'10 Season Preview: Can Houston replace Clark, Holden? You bet

Soccer Betting Lines

03/24/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Most Major League Soccer clubs would be scrambling if they lost two of their top players in the same offseason.

That is the scenario the Houston Dynamo find themselves in as two of the best midfielders in the league, destroyer Ricardo Clark and attacker Stuart Holden, decided to try their luck in Europe.

How are the Dynamo dealing with the losses of such important players?

"It's the question everyone is asking," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear told The Sportsbook Betting Lines. "It's a question we have to answer as well. It's going to be tough because they were two very good players in there, especially Ricardo, being the mainstay in there for so many years. But I think with the players we have we will be able to cope with it rather easily."

Unlike most MLS teams, the Dynamo usually have someone waiting in the wings for the chance to prove themselves, as Holden was heading into last season when Dwayne De Rosario was traded to Toronto FC.

This season it will be Geoff Cameron who will get the opportunity to shine in the middle of the Dynamo formation after starting at center back last season. Cameron, who obviously is a very versatile player, was given the opportunity to move up because of the depth the team has in the backline.

"With the health of Eddie Robinson and the acquisitions of Adrian Serioux and Ryan Cochrane, I think we have more than enough quality players and cover in the middle of the defense that we can allow Geoff to move forward," Kinnear said. "The other part of the equation is finding someone to move in there with him."

The acquisition of trialist Lovel Palmer, the former captain of Jamaican club Harbour View, late last week should be the answer to that problem, with a couple current roster players adding some depth.

"I think Richard Mulrooney can do the job in there," Kinnear said. "[Left winger] Brad Davis can assist in the middle of the field as well."

That doesn't mean it will be the final answer, however.

"If a player becomes available that we feel can come in and start for us and have an impact in the middle of the midfield then that's something we would consider very seriously," Kinnear added.

Out wide in the midfield, Davis and Brian Mullen, who have been mainstays for a number of years, should help the new players settle in. Corey Ashe, Daniel Cruz, Mulrooney and Serioux are also options in the midfield.

"There are moveable parts in the midfield," Kinnear said.

Behind them in the backline Robinson and Bobby Boswell make up a punishing tandem at center back. Robinson returns to the position he has dominated in past years after missing most of last season with an injury. At fullback, Mike Chabala, Andrew Hainault, Serioux, Mulrooney and Cochrane will compete for playing time, with the former two likely being the starters on opening day.

"I think our defense is really deep with a lot of numbers and a lot of quality," Kinnear said.

Behind them, 42-year-old veteran Pat Onstad will once again man the pipes for the Dynamo.

"Pat Onstad is once again our starter and having a good preseason for us," Kinnear said. "He just does a good job year-in and year-out. People should really just appreciate what he does rather than trying to concentrate on his age because I think he is a good example for young goalkeepers around the league."

Up top, the Dynamo might have the best collection of talent since the franchise relocated from San Jose prior to the 2006 season.

Brian Ching will team up with designated player Luis Angel Landin when he is healthy.

"It's been difficult because preseason he's been hurt a little bit and it's taken away from his time on the field," Kinnear said of the former Mexican First Division player. "He played his first 90 minutes for us [on March 14], five weeks into preseason. He's a good player, very smart around the box, has good touch on the ball. He strikes the ball well with two feet. He's pretty crafty at times but health and being fit for him are very important. He has a lot of natural stuff, but I think it's the physical stuff that needs to be a positive for him this year."

Dominic Oduro and Cam Weaver will also see time at forward.

Wwwibetcasino Soccer Betting News


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March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets

With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship.  Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92.  After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points.  Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1.  Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years.  With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed.  UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern.  Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier.  OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak.  Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four.  It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta.  But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.

Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props.  Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000.  Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.

MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:

EAST National Championship Region
Arkansas 300-1 50-1
Belmont 1000-1
Boston College 100-1 40-1
Eastern KY 1000-1
George Washington 75-1
Georgetown 10-1 3-2
Marquette 100-1 40-1
Michigan State 100-1 25-1
New Mexico St. 500-1 200-1
UNC 6-1 6-5
Oral Roberts  500-1
Texas 15-1 5-1
Texas Tech 200-1 5-1
USC 75-1 20-1
Vanderbilt 100-1 30-1
Washington State 40-1 15-1
WEST
Duke 50-1 10-1
Florida A&M 1000-1
Gonzaga 200-1  40-1
Holy Cross 300-1
Illinois 300-1 60-1
Indiana 75-1 40-1
Kansas 5-1 13-10
Kentucky 100-1 40-1
Niagara 1000-1
Pittsburgh 40-1 8-1
Southern Ill. 50-1 12-1
UCLA 10-1 3-2
VCU 500-1 100-1
Villanova 100-1 40-1
VA Tech 50-1 15-1
Weber St 1000-1
Wright St 1000-1 300-1
MIDWEST
Arizona 50-1 30-1
Butler 40-1 30-1
Davidson 300-1
Florida 4-1 4-5
Georgia Tech 75-1 25-1
Jackson State 1000-1
Maryland 30-1 6-1
Miami-OH 300-1
Notre Dame 100-1 20-1
ODU 500-1 100-1
Oregon 40-1 6-1
Purdue 300-1 60-1
Texas A&M CC 1000-1
UNLV 100-1 30-1
Winthrop 500-1 100-1
Wisconsin 15-1 7-2
SOUTH
Albany 200-1
BYU 200-1 40-1
Central CT St. 1000-1
Creighton 100-1 35-1
Long Beach St. 500-1 200-1
Louisville 40-1 10-1
Memphis 30-1 4-1
Nevada 75-1 35-1
North Texas 500-1
Ohio State 7-1 6-5
Penn 500-1
Stanford 200-1 50-1
Tennessee 100-1 20-1
Texas A&M 12-1 11-5
Virginia 75-1 18-1
Xavier 100-1 40-1

Field                                              100-1

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