argentina

It was another fascinating night of South American football on Friday night, as the race to qualify for the 2014 World Cup heated up. Again, the parity which seems to be prevalent across the South American nations ruled, as more upsets were on the cards, and the weaknesses of big guns Argentina are being exposed all too clearly. We now see them enter a huge match on Tuesday night against Colombia, one of the rising stars of South American football. The CONMEBOL race to reach the World Cup finals is stretched out over the course of two years, and the quality of football is fast paced, tense and never short of controversy and excitement. The CONMEBOL confederation is a lot more tightly matched than you may first imagine when you scan down the list of participants looking to join host Brazil at the 2014 World Cup. There is a long qualification road ahead, and so far, only Uruguay are showing some consistency.

Colombia v Argentina
What are we going to see in this big clash? Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw in the previous match by bottom side Bolivia (the same result as in this year’s Copa America when they met). We are not going to get drawn into what is the problem with Lionel Messi, because it is Argentina’s problem, not him. That draw, at home, came on the back of a 1-0 away defeat against Venezuela, so Argentina need to start pulling up their socks. There is a long way to go in this of course, and Argentina will probably muscle their way through, but they are not the dominant force in this qualification zone. That will be Uruguay. So now Argentina are going to be really tested once again as they head to Colombia, to face another of the sides which held them to a draw at the Copa America. Colombia, undefeated in their two matches so far, are a growing force, they are a very good attacking side and should be brave enough, especially at home to go and take the game to Argentina. They won’t be afraid of Lionel Messi and co anyway, and this would be a huge opportunity for Colombia to draw three points clear of Argentina, with a game in hand over them as well. Argentina are very hit and miss at the moment, they don’t know what their best line up, or tactical approach is, and it is showing.
Colombia 3, Draw 5.2, Argentina Evens at Bet365

Ecuador v Peru
Two sides with equal records so  far after two matches each in CONMEBOL 2014 World Cup qualification. Peru didn’t play on Friday, while Ecuador went down 2-1 away to Paraguay. At this stage, you really wouldn’t count any team out of contention of nabbing a qualification place. Would lean towards Peru in this fixture, or settle for a draw as they are away. Peru realistically are just carrying a little more form after reaching third place in this year’s Copa America.
Ecuador 3/4, Draw 13/5, Peru 4/1 at Bet365

Chile v Paraguay
Well, have been thoroughly under whelmed by Chile. Really thought that they were going to come out of the blocks and shake things up in qualification. They have the potential, attacking potential to do so, but its all going wrong for them at the moment. It is all good trying an expansive, modern formation, but when you concede ten goals in three matches, there’s something needing fixing. After opening with a  4-1 defeat against Argentina, they responded with a 4-2 win over Peru, before crashing 4-0 against Uruguay on Friday night. They are certainly value for money, one way or the other, but they just look as if they are going to concede goal after goal. They will really want to inject something into this game, because it is a winnable one for them at home against Paraguay. Paraguay are a little more cautious in their approach, and picked up their first win of the campaign on Friday night against Ecuador. This is the side who reached the final of the Copa America without winning a game in ninety minutes. All of their games look as if they are going to be close, and did snatch a point of Uruguay, so there is potential there. Paraguay are a more settled, together side, but am really waiting for Chile to explode into life on the back of a solid defence.
Chile 11/12, Draw 5/2, Paraguay 10/3 at Bet365

Venezuela v Bolivia
Venezuela, who took fourth place at the Copa America this year, can give their qualification chances a huge boost with a win over the bottom side Bolivia this week. With one win, one draw and one defeat so far, if they can pull out a big three points, they will leave themselves in good standing after this round of matches. Like most of these South American sides, they are growing in stature and starting to show some potential. They are hard working side but are prone to big collapses. As for Bolivia, they look as if they have some hard work to do in order to chase down a qualification spot. However, their 1-1 away draw at Argentina on Friday night will have buoyed them up no doubt. But out of the two, especially at home, Venezuela are the better side and would get behind them to eek out a win.
Venezuela 4/7, Draw 29/10, Bolivia 7/1 at Bet365

More great news from online bookmaker Bet365, as they are again showing all of these CONMEBOL 2014 World Cup qualification matches from South America as live streams. The bookie is giving fully coverage of the top South American live football streams again, giving punters a great chance to see the action and to capitalize upon some live in play betting as well. Streams are free for funded Bet365 account holders and the bookie offers a free £200 to new customers registering an account as a welcome bonus. The bookie will match the value of your first deposit on a new account, up to the maximum value of £200, which is a whole bunch of free profit potential on your new account!

