Denmark overcomes distractions to top New Zealand

Soccer Betting Lines

09/15/2007 - Wuhan, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Katrine Pedersen scored and set up a goal as Denmark, playing with its coach in the stands because of a suspension, topped New Zealand, 2-0, on Saturday.

Coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller was suspended two games by FIFA for making contact with an official after Denmark's 3-2 loss to China on Wednesday.

He'll also miss Wednesday's key Group D game against Brazil, but at least the Danes are in position to qualify for the quarterfinals following a solid game against New Zealand. Cathrine Paaske Sorensen also scored for Denmark.

Denmark has been surrounded by controversy following an allegation of spying after finding two men with video cameras hiding behind a two-way mirror prior to its game against China. FIFA quickly dismissed the allegations, saying the two men were not related to any other team.

With its first win of the tournament, Denmark took the first step to move on from the distractions and reach the next round for the first time since 1995.

Denmark dominated early, holding possession for the majority of the first 15 minutes, but couldn't create any solid chances until later in the half.

The Danes had their best chance of the first half in the 20th minute when Paaske Sorensen launched a 30-yard blast off the crossbar.

It was far from the only chance for the Danes or Paaske Sorensen, as she just missed her second goal of the tournament again in the 26th minute on a header just over the crossbar.

Denmark's last solid chance of the opening half was from career scoring leader Merete Pedersen, who didn't start against China. She had a shot deflected wide by New Zealand's defense in the 39th minute.

New Zealand goalie Jenny Bindon played well in a busy first half, making three saves and coming off her line numerous times to cut off scoring chances.

Denmark continued to test Bindon early in the second half, forcing her to make a save just seconds after the restart.

Another solid Denmark threat followed in the 55th minute when Maiken Pape sent a header high from just a few yards out.

A few minutes later in the 61st minute, Denmark finally found the target.

Pape set up the chance when she was taken down just outside the top of the box by Bindon. Katrine Pedersen lined up the free kick and her shot dipped toward the left corner, deflecting off Bindon's fingertips before going into the net.

Denmark needed just six more minutes to extend its lead off another free kick by Katrine Pedersen. Her attempt was from just outside the top left of the box but instead of a shot, she crossed to the far post to Paaske Sorensen.

Paaske Sorensen, who scored in the 87th minute of a 3-2 loss to China, had a defender on her hip but jumped to head the ball and slotted it inside the left post.

New Zealand managed just three shots, but didn't put any on goal. The club, in its first World Cup since 1991, had its lone notable moment in the 87th minute when Annalie Longo, who is just 16, became the second youngest player to ever play in the World Cup.

New Zealand plays its last game of the group stage on Wednesday against China.

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FOOTBALL TRASH TALK

NFL Football Trash Talk

Trash talk has a place in every competitive endeavor (except baseball; those stirrup-wearers are too busy chewing on their sunflower seeds and their supplements to worry about what their opponents are doing).

Fantasy sports is no exception. Any intelligent discussion of the subject would probably start with a thesis statement or a definition of terms. Thankfully, this wont be an intelligent discussion.

Let me just say that I am happy to take a place in this space alongside my talented colleagues, even our commissioner. (You should see how she bleats like a demented paper boy about league fees on our fantasy site).

Trash talking, I would argue, is primarily about amusing your friends, their sheeplike demeanors and sloping foreheads notwithstanding. The best place I have found for football trash talking is at www.SportsAlarm.com.

Beyond the entertainment factor, though, I would recognize that the sophomoric ritual has one advantage, when properly applied. It magnifies your fantasy triumphs and mitigates your fantasy failures by transforming the eventual point total into an afterthought. Winning makes it seem like your opponent really is a truss-owning, lapel-pin-wearing nitwit. And in defeat, trash talk can be the air bag to break the fall from your hyperbolic heights. The plug-necked yahoos on your team, you can say, will be sacking groceries by the end of the season.

The best trash talk, in my view, is layered and nuanced. And it doesnt focus only on your opponents team. It picks apart your opponent. The idea is to create a shock-and-awe-scale blizzard of nonsense, and the goal is to make your opponent drop his hands from his keyboard in exasperation.

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But what about you? Hmm? Recall a memorable slam? Have a tried-and-true technique? Know someone who seems impervious to insult? Take a moment and tells us about it. Put together some (fit-for-publication) thoughts. You wont be too busy returning phone messages from your friends, Im sure, to reply.

In addition to the trash talking, the Sports Alarm has a huge gallery of high resolution pictures of beautiful women and models in bikinis. The most popular models are: Lindsay Lohan, Carrie Underwood, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Paris Hilton.