly large number of teams involved, conspire to make far more difficult than its online college football betting NFL counterpart.
With the college gridiron campaign currently in full swing, bettors would be wise to join experienced bookmakers in analyzing these three key factors:
The Gap Factor: The difference between upper echelon teams and middle to bottom teams can be enormous in online college football betting. When you have that situation, certain oddsmaking criteria go out the window.
The People Factor: From year to year you have a much greater turnover of personnel in the college game than you do in the NFL. That means there's a sharper learning curve each year for the colleges. You might get every bit of information about a team for two months but then every thought and every projection you had for that team could change after the first game. New players really can't be judged until bet takers see them in a game. Admittedly, the online college football betting public is in the same boat.
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Pre-Training Camp NFL Future odds - Soccer Betting

With NFL teams set to open training camp in the coming weeks, now would be a good time to look at NFL futures again.
As it stands, the New England Patriots are the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl, listed at +600.
They are followed by the New York Giants at +1100 and the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles at +1400 a piece.
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College Football Betting Lines - Heisman Trophy Odds - College Football Betting

Let’s get ready to rumble – again!

With Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy coming back for another season of college ball, which should result in another wild contest for the Heisman Trophy.

Online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com posted the Heisman Trophy odds and it looks good that we could have a two-time winner, something that has only happened once before (Archie Griffin of Ohio State won the Heisman Trophy twice in back to back years - 1973-74).

Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow is the odds on favorite to win the trophy in 2009. SPORTSBETTING.com currently have him listed at 3-2. Tebow was the 2007 winner. Early action being wagered at the online sportsbook has about 20% of all the betting action coming in on Tebow.

The 2008 winner, Sam Bradford, is at 2-1 odds.

Those two are followed closely by Colt McCoy at 5-2.

All three have a great shot at winning, but Tebow is the favorite for a reason and it’s not about marketing (although that helps). He is the best player in college football, not a question. People who have been around college football for a long time are even prone to saying Tim Tebow could be the best college football player in history. Add to the fact he is playing on the best team in the nation and you have a perfect combination. What can trip up his ride to New York to accept the award – if Florida loses a couple of games or if he gets injured.

It is very difficult to see Tebow not winning this if the Gators go undefeated (very likely) and he stays healthy.

A repeat is going to be more difficult for Bradford in 2009, as he doesn’t benefit from a team stacked with great players. His supporting cast has dropped off heading into the new season.

And while it’s hard to bet on Tebow with such a short price (I feel he has a great shot at winning), I won’t be touching Bradford. I just don’t think he can get the support he needs from this Oklahoma squad.

Can Colt McCoy step up into the spotlight – quite possibly. He has a distinct advantage over the other two, something that Tebow doesn’t have – an experienced O-line. McCoy almost hit 4,000 yards passing (34 TD passes). I like this Texas team and think they can make a real run at the Championship, backed not only by McCoy, but they’re solid on both sides of the ball.

McCoy could be worth putting a few bucks down on.

Check out all the Heisman Odds

Here’s a short list of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy, as provided by SPORTSBETTING.com

CJ Spiller - 20 - 1

Daryll Clark - 18 - 1

Jonathan Dwyer - 15 - 1

Jevan Snead - 15 - 1

Evan Royster - 12 - 1

Jahvid Best - 10 - 1

Terrelle Pryor - 8 - 1

Colt McCoy - 5 - 2

Sam Bradford - 2 - 1

Tim Tebow - 3 – 2

Check out SPORTSBETTING.com for all the college football betting lines

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Soccer Betting Strategy - Making Money From Losing Sequences

There is no shortage of techniques when it comes to betting on soccer. Some involve painstaking analysis while others go down the commonsense route of backing the favourite. There are those who favour a random approach preferring instead to go with a gut feeling after reading the forthcoming fixtures.

There is one method which never seems to get the attention it deserves and that is profiting from sequences. This is a soccer betting strategy that is often overlooked by many people. This is largely due to the fact it requires a small amount of research and analysis of recent results. Making money from losing sequences can be a surprisingly effective way of predicting the outcome of matches.

All losing sequences will come to an end at some point. The trick is to use the losing sequences of the better teams. This is because their sequences usually last for a short period of time and they are much easier to predict. If the best team in the division loses two consecutive games then it is fair to assume they will not lose a third match on the bounce. This throws up an opportunity to either bet on them to win or to lay their opponents.

