Allsopp, Hamid lead D.C. over K.C. for first win

Soccer Betting Lines

05/05/2010 - Washington, D.C. (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danny Allsopp scored twice and 19-year-old goalie Bill Hamid won his first MLS start, leading D.C. United to its first win of the year, 2-1 over the Kansas City Wizards on Wednesday at RFK Stadium.

United (1-5-0) snapped its season-opening, five-match losing streak and handed new coach Curt Onalfo his first win. Onalfo coached K.C. from 2007-09.

K.C. (2-3-1), which beat D.C. 4-0 in both teams' season opener, lost for third time in its last four games. The Wizards ended a 402-minute scoring drought in stoppage time when Kei Kamara scored his third goal of the season.

Allsopp handed United its first lead of the season in the 12th minute with his first MLS goal. Defender Rodney Wallace played a long ball, and Allsopp fought off Pablo Escobar to control the pass, then slipped around Jimmy Conrad on the left side of the area to send a deflected shot past goalie Jimmy Nielsen.

Hamid made his first save five minutes later, denying Chance Myers on the edge of the six-yard box. Hamid made another save in the 26th when he pushed a shot from Roger Espinoza over the bar.

Allsopp rewarded Hamid with a two-goal lead in the 34th. Adam Cristman grabbed a bad pass from Escobar and slid a pass to an open Allsopp, who fired into the bottom-left corner from 18 yards to beat Nielsen again.

United, which had scored in only one of its first five games, matched its goal total for the entire season. D.C. scored twice in a 3-2 loss to the expansion Philadelphia Union, but had been shutout in its other four matches.

Hamid made his biggest stop in the closing seconds of the first when he lifted a low, one-hop shot from Jack Jewsbury over the bar for his third save.

Kansas City tested Hamid two more times in the opening minutes of the second, but the rookie denied substitute Kamara just 15 seconds after half, and again off a header in the 48th.

Hamid made another fine play on a cross from Ryan Smith that sailed toward the upper-right corner in the 60th. Hamid had to jump to get the ball, then extend his arms to keep the ball from crossing the line as he collided with the post.

Christian Castillo beat Nielsen on a 45-yard free kick in the 77th but drilled the left post, as D.C. sat on its lead over the final 45 minutes and failed to create many chances.

Kamara scored Kansas City's first goal since his match-winner against Colorado when he slid to reach a pass from Josh Wolff and sent the ball just inside the right post to spoil Hamid's shutout bid.

D.C. allowed a league-high 13 goals in its first five matches, but Hamid saved five shots as United allowed less than two goals for the first time. Hamid was handed the start in place of Troy Perkins, a U.S. national backup who appeared in the first five matches.

United visits FC Dallas on Saturday to wrap up a two-game week. Kansas City is off until May 15, when it hosts the Chicago Fire.

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

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