2007 Women's World Cup Preview - Japan

Soccer Betting Lines

09/05/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Japan did not expect to have such a tough time in qualifying for China 2007 but after defeating Mexico in a play-off, Japan will make its fifth appearance in the Women's World Cup.

The Japanese had a disappointing qualifying campaign that included losses to Australia and Korea, forcing them into the tense play-off. A 2-0 win in the first leg gave Japan a cushion, and they held on to beat the Mexicans 3-2 on aggregate.

Japan will now turn its attention to improving on its best ever result at a World Cup, a quarterfinal appearance in 1995.

Despite taking part in every Women's World Cup to date, Japan has failed to make its mark as one of the top teams in the world. By advancing to the quarterfinals in 1995, Japan looked to be on its way to a place among the top-10 team's in the world. However, they failed to live up to those expectations in the following two World Cups and now are out to prove that they belong.

Japan is currently ranked ninth by FIFA, its highest ever climb, and is trying to prove how far the team has come.

Midfielder Homare Sawa has emerged as the unquestioned leader of the team and one of the top players in the women's game. At just 28 years old, Sawa has already earned 118 caps and tallied 60 goals, which makes her Japan's all-time leading scorer.

Sawa's performance will go a long way in determining the success that Japan has in this competition, although head coach Hiroshi Ohashi believes that the collective effort of his team as a whole is what sets his Japan side apart.

"Teamwork is our strongest point. In many ways, it's our reserve players and not our starters who determine the outcome of matches," Ohashi told the FIFA website.

While the coach believes strongly in his club's depth, it will be the brilliant play of Sawa that will carry Japan into the quarterfinals.

Germany is the clear favorites in Group A, with Argentina looking like the weak link. Expect Japan and England to battle it out for second place in the group, which makes the team's opening match on September 11 against England so crucial.

PAST ACHIEVEMENTS:

-- 2nd - Asian Womens Championship 1986, 1991, 1995, 2001

-- 3rd - Asian Womens Championship 1989, 1993, 1997

-- 2nd - Asian Games, Womens Tournament 1990, 1994

-- 3rd - Asian Games, Womens Tournament 1998

-- Quarter-finalists FIFA Women's World Cup - 1995

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Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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