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NFL Previews – NFC East – NFL Gambling

Is the NFC East the best division in football? We just had this conversation in the office and there were a lot of points made for that being the case and points made against that being the case.

Remember, last year the Eagles were upset by the Cardinals in the NFC East Conference Championship and the rest of the division was either gone earlier or irrelevant come playoff time. The Giants won the Super Bowl two years ago, but the Redskins and Cowboys haven’t been significant factors in the post-season for years.

A case can be made that the NFC South, despite the down cycle in Tampa Bay, is a tougher division and of the AFC South is in the mix (if Jacksonville can regain their form).

Online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com has posted the NFL odds for the Super Bowl and for the divisional crowns. The NFC East is well represented at the top of the Super Bowl future odds betting menu.

Let’s have a look at some of those odds:

Super Bowl Odds

Washington Redskins 40 - 1

Seattle Seahawks 40 - 1

Green Bay Packers 28 - 1

Arizona Cardinals 25 - 1

Atlanta Falcons 22 - 1

Baltimore Ravens 22 - 1

Carolina Panthers 22 - 1

Chicago Bears 20 - 1

New Orleans Saints 20 - 1

Tennessee Titans 18 - 1

Minnesota Vikings 16 - 1

Dallas Cowboys 15 - 1

San Diego Chargers 14 - 1

Indianapolis Colts 14 - 1

Philadelphia Eagles 14 - 1

New York Giants 11 - 1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10 - 1

New England Patriots 6 - 1

Judging by the respect the NFC East receives from the bettors and oddsmakers, they are the best division in football, as all four of their teams are in the top 18 when it comes to the Super Bowl odds.

- You can see the full list of Super Bowl odds at SPORTSBETTING.com

But it’s not as simple as looking at the NFL future odds lists to determine which division is the best. That said, it is a good indicator. The Redskins, as always lately, are expected to finish last, according to experts and the lines posted by the online sportsbook. But every year they are able to climb above expectations and slide ahead of one of their division rivals. This year’s target could well be the Dallas Cowboys.

This off-season you could see a shift in the balance of power in the division, as the Eagles had a great off-season and to me, are the team to beat. I’m concerned about the loss of Dawkins, but this defense should be able to absorb his departure.

Donovan McNabb looked good last year and all indications are he is going to be strong this year.

The odds from SPORTSBETTING.com on the Eagles to win the NFC East division are 12-5.

I like the Eagles to win the division. The Cowboys are certainly talented on both sides of the ball, but that isn’t going to be enough. The coaching staff, Tony Romo, question marks at receiver and their mental toughness are all issues that need to be worked out. I can’t see them finishing ahead of the Eagles and Giants.

Here are the NFC East Odds

Washington Redskins 11 - 2

Dallas Cowboys 12 - 5

Philadelphia Eagles 12 - 5

New York Giants 13 – 8

Next week I’ll finish up my thoughts on the NFC East and look at the NFC South.

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Betting Odds-2010 BCS Futures

We’re approaching the middle of July and before you know it we’ll be at the end of August, meaning there will be football betting odds.

The Florida Gators are currently the odds-on favorites to repeat as BCS champions at +200 and the Oklahoma Sooners, last year’s runners-up, are in the rearview mirror at +500 and likewise for the USC Trojans.

The Texas Longhorns are listed at +700 while the Ohio State Buckeyes are listed at +800.

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Online College Football Betting Championships Starts

Betting analyst Jim Sullivan said that obviously through the spring there wasn’t much volume, but with the new season in sight, bettors are getting interested in college football again.

“The lines at SPORTSBETTING.com went up pretty much right after the BCS Champs have been crowned, in this case it was Florida, but as you might expect, there isn’t much action taken on Online College Football future odds from February through June. But the last week we’ve seen the volume start to increase and there has been a noticeable spike over the past few days.“ Sullivan stated.

Last year’s champs, the Florida Gators, head into the 2009 season as the big favourites. Not overly surprising considering they basically get everyone back and Tim Tebow stuck around campus for another season. Tebow is arguably (maybe not even arguably) the best college football player ever. It is going to be very, very tough to beat the Gators.

