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Following the testing of Spicebets, the beta version prediction is on Spain to win the world cup. But why Spain?
The answer rely on the performance during the world cup: even if with a management change (del Bosque toke the team after the European title) the European Champions kept the style of play: huge ball possession, a network of passes, solid defence and Villa as striker leader. Torres didn’t impress during this cup and del Bosque had to send him on the bench against Germany.
Vicente del Bosque is a coach who makes a rule, no major changes to his team’s formation. He usually maintains a good starting lineup, which has his full confidence, irrespective of their opponents. Therefore, it surprised a bit that the Spanish national coach decided before the historic semi-final match against the strong Germany for a change and renunce to Fernando Torres for Pedro.
This had not even expected to Pedro. “Yes, I was surprised but also very happy when I found out in the team meeting that I was in the starting eleven. Nervously, I was not, even if the tension was high and the importance of this game very was a good size. But when you stand on the square, you can’t feel all the tension anymore, because you only are concentrated on the game, “said the striker from Barcelona.
Del Bosque had taken indeed the right decision when he gave the 22-year olds his confidence. Pedro justified its use in an impressive manner: his quickness, his shooting ability and especially his determination not hesitate to shoot on goal brought a Pedro recognition and praise.
Plenty of stars on the field and on the bench for Spain, that’s why they should overcome a Netherlands that suffers against solid teams.
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About the author: Ranma is passionate football fan and writes reviews for betagora.com
July 10th, 2010 5:35:12 AM UTC | Posted in International by ranma | No Comments
Some call him ‘Piquebauer’ and there is actually stuff that speaks for the intelligence chief of the Spanish national team with the great Franz Beckenbauer compare. With his 192 centimeters Piqué is the determining figure in the defense of Spain and FC Barcelona, where he has already delivered a number of outstanding games. Piqué is only 23 years old and still has a number of achievements to accomplish before it can be reflected in the Olympus of the football gods, one of the Beckenbauer long ago.
Currently, he is making history with the Spanish national team: for the first time since 1950, the last round of four teams in a FIFA World Cup can see the name of Spain. But even after the victory against Paraguay in the quarter, the spanish players left with very serious faces the square.”We are all still very tense, because it was a very hard game. We will celebrate the success, if we have returned to the hotel,” Pique said
“Paraguay made our life very difficult. We dominated the game in my opinion and achieved, despite the missed penalty, the winning goal” concluded the defender.
After the Spaniards have survived the severe test, they need to concentrate on looking forward. Now it is important to focus on a historic semi-final duel. There, you meet an opponent with a big name: Germany.
Germany have a great team with great players. It will be very difficult to stop them, because they run a lot. They are of course also very motivated because of their clear victory against England and Argentina. Spain are also in very good shape and have shown how strong we are in defense as they have collected over the last two games no goals.
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About the author: Ranma is passionate football fan and writes reviews for betagora.com
July 6th, 2010 12:09:42 PM UTC | Posted in International by ranma | No Comments
In the first World Cup semifinals match on Tuesday night Uruguay faces Holland. Uruguay has won the World Cup 2 times winning the first one held in 1930 and then again in 1950. However, their best finish since then is a fourth place finish in 1970.
Holland has made it to two World Cup finals (1974 and 1978) and they lost both times. The played Uruguay in 1974 in group play and beat them 2-0.
Uruguay cannot be happy they are playing a team from Europe since they have not beat a team in that continent in their last 13 World Cup matches with 7 losses and 6 draws. The last time they beat a team from Europe is 1970 when they beat the U.S.S.R. 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
One of the leading sportsbooks has a line for this match with Holland as the favorite posted at -200 with Uruguay at +600 and a draw at +270.
In their quarterfinals wins on Saturday Holland beat Brazil 2-1 and Uruguay beat Ghana on penalties 4-2 after playing a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Both teams will be missing a few players in this match. For Holland DF Gregory van der Wiel and MF Nigel de Jong are both suspended. For Uruguay striker Luis Suarez and DF Jorge Fucile are both suspended and MF Nicolas Lodeiro is out because of an injury. The loss of Suarez will really hurt Uruguay, as he is their lone striker up front and he has been solid in South Africa scoring 2 goals in Uruguay’s round of 16 win against South Korea.
Holland World Cup Matches
7/2/2010 Holland 2 Brazil 1
6/28/2010 Holland 2 Slovakia 1
6/24/2010 Holland 2 Cameroon 1
6/19/2010 Holland 1 Japan 0
6/14/2010 Holland 3 Denmark 1
Uruguay World Cup Matches
7/2/2010 Uruguay 1 Ghana 1 (Uruguay won 4-2 on penalties)
6/26/2010 Uruguay 2 South Korea 1
6/22/2010 Uruguay 1 Mexico 1
6/16/2010 Uruguay 3 South Africa 0
6/11/2010 Uruguay 0 France 0
Uruguay striker Diego Forlán leads the team in goals in the World Cup (3) and he will have to play well in this match, especially with Suarez out.
Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben are the main scorers for Holland and they have to pressure the Uruguay defense.
The Dutch are an offensive minded attacking squad and because of that Uruguay will have to take advantage of counter-attacking opportunities they get.