England and Scotland fans will be wanting to keep an eye on Argentina v Romania Rugby World Cup betting, as the two home nations representatives will get a good idea of what is to come. England stumbled badly against Argentina, and truthfully if Argentina’s goal kicking had been even a  modicum above average, they would have likely walked away with maximum points instead of tasting a narrow defeat. That is because Argentina really went at the game with a great attitude, were more ferocious in clearing out at break downs and played with a lot of heart. Some can argue that they weren’t much more adventurous in terms of attacking play than England, but still, they came out with more fans on their side than the English did. So now, if the Pumas, who finished third in the 2007 event can build upon the positives from that first match, then they should be able to secure their first victory in Pool B. This is Argentina and Romania’s second match, and Romania still lie in wait for England. Romania faced Scotland in their first match and really had the Scots on the ropes thanks to taking their chances and again, just like Argentina, playing with a lot more passion and desire. They had the lead and looked as if they were going to cause the first upset of the 2011 Rugby World Cup until Scotland ran in two late tries to snatch victory. Now, whether Romania will be able to raise themselves after coming so close or not remains to be seen, especially against Argentina. The South Americans can play a punishing physical game up front, and as well as Romania did all over pitch (except in defence) against Scotland, the Pumas should be able to work from their strong forwards platform. Still, interesting to watch what happens, as Scotland will have Argentina in their sights.

Argentina v Romania Rugby World Cup betting
Argentina to win: 1/18 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 50/1 at Bet365
Romania to win: 14/1 at SportingBet

There have been seven meetings between Argentina and Romania and the South Americans have won all seven of them, averaging almost thirty points per game more than their opponents when coming together. The last match was a long time ago, back in the 2003 Rugby World Cup when the Pumas won 50-13.

The 2011 Copa America is being held in Argentina this year, and runs from July 1 to July 24th across eight venues. There are twelve teams competing for the honours, including Brazil, who will head into the tournament as defending champions. As twelve participants is a pretty awkward number for a tournament, after all the first round group stage matches, only four teams will go home. The winner and runner up from each group will be joined by two best runners up. So it is pretty hard to get knocked out of the first round of the 2011 Copa America, so there will be nothing much more than a jostling for places going on. Because of the seedings of the groups, the trio of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay will all be expected to win their respective groups and then it will be a chase for the rest of the places. While you can’t plan firmly as to who the group winners will be playing, as the winner of Argentina and Brazil’s groups will play best third place teams, if the two favourites win their groups, then Brazil and Argentina will be kept apart until the final if they get that far. A bit bizarrely the Winner of Quarter Final 1 will play the winner of Quarter Final 2 and that could be Argentina back against whoever finishes second in their group. The same for Brazil, they could they end up playing the runners up from their group in the quarter finals. Still, it keeps the biggest guns apart because everyone wants to see a repeat of the 2007 final, when Brazil romped to a 3-0 win over rivals Argentina. Goals from Baptista, Alves and an own goal from Ayala handed Brazil their eighth title. This is the most important football even in Latin America from July 1st to July 24th. 2011 Copa America betting has Argentina as favourites for the tournament, while Brazil are tracking them in second place. The two sides, Brazil, ranked 3rd in the world, and Argentina, ranked 5th in the world are the class acts in the field, and a winner should come from one of them.

Group A
Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Bolivia
The Lionel Messi inspired Argentina will naturally start as favourites to win their group. After their limp exit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, that Argentina can be forgotten about. Sweep them under the rug and move forward, because Sergio Batista is in charge now, so there are no more antics and bizarre tactical decisions to come from Diego Maradona. OK, so Argentina are the powerhouses, with enough firepower to rival even that of Spain. But is has been nearly two decades since Argentina brought home any silverware, but with a strong European influence in their side, and playing on their home turf, Argentina cold take some stopping here. It is not all about the genius of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, although it will play a big part. Some say that Messi has never truly performed for his country, and while he shone at the 2010 World Cup, there was always the feeling something was missing. At Barcelona he has genius in midfield to create space, someone else to do the creating. He is the star in strong supporting cast of stars. Up until now, Argentina have looked solely to him to provide everything. That has to chance. However, there should be a stronger team identity than that which turns up for the tournament. There is more of a team feel abut them at the moment, and they should be far too strong for the rest of the group. Bolivia are essentially making up the numbers here, while Costa Rica (a late replacement after Japan pulled out) will be looking to make an exciting splash. Colombia are more of an unknown quantity than Costa Rica, as they strive to live up to big past reputations.