But bettors have been shying away from Tebow and crew so far. Sure, there has been Florida money trickling in, but most sports bettors are looking at the Online College Football future odds and don’t see any value on betting a 2-1 favorite – well done, as there isn’t any value in putting money down on the big fav. Not too many bettors are stepping up this early to lay down money on the favourite.

This is the time of year when we see money try and find a team with a little longer odds, who have a real shot but might be flying a bit under the radar.

Bettors have been playing USC, currently sitting at 5-1. If they can get past Ohio State on September 12^th (at Ohio State) they very well could run the table and go undefeated. A loss to the Buckeyes and everyone who bet the Trojans can rip their tickets up, as it’s hard to envision this team securing a Championship invite with one-loss on the books.

USC always attracts a ton of attention from the sports betting public and this year, despite losing Mark Sanchez to the pros, is no exception.

Texas at 7-1 has been getting interest at online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com the last couple of weeks. They’re going to be a player in the National Championship, but they need to beat Oklahoma (unless the Sooners trip up along the way). This should come down to the Red River shootout. The Sooners are 5-1 to win it all.

SPORTSBETTING.com did see some Florida State money showing up as well, but even at 18-1 I don’t really like this bet. The offense should be strong and they’ll likely win the ACC, but there are big questions on defense.

Odds To Win Online College Football Betting Championship

Top 10 Teams:

Notre Dame - 22 - 1

Alabama - 20 - 1

Virginia Tech - 20 - 1

LSU -20 - 1

Florida State - 18 - 1

Ohio State - 8 - 1

Texas -- 7 - 1

USC - 5 - 1

Oklahoma - 5 - 1

Florida - 2 - 1

We’ll look at more of the Online College Football future odds betting action on the next couple of weeks and I’ll have a few plays that I think offer some real great value.

Enjoy the weekend.

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Online soccer betting -How to Get Profits in Online Soccer Betting?

You have probably heard some of the horror stories of people who cuss their bookies and the entire soccer betting world in general. These people will tell you that you can't win doing it and betting on soccer games is just a waste of time. The truth is that these folks are dead wrong. Sure, there are plenty of cases where people have lost money betting on soccer, but there are plenty of others where folks have been successful enough to walk away with profits - some of them large. So how do you go about making these profits when you participate in online soccer betting?

First and foremost, before you ever look at a game or matchup, you need to take the time to develop a money management system. The biggest mistake that people make when they bet is that they don't understand how to manage their money appropriately. You can make a profit if you have a system where you bet only a little bit of your bankroll on each of the matches. The people who end up hurting are the ones who bet their entire bankroll on every match. Eventually you are going to lose a couple here and there. If you are smart, they won't break you, though.

Making money in online soccer betting is all about taking advantage of information. In the great fight to beat your bookie, information is your greatest ally. The more you can find out about the conditions for a match, the injuries of various teams, and the general team trend, the more successful you will be. Much of this information is located on the internet for you to study, but you might have to pay for some of it. You know the old saying

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AFC West Future Betting - NFL Future Odds - NFL Betting

shake it up

shake it up, oo yeah

shake it up

shake it up

When Ric Ocasek and the Cars belted out their chorus from one of their biggest hits, obviously they didn’t have the AFC West in mind, but when I look at their division heading into the 2009 season, I couldn’t help but hear the this American New Wave band singing along.

Shake it up – The Broncos fire one of the legends of the coaching fraternity, hire a youngster who immediately pisses off everyone, and they have to jettison their starting QB (and one of the best young arms in the game).

Shake it up – The Chiefs trade away their best offensive player and arguably the best tight end to ever play the game (Tony Gonzalez to Atlanta) and finally land a QB who might be able to help Larry Johnson and move the ball.

Shake it up – The Chargers drafted an edge pass rusher in the first round of the draft, sending their best defensive player, Shawne Merriman off the deep end.

Shake it up – the Raiders, well the Raiders were the Raiders...as mixed up and shaken up as always heading into a new season.

Sports bettors have been looking over the numbers for this division and it is hard to believe any team other than the San Diego Chargers will win this one.

SPORTSBETTING.com has the NFL Future odds up for the AFC West:

Oakland Raiders - 11 - 1

Kansas City Chiefs - 8 - 1

Denver Broncos - 4 - 1

San Diego Chargers - 4 - 11

- The big questions still exist all over this division. How will Matt Cassel perform without the New England system surrounding him. A mediocre coaching staff, mediocre system, weak offensive line and mediocre receiving corps...sports bettors, I wouldn’t count on Cassel leading this team to a playoff spot, and certainly not a division title.

Can Kyle Orton and Josh McDaniel pull it together in Mile High? It’s going to be tough. Their star receiver, Brandon Marshall wants out, their defense looks like they’ll be bad (except for all-world corner Champ Bailey) and the schedule doesn’t do them any favors. It starts soft with Cincinnati, Cleveland and Oakland, and bettors will want to watch for good spots to get their money down on them early, before hitting a brutal five-game stretch (Dallas, New England, San Diego, Baltimore and Pittsburgh).

With odds of 4-1 on them to win the division at most online sportsbooks there is really no value in betting on the Broncos in this spot.

The raiders...well...forget about them challenging for the division. Al Davis has been successful at running this franchise into the ground and every year demonstrates an ability to drill them down a little further (see that draft this summer). It’s still bad in Oakland, but that said, I’ll be looking for spots to bet on the Raiders, as the defense can compete and there should be some value on taking the points with the big numbers.

The Chargers need to get focused and get over themselves. Suck it up, quit whining and play ball...yes we’re talking to you LaDainian Tomlinson, you Philip Rivers and you Merriman.

They still have talent everywhere and will be the cream of the AFC West crop and could make a deep playoff run.

Good luck with future NFL betting as we get closer to the NFL pre-season odds.

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Women’s Soccer Builds a League

Selling Americans on professional soccer has been tough. Selling them on women’s team sports has been tougher. Selling them on a new women’s soccer league during a deep recession may prove to be the toughest task of all.

Yet with high hopes and low expectations, the Women’s Professional Soccer league started its first season in April. The seven-team league has no television rights deal, a meager media budget and just a handful of major sponsors. It also must overcome history: The Women’s United Soccer Association, built on a wave of support after the host United States won the 1999 Women’s World Cup, folded after only three seasons.

But hard times can be instructional, and those associated with the new league say they have a plan to keep their venture going longer than their predecessor did.

Gone is the corporate-run league that owned all the teams, blew through $100 million and overestimated sponsorship deals, attendance and television exposure.

In its place is a far slimmer league. Franchises cost $1.5 million, teams can spend only $565,000 on players’ salaries, and marketing budgets are modest. To reduce costs, teams travel with 16 players from their 18-player rosters, and the league’s championship game will be held at the home field of the top-seeded team.

Plan B became Plan A. The Breakers halved their target for sponsorship revenue, to $300,000, and have missed that goal by $50,000. They reduced their marketing budget by 80 percent. The team expects to lose about $1 million in 2009.

Several teams are producing Webcasts together to cut costs. The Washington Freedom shares some front-office functions with D.C. United of Major League Soccer online betting.

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Mexican soccer's crisis of confidence

Team Turmoil played at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday. And, no, the Raiders' season hasn't started yet.

The other form of football was being played: Mexico took on Nicaragua in the first round of the Gold Cup, a 12-team regional soccer tournament.

And while the dreary Coliseum was more crowded and livelier than it has been in a long time, it still wasn't full. The crowd that watched Mexico defeat Nicaragua 2-0 was 32,057 — the kind of gathering the A's would swoon for — but it wasn't capacity.

Mexico boasts perhaps the most enthusiastic soccer fans in the world, and its team usually draws 45,000-plus when it plays in Oakland. The diminished crowd might be a referendum on the economy. That's what Mexico Coach Javier Aguirre thinks.

"It's very difficult right now with a world crisis in the economy," Aguirre snapped when he was pestered about the size of the crowd.

Or the lack of a sellout could be a sign of the frustration and concern Mexican fans feel over their beloved El Tri.

Mexico is a team in crisis, and a 2-0 victory over Nicaragua, a nation that cares far more about baseball than soccer and one fielding a team more amateur than professional, isn't going to assuage any concerns.

Mexico is in fourth place in the region's World Cup qualifying standings, one point behind Honduras but only one point ahead of El Salvador in fifth place. Only the top three teams are guaranteed a trip to South Africa next summer. The fourth-place finisher faces a playoff with the fifth-place team from South America, a far stronger region than this one.

