Bradley names initial roster for South Africa friendly

Soccer Betting Lines

11/09/2007 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. men's national team coach Bob Bradley has named a 17-man initial roster that will travel to face 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts South Africa on Nov. 17 in Johannesburg. Kickoff for the 2007 Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup is set for 9 a.m. (ET).

The complete roster will be finalized following this weekend's matches. Players will report to camp on Nov. 12 in Johannesburg. The match falls on the first of two international fixture dates scheduled for the week of Nov. 17, and Bradley has chosen to take advantage of the break by selecting 11 players based in Europe.

"This match is a great way to cap off a very productive year," said Bradley, who is 11-5-1 in 2007 and making his first trip to Africa with the team. "Once again we have the opportunity to draw on a group of players who will certainly play a large role in our attempt to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, and the game against South Africa will be a good first taste of what this environment will be like."

Eleven of the 17 players on the roster ply their trade in seven different countries in Europe (Belgium, Denmark, England, Germany, Holland, Portugal and Scotland).

While Landon Donovan leads all cap-winners on the roster with 96 total, there are five players heading to South Africa with five caps or less, including two 2007 Major League Soccer season award winners. Brad Guzan was voted Goalkeeper of the Year in only his second season with Chivas USA, while Maurice Edu, who earned his first cap in the win against Switzerland, has been honored as the Rookie of the Year. Fellow U-20 World Cup teammates Freddy Adu and Josmer Altidore will be reunited for the first time since Canada this summer, with the New York Red Bulls striker seeking his first-ever cap with the full team.

The Nelson Mandela Challenge Cup, an annual one-off event typically hosted in South Africa, began in 1994. The United States will make a rare trip to Africa, playing on the continent for just the third time in their history.

Below is the initial U.S. roster by position:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC).

DEFENDERS (5): Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege).

MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby County).

FORWARDS (3): Josmer Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy).

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MySportsbook.com week 1 NFL lines


Now that the 2008 NFL schedule is finally out, it is only matter-of-course for lines on “Week 1” to follow.  Of course MySportsbook.com is the first to churn out odds for the NFL’s inaugural week for the upcoming season.   Expect a lot of fireworks the first Thursday night of the season as the defending champion Indianapolis Colts face off against the surprise of the 2008 season, the New Orleans Saints.  These teams were ranked #1 and #3 in the NFL respectively a season ago so a high scoring affair could be in order.  As of now, the Colts will be giving 6 points to the Saints; keep in mind the Saints were one of the better road teams last season going 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS.  The first Monday night of the season will again provide a “double feature”. Coming off a disappointing season, the Cincinnati Bengals will look to get back to playoffs and improve their public image as they take on the AFC North favorite Baltimore Ravens.  The second game features a couple of teams that haven’t had too much success recently but each could make some noise if the NFC is as weak as it was last year as the San Francisco 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals. The most interesting game of the opening week will feature the NFC champion Bears as they hit the road to take on the NFL’s top team during last year’s regular season, the San Diego Chargers.

MySportsbook.com Week 1 odds:

Saints +6 @ Colts -6

Falcons @ Vikings (pick ‘em)

Panthers @ Rams (pick ‘em)

Broncos -3.5 @ Bills +3.5

Chiefs -1 @ Texans +1

Dolphins +3 @ Redskins -3

Patriots -5 @ Jets +5

Eagles -3.5 @ Packers +3.5

Steelers -4 @ Browns +4

Titans +6 @ Jaguars -6

Bears +6 @ Chargers -6

Lions +3 @ Raiders -3

Bucs +6.5 @ Seahawks -6.5

Giants +4 @ Cowboys -4

Ravens +3 @ Bengals -3

Cardinals +3 @ 49ers -3

 Super Bowl line (2008)

NFC +6.5 vs. AFC -6.5

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