Henry's first MLS goal helps N.Y. beat San Jose
Soccer Betting Lines
08/28/2010 - Harrison, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Thierry Henry scored his first goal in Major League Soccer and Dane Richards had a goal and an assist, leading Red Bull New York to a 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday at Red Bull Arena.
Richards scored the opener in first-half stoppage time, then assisted as Henry scored his first goal since joining New York in July. Henry had two assists in his MLS debut on July 31, but failed to score in his first five matches.
After missing a few chances throughout the game, including hitting the post in the first half, Henry finally ended his scoring drought when he settled a pass from Richards and fired into the right side of the net from eight yards out.
New York (11-7-4) improved to 3-1-2 since Henry joined the club, and closed to within four points of Columbus for first place in Eastern Conference. The Crew tied FC Dallas, 0-0, on Saturday.
San Jose (8-7-5), which shut out the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 last week, had its two-game winning streak snapped.
San Jose had a chance to take control of the match early when top scorer Chris Wondolowski ran onto a rebound, but N.Y. goalie Bouna Coundoul pushed the 12- yard shot off target.
Henry had a similar chance in the 12th when a rebound fell to him in the area, but San Jose defender Tim Ward cleared the 10-yard shot off the line.
Henry turned provider a few minutes later when he put Juan Pablo Angel through on the left side of the area, but the Red Bulls' leading scorer failed to find the net from a tight angle as S.J. goalie Jon Busch made the stop.
Angel returned the favor in the 21st, holding the ball on the left side of the area before finding Henry at the top of the area. Henry curled his shot around Busch, but it hit the right post as he again failed to net his first MLS goal.
Cornell Glen had San Jose's only other good first-half chance in the 25th off a pass from Wondolowski, but fired wide right off an open look from the left.
Marquez forced a save from Busch from the corner of the area late in the half, but New York got the opener minutes later in stoppage time from Richards.
Joel Lindpere played the ball down just outside the area to Richards, who took the ball through traffic, got a lucky deflection off San Jose's Bobby Burling, cut around Busch and rolled the ball into an empty net.
Henry just missed his first goal minutes into the second half when he flicked a ball on target with his back to the goal, but Busch dove to knock the chance down. Angel should have converted the rebound, but somehow hit the right post from just a few yards with the net open.
Henry created a scoring chance for himself four minutes later in the 53rd, as he lifted the ball off the ground to set up a turning shot that Busch touched over the bar.
Marquez unleashed a blast that bounced just wide of the left post as New York continued to pile on the pressure, but San Jose responded with two quick shots that could have easily tied the match.
Arturo Alvarez fired just over the bar in the 60th, and Glen missed wide left seconds later.
New York finally found its second goal a few minutes later, as Henry settled a cross from Richards and hammered in his first MLS goal. Richards hit a one-hop cross from the right that Henry settled near the penalty spot, then fired low past Busch to leave the Earthquakes goalie no chance.
Glen just missed trimming the deficit in half in the 66th, as he lifted a shot over the bar from close range. San Jose failed to put New York under pressure over the final 25 minutes, as Coundoul finished with two saves for his eighth shutout.
New York visits Real Salt Lake on Sept. 4 for its next MLS match, and San Jose visits the Houston Dynamo on Sept. 5.
Orchard Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bengals rookie cornerback Brandon Ghee was carted off the field during Saturday's preseason tilt with the Buffalo Bills with an undisclosed injury. Ghee, the team's third-round draft choice this
<< RSL, TFC share points at BMO
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC battled to a
scoreless draw in Major League Soccer action at BMO Field on Saturday night.
With the draw, RSL (11-4-7) is unbeaten in six league fixtures, while
improv
<< Stakhovsky comes back to take New Haven title
New Haven, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sergiy Stakhovsky bested Denis Istomin in the
finale of the $750,000 Pilot Pen Tennis event to capture his fourth career ATP
Tour title.
Stakhovsky, seeded ninth, rebounded from a first-set loss to take a 3-
<< Richard's Kid does it again to capture Pacific Classic
Del Mar, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Richard's Kid came from the back of the pack
Saturday to successfully defend his crown in the $1 million Pacific Classic at
Del Mar. The victory puts Richard's Kid automatically into this year's
Breeder
<< Brown, Lions rally past Browns
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Brown rushed for a pair of fourth-quarter
touchdowns as Detroit rallied past Cleveland, 35-27, in preseason action from
Ford Field.
Matt Stafford played three quarters and went 13-of-17 for 141 yards
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kosuke Fukudome hit the game-winning two- run home run and Randy Wells spun six solid frames as Chicago edged Cincinnati, 3-2, in the middle meeting of a three-game set. Fukudome finished 2-f
Langer leads Price by one at Boeing Classic >>
Snoqualmie, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bernhard Langer fired a nine-under 63 in
Saturday's second round to take a one-stroke lead at the Boeing Classic.
Langer, who has already won four times on the Champions Tour this season,
completed 36 holes
Spiller runs Bills past Bengals >>
Orchard Park, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - C.J. Spiller debuted in front of the
Bills' faithful and rushed for two touchdowns while Trent Edwards firmed his
grip on the starting quarterback role, as Buffalo defeated the Cincinnati
Bengals
Mapp's stoppage-time goal helps Union sink 10-man Revs >>
Foxborough, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Union scored two goals in
the final eight minutes of their Major League Soccer match at the New England
Revolution on Saturday night to earn a 2-1 win.
Second-half substitute Justin Map
Houston's Myers upends Santana, Mets >>
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brett Myers tossed seven strong scoreless
innings while Carlos Lee hit a two-run shot and drove in three runs as Houston
downed the New York Mets, 4-1, in the middle test of three between the clubs
at Citi
FOOTBALL BETTING
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.