Argentina patiently waiting its turn

Soccer Betting Lines

06/21/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Behind a devastatingly skilled attack and coached by a personality to match, it is a bit of a mystery as to how Argentina has faded into the peripherals of South Africa.

Despite having won both its matches in convincing fashion - even in the 1-0 win over Nigeria, they dominated the flow of the game - Argentina find themselves taking a back seat to headlines of early upsets and team mutiny.

Favorites by anyone's definition, the Albiceleste entered the 2010 World Cup without the same type of fanfare and hype allotted to countries such as Spain and Brazil.

This, in spite of a roster that includes one of the most talented players in the world, in Lionel Messi, and football legend Diego Maradona patrolling the sidelines.

And that Maradona guy - the one who almost single-handedly won the 1986 World Cup with a virtuoso performance cemented in soccer lore - he's more than happy to pull the curtain back and praise a group talented enough to win their third Cup title.

"I want to congratulate my players for having perfectly executed our game plan. We deserved a win like this because we'd already threatened this kind of result against Nigeria," Maradona said after his team's 4-1 thrashing of Group B rival South Korea.

"Except from the ... error [that led to South Korea's goal], we had all the play and did what we wanted with the ball."

Such confidence appears misplaced given Maradona's lack of pedigree when it comes to directing a squad on the pitch.

After navigating his team through an uninspiring qualifying round and with just two Cup games under his belt, there is plenty of ammunition to shoot down hopes of a third world title for the storied soccer nation.

Having all but secured a trip to the round of 16 prior to playing their final group match versus Greece on Tuesday, the Argentineans can look ahead to the elite portion of the tournament with shades of Germany fresh on their minds.

It was then that Argentina's 19-year-old prodigal striker, Messi, could only watch from the bench as his team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by the host country in a heartbreaking penalty shootout.

For Messi, who scored at a rate of more than a goal a game for his club team Barcelona this year, performing on the international stage will be everything in defining his legacy as one of the all-time football greats.

And yet despite lofty comparisons to his coach - whose five goal performance in the '86 tournament stands as one of the gold standards in the history of the sport - Messi will have to start finding the back of the net if Argentina have any thoughts of knocking off Brazil, Germany, or Spain.

Through their first two games, the team's top striker has been held off the score sheet even though his electric speed and mesmerizing footwork has remained the focal point in an impressive Albiceleste offense.

Although questions as to the club's ability to defend and stop the opposing attack are considered to be its main deterrent to the final, Argentina's success will hinge on the performance of its two superstars.

But this time around, only one of those men can look on while the other tries to revive those fond memories of 24 years ago.

"Messi is my Maradona," the coach said upon assuming national team duties.

If such sentiment holds true, Argentina's story will be front and center this summer.

Myspotsbook Soccer Betting News

<< This Week in Golf - June 24th through June 27th
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - PGA TOUR - TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP - TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut - The first post U.S. Open tournament heads to Connecticut with a decent field considering how many people take off the week afte

<< New Zealand highlights parity-filled first round
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Finding 32 quality teams to fill out a World Cup field can sometimes be a difficult task, especially when soccer hotbeds like Europe and South America are limited to a certain number of teams. Often times it is the las

<< Bafana Bafana need win over frazzled French, help to survive
Bloemfontein, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - South Africa is on the verge of becoming the first host nation to fail to advance to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup, but a frazzled France presents a part of the miracle equation the Baf

<< Memphis Grizzlies 2010 Draft Preview
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With O.J. Mayo, Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay on hand and three first round picks at their disposal, the Memphis Grizzlies have a chance to take the next step in their rebuilding program. Getting Gay, a restricted free agent,

<< Mexico, Uruguay battle for Group A supremacy
Rustenburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Both Mexico and Uruguay are in a great position to advance from Group A, and their meeting at Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Tuesday could determine who tops the group and who finishes second. Both

