AEG-owned clubs to clash in Carson

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09/15/2007 - Carson, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Houston and Los Angeles, which are owned by the same company, AEG, are two teams on the opposite side of the spectrum.

The Dynamo are second in the Western table and are built around a gritty defensive backline and skill up the middle. The Galaxy are last in the Western table, and are built around the flashy form of superstars David Beckham and Landon Donovan.

The two clubs meet Sunday in a Major League Soccer clash at The Home Depot Center.

L.A. is coming off a 3-0 loss to CD Chivas USA Thursday night in which it lost its first Super Clasico title to the upstart Goats.

"I'm just incredibly disappointed. Anytime we face Chivas where we don't walk away with three points is a disappointment," Galaxy midfielder Kyle Martino said. "To feel like we had a lot of the run of the play and not capitalize on chances where we could have put some pressure on them adds to that disappointment."

Ante Razov scored early in the first half for Chivas before Francisco Mendoza and Laurent Merlin added two late goals.

"I thought we played well for the most part, but we're still naive in certain parts of the field," Donovan said. "I think Chivas has done that all year. They wait for you to make that mistake and then they make you pay. I thought we played well overall, but we still have a lot to learn."

Not only did the Galaxy lose the Super Clasico, but their slim playoff hopes took a major hit with the loss on Thursday. They are currently 12 points out of the final spot with just nine games left.

"We needed to get three points tonight, obviously," galaxy coach Frank Yallop said. "It's been a long year to be honest. It's been like this from the start if you like. We're going to keep going until we're out of it."

Houston is coming off a 4-3 win over Real Salt Lake last Sunday in which forward Nate Jaqua scored a hat trick in the win.

"It feels great. It's even better since we got the win," Jaqua said. "We made it tough on ourselves at the end, but we were able to get out of there at the end. Getting the hat trick is neat. I'm happy to do that."

The win extended the Dynamo unbeaten streak to four games, but the team has been anything but impressive in the stretch.

"It's three points - a much needed three points," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said.

The Dynamo need three points in Los Angeles Sunday to keep pace with surging CD Chivas USA, which took over the top spot in the West with the win over the Galaxy Thursday. The team can clinch a spot in the '07 playoffs with a win, a Columbus loss and a Colorado loss.

After Sunday's league fixture, Houston plays at Western rival Dallas on Sept. 30 and L.A. plays at RSL Wednesday.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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