Crunch Match: Colombia v Costa Rica - This is in the first round of matches so it will be a tough opener for both. This sets the stall out for the chase to catch Argentina. A cracking way to start the group off.

Group A	Games	W / D / L	difference	Points
1. Colombia *	3	2 / 1 / 0	3:0	7
2. Argentina *	3	1 / 2 / 0	4:1	5
3. Costa Rica	3	1 / 0 / 2	2:4	3
4. Bolivia	3	0 / 1 / 2	1:5	1

Date / Time (GMT)	Copa America 2011 – Group A			Result	Betting Odds
02.07.2011 01.15	Argentina	-	Bolivia	1:1 (0:0)	ARG 1/10, Draw 10/1, BOL 33/1
02.07.2011 19.30	Colombia	-	Costa Rica	1:0 (1:0)	COL 4/11, Draw 15/4, CRC 10/1
07.07.2011 01.45	Argentina	-	Colombia	0:0	ARG 2/5, Draw 9/2, COL 8/1
07.07.2011 23.15	Bolivia	-	Costa Rica	0:2 (0:0)
10.07.2011 20.00	Colombia	-	Bolivia	2:0 (2:0)	COL 8/13, Draw 11/4, BOL 5/1
12.07.2011 01.45	Argentina	-	Costa Rica	3:0 (1:0)	ARG 1/6, Draw 6/1, CRC 17/1

Group Tip: Argentina 1st, Costa Rica 2nd, Colombia 3rd, Bolivia 4th
To Win Group A: Argentina 2/9 at Bet365, Colombia 4/1 at BetFred, Bolivia 28/1 at SkyBet, Costa Rica 40/1 at Stan James

Group B
Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela, Ecuador
Well, the defending Champions Brazil should have an easy ride through their group. There is nothing which should bring them down here. Brazil fell flat at the end of the 2010 World Cup, losing in the semi finals to the Netherlands, but they are still a major force and a real threat. With the 2014 World Cup heading there, they will be keep to stamp their authority all over this and continue to build for the future. They still have a rich abundance of talent in their side, and you can expect exactly what you will get from Brazil, scintillating flair. Gone is coach Dunga who many felt held back Brazil at the 2010 World Cup, and they are more back to their roots as an attacking team of flair. They now have They qualand while there is a bit of a transition period they are hard to put down. The quality which they can call upon in their squad is still enviable. They beat Romania 1-0 in a friendly and that followed a draw against the Netherlands in a friendly. Paraguay will probably be following Brazil through as they should be much stronger than Venezuela and Ecuador. It is basically going to be a race for second place in this one, with Brazil outright favourites.

Crunch Match:  Brazil v Paraguay - While Brazil are expected to win the group, if an upset is going to come in the group, then it will be here. It will be Brazil’s biggest test, so it will be interesting to see how they negotiate it. Defeat for Paraguay will keep the group wide open behind them, but if they squeeze a point off the favourites, that should be second place wrapped up for them.

Group B	Games	W / D / L	difference	Points
1. Brazil *	3	1 / 2 / 0	6:4	5
2. Venezuela *	3	1 / 2 / 0	4:3	5
3.  Paraguay *	3	0 / 3 / 0	5:5	3
4.  Ecuador	3	0 / 1 / 2	2:5	1

date / time (GMT)	Copa America 2011 – Group B			Result	Betting Odds
03.07.2011 20.00	Brazil	-	Venezuela	0:0	BRA 1/5, Draw 6/1, VEN 18/1
03.07.2011 22.30	Paraguay	-	Ecuador	0:0	PAR 10/11, Draw 13/5, ECU 7/2
09.07.2011 20.00	Brazil	-	Paraguay	2:2 (1:0)	BRA 4/7, Draw 29/10, PAR 11/2
09.07.2011 22.30	Venezuela	-	Ecuador	1:0 (0:0)	VEN 9/4, Draw 12/5, ECU 13/8
13.07.2011 23.15	Paraguay	-	Venezuela	3:3 (1:1)	PAR 8/11, Draw 13/5, VEN 29/5
14.07.2011 01.45	Brazil	-	Ecuador	4:2 (1:1)	BRA 7/20, Draw 4/1, ECU 10/1

Group Tip: Brazil 1st, Paraguay 2nd, Ecuador 3rd, Venezuela 4th
To Win Group B: Brazil 2/5 at SkyBet, Paraguay 4/1 at Bet365, Ecuador 8/1 at Bwin, Venezuela 33/1 at SkyBet

