"Disappointed" North Korea ready for Nigeria

Soccer Betting Lines

09/13/2007 - Chengdu, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - North Korea, a bit of a mystery entering the World Cup, has stepped into the spotlight following its surprising tie against the United States.

But the players for North Korea, which is ranked fifth in the world, were not satisfied following the 2-2 draw against the favored Americans on Tuesday.

"I believe we should have beaten the Americans judging by the way we played. We were a little bit disappointed that we could not start the tournament with three points," North Korea captain Ri Kum Suk told FIFA's website.

Although North Korea played extremely well in the draw, it scored both of its goals when the United States was playing with 10 players because of an injury to star forward Abby Wambach.

For North Korea to erase any doubt about its status as a contender following the solid effort against the top-ranked team in the world, it needs to post a victory against Nigeria on Friday in the teams second game in Group B.

"We must reach the second round, and with two games to go we have a very good chance. The first thing we need to do is beat Nigeria," Ri said.

North Korea, which won the Under-20 World Cup last year, featured a mixture of its trademark short, crisp passing and long shots to continuously pressure the United States from all over the field.

The team was bit lucky to score its first goal when Son Hui Kil's long blast went through the hands of U.S. goalie Hope Solo during a rainy opener. But the goal was also a result of the team's willingness to challenge the keeper from well outside the box.

Solo was forced to make a number of diving saves on long shots, including one in the final seconds that preserved the draw.

"If we can't walk the ball into the net, then we have to find another way to put it in," Ri said.

In a group featuring the United States, Sweden and North Korea, Nigeria was supposed to be the outsider.

But the African champions stunned Sweden on Tuesday with a 1-1 tie thanks to a late equalizer from 2006 FIFA Player of the Year nominee and reigning African Woman Footballer of the Year Cynthia Uwak.

"Sure, they are good, probably better than four years ago," Ri said, "But I know we can win."

Sweden probably thought the same thing. The Swedes, ranked third in the world and runners-up at the 2003 Cup, took the lead on Victoria Svensson's goal in the 50th minute and looked comfortable as the final whistle approached.

But Nigeria didn't quit and although it wasn't able to create a ton of shots, it found the only goal it needed in the 82nd minute when Uwak scored. It was just the fourth time in 14 Cup games Nigeria has earned at least one point.

So like North Korea, Nigeria gained a lot of confidence from its opener. That just makes Friday's game all the more intriguing, although once again Nigeria is the underdog.

"This is a great starting point, but now we want to improve with each match," Nigeria coach Effiom Ntiero told FIFA's website. "You have to get better all the time to win a tournament like this and that is what we will try to do."

Foorball365 Soccer Betting News

<< Embarrassed Argentina moves on against Japan
Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Argentina will try to pick up the pieces from an 11-0 loss to Germany on Monday and move forward in search of points against Japan on Friday. The Japanese were fortunate to come away with a draw

<< United States, Sweden a "championship" match
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

<< Ross and Harang help Reds to sweep of slumping Cards
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Ross hit a two-run home run and Aaron Harang pitched seven strong innings as the Cincinnati Reds completed a three- game sweep of the struggling St. Louis Cardinals with a 5-4 victory at Great America

<< Predators name Arnott team captain
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Nashville Predators named center Jason Arnott as the new team captain. Arnott, 32, is the fourth captain in Nashville history. Tom Fitzgerald, Greg Johnson and Scott Walker were the other players to

<< Oden could miss season after knee surgery
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Portland Trail Blazers rookie center Greg Oden could miss the entire 2007-08 season after undergoing right knee surgery on Thursday. An exploratory arthroscopic procedure revealed cartilage damage, and a m

Ryan resigns as Twins GM >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan announced his resignation at a Thursday afternoon press conference. Ryan, who will be succeeded by assistant Bill Smith, will stay with the club as s

Cowboys WR Glenn not ready for season >>
Irving, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for the second time in six weeks on Thursday. Glenn suffered cartilage damage to his knee last week when he tried to r

Germany faces tougher test against England >>
Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Germany flexed its muscle in the opening match of the Women's World Cup on Monday, setting records for most goals scored and largest margin of victory as the defending champions handed Argenti

Pacers suspend F Williams >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indiana Pacers suspended Shawne Williams for three games on Thursday following his arrest on Tuesday morning. He is to serve the suspension during the Pacers' opening games of the regular seaso

Blue Jackets suspend C Svitov >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets suspended center Alexander Svitov for failing to report to training camp. The 24-year-old Svitov inked a deal with the Russian Super League in August for the 2007-08 season aft

MySportsbook.com Releases World Series Championship Lines

New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox early favorites to win 2008 World Series
The Major League Baseball season starts this weekend and MySportsbook.com, a leading online sportsbook for over 8 years, is the first to offer baseball sports betting lines on who will win the 2007 World Series.

"The World Series is the biggest baseball event in the sports betting world and MySportsbook.com is excited that we are first to market with betting lines on every team," says Tim Dalton, Marketing Director, MySportsbook.com. "We are getting things ready for a great baseball season and our members are looking forward to our Player Payback Bonuses, as well as Dime Lines, all season long."

Going in to this weekend, MySportsbook.com's favorites to win the World Series are the New York Yankees at 7-2 and last year’s winners the Chicago White Sox at 9-2.

"These betting lines are ripe for the picking," Dalton added, "baseball fans know that the season is long and many factors, including players staying healthy, will affect these Future odds as the baseball season progresses. Betting on your favorite team in the beginning of the season could prove quite lucrative. We are seeing examples of this right now in the NCAA College Basketball Tournament with a lucky few that placed pre-season bets on George Mason to win it all. Anything can happen."

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Mastercard needs..

About www.MySportsbook.com
MySportsbook.com is the foremost online sportsbook offering Internet wagering to its worldwide customers. Fully licensed and regulated in St. John’s, Antigua since 1997, MySportsbook.com offers a complete range of online casino games, sports betting lines, poker tournaments and horse racing offtrack betting daily through its portfolio of companies and managed services. With over 7 years of experience, MySportsbook.com has become one of the most respected companies in the gaming industry by providing unparalleled 24/7 customer support and timely payouts. MySportsbook.com is part of the SportingBet PLC group of companies that is publicly-traded on the London Stock Exchange ( LSE ) under the symbol SBT.L. MySportsbook.com provides a secure environment for sports and casino wagering and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including MAXIM Magazine, Cigar Aficionado, and CNN’s Paula Zahn Now among others.

NFL Football Office Pool Printable Schedules
MySportsbook.com , leading online sportsbook, offers free NFL football office pool printable sheets! Run your own NFL Football Office Pool. Create your own pool, invite your friends to join. Compete with your with co-workers, friends or family for bragging rights every week. Exchange some hard hits without risk of injury -- Trash Talk with your fellow co-workers.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football sportsbook needs.