LOOKING IN ON: SOCCER

Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006 | 7:43 a.m.

Lazio at AC Milan, Sunday

The delayed Serie A season finally begins, and Milan starts without star Andriy Shevchenko (to Chelsea) and minus 8 points in the league standings for its role in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the league.

Without Sheva, Milan will rely on Filippo Inzaghi, who scored once for the World Cup-winning Italians. We believe Lazio midfielder Paolo Di Canio will also make his presence felt.

Got a hotshot 13-year-old goalie in your household? Then you might want to head to London to place a wager at the William Hill bookmaking operation.

Eddie Kirkland, his wife and others did just that 12 years ago when they put 100 British pounds, at 100-1 odds, on 13-year-old Chris Kirkland one day playing for the English national team.

Chris, 25, did just that last month during a 4-0 friendly victory against Greece in Manchester. Two minutes into the second half, new Three Lions boss Steve McClaren replaced Paul Robinson with Kirkland between the pipes.

And Eddie's consortium - Chris had wagered 10 pounds on himself - cashed the ticket for 10,000 pounds.

Unlike the sports books around Las Vegas, William Hill and others in England are famous for taking odd wagers, like someone winning a medal at the 2012 London Olympics, a kid winning Wimbledon or the summer temperature hitting 90 in London. (They had to pay off on that one during this year's Wimbledon.)

Take note, Hilton ace book director Jay Kornegay, there's coin to be made here.

Since so many blindly bet on the United States to win it all in Germany over the summer - or didn't anyone notice how those odds of 50-1 or higher tumbled into the teens or lower? - how about 100-1 on the U.S. winning the World Cup by 2050?

(We'll gladly take 10 percent of the take, Jay. Meet ya at the far-left window in July 2050.)