Group C
Chile, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay
The most fascinating group of the three, and you can see three of them getting through to the second round. Uruguay, who made a great name for themselves at the 2010 FIFA World Cup will go as favourites, but this is a wide open group. Uruguay post Diego Forlan era still has a lot of positives with Liverpool Luis Suarez the main man up front. Chile are, more often than not are a very tough nut to crack. They are a very organised side, but do lack a little bit up front, but still, defensively will work very hard, tackle hard and make themselves a big presence. Then you have the more exciting Mexico side, with Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez a familiar name in the squad. They will look to him for goals, and the Mexicans are quite an open, brave, and free flowing side. They don’t have the strongest defence in the group and that could be their downfall. But while the other two groups will be dominated by Argentina and Brazil respectively, this one is a little tougher to call.

Crunch match: Uruguay v Chile - expect these two to be battling it out at the top of the league, because they look as if they have just a little more to offer than Mexico as a squad. The winner of this clash could well be in line for top spot as it comes in the second round.

Group C	Games	W / D / L	difference	Points
1. Chile *	3	2 / 1 / 0	4:2	7
2. Uruguay *	3	1 / 2 / 0	3:2	5
3. Peru *	3	1 / 1 / 1	2:2	4
4. Mexico	3	0 / 0 / 2	1:4	0

date / time (GMT)	Copa America 2011 – Group C			Result	Betting Odds
04.07.2011 23.15	Uruguay	-	Peru	1:1 (1:1)	URU 2/5, Draw 18/5, PER 10/1
05.07.2011 01.45	Chile	-	Mexico	2:1 (0:1)	CHI 1/2, Draw 7/2, MEX 13/2
08.07.2011 23.15	Uruguay	-	Chile	1:1 (0:0)	URU 6/4, Draw 9/4, CHI 2/1
09.07.2011 01.45	Peru	-	Mexico	1:0 (0:0)	PER 6/4, Draw 9/4, MEX 11/5
13.07.2011 00.00	Chile	-	Peru	1:0 (0:0)	CHI 4/5, Draw 5/2, PER 9/2
13.07.2011 01.45	Uruguay	-	Mexico	1:0 (1:0)	URU 57/100, Draw 32/11, MEX 13/2

Group Tip: Uruguay 1st, Chile 2nd, Mexico 3rd, Peru 4th
To Win Group C: Uruguay 6/4 at Bet365, Chile 17/11 at Bwin, Mexico 4/1 at SkyBet, Peru 16/1 at Bwin

Schedule & Betting Odds – Quarterfinals Copa America 2011

date / time (GMT)	Copa America 2011 – Quarterfinals			Result	Betting Odds
16.07.2011 20.00	Colombia	-	Peru	0:2 overtime	COL 4/5, Draw 13/5 , PER 9/2
16.07.2011 23.15	Argentina	-	Uruguay	1:1 (4:5 pen.)	ARG 4/6, Draw 11/4, URU 11/2
17.07.2011 20.00	Brazil	-	Paraguay	0:0 (0:2 pen.)	BRA 4/6, Draw 11/4, PAR 5/1
17.07.2011 23.15	Chile	-	Venezuela	1:2 (0:1)	CHI 8/11, Draw 11/4, VEN 19/4

date / time (GMT)	Copa America 2011 – Semifinals			Result	Betting Odds
20.07.2011 01.45	Peru	-	Uruguay	0:2 (0:0)	PER 9/2, Draw 12/5, URU 11/3
21.07.2011 01.45	Paraguay	-	Venezuela	0:0 (5:3 pen.)	PAR 21/20, Draw 23/10, VEN 10/3

date / time (GMT)	Copa America 2011 – Match for Third Place			Result	Result Betting Odds
23.07.2011 20.00	Peru	-	Venezuela	4:1 (1:0)

date / time (GMT)	Copa America 2011 – Final			Result	Betting Odds
24.07.2011 20.00	Uruguay	-	Paraguay	3:0 (2:0)	URU 11/10, Draw 23/10, PAR 7/2

2011 Copa America Outright Winner Betting Odds

Argentina: 11/10 at Totesport
Brazil: 2/1 at Bet365
Uruguay: 12/1 at Totesport
Chile: 12/1 at Bet365
Paraguay: 25/1 at Paddy Power

2011 Copa America Top Goal Scorer Betting Odds

Lionel Messi: 7/2 at Skybet
Gonzalo Higuain: 11/2 at SkyBet
Carlos Tevez: 8/1 at SkyBet
Fred: 8/1 at SkyBet
Neymar: 8/1 at SkyBet
Luis Suarez: 10/1 at SkyBet

