brazil

After their Wembley disappointment, World Champions Spain head off to Cost Rica on Tuesday for an international friendly. The Spaniards, who dominated possession and chances against England on Saturday, will look for a bounce back result. There was nothing in their Wembley performance to deter punters from backing them to win Euro 2012, but it will be interesting to gauge their degree of response. They don’t suffer defeat very often, so this will, to some degree, be a test of character for them away from home. If you want to judge the Spaniards for their value of Euro 2012 betting, then you can watch them live in action with online bookmaker Bet365 courtesy of a live stream. The highly rated online bookmaker are providing a free live stream of Costa Rica v Spain on Tuesday night, which gives you the opportunity for some great live in play betting as well. There is a huge advantage in being able to watch the live action to back up your live in play football betting, and with the amount of free live football streams shown by Bet365, they make the ideal place to do so. Spain are strong favourites to beat the Central Americans, so if Spain start getting among the goals for example, you can judge through Bet365’s live stream, who is going to put the ball in the back of the net next for example, with your live betting!

Along with the Spaniards, 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil are also in action, this time on Monday night as they host Egypt. While the rest of the South American nations are  scrapping it out in a fascinating qualification battle to head to Brazil 2014, the hosts have an easy couple of years for their preparations. After a disappointing Copa America, there is work to be done with the current Brazil side, and you can also see how they are shaping up by watching a live Brazil v Egypt live football stream at Bet365 as well. Another option for Tuesday night, from the full fixture list of international friendlies, is Euro 2012 joint hosts Ukraine, who are hosting Austria. Like Brazil, the Ukraine don’t have any competitive football to look forward to in the immediate future, and you see how they are looking with a live Ukraine v Austria stream at Bet365.

Online bookmaker Bet365, are also showing all South American World Cup 2014 qualification matches with their live stream service, and you can catch a couple of the Euro 2012 play off matches as well. You can see Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro v Czech Republic as they scrap for a place at next year’s finals. The live football stream service at Bet365 continues to make the extremely popular and it is a great service provided free for their customers. If you want in on the action, then the bookie offers a free £200 bet for new customers as a welcome bonus. Bet365 will match the value of your first deposit on a new account, up to the maximum of £200, giving you some great free cash to work with!

The 2011 U20 World Cup final betting will be played between Brazil U20 v Portugal U20. Following the quarter finals in which a host of surprise results turned up, Brazil steadied the ship to progress through to final with a 2-0 win over Mexico in the semi’s. Henrique netted himself a brace to finish off the challenge of the Mexicans although they took a long time to come. Both goals came in the last ten minutes of the match, totally ending the resistance of the Mexicans. Brazil were the more forceful of the two sides going forward, and once again they showed their potency in front of goal for a deserved win. Henrique, who now has five goals for the tournament, needs just one more to finish as solo top scorer for the 2011 U20 World Cup (as he is currently joint leader with Alvaro Vazquez from Spain who are eliminated). Brazil have now netted fifteen goals in the competition, averaging 2.5 goals per match, which isn’t a bad return. Especially as they have only conceded three. The Brazilian flair is there and the side like to get forward and attack, and there is certainly no shortage of confidence here and that is why they have to seriously be looked at as winners here. As for their U20 World Cup final opponents, Portugal, well, they may see themselves as being a little bit luckier to be in the grand finale of the event. Portugal have not impressed going forward in the tournament this year. They are a very organised and very cautious side, and have found goals hard to come by. In their semi final encounter at France, on a whole they were second best. France, who had grown and grown in stature had the lions share of the game, but only poor finishing let them down. Les Bleuets should have had the game dead and buried, but they couldn’t get the ball in the net. Ruthlessly though, Portugal made the best of their limited opportunities to steal a 2-0 victory. Totally against the run of play, but their defence and goalkeeper Mika, earned them their place in the final. While Brazil have flourished going forward, Portugal have flourished at the back. They have not conceded a single goal at Colombia 2011, with golden gloves Mika at the heart of things. Going forward though, they have only scored five, so that shows what kind of a tournament they have played. It has worked for them though and Brazil u20 v Portugal U20 betting is on the cards.

This is a repeat of the 1991 U20 World Cup final, where Portugal won on a penalty shoot out. This year’s final is definitely a contrast of two styles. We should see Brazil take most of the possession, as Portugal like to fall behind the ball and counter attack. It is Brazil’s natural game to have the ball anyway, but the big question is, can they find a way past Mika? Argentina, Guatemala and France all failed in the knockout stages. New Zealand, Uruguay and Cameroon couldn’t find a way through in the group stage either. So the 2011 U20 World Cup final could be all about how long Portugal can hold on. Can the Brazil flair be the key to unlock the water tight defence of the Portuguese? We will suggest that they will do so in the end. When it comes down to it, fans want to see teams win with flair and attacking prowess, and that is what should happen in Brazil U20 v Portugal U20 World Cup final betting.

