Aussies leave it late against Norway

Soccer Betting Lines

09/15/2007 - Hangzhou, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lisa DeVanna came on as a second-half substitute and rescued a point for Australia as she scored in the 83rd minute to give the Matildas a 1-1 draw with Norway on Saturday.

Ragnhild Gulbrandsen scored five minutes into the game for Norway, but the Scandinavians could not hold off the rugged Australians and ensure advancement into the next round.

The group will now be decided on the final day, with Australia and Norway tied atop the group with four points and Canada right behind those two with three.

Ghana, meanwhile, has been eliminated after dropping its first two games and will finish up its World Cup campaign on Wednesday against Norway, which should have no problem in taking care of the African club.

Australia will take on Canada on Wednesday in a game that will decide the second team to go through. The Aussies need only a draw while Canada must produce a win to move on.

Norway picked up where it left off against Canada in the opening game, when the team scored twice in the second half for a comeback win. The Norwegians came out strong and scored on their first chance of the match.

Melissa Wiik took a pass on the right and dribbled through the middle of the field toward goal. She then slid a perfect pass to Gulbrandsen inside the area, and the striker turned it past keeper Melissa Barbieri and into the lower left corner.

It looked as though Norway would overpower the Matildas, but Australia was not unnerved by the early goal.

Cheryl Salisbury got her head to a corner but put the ball over the net, and four minutes later, Collette McCallum carried the ball to the end line on the left and drove a cross through traffic that rolled across the face of goal. There was nobody on the other end, but Australia began to show its quality.

McCallum in particular was giving the Norway defense trouble, and a big giveaway in the 23rd minute nearly handed McCallum the equalizer. A poorly handled pass in the back allowed McCallum to collect a loose ball near the box. However, Norway keeper Bente Nordby came off her line and McCallum fired her shot into the keeper.

Norway nearly doubled its lead minutes later when Camilla Huse curled a shot from the edge of the area that narrowly missed the right post, but Australia looked good at the end of the first half.

McCallum continued to create in the offensive third, providing nice passing and a hard shot from the left that forced Nordby to punch the ball away.

The early part of the second half was a back-and-forth affair with Australia claiming the first good opportunity of the half. DeVanna came off the bench and scored twice against Ghana in the opener, and she once again provided a spark for the Matildas.

DeVanna dribbled into the box and laid a pass off to Dianne Alagich on the left, giving Alagich a great look at goal. However, she was let down by the shot, which squirted well wide of the far post.

Norway's Lene Mykjaland then drilled the post with a driven shot minutes later, and DeVanna dashed through the midfield and found herself one-on-one with the keeper. Nordby came to the edge of the box and DeVanna rolled a shot around the keeper toward the right corner. However, it hit the post and stayed out, denying Australia the equalizer by inches.

Australia kept pressing while Norway looked like a team that was just trying to hang on.

DeVanna would get another chance to equalize in the 83rd minute, and this time she capitalized. After taking a pass from midfield, DeVanna turned with the ball and took on a defender. She cut the ball back to get room at the edge of the area and fired a perfect left-footed shot into the upper right corner past a diving Nordby.

Salisbury sent a header wide in the 90th minute that would have given Australia all three points, but it is still a great result for a team that has never advanced past the group stage in three previous World Cups.

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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.