Summary: It is generally considered that the Brazil soccer team is the strongest national team in the world

The common quip about soccer is: “the English invented it, the Brazilians perfected it.” And the quip is not far from the truth, it is generally considered that the Brazil soccer team is the strongest national team in the world and it is the only team to play in every world cup event. With five FIFA world cup victories including the most recent in 2002, the Brazil soccer team enjoys being the most successful national football team.

In spite of team’s dominance in the later years, the Brazil soccer team did have…[read the full article on our Soccer Blog]

By Jake Gambler

The main story for the Cavaliers in the 2006/07 season, as it has been for the past three and probably will be for the foreseeable future, is LeBron James. LeBron is by far one of the best young players that the league has seen in a very long time, and his performance last season was as impressive as any other players in the NBA.

LeBron James was third in the league last year with 31.4 points per game. His scoring numbers have improved every year since he has been in the league and there is no reason to expect a drop in production anytime soon. One thing that Cavaliers fans would be happy to see is an increase from his 6.6 assists a game. Once thought to be the heir apparent to Oscar Robertson, James still has a lot of work to do in getting his teammates more involved.

Playing aside LeBron in the upcoming season are role players such as Larry Hughes and Zydrunnas Illgauskas. Larry Hughes is coming off a slightly disappointing season in which he was injured for two-thirds of the year. He should benefit greatly from playing an entire season next to one of the best players in the league and return to his 2004 form when he averaged 22.1 points per game. Illgauskas is a great scorer at the center position and is usually the key to how well the team as a whole does. If he is able to set a tone early, the Cavaliers are very tough to beat.

Other role players who are expected to contribute to the team include Donyell Marshall, Damon Jones and Anderson Varejao. Marshall is an inconsistent scorer at the power-forward position who has a long range. Jones is another inconsistent shooter who can light it up from the three-point range. Both players are expected to improve upon mediocre 2005 seasons. Anderson Varejao is a pure energy player who can give the team a boost off of his reckless play. Varejao has to stay healthy, however, and make it past the sixty games played mark for the first time in his career.

Second-year head coach Mike Brown may not get much press, but there is no question that he got the job done last year by leading the Cavaliers to their first playoff berth in a long time and winning a playoff series. More will be expected from him and the team, however, in 2006/07 and Brown needs to make sure that his team is not happy with last years results. This is not a championship team yet, but they are only one or two players away from that status.

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About the Author:

The author is a well knowned “http://www.advantagesportsbetting.com”>sports betting editor at “http://www.sportsbettingbasketball.com”>Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about “http://www.advantagesportsbetting.com/basketball-betting.htm”>basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.

By Jake Gambler

Just how good are the Chicago Bulls? After two straight playoff appearances, the Bulls look to take the next step after a couple of key additions in the offseason. To do so, however, they have to prove that they are the best, or even second-best, team in their own division.

The biggest addition for the Chicago Bulls was defensive stalwart Ben Wallace. Wallace is a four-time defensive player of the year who will bring toughness and a team-mentality to the Bulls. He is also a veteran presence on a fairly young team. The main problem with Ben, however, is that he is no offensive threat, which is the main area the Bulls lacked in last season.

The main scorers for the Chicago Bulls are the young backcourt players in Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon. Hinrich is an excellent point guard who can shoot from any spot on the floor. The Bulls expect him to get better as he has over the past few seasons. Much in the same way, Gordon is expected to continue as the leading scorer of the Chicago Bulls. It would come as no surprise if the third-year man out of Connecticut reaches the 20 points per game plateau.

Luol Deng is yet another talented young scorer at the small-forward position. Deng seems to be more comfortable coming off the bench, however, as he averaged almost three points more a game in that position then as a starter. The starter, therefore, is Andres Nocioni who can provide energy and double-digit points night in and night out.

The Bulls pride themselves on playing tough defense and having one of the deepest rosters in the league, and that should continue through the 2006/07 season. Some of their key bench players that haven’t been mentioned so far may include first-round draft pick Tyrus Thomas. Tyrus is a very young player who has a lot of talent but is relatively unpolished. Ben Wallace should help in his development as an elite NBA player. Another key bench player that coach Scott Skiles has relied on is backup point guard Chris Duhon. Duhon is a relatively unspectacular player who can manage the offense when Hinrich needs a break.

The Bulls certainly have a lot of talent entering the 2006 season, but most of that talent is also very young. This may end up being their downfall once again, as in the past two seasons. One thing is for sure, Chicago is on the right path to success.

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About the Author:

The author is a well knowned “http://www.advantagesportsbetting.com”>sports betting editor at “http://www.sportsbettingbasketball.com”>Sports Betting Basketball. Visit ASB to learn about “http://www.advantagesportsbetting.com/basketball-betting.htm”>basketball betting and get up to the minute odds/scores.