Argentina v Uruguay 2011 Copa America betting almost feels like it is a clash between two stars, Lionel Messi v Diego Forlan. The Quarter Final encounter has quite a historical feel about it, because both nations have won the Copa America fourteen times, and in their head to head standings, you are looking at 13 wins apiece. So this may be tougher to call than expected. This match up is all down to Argentina’s failure to win their group, something which looked unthinkable at the start of the tournament. But, after two below par performances to start off their campaign, drawing against Bolivia and Colombia, they could only manage a second place finish behind the Colombians. Argentina did finally strike a bit of form in their final group match, as they crushed Costa Rica (who weren’t at fully strength) 3-0 thanks to a brace from Aguero. But it still looks as if Argentina are trying to sort out their formation, and of course, get the best out of their star Lionel Messi. This is not Barcelona we are talking about, although when you look at the Argentina squad, there is a wealth of world class talent there, they are just not the fully cohesive team which you would picture them as being. The side is still being tinkered with as they try and work their 4-3-3 formation, but they did get the balance a little better against Costa Rica after Gago and Di Maria formed a triangle with Mascherano to better fit with the three forwards. Argentina did show in patches against Costa Rica, just what they are capable off. Slick, quick passing, with Lionel Messi cutting in from the right instead of having to drop so deep to become largely ineffective. At their heights Argentina can dominate and destroy, it is just a matter of whether or not they can produce it for long periods of the game. They should get the chance to maintain a lot of possession against Uruguay, who will look to pick off the host nation on the break. Uruguay have not really lived up to their expectations following their successes of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and they have not had a lot of punch going forward. The duo of Diego Forlan and Liverpool’s Luis Suarez is a combination a lot of sides would like to have, but they too have been plagued with a lack of fluency about their game. A draw against Chile and Peru was rounded off with a 1-0 win over Mexico in their final group match to put them into second place in Group C. What Uruguay do do very well, is press the opposing teams. It is a tactic which we saw at the World Cup, and they try and go high and deny space. When it works, it frustrates opponents out of their game, but when it doesn’t Uruguay do not have a great deal to fall back on. Therefore, Argentina v Uruguay Copa America betting looks as if it should go they way of the host nation. Not sure if Uruguay really have enough firepower to get through this, but they will take hope from watching Argentina struggle to get into some of their games. Uruguay will look to frustrate Argentina and negate Messi, but they don’t look defensively strong enough.

Argentina v Uruguay Betting Odds

Argentina to win: 4/6 at Blue Square
Draw: 11/4 at BetFred
Uruguay to win: 11/2 at Bet365

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2011 Copa America – Argentina – Schedule, Betting Tips & Results

July 1st, 2011 – Argentina v Bolivia 2011 Copa America football betting is the match gets the exciting Latin American tournament underway on July 1st. Argentina are hosting the twelve team tournament, and are looking to go one step better than the 2007 edition of the Copa America, where they lost in the final against rivals Brazil. After falling behind early in the match, Argentina never recovered and crumbled to a 3-0 defeat. But now the tournament is back on their home turf and they start the 2011 Copa America as favourites. They open their account against underdogs Bolivia. Argentina, for whom the focal point will be the Barcelona star Lionel Messi will try and throw all of their collective talented weight together as a team. They fell short at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and that was largely blamed on poor tactics from boss Diego Maradona. No-one has really figured out how to use Lionel Messi in the best role for his club, because they have not been able to produce a figure like Xavi who can pull all the strings from the midfield. Argentina are a supremely talented team and out of all the international teams in the world, are the ones who could probably stand alongside Spain in terms of attacking power. But the tactical problems look to have been solved by new boss Sergio Batista as he has employed Messi on the right of a three man attack, allowing him to cut in from the right.

Batista has been pushing his squad hard, making the players train a couple of times a day in preparation for the 2011 Copa America. They mean business here and there will be extra pressure upon them because they are in front of their home crowds. This is a big moment for Argentina to prove themselves and to get one over on their old rivals, Brazil. The two will be on a collision course to meet in the final should they both win their respective groups. They have a comfortable start, and with Colombia and Costa Rica to come in the group Argentina will be strong favourites to top the group. The top two in the group definitely qualify for the quarter finals, while the two best third places from the three groups. Argentina are trading well to win their group, clear front runners with a price of 2/9 at Bet365. Argentina have a good, comfortable start to their campaign and should be able to grow into the tournament. However the home fans will be passionate and hungry for more than just a comfortable ride. They want to see the very best of Argentina, with all of their stars aligned and Lionel Messi shining brightest. There is a more positive feel about Argentina at the 2011 Copa America, and with new coach Sergio Batista getting off to a blinding start with a 4-1 win over Spain, the stakes and hopes are high for Argentina. Look for a good win to get them off the mark against Bolivia.

