Soccer Betting Lines

This Tuesday sees two renowned football clubs Barcelona taking on AC Milan in what potentially could be the game of the season. It is winner takes all at Camp Nou, after the goalless draw in the San Siro in the first leg. Since the first leg, Robinho, who missed an easy early chance in the first leg, scored Milan’s goal in a 1-1 draw at Catania, while Barca overcame a resolute Athletic Bilbao side 2-0 thanks to goals from Iniesta and a Messi penalty. This season, the two sides will be facing each other for the fourth time as they were in the same group. The two results there provided plenty of goals; a 3-2 Barca win in Milan and a 2-2 draw in Camp Nou.

Cesc Fabregas is not in the squad at all. Pep Guardiola rested several players for the Bilbao match. Among the substitutes were Puyol, Pedro and Xavi. Cesc Fabregas not in the squad at all. The squad is looking very strong for the Catalans, with David Villa getting ever closer to returning from his broken leg.

In the first leg, the Catalan giants were well below their usual best as they lacked the tempo to break down a stubborn Italian defense. In fact, Barca could have found themselves trailing in this tie as Milan created the better opportunities and but for some poor finishing from the Italians. Their response to that poor performance was a professional 2-0 win at home against Bilbao. El Clasico is yet to be played they still have an outside chance of edging Madrid to the title, although they are still six points behind Jose Mourinho’s men.

By-and-large, Massimiliano Allegri’s plan to stifle Barcelona kept them at bay in the first leg and it worked to perfection. The veteran Italian rolled back the years with a classic performance, Alessandro Nesta’s presence in the centre of defense was vital to the result. On Tuesday night, Milan will need to repeat those defensive heroics if they are to progress into the semi-finals.

In the first half, Zlatan Ibrahimovic & co cannot afford to be that generous at the Nou Camp and they were guilty of missing gilt-edged chances. The onus will be on the front three of Ibrahimovic Robinho and Kevin-Prince Boateng to make the best of their possession and they are bound to be starved of the ball for long periods.

Milan threw away a 1-0 lead at Catania to eventually draw 1-1 as their four-match winning run in the league came to an end, back in the Serie A. The Old Lady could reduce it to two with a victory tonight, although they are five points ahead of Juventus in second. In the last nine games, they are still unbeaten and one feels that they will need more goals from the support cast if they are fend off Juve for the title.

There is no room for error for either teams. Xavi and Puyol, and probably Pedro, will be restored to the lineup, as Guardiola has to pick the strongest possible team he possibly can. Cesc will at least be on the bench.

The betting odds favor Barcelona as against AC Milan. The best soccer odds for the former team are 3/10, while for the latter is 11.

Chivas USA will be locking horns against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at home. This will be the second time these two teams will be facing each other Wednesday June 1, 2011 at 10:30PM ET, at The Home Depot Center.

Chivas are looking to rebound after a 3-3 draw to Columbus Crew in their last match and they are coming into this match in 7th place on only 13 points. The Los Angeles based side has a record of 2-1-2. They have been inconsistent and it is evident in their last five matches. They have huge wins over the likes of New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls, however they have had let downs to Real Salt Lake and rivals LA Galaxy.

In Major League Soccer, Vancouver Whitecaps FC made an immediate impact. However, the expansion club has failed to win a match since debuting with a 4-2 win over Toronto FC on March 19. As the club plays six times during the month, former D.C. United boss Tom Soehn will have an opportunity to start a crucial month for Vancouver. He will be relying on the likes of Forwards Eric Hassli and Camilo Sanvezzo, Nolly and Goalkeeper Jay Nolly. All MLS fans have been a fan of the forward partnership of the big Frenchmen and little Brazilian

Three players will remain absent from Vancouver because of their international duty. Defender Michael Boxall is with New Zealand, winger Nizar Khalfan is with Tanzania and midfielder Terry Dunfield is with Canada.

Oddsmakers from online sports book have made the Chivas -125 money line favorites. The Vancouver is +325.

Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy will square off for the first time in the 2011 regular MLS season on Saturday. Even though surely plenty of Chivas supporters will show up at the Home Depot Center, in this Los Angeles derby, the Galaxy will have the home advantage.

Closer to game time Saturday, get MLS Soccer Betting Odds.

With a tremendous amount of confidence the LA Galaxy will step on the pitch on Saturday evening. The Galaxy comes into this match with 20 points earned in 12 games as first of all, Los Angeles has held the number one spot on the MLS league standings for most of the season.

The Galaxy has struggled in early May despite having the best record in the league. For the league’s highest ranked team, a loss followed by two consecutive draws is not satisfactory results.

The Los Angeles squad put on its best performance of the season in the most recent game against Sporting Kansas City. Landon Donovan scored two goals within several minutes immediately after halftime. As the fourth best scoring performance in the league’s history, this marked Donovan’s 110th career MLS goal. Juan Pablo Angel finally found his rhythm by scoring his second goal of the season after struggling all season long. With a late free kick (his first goal of the season) that leads to a final score of 4-1, David Beckham put the icing on the cake.