Holland has the advantage in the midfield and if they dominate the time of possession they will be very tough to beat. MF Mark Van Bommel has to control the midfield and break up the Uruguay attack, and he has more pressure on him since Nigel de Jong is suspended.
My Pick: Even though both teams are missing key players the losses will hurt Uruguay more. The Dutch cannot have a letdown after upsetting 5-time champion Brazil in their last match. They will not do that, as they will come out and play well in this match overpowering Uruguay with their dynamic offense. The Dutch will win this match and advance to the finals where they will have their 3rd shot to win their first World Cup.
July 5th, 2010 4:08:30 PM UTC | Posted in International, Soccer, Sports, Sports Betting by Jason Green | No Comments
Would a World Cup with Diego Maradona be complete without a matchup against old rivals Germany?
In 1986, Maradona and Argentina defeated Germany (well, West Germany then) in a 3-2 thriller to win the World Cup in Mexico.
Four years later, West Germany turned the tide in a far less entertaining final encounter in Italy, with a late penalty making the difference in a 1-0 win and preventing Maradona and Argentina from pulling off the repeat.
20 years later, Maradona’s on the sidelines as Argentina’s coach, and it’s the quarterfinals and not the final, but you can guarantee that there won’t be any love lost when these two take the pitch tomorrow in Cape Town.
Four years ago in Germany, Argentina and Germany faced off in the quarterfinals, and played out 120 minutes to a 1-1 draw, Germany prevailed 4-2 in a penalty shootout.
Who will prevail this time around? Here’s my take on how things will shake out tomorrow in tomorrow‘s early quarterfinal.
Picking the Total: OVER 2.5 -105 (Bookmaker)
Both Argentina and Germany have kept two clean sheets in four games, but I don’t expect either team to hold the other scoreless tomorrow.
Argentina’s attack needs no introduction. Lionel Messi hasn’t scored yet at the World Cup, but even though his impact is measured far beyond the numbers in the goal column, you’d think that it’s only a matter of time before he hit’s the back of the net.
As for the scoring to this point, Gonzalo Higuain has more than proven his worth, scoring four times, including a hat trick in the group stage against South Korea, and in the 3-1 win over Mexico in the round of 16, Carlos Tevez was the hero with two goals (one of which everyone knows should have been disallowed, but I digress). And I haven’t even mentioned Sergio Aguero, Diego Milito, and Martin Palermo, who could all be in the starting lineup every time out for most national teams but find themselves as merely part of the deadliest frontline rotation in the game.
If there is one weak link for Argentina, it’s at the back, and Germany can certainly take advantage of that. Argentina have allowed only two goals to this point, but Nigeria, South Korea, Greece, and Mexico combined don’t provide the kind of threat that Germany will. Argentina may have the edge in depth, but Germany have their own studs in Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski, and rising star Thomas Muller, who scored twice against England. And Argentina will be punished if they let playmaker Mesut Ozil get any space to make something happen, whether by taking it upon himself to score or setting up someone else for an opportunity.
With both sides boasting attacking ability that far outweighs what they offer up defensively, I fully expect to see at least three goals without the need for extra time.
Picking the Side: Germany to advance PK +125 (Bookmaker)
Argentina can wear a lot of teams down with their attack, but don’t expect that to happen against Germany.
Germany may have youth in their ranks, but Klose is playing in his third World Cup, three-fourths of Germany’s starting back line (Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, and Arne Friedrich) are in their second, and so are Podolski and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger. They know what it takes to make it to and get past this level. Combine that with the
Argentina have passed every test thus far, but for what it’s worth, there hasn’t been one this stiff. And for all of the talent that they boast in attack, it’s not going to be enough to lift them past Germany. Some might consider it a small upset, but with what the core of Germany’s team has accomplished over the last several years, it should be considered anything but.
July 2nd, 2010 9:38:00 PM UTC | Posted in Free Picks, International by Griffdog | No Comments
The Brazil coach Carlos Dunga: “Brazil must win. If it wins, it had scored many goals. If he wins, scoring many goals, usually the opponent was weak …». A smiling on us, but the sentence number one: win. It is not always beautiful.
Sentenced to triumph, is the fate of a few and can erode the soul. Dunga, coach of national team since he won a Confederations Cup brilliantly, an America’s Cup in an equally bright, the South American qualifying group World with no worries. However for the brazilians is not enough. Assume that, should reach the final and not daring to win Dunga has strongly “invited” to do the packing.
Ferrari parties can understand. The Red is the most fascinating F1 team, winning and acclaimed the world. Holds all the records related to sports and business world of motorsports. But not being able to fight for the World Title for a couple of years call revolutions, hunt for scapegoats, proposals to abolish the superlicence to the Ferrari drivers from the fans.
So Brazil is ready to face Chile, the team showed the best play in the competition. The odds for Chile to win are high, Spicebets pick an home victory with an alert: Brazil won’t win easily, so avoid Asian Handicap bets. The upset is easy for the “must win” team
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About the author: Ranma is passionate football fan and writes reviews for betagora.com
June 28th, 2010 11:30:43 AM UTC | Posted in International by ranma | No Comments
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