Angel adds to growing list of MLS awards

Soccer Betting Lines

07/20/2007 - Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York forward Juan Pablo Angel was named Honda Most Valuable Player of the 2007 MLS All-Star game Thursday night at Dicks Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. Angels game- winning tally in the 36th minute helped propel the MLS All-Stars to a 2-0 victory over Scottish champions Celtic FC.

His goal came after a brilliant pass from Houston Dynamo midfielder Dwayne DeRosario put Angel through in the left side of the box. With Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc coming off his line, Angel collected the pass, took a touch to dribble around Boruc and hit a sliding left-footed shot into the open net for the games first goal.

"Juan's goal was just a fantastic finish," New England revolution and MLS All- Star coach Steve Nicol said. "One-on-one with the goalie, keeps calm, goes around him and puts in the net - a superb finish."

"It's easier to adjust when you have good players around you," said Angel. "De Rosario, I think he had a great game today. Every time he got the ball, he was a threat. Any one of those different players can change the course of a game with one pass or one play."

The Honda MVP trophy is another individual honor for Angel, who joined the Red Bulls on April 17 as their second designated player. Angel captured MLS Player of the Month honors for May and June and was the top vote-getter in this years All-Star game. The 31-year-old Colombian international has tallied nine goals in 11 appearances for the Red Bulls, one off the pace in the leagues Golden Boot race.

"I really enjoyed the night tonight," Angel said. "I wasn't expecting it - I've been here [in the United States] just a very short period of time. But I have enjoyed every minute of my time here."

The Honda All-Star MVP trophy was voted on by members of the media and by fans online.

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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.