Brazil U20 v Portugal U20 World Cup Final Odds
Brazil U20 to win: 10/11 at Bet365
Draw: 2/1 at Victor Chandler
Portugal U20 to win: 7/2 at Bet365

There have been plenty of penalty shoot outs during this tournament. Do your football betting at popular bookie Bet365 and take advantage of their Bore Draw Special. When you place a pre match Correct Score, Half Time/Full Time or Scorecast bet in the Bet365 sports book, if any of those bets lose because the match plays out to a 0-0 draw, then you will get a refund on your lost stakes. This is insurance worth taking if you are betting on these markets anyway. With that in mind, our tip for the U20 World Cup final will be a Draw/Brazil U20 Half Time/Time bet for 10/3 at Bet365. The highly rated bookie offers new customers registering an account, a £200 free bet, making them a great destination for football betting!
 

While England are taking on the Netherlands in an international friendly next week, there is a very tasty looking match of Germany v Brazil betting. There has been a lot of controversy and confusion around this match, in which Germany coach Joachim Loew wanted to use it as a farewell for former Chelsea man Michael Ballack. According to Loew’s side, Michael Ballack was told way back in March that he was no longer going to be selected for Germany, because they have such a huge emphasis on youth at the DFB. But according to Ballack, he had no idea that his international career was over, as he could not be reached at the time. But the main area of the somewhat petty feud has been fired by the fact that it was Loew who announced to the world the international retirement of Ballack, and not the player himself. Things were attempted to be patched up, as Loew offered Ballack the chance to come back and play one more match for his country, earning his 99th cap against Brazil. Ballack refused, and has had no change of heart, so Germany will look to put all that fiasco behind them and move on. It was more of a courtesy to Ballack, a recognition for his services to the country, but his absence is going to be no loss to the current side. Germany will continue pressing ahead with their exciting youth movement, the one which thrilled at the 2010 World Cup and is currently breezing through their 2012 European Championships qualifying group. Loew should get back Sven Bender and Christian Traesch in the midfield holding role which Ballack would have occupied, after the duo missed the previous round of Euro 2012 qualifiers. How much of a role either will play in the role, will of course depend on the fitness of Bastian Schweinsteiger. Other players making their way back from injury are Jerome Boating, Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose.

By the time we get to Germany v Brazil International Friendly Betting next week, the new Bundesliga will be just one week old. So we could see a fresh Germany, but they will face a Brazil side which is desperate to redeem themselves. They crashed out of the 2011 Copa America with a bit of whimper at the quarter final stage, and much criticism was levelled at coach Mano Menezes. They really need a wake up call. But let’s get back to basics with analysing the Brazil side. They maintained a huge amount of possession in their matches, as was to be expected, however, they just did not have the cut and thrust to do anything with it in the final third. The approach play and movement was sparkling at times, but the end product was desperately lacking. They were guilty of over complicating and over passing at times, but with young strikers who need experience, you feel that they are only going to get better. There is not so much wrong with them that a year or two playing together won’t solve as their forwards mature, but as with international football time is never on the side of the coach. They need some stability and they need to grow into their system. Much of the same problems which were on display at the World Cup are still there, so there are kinks to iron out. If Brazil adopted the same system as Germany’s youth, they would be so much better. But tinkering and tweaking is being done to the squad and they will travel to Germany in a determined mood to put things right and silence their critics. They may have the upper hand in that they have had a few recent games under their belt, whereas Germany have been on a bit of a break. So the Brazilians may be just a half a yard quicker. Brazil will likely control possession, even as the away team, but the contrast of the two sides is that Germany will break quickly and concisely, while Brazil look for that beautiful goal.

This is a fascinating international friendly match, and more important for Brazil than it is Germany. That is why Brazil could sneak this one, as the German players will be focused more on getting back to Bundesliga duties. Should be a good close, competitive match though, one hopes, with some world class stars on display. As with international friendlies, you are never sure what you are going to get, but just can’t see the Germans coming out too fast and hard in a poorly timed international. Therefore, a good draw is on the cards for this one as they may just cancel each other out in the end.

Germany v Brazil International Friendly Betting Odds
Germany tow in: 6/4 at Bwin
Draw: 9/4 at BetFair
Brazil to win: 17/10 at Bwin

Big fixture list for international friendly matches next week, so it may be a good time to take advantage of Victor Chandler’s Don’t Hit The Bar accumulator promotion. When you place a five-fold or upwards bet (on a 90 minute result only) in football markets over at VC Bet, if your Accumulator loses by just one selection, then the bookie will refund your lost stake. So, if you enjoy building your multiple football bets, then Victor Chandler is the place to head to. Lose a five fold or bigger bet by just one leg, which is heart breaking, and the bookie will soften the blow by giving you back your lost stake as a free bet. Victor Chandler offer a free £25 bet for new customers registering an account with them.