Argentina v Bolivia 2011 Copa America betting

Argentina to win: 1/8 at BetFred
Draw: 7/1 at Stan James
Bolivia to win: 25/1 at Bet365

Argentina to win Group A: 2/9 at Bet365

Argentina to win 2011 Copa America outright: 11/10 at Totesport

2011 Copa America – Argentina – Schedule, Betting Tips & Results

England women maintained their unbeaten record in Argentina at the 2010 Hockey World Cup, as they were saved in their match against South Korea by a tremendous wonder goal by Helen Richardson. It was just rewards in a tough match, in which England fell behind with less than twenty seconds on the clock. Richardson picked the ball up half way inside the South Korean half and drove towards the goal, jinking her way past several defenders and still had the composure to finish the job at the end of it. If you get a chance to see it, then do so. England, who impressed so much in their Bronze Medal effort at the Champions Trophy recently, are steadily gaining stature in the world game. They are now sitting second in their group after four matches, with three wins (against Spain, China and South Africa) and a draw under their belt. South Korea were one of the tricky opponents which they faced in their group, but now a tougher challenge with their final group match to come against Argentina on Monday. England beat Argentina with a wonderfully spirited performance in the Champions Trophy recently, but taking on the strong Argentineans on their home turf could be a completely different prospect.

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Argentina, the home nation, are just one point behind England in the group, with a game in hand over the English, and when the two go head to head, it will prove to be the clincher for the top spot in the group. It really will be a crucial match, as it will have a strong hand in settling the opponents for the semi final. England will really want to clinch top spot in the group in order to avoid the potential semi final clash against the Netherlands. The Netherlands, along with the Argentineans are arguably the best sides in the world, and the Dutch handed England a stern beating when they clashed in the Champions Trophy. If England can take top spot, they will likely set up a clash with Germany, who are going strong, but are probably the easier of the two sides to face. But, as with any international tournament, at this stage of the competition you have to come up against, and beat the best in order to fulfil ambitions of winning major trophies such as the World Cup. While England have performed very well, and is great to see, they are not as flamboyant or as free scoring as Argentina or Netherlands, and so the English defence will have to stand firm in another impressive display. That is the strength of the English game, organised and solid, holding their shape.

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Exactly four months ago, these teams played a friendly match at the Allianz Arena which suggested that Germany might struggle at the 2010 World Cup. Although Joachim Loew’s team had beaten Russia home and away to qualify for South Africa, they produced an underwhelming performance against La Albiceleste which was one of the reasons why Die Mannschaft were priced at 16/1 on the outright market before the tournament began.

They have since been cut by the bookmakers and are now no bigger than 7/1 (Paddy Power) to win their first World Cup as a unified nation (although it would be their fourth victory overall). The 4-1 triumph over England saw an attacking performance full of quick passing and sharp shooting, with the Three Lions having no answer to the midfield mastering of Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Germany are a best priced 13/10 (bet365) to qualify from this tie, just as they did at the same stage of the competition in 2006. The quarter final match in Berlin was very exciting, with Argentina taking the lead before the hosts pegged them back and eventually won on penalties. It’s hard to dispute the German record when it comes to spot kicks and they are 9/1 (Sporting Bet) to go through to the semi-finals by this method.

It would be a fantastic achievement against a team that won that friendly in Munich four months ago and have looked pretty unstoppable so far at this World Cup. Argentina took their time to qualify for the finals in South Africa, although they breezed through Group B and the 13/10 (Boylesports) about them obliging with a victory in Cape Town might prove to be a popular wager. After all, they have won four games on the spin and proved too hot for Mexico to handle on Sunday, even if it did take an offside Carlos Tevez effort to break the deadlock.

The Manchester City forward is 13/2 (bet365) to score the first goal of the game on Saturday afternoon and one cannot fail to be impressed by his amazing work ethic which involves him snapping at the opposition defenders’ ankles like a terrier. However, it’s Gonzalo Higuain who leads the scoring charts with four goals in three games and the Real Madrid forward is 11/2 (bet365) to draw first blood for Argentina.

There will be many punters who have lost faith in Lionel Messi after the Barcelona star has failed to score in all four of his country’s matches so far. However, the German defence was not exactly watertight against England and the time could be ripe for the world’s best player to demonstrate his credentials on a world stage. Boylesports make him 11/8 to score at any stage of the game, with Sky Bet offering 33/1 that he proves to be a hat-trick hero.