Chivas has got to be intimidated by the Galaxy’s recent momentum, coming in with a 3-3-3 record. . However, Chivas won three of its last four games, something Coach Fraser can use to motivate his team. This season, forwards Alejandro Moreno and Justin Braun each have three goals, a solid offensive performance that can threaten the Galaxy.

Entering the third month of the 2011 MLS season, the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders F.C. have shown great form so far. The young franchises have proved that they can compete with other established successful MLS clubs.

Get MLS Soccer Odds at online free sports picks for this matchup closer to game time.

The Timbers and Sounders will meet for the first this season on Saturday, May 11. In early March, the clubs faced each other in a friendly pre-season game. Jorge Perlaza’s 21st minute goal and Kenny Cooper goal in stoppage helped the Timbers earn a 2-0 victory. However, the circumstances of that early spring match were different. First of all, the game was played in front of a crowd of 3,000 in Tukwila, Washington. Saturday’s game will be held at Qwest Field in Seattle, and the Sounders can count on a much stronger home fan support.

Looking at the current standings, the Timbers and Sounders are ranked in the middle of the Western Conference table with 13 points each. However, it took Portland eight games to earn the points while Seattle complied it in 10 games. Each team has scored 12 goals so far (ranked top in the league) but the Timbers have found the back of the goal in less attempts. Overall, Portland has a more diverse offensive lineup, particularly a strong scoring force consisting of Cooper, Perlaza, Jewsbury, and Wallace.

Comparing recent momentum, the Timbers have performed slightly better in May. In the month’s first match, Portland lost to the Earthquakes 1-0, but then recuperated three days later with a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union.

For the Sounders, May has been a bitter road trip which included a 2-1 loss to D.C. United followed by a 1-1 draw against Columbus Crew. On Saturday, the Sounders will be thrilled to be back home and hope to repeat a similar late April performance of a 3-0 victory against Toronto F.C. in front of a crowd of more than 36,000.

The Los Angeles Galaxy find themselves on a similar path to repeating last year’s success of having the best record in the league with two months into the 2011 MLS season. The Galaxy has compiled 15 points so far in eight games, something that no other team has been able to do.

In Soccer Betting, the Galaxy is a slight +150 favorite, FC Dallas is at +160 and a Draw is +225.

As the Los Angeles finished April with two solid victories, they have great momentum right now. Captain Landon Donovan finally made his 2011 debut, plagued by a knee injury all season long. As Donovan scored two goals against the Portland Timbers his first appearance was impressive even as Chad Barrett scored the other goal. For the Galaxy in 2011, the 3-0 victory against Portland was the best performance.

David Beckham is back on the roster for LA, who was recently suspended for a match. The return of Landon Donovan will lead the Galaxy into a positive direction and help Los Angeles stay on top of the MLS league table for the second straight year, with that being said.

As inconsistency has been the issue for coach Hyndman’s squad, F.C. Dallas has 7 points in six games so far. Losing the first game of April, Dallas won the second, lost the third, and won the fourth. Especially to the MLS Cup route this type of roller coaster performance will not go far. The only factor Dallas F.C. can count on is the home crowd on Sunday May 1st. By knowing that a loss hasn’t been part of the team’s vocabulary since late March, the LA Galaxy will confidently step on the field at Pizza Hut Park though.

The Los Angeles Galaxy will host the Portland Timbers at the Home Depot Center on Saturday April 23rd. This will be a clash between some of the top teams in the Western Conference. While Los Angeles will celebrate Earth Day at their home ground, the Timbers are hoping to celebrate something else by the end of the evening.

Soccer Odds are not yet available for this matchup.

The Galaxy head into this game with a 3-1-3 record and a number two ranking in the Western Conference. In fact, no other team besides Real Salt Lake has matched Galaxy’s 12 points so far. The Timbers will arrive in Los Angeles with a 2-2-1 record and 7 points which place them at the fourth spot in the conference.

April has been a solid month for both teams, as losses are not part of the conversation. However, there is a major difference in the offensive aspects. The Galaxy have scored only four goals in four games this month, while the Timbers have found the back of the goal’s net eight times in three games. These numbers clearly indicate that Portland is an explosive team while Galaxy plays a reserved and slow paced game.

Los Angeles head into Saturday’s game with confidence because of the recent victory against Chicago Fire. Playing without star players David Beckham (suspended) and Landon Donovan (injured), the Galaxy managed to walk away from Toyota Park with a 2-1 win. However, the Timbers had an even more impressive 4-2 victory over the Chicago Fire last week.

Portland has a diverse arsenal of offensive power from Jewsbury, Wallace, Cooper, Wallace and Perlaza. Each player has scored two goals this season and has taken plenty of chances at the opponent’s goals.

On Sunday April 17th, the Chicago Fire will host the Los Angeles at the Toyota Park in an afternoon match. With only several games played so far in the 2011 MLS season, the shape of each team is slowly beginning to take form and become visible to fans.

The Galaxy are a slight +172 moneyline favorite and the Fire are a +180 underdog in MLS Betting lines.

