United States, Sweden a "championship" match

Soccer Betting Lines

09/13/2007 - Chengdu, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. coach Greg Ryan didn't hesitate to say Friday's game against Sweden is like a "championship" match.

After starting the tournament with a 2-2 draw against North Korea on Tuesday, the top-ranked United States faces an historically tougher opponent with its tournament possibly on the line.

The United States and Sweden, ranked third in the world and the 2003 World Cup runners-up, both tied on Tuesday. If either team pulls out a win on Friday, it would grab a comfortable three-point edge on the other with just one game left in the group stage.

The scenarios are endless, but if the United States lost to Sweden and Group B's other game between North Korea and Nigeria didn't end in a tie on Friday, the Americans would need a victory in their final game just to have a chance to advance.

"(Friday's) an important match, just like every other match at the World Cup and we know that. Obviously, the draw wasn't what we were looking for, but we are going to learn from it and move on," U.S. forward Lindsay Tarpley said.

The United States doesn't want to put itself in a situation where it needs to watch the scoreboard on Monday morning when its playing its last game. That's why Ryan didn't understate the importance of the Sweden game.

"I think this group is like playing a semifinal and a final in our first two games," Ryan said. "That's the quality of the teams."

If there's any advantage between the two world powers on Friday, it goes to the United States.

The Americans lead the all-time series 14-3-5, and are 2-0 in the World Cup against Sweden. The United States beat Sweden in the group stage of the '91 tournament, 3-2, and in the group stage of the '03 event, 3-1.

The United States has also won the last two meetings between the teams, 3-2. Overall, the winner of the last five meetings between the teams - Sweden's only win during the stretch was in March of 2004 - has scored three goals.

Ryan expects offense - especially off set plays - to again be the difference, and he has to feel good about having an offensive duo as good as any. Captain Kristine Lilly has 126 goals in her career, and Abby Wambach - who scored in the tie with North Korea - has 78.

If there is a country that can come close to matching the American stars, it's Sweden. Hanna Ljungberg has 71 career goals and Victoria Svensson - who scored the team's lone goal in a 1-1 tie with Nigeria - has 59.

"Usually it's the big players that decide games. Not always, but now it's a question of 'can the USA's top players create that advantage for the U.S.? Can Sweden's top players create the advantage?'" Ryan said.

Both sides have plenty of other firepower as well, as the United States showed with Heather O'Reilly scoring the crucial tying goal against North Korea. The Swedes also feature young 6-foot striker Lotta Schelin, Sweden's Female Player of the Year in 2006.

"Sweden is very good in the air and very strong," U.S. midfielder Shannon Boxx said.

Although the United States failed to win its opener for just the second time in five World Cups - it tied China in its first game in 1995 - it should be a little more settled after six players made their Cup debuts on Tuesday.

The United States has won its second game in the previous four World Cups by combined scores of 19-1, but it hasn't faced a team as good as Sweden in its second match before.

Although Sweden's tie against Nigeria was a bit of a shocker, it was the first result the Swedes have ever gotten in their first game of a World Cup. Sweden was winless in its previous four Cup openers.

"We were unlucky at times (against Nigeria), but now we have to get our heads right and come out better in our next two games," Svensson told FIFA.com.

Neither team has ever failed to reach the quarterfinals in any of the previous four World Cups.

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MySportsbook.com favors Buckeyes, Fighting Irish and Golden Bears in this weekend's big games.

NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 21 - My Sportsbook NCAA football fans: things are beginning to get really interesting on college football's national stage. Following last weekend's "Separation Saturday", which included five teams ranked in the top 15 dropping games, the BCS Championship picture is beginning to take shape - with Ohio State leading the charge. And, according to odds makers at MySportsbook.com, the number-one-ranked Buckeyes will continue their winning ways this weekend.

Revenge will be the name of the game in Columbus this Saturday, as Ohio State looks to even the score following last season's loss to Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions. Although Penn State are listed as 16.5 point underdogs, they are 11-10 all-time versus the Buckeyes. Paterno and the Lions, however, will have to shut down Heisman Trophy favorite Troy Smith who has thrown for 769 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Speaking of revenge, Notre Dame will be out for some against Michigan State, following last year's 44 - 41 overtime loss to the Spartans in South Bend. The thirteenth-ranked Irish, listed as a 3-point favorite, will also be looking to avenge last Saturday's thrashing from the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans, meanwhile, have won seven of the last nine match-ups against Notre Dame and are coming off an impressive 38-23 victory over Pittsburgh.

Out west, 22nd-ranked Arizona State will be battling for their first victory over 21st-ranked California since 2000. Although the Golden Bears are listed as 7.5-point favorites, the Sun Devils are 3-0, lead the nation in sacks with 18 and possess the Pac-10's leading passer in sophomore quarterback Rudy Carpenter.

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NCAA Football betting lines (home team in CAPS)
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Date Favorite Opponent Point Spread
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Sept 21 GEORGIA TECH Virginia 17
Sept 22 NEVADA Northwestern 6.5
Sept 23 MICHIGAN Wisconsin 14
Sept 23 Minnesota PURDUE 3
Sept 23 SYRACUSE Miami (Ohio) 6.5
Sept 23 MISSOURI Ohio 21.5
Sept 23 Louisville KANSAS STATE 14
Sept 23 TENNESSEE Marshall 22
Sept 23 CLEMSON North Carolina 16.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA Kentucky 24
Sept 23 Iowa ILLINOIS 20.5
Sept 23 FLORIDA STATE Rice 30.5
Sept 23 AUBURN Buffalo 41.5
Sept 23 BOWLING GREEN Kent 7
Sept 23 NAVY Tulsa 4.5
Sept 23 VIRGINIA TECH Cincinnati 27
Sept 23 BYU Utah State 29
Sept 23 OHIO STATE Penn State 16.5
Sept 23 TEXAS Iowa State 25
Sept 23 Washington State STANFORD 10
Sept 23 CALIFORNIA Arizona State 7.5
Sept 23 UCLA WASHINGTON 3
Sept 23 INDIANA Connecticut 1.5
Sept 23 Central Michigan EASTERN MICHIGAN 4
Sept 23 WYOMING Air Force 1
Sept 23 UTEP NEW MEXICO 9.5
Sept 23 West Virginia EAST CAROLINA 21
Sept 23 Boston College NORTH CAROLINA STATE 7
Sept 23 GEORGIA Colorado 27
Sept 23 ARKANSAS Alabama 1.5
Sept 23 BAYLOR Army 11
Sept 23 WESTERN MICHIGAN Temple 28
Sept 23 MISSISSIPPI Wake Forest 2.5
Sept 23 KANSAS South Florida 5.5
Sept 23 TEXAS A&amp;M Louisiana Tech 23.5
Sept 23 UAB Mississippi State 9.5
Sept 23 LSU Tulane 36
Sept 23 Utah SAN DIEGO STATE 6.5
Sept 23 BOISE STATE Hawaii 15
Sept 23 Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE 3
Sept 23 USC ARIZONA U 22
Sept 23 Oklahoma State HOUSTON 1
Sept 23 OREGON STATE Idaho 23
Sept 23 OKLAHOMA Middle Tennessee State 29
Sept 23 MARYLAND Florida International 18.5
Sept 23 AKRON North Texas 17.5
Sept 23 SOUTH CAROLINA Florida Atlantic 29.5
Sept 23 NEBRASKA Troy 23
Sept 23 SMU Arkansas State 6

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