2007 Women's World Cup Preview - Canada

Soccer Betting Lines

09/05/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After an appearance in the semifinals in the 2003 World Cup, Canada is looking to build on that effort and place its name among the elite in the women's game.

The Canadians have put themselves firmly in position as the second best team in the CONCACAF region behind the United States, and even pushed the Americans during qualifying in a tense final match in the Gold Cup.

Canada earned an automatic qualifying spot after dispatching Jamaica 4-0 in the Gold Cup semis before turning their attention to the United States in the final.

The game was a tight affair with the two teams going to extra time following a 1-1 contest. Although Canada lost on a late penalty kick at the end of extra time, it showed that this is a team that is waiting to break out.

China 2007 is a great stage for that to happen, with head coach Even Pellerud bringing a team to China that is physically powerful and capable of wearing down any team in the world.

Although Canada lacks the overall firepower from top to bottom of many of the world's elite teams, they have the ability to grind out wins and play a physical style that is tough to deal with.

Striker and team captain Christine Sinclair can be counted among the top strikers in the world with 58 goals in 82 games for Canada. She should carry the scoring load for her team, which should have gained even more confidence from an impressive showing in the Gold Cup.

"The goal for the tournament was to qualify for the World Cup," Pellerud told FIFA's website of the Gold Cup. "It was a lot of pressure on the players but they handled it well. I am more relieved than happy at the moment."

Having achieved the goal of getting to the World Cup, it is now time to set an even different goal, getting back to the semifinals.

Canada opens up its Group C games with Norway, who are likely to be the group favorites. If they can take a point away from this one, the Canadians will be in good shape with easier contests against Ghana and Australia to follow.

Canada has built its program to the point that just simply qualifying is not enough anymore. The team will be looking to take the next step and trying to repeat the success it had at the last World Cup.

If Canada can duplicate that success and continue to put pressure on the United States, Pellerud would be more than just relieved, it might even make him happy.

PAST ACHIEVEMENTS:

-- Champion CONCACAF Gold Cup - 1998.

-- 2nd CONCACAF Gold Cup - 1991, 1994, 2002, 2006.

-- 4th FIFA Women's World Cup - 2003

Vegaas Soccer Betting News

<< 2007 Women's World Cup Preview - Australia
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Australia will be making its fourth appearance in the Women's World Cup, but has yet to record a win in the premier event in the women's game so far. The Matildas record of 0-7-2 in three previous World Cups

<< Instant replay use to expand in NBA
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NBA Board of Governors approved the use of television replays to review severe flagrant fouls and player altercations beginning with the 2007-08 season, the league announced on Wednesday. The board ap

<< Rags to Riches a no go in Ruffian
Belmont, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches will not race in the Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday, September 8. Trainer Todd Pletcher has decided that the three-year-old filly will instead start the followi

<< Chakvetadze reaches Open final four
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rising Russian Anna Chakvetadze was an easy quarterfinal winner Wednesday at the 2007 U.S. Open. The sixth-seeded Chakvetadze will appear in her first-ever Grand Slam semifinal after handling 18th-

<< Rudd to miss race at RIR
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After starting his 900th race last week at the California Speedway, Ricky Rudd will be forced to sit out this week's event at the Richmond International Raceway due to an injured left shoulder. It wil

2007 Women's World Cup Preview - Ghana >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ghana comes to China 2007 having qualified for the past three Women's World Cups, but still is very much the second team in Africa. Nigeria has held claim to the top African team for years, but Ghana is looking for a

2007 Women's World Cup Preview - Norway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Norway has long been one of the powers in women's soccer, reaching the final of the inaugural World Cup in 1991 and winning the tournament in 1995. However, Norway was knocked out in the semifinals in 1999 and bou

This Week in Auto Racing September 7 - September 9 >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The final week of the Nextel Cup "regular" season and the IndyCar Series finale highlight this week's action. NASCAR Nextel Cup Chevy Rock & Roll 400 - Richmond International Raceway - Richmond, VA

Joseph among CFL players of the week >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Quarterback Kerry Joseph of the Saskatchewan Roughriders won Offensive Player of the Week honors for Week 10 on Wednesday. Joseph, who went 20-of-32 with 348 yards and two touchdowns in the Rough

Kuznetsova, Chakvetadze reach U.S. Open semis >>
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of seeded Russians -- former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and rising Anna Chakvetadze -- were easy quarterfinal winners Wednesday at the 2007 U.S. Open. The fourth-seeded Kuznetsova will com

MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook that aims to keep betting fun. The company sees itself as a premier provider of a top-shelf gambling entertainment experience. MySportsbook knows that this can not be accomplished if gamblers are struggling through the betting process, so the emphasis is put on simplicity and ease of use.

Established in 1997, MySportsbook was the first sportsbook to offer the Instant eCheck method, and has since continued on to be one of the most innovate and fastest growing internet sportsbooks the industry has seen. A player doesn’t have to look very far before coming across one of the many sportsbooks that have cloned MySportsbook’s written policies, web pages and advertising campaign, hoping to bottle some of MySportsbook’s magic.

Although MySportsbook’s growth is largely attributed to their talented in-house marketing team, every successful bookmaker will agree that bringing the players in is only half of the battle. In a time when most internet sportsbook were nickel-and-diming players, MySportsbook was creating ways to make bonuses automatic and absent of fine print, while offering all payouts free of charge. This sportsbook also accepts Visa & Mastercard sportsbook.

Almost everything on the online sportsbook site is set in the model of simplicity, making the CS clerk’s job easy as well. Each account action made online results in an automated email sent to the client. When calling MySportsbook, the player feels as if his call is in the united states as no accents can be heard through a state of the art telecommunications system. Few online sportsbooks can compete with My Sportsbook when it comes to offering a fun and hassle-free experience to the small to moderate sized gambler.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs.