Sinclair double leads Canada over Ghana

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09/15/2007 - Hangzhou, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Christine Sinclair scored two goals to lead Canada to a comfortable 4-0 win over Ghana in Group C action on Saturday.

Sophie Schmidt and Martina Franko also found the net for the Canadians, who control their own destiny heading into the final group stage match against Australia on Wednesday.

Ghana, meanwhile, has lost its first two games by a combined score of 8-1, and is all but eliminated before the knockout round for the third consecutive World Cup.

After struggling offensively against Australia in its opener, Ghana got off to a better start against the Canadians, earning two free kicks in the opening 10 minutes from dangerous spots. Although both shots failed to hit the target, it was a sign from Ghana that it was ready to play.

Canada started slow, but picked up the pace 13 minutes into the contest. The first opportunity was created by Sinclair, who was played down the left flank and crossed a ball to the top of the six-yard box for Katie Thorlakson. The striker got her head to the ball but she turned it over the net.

Three minutes later, Sinclair was on the receiving end of a cross from Kara Lang and she did not fail with her finish. Lang lobbed the cross from the right to the back post. It started to drift over the head of Sinclair, but she faded back and got her head to the ball, knocking it over the keeper and across the goal line.

Ghana came to life right before the break and had two good chances to pull even. A left-footed shot from just outside the box by Memuna Darku whistled just over the crossbar.

Moments later Anita Amankwa should have put away Ghana's opening goal but was denied by the crossbar. Some nice work on the right allowed Rumanatu Tahiru to beat her defender and carry the ball into the box. She fired a shot toward goal that was redirected on target by Amankwa from a few yards out. However, with an open net staring her in the face, Amankwa's shot slammed off the crossbar.

Ghana keeper Memunatu Sulemana was called into action early in the second half when Sinclair put a header on target from close range, forcing a nice reaction stop by the keeper.

The Black Queens continued to look for the equalizer and Gloria Foriwa put a diving header on goal that was stopped comfortably by the keeper.

However, the Ghana defense once again allowed space for the Canadian attack, giving Lang room to fire a shot from the top left corner of the box. The keeper did well to tip the shot over the net, but Canada doubled its lead on the ensuing corner kick.

Kristina Kiss swung the cross into the area and Sinclair got her head to the ball, sending it on goal. The ball was headed off the line by a Ghana defender, but it went right to Schmidt, who put a shot on target with her head. Ghana's Hamdya Abass was positioned on the goal line and tried to clear the ball with her head, but it hit the bottom of the crossbar and settled into the back of the net.

Sinclair then put the result out of reach in the 62nd minute after some good work by Lang. Jodi-Ann Robinson slid a pass into the box behind the defense, forcing Sulemana to come off her line. Lang beat the keeper to the ball and touched it toward the end line. She pulled it back and found Sinclair with a pass, and the Canadian captain knocked home her second goal of the match to make it 3-0.

Another corner kick produced the fourth goal for Canada, with Kiss bending a cross into the six-yard box that was a little too close to the keeper. Sulemana got her hands to the ball but she could not hold it, which allowed Franko to get under the ball and head it into the net from a few yards out.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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