Udinese deals Juventus first loss of season

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09/16/2007 - Turin, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Udinese gave Juventus its first loss of the season on Sunday at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino as Antonio Di Natale scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win.

It was a nice way to rebound from a 5-0 loss to promoted side Napoli last time out, although the hosts were unlucky to come away with nothing after Alessandro Del Piero was denied by the woodwork on two occasions, including one in stoppage time.

Roma is now the only perfect team in Serie A after securing a 2-0 victory against Reggina on Sunday.

The first half was positive for Juventus, and the hosts were able to create a couple of chances throughout the opening 45 minutes.

The first came when David Trezeguet sent a header just wide from eight yards out, and then Del Piero was given a pair of opportunities to put Juve on the board.

Pavel Nedved lobbed a short pass over the defense and into the box for Del Piero, who beat keeper Samir Handanovic to the ball and chipped a shot over the sliding netminder. However, the ball sailed over the crossbar.

In the 32nd minute, Del Piero was unlucky not to put the home side ahead from a free kick. He sent a dipping shot over the wall that left the keeper standing, but luckily for Handanovic, he watched the ball slam off the left post.

Gyan Asamoah had the two best chances for Udinese in the opening half, but both times he failed to hit the target from inside the box after getting into good positions.

Less than two minutes into the second half, the visitors moved in front. Gokhan Inler did well to hold off a defender inside the box and play a one- touch ball to Di Natale, who headed past keeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Nedved created a chance for himself in the 59th minute, cutting the ball back on the left inside the box, but firing a poor shot well wide.

Asamoah nearly doubled the lead for Udinese minutes later when his half-volley from the right smacked off the inside of the near post, but Juventus came right back with another dangerous Del Piero free kick. The Juve captain came close again after curling his shot around the wall but up and over the net.

With the final whistle just minutes away, Udinese once again dodged a bullet from a Del Piero free kick. The Italian international cracked his shot past the wall but it struck the bottom of the crossbar and bounced down inches from the goal line.

In other Serie A play on Sunday, Riccardo Zampagna scored in the 86th minute to give Atalanta a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina, Genoa and Livorno shared the points in 1-1 fashion, Inter Milan recorded a 2-0 victory over Catania Calcio and Napoli won its second straight game by beating Sampdoria 2-0. Torino played to a draw in its third consecutive match by finishing 1-1 with Palermo and Parma tied Cagliari 1-1.

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After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

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