As for the Germans, they have illustrated that they are also full of goals in this tournament. Miroslav Klose (8/1 Ladbrokes) will lead the line, although Lukas Podolski (10/1 Ladbrokes), Mesut Ozil (16/1 Paddy Power) and Thomas Muller (14/1 Ladbrokes) have all been among the goals in South Africa.

We already have one team representing South America in the quarter finals to be played on Friday 2nd July and Saturday 3rd July, with Uruguay going through against South Korea in Port Elizabeth. It now falls to the much-fancied Albiceleste to double the continent’s representation in the final eight, with Paraguay, Chile and Brazil still to play.

It’s certainly advantage South America after the group matches, with Chile’s defeat against Spain the first time that a team from that continent has lost a match in South Africa. The bookies are expecting this trend to continue on Sunday evening with their best price of 8/15 (bet365) that Argentina continue their 100% record in this competition by winning at Soccer City.

Diego Maradona’s team have already played a blinder at this ground, thrashing South Korea 4-1 just over a week ago and the manager looks like having every member of his squad available for selection. That means Jonas Gutierrez back from suspension, Javier Mascherano and Angel Di Maria in the middle of the park and Gonzalo Higuain returning in attack. The Real Madrid forward bagged a hat-trick against the Koreans and he’s 4/1 (Victor Chandler) to be first on the scoresheet in this game.

However, the favourite (for the fourth game running) on the First Goalscorer market is Lionel Messi – will the Barcelona forward ever get on to the scoresheet? It’s not that the “world’s best player” has been particularly quiet but more that opposition defenders have crowded him out a la Diego Maradona during the 1990 World Cup. However, if you think that he will draw first blood against the Mexicans, Ladbrokes offer 7/2 that Messi breaks his duck in this competition – something which will doubtless see him run to the manager!

It’s fair to say that Mexico aren’t particularly big fans of Argentina, especially after being eliminated from the 2006 World Cup by the same opposition. Four years ago, El Tri held La Albiceleste to a 1-1 draw only to lose in extra-time and Javier Aguirre would surely be delighted if his team were able to keep things all square after normal time. You can bet 10/3 with Sky Bet that the Mexicans stop this Argentina bandwagon in full flow and a massive 6/1 with bet365 that the central American side produce one of the tournament upsets by landing the spoils.

Mexico are one of the more attractive teams to watch, with the team capable of neat passing and movement which outclassed France during the group stages. There is a huge reliance on the midfield pairing of Gerardo Torrado and Rafael Marquez to stop their opponents playing, although question marks remain over a defence that were hit on the counter against both South Africa and Uruguay.

Hopefully, the manager won’t wonder ‘what if’ by not playing Javier Hernandez in attack. The Manchester United-bound striker might be a relative newcomer to international football, although he demonstrated his prowess with a well-taken goal against France and looks the business at 10/1 (bet365) to score the first goal.

2010 World Cup early betting (part 5)

We’re now at the business end of this tournament. Time to take stock of all the ifs and buts.

HOST country. Being the host seems to make a big difference to many countries. They nearly always UP their game. They have, in recent years, never failed to make it to at least the second stage. South Africa are on a decent run. True they haven’t beaten the top sides but you can only ask them to beat what is put in front of them. Which they have done.

A small investment on the HOSTS to qualify from the GROUP A ?

The bigger picture. I can’t find a reason to disagree with the bookies over their general range of odds, apart from a couple of teams.

England are still UNDER-PRICED. I think that they have a fair chance but unless they really gel I see them getting no further than the semis. A side hardly mentioned over the past few weeks is HOLLAND. We all know how temperamental this lot can be. Arguing amongst themselves and letting their heads drop at the first sign of trouble.However this squad appear to be getting along finely with each other. If it stays this way they can make a big impact on the outcome. Their group really shouldn’t give them any problems. Denmark, Cameroon and Japan.

4/6, ( 1.67 Betfair) to qualify for the QUARTERS seems sound to me.

Another team which appears UNDER-PRICED or OVER-RATED, you decide which, is ARGENTINA. They have a couple of NAMES in their side but were, on balance, lucky to qualify. On a good day I could see them get to the semis.

Germany and Italy appear to be a little jaded at present. The odds on offer probably say a lot of what many are thinking.

The two favourites, and rightly so, are SPAIN and BRAZIL. Spain at a general pre- tourney price of 4/1 just aren’t value. Brazil offered at around 8′s and 9′s are.