Winless Nigeria aiming to stay alive vs. S. Korea >>
Durban, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There aren't many teams that can afford to lose the first two games at a World Cup and still have a chance at advancing to the next round. But that is exactly the situation for Nigeria when

Line of Scrimmage: How high is the sky for Redskins? >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two years ago, an NFL team coming off a 4-12 season made banner headlines by dealing for a highly-decorated veteran quarterback who was expected to return that franchise to glory. The same team beefed up t

Miami Heat 2010 Draft Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat have just four players under contract right now but their plans are clear. Pat Riley hopes to re-sign All-Star guard Dwyane Wade and bring in another top-tier free agent to team with his superstar, with most

Greece faces huge challenge against Argentina >>
Polokwane, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Greece was impressive in the final 57 minutes of its victory over Nigeria, scoring twice to overturn a deficit in its first-ever FIFA World Cup victory. Dimitris Salpigidis notched Greece's first-e

Zenyatta continues to lead national poll >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Undefeated mare Zenyatta remains atop the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll for the week ending June 20. The six-year-old champion has never lost in 17 career starts. Zenyatta, who won the Vanity Handicap on June 1

Super Bowl XLIV Odds

Super Bowl XLIII isn't even a week old yet and oddsmakers have already released Super Bowl XLIV odds.

Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowl 43, the New England Patriots are 8/1 favorites to win Super Bowl 44.

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

With their 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, the Steelers became the latest NFL champion. But believe it or not, oddsmakers from online sports book MySportsbook.com don't have the Steelers the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIV next season.

That honor belongs to the New England Patriots, who are 8/1 favorites to win despite not even qualify for the postseason in 2008. The Pats also have a major decision to make regarding what to do with Matt Cassel, who played well in Tom Brady's (knee surgery) absence last year but is also a free agent this offseason.

Ironically, the Steelers aren't even oddsmakers second choice to win Super Bowl 44, as the Dallas Cowboys are listed right behind the Patriots at 9/1 despite not making the playoffs themselves. Clearly oddsmakers think the public will hop back on the Cowboys' bandwagon considering the immense talent they have and the opening of a brand new stadium.

After Dallas, then comes Pittsburgh at 10/1, but they share those odds with the New York Giants, who won Super Bowl XLII. The Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers round out the top six teams at 12/1, while the Baltimore Ravens (14/1), Tennessee Titans (16/1), Carolina Panthers (18/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (18/1) complete the top 10.

The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals got no love from oddsmakers as they were established as a 30/1 long shot to win next year's Super Bowl. They share those same odds with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – two teams that didn't even qualify for the postseason. Other long shots are the Kansas City Chiefs (100/1), Detroit Lions (100/1), St. Louis Rams (75/1) and Oakland Raiders (75/1).

To see a complete list of all the team's odds to win Super Bowl XLIV, check below.

NFL TEAM FUTURE ODDS TO WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV

New England Patriots 8/1

Dallas Cowboys 9/1

New York Giants 10/1

Pittsburgh Steelers 10/1

Indianapolis Colts 12/1

San Diego Chargers 12/1

Baltimore Ravens 14/1

Tennessee Titans 16/1

Carolina Panthers 18/1

Philadelphia Eagles 18/1

New Orleans Saints 20/1

Atlanta Falcons 25/1

Denver Broncos 25/1

Green Bay Packers 25/1

Jacksonville Jaguars 25/1

Minnesota Vikings 25/1

New York Jets 25/1

Arizona Cardinals 30/1

Chicago BearS 30/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30/1

Buffalo Bills 35/1

Houston TexaNS 35/1

Miami Dolphins 35/1

Washington Redskins 35/1

Seattle SeahawkS 50/1

Cleveland Browns 55/1

Cincinnati Bengals 60/1

San Francisco 49ers 60/1

Oakland Raiders 75/1

St. Louis Rams 75/1

Detroit Lions 100/1

Kansas City Chiefs 100/1

Odds as of: 2/2/09

Bet Super Bowl XLIV Future Odds

To visit this online sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.