The Los Angeles Galaxy compiled the most points last season and certainly hope to repeat such a performance. However, the biggest nuisance for the Galaxy so far has been ending games with ties. By early April, Los Angeles played the most games than any other team in the league. However, the Galaxy were able to leave the pitch with only 1 point in three of six total games played. In fact, L.A. finished the last two games with ties.

It seems that the Galaxy can’t quite overcome the area that separates draws from victories. For example, the last game ended against Toronto F.C. was a scoreless tie, which had to do with the absence of captain Landon Donovan due to a knee injury. David Beckham was given a yellow card at BMO Field, which means that he will not be in the lineup against Chicago. The Fire can take advantage of the absences of the Galaxy’s leading players on Sunday. Additionally, L.A.’s striker Juan Pablo Angel hasn’t been as effective lately, failing to create any productive scoring opportunities in the last game against Toronto.

Chicago Fire finished March with two solid wins (one U.S. Open Cup victory), but started April with a 2-1 loss against the Sounders. Coach Carlos de los Cobos will want his team to bring an aggressive game on the field on Sunday, especially from striker Diego Chaves, who has scored three goals this season.

When the Blues visit Old Trafford next week, Rooney made it sure that his side would be in pole position for the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal. The striker ensured he would be in the headlines on Thursday morning for all the correct reasons since he is awaiting the conclusion his challenge to the two-match ban for swearing into a television camera.

At 24th minute, Rooney gifted United a priceless away goal after a wary start. An outstanding long-range pass from Michael Carrick, found Ryan Giggs on the left. Then the winger pulled the ball back for Rooney, who gently kicked the ball into the net from six yards.

Fernando Torres was anticipated to fire on the big night but he did not come well. The statistics for Torres are damning. The club dismisses the £50m price tag as irrelevant but the reality is that, for club and country, this was Torres’ 12th scoreless game. Since 2005, it is his most horrible sequence and while moving from Liverpool, he is now 617 minutes without a goal.

Lampard does not have any assist by Chelsea’s alteration of shape to accommodate Torres. He cannot get forward nearly as much, which stunts his goal scoring menace, as he was always a part of a two rather than three-man central midfield.

For Man Utd, Carrick proved by his part in the goal by passing the ball skillfully, although, he has never been much of a poacher. His diagonal sweep to Ryan Giggs was handsome.

Chelsea will definitely try to settle scores against Man Utd in the second leg of quarterfinals, which will be held on 12 April 2011. The sportsbooks are offering great soccer odds. The best odds for Manchester United are 6/5 and Chelsea 12/5.

The 2011 MLS season opens with two expansion teams in Vancouver and Portland.

Here’s a look at the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Key squad members include D, Jay DeMerit; M/F, Atiba Harris; M, Shea Salinas; GK, Joe Cannon; M, John Thorrington; F, Omar Salgado; and D Alain Rochat.

Vancouver will be looking to emulate the expansion-season success of the Seattle Sounders, but they’ll be hard-pressed to do that. Expansion teams rarely do as well as the Sounders did. Seattle made the playoffs in each of their first two seasons.

Most have seasons like that of the San Jose Earthquakes, who came in seventh in the West in their first two years.

The Whitecaps franchise is already leading the league in sponsorship, but will have few proven players on the field.

“It’s impossible to say until we start the league and play important games where we stand,” said coach Teitur Thordarson, who also was in charge when the Caps were in the minor leagues last year.

“There will probably still be a time of adapting to the league when we start. But my hope is that we will be competitive from day one.”

The Caps have seven leftovers from the minor leagues and just four players who have regularly set foot on an MLS field.

In the Europa League on Thursday, Liverpool was brought down after losing 1-0 at Sporting Braga in the last 16. While at Dynamo Kiev, big-spending Manchester City crashed 2-0.

Under provisional coach Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool had invigorated with a win of 3-1 on Sunday over archenemy Manchester United. In the March 17, they will have to turn their tie around return leg if they are to reach the quarterfinals.

In the 18th minute in Portugal, Braga took the lead. After Mossoro had been sent rambling by Sotiris Kyrgiakos, Alan guided a resounding penalty into the bottom-left corner. Fullback Silvio got a chance by coming within inches of doubling the hosts but from 25 yards, his glorious left-foot half volley bumped into back of the crossbar.

In the Portuguese league, Braga is presently sixth and lags 31 points behind Porto who lead the table. In a Champions League fixture, they have already trampled Celtic 3-0 at home and even Arsenal in the group stages of the same contest. They plummeted down to the Europa League and fell short to progress to the knockout junctures of the competition.

Braga’s last domestic league game enabled them with a 2-1 triumph and break the 18-match winning streak of Benfica.

As Liverpool is hardly menacing when they play away from home in Europe, Braga was expected to do all the running and unsurprisingly, they took full benefit of the cagy start from the visitors.

After the match, Dalglish said that for the second leg, they have a week to organize themselves. He added that they would have to exhibit a better show than what they did ay AXA Stadium, if the team wants to carry on in EL. He was hopeful that Liverpool would rebound back as some injured players have recuperated and they will be geared up to play.