Marta shines as Brazil cruises past New Zealand

Soccer Betting Lines

09/12/2007 - Wuhan, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reigning FIFA Player of the Year Marta scored two goals as Brazil started its World Cup with a dominating 5-0 win over New Zealand on Wednesday.

Marta scored both goals in the second half and Daniela, Christiane and Renata also scored for Brazil, which led just 1-0 at halftime.

New Zealand remained winless in World Cup play, falling to 0-4 all time. The team was making its first appearance since the inaugural event in 1991.

Brazil opened the scoring in the 10th minute on a great goal from Daniela. The play was set up by a long pass down the left sideline to Christiane, who headed the ball back to Daniela about 35 yards from goal.

Daniela settled the ball and made a quick touch forward and to her right to set up a 30-yard effort, Her swerving, dipping shot sailed over New Zealand goalie Jenny Bindon and under the crossbar.

Although Brazil controlled most of the possession throughout the first half, it didn't have another great scoring chance until the 40th minute. Christiane had the chance, but put a header just over the crossbar.

Marta, who was also the runner-up for 2005 FIFA Player of the Year, didn't touch the ball until nearly midway through the opening half. The first few times she had the ball, she was swarmed by numerous New Zealand defenders.

Marta started to flash her skills late in the first half and made impressive moves on one play late in the half at the top of the 18 to set up a teammate for an open shot.

She continued to dazzle early in the second half as she continuously drew as many as three defenders. She had a great chance early in the second half but put a shot well high.

Brazil started to dominate early in the second half and New Zealand, which rarely had the ball in Brazil's end in the opening half, was unable to keep the ball for more than a touch or two at a time.

Miraldes delivered Brazil's first strong chance after the break, putting a header high in the 53rd minute off a corner from Daniela.

Just one minute later, Brazil extended its lead on another great strike from outside the box. Christiane had a great individual effort with three defenders in front of her to set the ball up for a left-footed shot, which she hammered toward the upper left corner. Bindon made a diving attempt, but the shot was unstoppable and sailed into the upper left corner.

Brazil continued to threaten as Daniela barely missed her second goal with a shot off the crossbar in the 65th minute.

In the 73rd, Marta finally found enough space to get an open look on goal and didn't waste the opportunity. Christiane sprung Marta with a short pass into the left side of the box and Marta fired a shot that went off the hands of Bindon and into the lower right corner.

Brazil made it 4-0 in the 86th minute on Renata's blast from 40 yards out. She blasted a shot that started out heading toward the middle of the goal and bent into the right side of the net past a diving attempt from Bindon.

Marta continued to make up for her sluggish start, scoring her second goal in extra time. She got the ball on the top right side of the box and went left to line up a shot, which she hit with her left foot just inside the right post.

Marta picked up where she left off in the 2003 World Cup, where she had three goals in four games as a 17-year-old.

Brazil, ranked eighth in the world, continues Group D play on Saturday against hosts China. New Zealand plays Denmark on Saturday.

Wrollingstone Soccer Betting News

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Horse Betting

(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.