Underwhelming Madrid need special touch

Soccer Betting Lines

09/06/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - When Jose Mourinho left Inter Milan this summer for the bright lights of the Bernabeu, he took a calculated risk. After all, Inter had just come off a season where they won both the domestic league and cup along with the most prestigious competition in all of domestic football, the Champions League.

Mourinho could have easily soaked up all the glory of being the only manager to win the Champions League with two different clubs and stay put with a team that should once again be among the elite in world football.

However, that's never been Mourinho's style. The self-professed "Special One" was hungry for a new challenge and the quest to erase the disappointment of a trophy-less season in Madrid last year was just that.

A spending spree in the summer of 2009 brought Real Madrid the likes of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, but what it didn't bring was success.

Former coach Bernd Schuster was unable to tactically bring the cohesion the club needed and that resulted in humbling defeats throughout the season.

After the departure of Schuster, Mourinho's influence was felt almost immediately at Madrid.

Gone were long-time Madrid veterans Raul and Guti and in came young stalwarts Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Angel Di Maria.

Also making his way into the fold was stalwart defender Ricardo Carvalho, who won domestic championships under Mourinho at FC Porto and Chelsea.

While Madrid possess a roster filled with talent and potential, many of the newcomers failed to live up to the lofty expectations.

Karim Benezma found himself a spectator for much of the season after being usurped by Gonzalo Higuain at forward while Kaka never truly found his form, causing transfer rumors to surface about his possible departure.

One of the glaring weaknesses of the club is the lacking of a true instrumental midfielder capable of creating offensive opportunities.

With arch-rivals Barcelona boasting such players as Xavi and Iniesta, they have found success in breaking down even the toughest of defenses.

In acquiring Mesut Ozil from Werder Bremen, Mourinho hopes he's found a player that could bring the club's offensive game together and open up space for the likes of Di Maria and Ronaldo to work their magic on the wings.

A 0-0 draw against Mallorca to open the season was likely not the result Mourinho was hoping for, but it is indicative of where Real Madrid is at the current moment, a work in progress.

Now that Lassana Diarra and Ronaldo are down with injuries for the next few weeks, the new recruits will get the opportunity to prove they are indeed worthy of putting on the famed Madrid shirt.

The task for the "Special One" will be how to turn a star-studded group of individuals into that of a team. That indeed might have been the biggest factor in getting rid of the likes of Raul and Guti, who were seen to have their share of influence in the Madrid locker room.

Rafael Van Der Vaart became Mourinho's latest victim, having been sent packing to Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League on the final day of the summer transfer market.

Madrid is now indeed Mourinho's team. The brash and arrogant manager has never been one for failure and no one should expect any less from him at Madrid, no matter the bumps and bruises early on.

Wwfantasysharks Soccer Betting News

<< Santana scratched from Tuesday start
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets ace Johan Santana will miss his next scheduled start Tuesday versus Washington with a strained pectoral muscle. Santana was forced to leave his last assignment against the Braves Thurs

<< Cardinals to begin critical road trip with clash vs. Brewers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off a much-needed series win, the playoff-hopeful St. Louis Cardinals know they still have a lot of work to do. St. Louis continues that uphill battle this afternoon with the opener of a three-game series at Miller

<< Division rivals collide as Mariners visit A's
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second-year lefty Brett Anderson can pitch the Oakland Athletics a game closer to .500 and keep them an outside contender in the American League playoff race today, when the team hosts the Seattle Mariners for the first of th

<< Astros try to remain hot in Chicago
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Recently red-hot lefty Wandy Rodriguez and his similarly streaking Houston teammates try to make it three straight wins when the Astros head to Wrigley Field today for the first of three consecutive games with the host Chicag

<< Latos tries to end Padres 10-game slide in meeting with Dodgers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- Mat Latos' quick emergence into a frontline pitcher is a big reason why the San Diego Padres have stood atop the National League West for the majority of the 2010 campaign. With his team mired in by far their worst stretch o

Rangers scratch Lee from Tuesday start >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers have scratched lefty Cliff Lee from his scheduled start Tuesday against the Blue Jays because of a strained muscle in his lower back. Lee was given an injection to deal with disc

Burke helping turn over new Leaf >>
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In the past 12 months, the Toronto Maple Leafs have advocated change more than a campaigning politician. Like a political party during election season, the Leafs are under constant scrutiny. And whe

Report: Ravens sign WR Houshmandzadeh >>
Culver City, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Ravens added depth to the wide receiver position by reportedly agreeing to a one-year contract with T.J. Houshmandzadeh on Monday. The NFL Network, among others, are reporting the signi

McEnroe to step down as U.S. Davis Cup captain >>
White Plains, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Patrick McEnroe announced that he will resign as United States Davis Cup captain immediately following the World Group playoff against Colombia next week. The U.S. and host Colombia will squ

Montana ascends to No. 1 >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The move was only one spot, but it was a big one for the University of Montana football team as the Grizzlies advanced to No. 1 in The Sportsbook Betting Lines/Fathead.com FCS Top 25 on Monday. Montana was selected

Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).

Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.

A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.

Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.

"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.

De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.

The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.

The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.

De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.

Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.

But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.

Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

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