Sunderland shells out record fee for Gyan

Soccer Betting Lines

08/31/2010 - Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland signed Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan for a club-record transfer fee of nearly $20 million on Tuesday and gave him a four-year contract.

Sunderland acquired the 24-year-old Gyan from French club Rennes. His signing surpasses the amount Sunderland spent on Darrent Bent last season.

"It's been a long day, but finally I'm happy to be here and my family and friends are also happy for me," Gyan, who finalized his move just before the transfer window closed, said on Sunderland's website. "My family is in England already and I am happy this is the right place for me.

"The Sunderland coach (Steve Bruce) has faith in me because he has been following me for two years now. I am pleased I have the opportunity to come to England."

Gyan scored three goals in the recent FIFA World Cup for Ghana, as the country made the quarterfinals of the tournament before falling to Uruguay in penalty kicks. He has scored 22 goals in 44 matches for Ghana.

Gyan was also a member of Ghana's 2006 World Cup team. He scored the fastest goal of the tournament against the Czech Republic when he scored 68 seconds into the match.

After starting his career in Ghana, Gyan signed with Udinese in Italy and made 39 appearances and had 11 goals, while scoring another 15 on loan at Modena. He joined Rennes in $10 million move in 2008 and scored 14 times in 47 games.

Sunderland also announced midfielder Teemu Tainio has left the club and his contract was terminated by mutual consent.

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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.