Reality check: Germany held to scoreless draw by England

Soccer Betting Lines

09/14/2007 - Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After setting a record with 11 goals in its opening match, Germany was held to a 0-0 draw by England on Friday.

Germany had scored a goal in its last 11 World Cup games, the third longest streak ever, but had that mark stopped thanks to a stubborn England back line and a big save in the game's final 10 minutes by keeper Rachel Brown.

Germany would have secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a win, but will have to wait until Monday against Japan to do so. The Japanese earned a 1-0 win against Argentina earlier in the day, putting them in a tie atop Group A with the Germans.

England, meanwhile, played to its second straight draw in the tournament, but is in a good position to advance as long as they can beat a weak Argentina side on Monday.

England enjoyed a strong start to the match, and had the better of the play early on.

A mistake by German keeper Nadine Angerer in the sixth minute nearly allowed England to steal the lead. A long ball from the back intended for Kelly Smith skipped to the edge of the area, and Angerer came off her line to clear it. She ran to the edge of the box and tried to head the ball clear because she was unsure of where she was on the field. The ball glanced off her head and went behind her but rolled wide of the goal.

Germany did not find too many openings in the first half, but had a good free- kick chance in the 11th minute. Melanie Behringer was on the ball 35 yards from goal and decided to take a crack at the net, blasting a hard shot over the wall and just over the crossbar.

England tried to grab the opening goal on a set piece of its own, with Fara Williams driving the ball low into the box for Smith. The ball was struck low and just skipped over the foot of Smith, who tried to redirect it from the penalty spot.

Germany's Kerstin Garefrekes got open inside the box and sent a glancing header on net minutes before halftime, but Brown saved it easily.

The two teams played a fairly even first half, with Smith looking dangerous for England, and Germany serving up some promising crosses.

Germany began to take control of the contest after the restart, spending the majority of the second half inside the England portion of the field. The English defense held up despite coming under pressure and being forced to deal with a number of balls played into the box.

Captain Birgit Prinz got involved in the 72nd minute when Sandra Smisek took a pass at the top of the box with her back to the goal and laid it off for Prinz. The star striker took a touch into the box but had defender Faye White all over her back. She was able to get a sliding shot off, but it had little behind it and rolled comfortably to Brown.

The best chance of the match fell to Garefrekes eight minutes from time, but Brown came up with a big stop to keep Germany off the board. A loose ball at the edge of the box was knocked toward goal but took a deflection off of an England defender. The ball ended up on the foot of Garefrekes, who was open at the right post. She hit a low shot along the ground that was headed for the far post, but Brown got down and knocked the ball away with her foot, preserving a share of the points for England.

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September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com.  The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans. 

Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to  name a  few.  Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR.  They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.

The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer.  Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your golf sportsbook needs.

Ryder Cup Odds

Europe
Tie
USA		 4-5
10-1
6-5


Ryder Cup Top US point scorer
Tiger Woods
Jim Furyk
Phil Mickelson
Chris DiMarco
David Toms
Stewart Cink
Chad Campbell
Scott Verplank
Zach Johnson
Vaughan Taylor
JJ Henry
Brett Wetterich		 9-4
4-1
5-1
7-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
50-1


Ryder Cup Top European scorer
Sergio Garcia
Luke Donald
Padraig Harrington
Colin Montgomerie
Darren Clarke
David Howell
Lee Westwood
Paul Casey
Henrik Stenson
Jose Maria Olazabal
Paul McGinley
Robert Karlsson		 5-1
5-1
6-1
13-2
8-1
9-1
9-1
11-1
12-1
12-1
20-1
25-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com