These Gold Cup games are fine, but what the Mexican fans really worry about is the World Cup. Mexico has qualified for four consecutive World Cups.

Aguirre knows as well as anyone how devastating a loss to the United States can be. Once the savior of Mexican soccer in 2002, when he took over the team and guided it through a rocky qualifying process, Aguirre was fired after his team lost to the United States in the second round of that World Cup.

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Marla Messing's big thinking made Women's World Cup huge

When Marla Messing left her mark on the world stage a decade ago, it was not in the way she first imagined.

As a youngster, Messing was inspired by Olga Korbut and Cathy Rigby and envisioned a future as an Olympic gymnast.

Instead, burned out on gymnastics in her teens, she settled for being "the Peter Ueberroth of the Women's World Cup."

The three-week tournament, which ended 10 years ago this week with the U.S. defeating China in the championship match at the Rose Bowl and Brandi Chastain famously stripping off her jersey, was history's most successful women's athletic event.

"Beyond our wildest dreams," Messing says of the extraordinary interest that was generated that summer. "Remember, this was women's soccer . . . so we're talking about a women's event in sort of a marginal sport. It was lightning in a bottle."

The event drew more than 650,000 fans, including Jack Nicholson and President Clinton, who were among the 90,185 on hand for the Rose Bowl finale. Clinton rushed to the locker room to congratulate the winners after the championship match, which attracted nearly as many television viewers -- 40 million -- as the NBA Finals. An obviously smitten David Letterman dubbed the team "babe city" and declared himself team owner.

Afterward, the event was featured not only on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which was surprising enough, but also on the covers of Newsweek, Time and People, the latter of which declared the U.S. team "the pop culture story of the year."

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Major League Soccer rankings

First place in the East will be on the line in this ESPN2 game of the week. The defending MLS champion Crew started the season a bit shaky but they've been virtually impossible to beat ever since. D.C. United has had a week off since its brutal 3-0 loss at Colorado.

1. Houston (8-3-4): Unbeaten streak had to end sometime, but to the Galaxy?

2. Chivas USA (8-4-3): Will take a week off to try to recover from a brutal SuperLiga.

3. Columbus (5-3-7): Got the job done in last week's 1-0 victory over New York.

4. D.C. United (5-3-8): Heads to Columbus this week hoping to hang onto first in the East.

5. Chicago (5-3-6): Did well to advance out of group play in SuperLiga.

6. Seattle (6-3-7): Stagnant offense came to life in a 3-0 whipping of Colorado.

7. Colorado (5-3-6): Loss at Seattle was just the Rapids' third loss of the season.

8. Kansas City (5-5-4): Like Chivas, it failed to advance out of SuperLiga group play.

9. Real Salt Lake (5-6-4): Is on a four-game unbeaten streak, and starting to find its groove.

10. Toronto FC (6-6-4): With so many road games remaining, making the playoffs will be tough.

11. New England (4-4-4): Won its SuperLiga group to advance to the semifinals.

12. Los Angeles (3-3-9): Did well to snap Houston's 11-game unbeaten streak.

13. FC Dallas (3-7-5): For this team, tying Colorado was a respectable result.

14. San Jose (3-8-3): At the midpoint of the season, San Jose is nine points out of a playoff spot.

15. New York (2-12-4): Perhaps New York is trying to finish with the worst record in MLS history.

Friday, July 3

San Jose at Real Salt Lake, 8 p.m. (KUTV2.2)

Saturday, July 4

D.C. United at Columbus, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)

Chicago at Colorado, 7 p.m. (DirectKick)

Houston at Kansas City, 7 p.m. (DirectKick)

New York at FC Dallas, 7 p.m. (DirectKick)

New England at Los Angeles, 9 p.m. (FSC)

Saturday, June 20

Chicago 2, San Luis 1

Tigres UANL 2, Chivas USA 1

Tuesday, June 23

Chicago Fire 1, Chivas USA 0

San Luis 3, Tigres UANL 1

Saturday, June 27

Tigres UANL 2, Chicago 1

Chivas USA 1, San Luis 1

Sunday, June 21

Kansas City 0, Atlas 0

New England 4, Santos Laguna 2

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