Taking into account previous WORLD CUP performances and the odds on offer I can’t find any possible UPSTART to spoil the party. The eight teams set for the QUARTERS using these two parameters are

1 SPAIN.
2 ARGENTINA and ENGLAND
4 BRAZIL
5 HOLLAND
6 GERMANY and ITALY
8 FRANCE.

Not really very inspiring if you’re looking for one to beat the book.

The team I’ll be looking forward to watching is HOLLAND. Can they bring back their TOTAL FOOTBALL of former times?

Looking at GOLDEN BOOT possibles, two facts stand out.

First you need to find a team that’s going to, at least, reach the semis. The losers still get to play an extra game, for THIRD PLACE.

Secondly check out the easier initial groups. No matter how hard some teams will try, they are really just making up the numbers. Think of New Zealand, Cameroon, Paraguay etc.

Past winners have scored as few as SIX goals throughout the tournament.

Argentina, Holland and Italy appear to have the weakest opposition for the opening series. This is were the known strikers can make hay. It’s after this stage that chances become harder to find. So hopefully your chosen striker will get a hatful as soon as possible.

Likely candidates for the prize are, in my estimation, 9/1 Van Persie (Holland), 9/1 Messi (Argentina), 12/1 Torres (Spain), 25/1 Giladino (Italy).

I have not considered Klose of Germany as his present form leaves a lot to be desired.

Before accepting any prices be sure to check thru’ a PRICE COMPARISON SITE, THAT YOU’RE GETTING VALUE FOR YOUR STAKE MONEY.

With some big names missing from some line-ups it will be interesting to know who will come out of the competition covered in glory.

Maybe Spain’s Andres Iniesta , for me the best engine-room man in the business. Always assuming that he’s fit. Or Brazil’s Lucio. A solid rock in the middle of the Inter Milan defence and just as valuable for his country.

The WORLD CUP holds a fascination for millions of people. It’s so easy to get drawn in to the excitement. Just make sure that you don’t go over the top and " invest" more than you can afford to lose.

GOOD LUCK.

There was a huge gamble on Argentina ahead of Saturday’s match against Nigeria at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Earlier in the week, odds of 8/15 were available about Diego Maradona’s team, although punters were filling their boots on the favourite as the game approached its 3pm kick-off.

The 8/15 had disappeared on Saturday morning, with Ladbrokes and Paddy Power the only firms to offer 4/9 about the Albiceleste before the match kicked off. Victor Chandler had clearly accepted some big best from high-rolling clients and had trimmed their price on Argentina to 1/3. Bet365 were another firm to be feeling the weight of this weekend gamble, with the leading bookmaker offering odds of 2/5 about Maradona’s team, 7/2 that the match finished in a draw and 8/1 that Nigeria could pull off a shock.

Despite the fact that Jonas Gutierrez played as a left-winger all season for Newcastle all season, the player was selected to play as a right-back against the Super Eagles, although that didn’t stop bet365 offering odds-on (10/11) that Argentina were ahead at half-time, while this was the first occasion where Over 2.5 Goals (4/5 bet365) were available at a shorter price than Under 2.5 Goals (10/11 bet365).

Gabriel Heinze’s early goal put Argentina 1-0 in front and the gamble appeared to be paying off. The former Manchester United defender was given the freedom of the penalty area to head home from a corner and bet365 swiftly cut the south American team to 1/8 and then, moments later, into 1/9. Over 3.5 Goals was available at odds of 10/11, with Under 3.5 Goals on offer at 4/5.

However, the goalfest didn’t materialise and Nigeria had chances of their own during a first half which failed to yield any more goals. This was great news for the customers who had backed Argentina to lead at half-time at odds of 10/11. But could this monster gamble on La Albiceleste to win the match pay off? As the second half started, Argentina were still on offer at 1/9 at bet365 and there was a nagging feeling that a poor defence didn’t make the home favourites complete certainties to win this match.

However, there were customers enjoying a bet on Next Goalscorer, with Lionel Messi on offer at 4/1, Carlos Tevez available at 6/1 and Gonzalo Higuain priced at 6/1. The Real Madrid striker had already missed two gilt-edged chances in the first half, something which won’t have been pleasing to those who had backed him at 20/1 on the Top Goalscorer market!

With half an hour left, Nigeria were continuing to hold their own. While Argentina continued to trade at 1/10 with bet365, the odds on them scoring the next goal at 4/5, with no second goal on offer at 7/4. Punters who backed this latter option would have had a nervous but successful outcome to the match, with both teams creating chances to win the game.