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

Well, because of the slightly odd organisation of the Copa America, Brazil v Paraguay betting is a repeat of one of the matches from Group B, which ended in a 2-2 draw. The defending Copa America champions Brazil, have not produced their best as of  yet. Just like host nation Argentina. After being held to draws against Venezuela and Paraguay, Brazil captain Lucio demanded more from his country men. There really has been two sides to Brazil in the 2011 Copa America so far. There has been the side which has been fantastic to watch, stroking the ball around, creating space, looking comfortable on the ball in their indomitable style, and then there has been the Brazil which has simply failed to turn all of their possession and style into many clear cut chances. They have been guilty of over doing it with the ball, and certainly do not look as ruthless and cut throat as you would want them to be. The forwards, especially Chelsea target Neymar, looks a bit raw, but we did see a much better Brazil in their last group match, when Neymar and Pato both scored a brace in a 4-2 win over Ecuador. Worrying, for Brazil, is that their defence has not been as water tight as they would like it to be, and with stiffer challenges to come, it will be interesting to see how they stand up. Brazil have been able to get away with defensive lapses before, because of their firepower up front, but if that is not working up front, then they look quite vulnerable at times. These are things to consider for your Brazil v Paraguay betting. Still, they are the best side for possession in the Copa America and it just that lack of conviction in going for the jugular which is troubling them. To their credit, Brazil did keep on attacking against Ecuador after being 1-1 at half time so they are trying to get the right balance. There is still a transitional feel about Brazil at the moment, but the relief of cutting loose a little bit in the final group match, could be the breath of fresh air which they need to push on. They may be afforded a good chance to build further momentum with their quarter final clash against Paraguay, which they will be happy about. Paraguay on their part, have played very well in the tournament, despite finishing the group with three draws. They had Brazil on the ropes in their group match, until Fred popped up with an 89th minute equaliser for the Brazilians. Paraguay also had Venezuela on the ropes, leading 3-1 until the final two minutes in which they blew it and ended up drawing 3-3. Paraguay have not been afraid to attack in the 2011 Copa America, and they have pretty much played without reservation. This is pretty much the same squad which they had at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They have probably been forced into that, because their back line, and defensive midfield area hasn’t been very good, and so they have needed their forward conviction. With Brazil not looking the sharpest at the back either, there is a high potential for plenty of goals in Brazil v Paraguay Copa America quarter final betting. Paraguay will be confident after their efforts against the Brazilians in the group match, but would still lean towards Brazil growing more and more in confidence and fluency the more the tournament goes on.

Brazil v Paraguay Betting Odds

Brazil to win: 4/6 at BetFred
Draw: 11/4 at Boylesports
Paraguay to win: 5/1 at Bet365

If Brazil’s Robinho scores the last goal of match in Brazil v Paraguay betting, the online bookmaker BetFred will refund all losing First Goal Scorer, Last Goal Scorer, Correct Score and Scorecast bets placed on the match. This football promotion offers a little bit of insurance on your betting if you were looking at these market. Popular online bookmaker BetFred offer a £50 free bet for new customers registering an account with them.

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

Brazil, who are the defending Copa America champions won’t be too happy with their opening match, but they do have good reason to gripe. Brazil were denied a clear penalty in the first half of the match, as Robinho’s goal bound shot hit the arm of Venezuela’s defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo. However, the big controversial in the moment was waved away by the referee to the dismay of the Brazilians and the shock of pretty much everyone in the stadium. If the defender’s arm had not been in the way, Brazil would have scored. It is as simple as that. But then again, when you are talking about Brazil v Venezuela, then you don’t expect the match to be hinging on a penalty shout to see a Brazil win. There are comparisons to be drawn between the two tournament favourites, Brazil and Argentina in the 2011 Copa America. Both have new managers, both sides don’t really know what their best line up is, and both are guilty of not getting the best out of their players tactically. But while Argentina looked a little lost up front, Brazil did carve out plenty enough chances in the first half to have put the match beyond their opponents. However, they just couldn’t get the ball in the back of the net. Chances were wasted, Brazil were guilty of that, but they did control the ball in the first half and make chances. Brazil did completely control the first half of the match, as expected, and Venezuela had to whether a Brazilian storm. But to their credit, Venezuela bent but they did not break. Things were a little different in the second half though, as Venezuela came out with a bit more vim and vigour.

After surviving the first half, Venezuela started having more of a go at Brazil, and there were one or two chances created by them. But the second half sort of petered out, with neither side really being able to make enough clear cut chances to build up a head of steam. Venezuela will naturally be the happier of the two sides, as Brazil failed their first test. This is a match which they should have won. It was always going to be a battle, because the underdogs, Venezuela were always going to make life as difficult for Brazil as possible. All it took was enough players in the middle of the park to stop Brazil from being as fluent as they would have liked to have been. Again, comparisons can be made with Argentina’s problems, of Brazil being a team of stars as opposed to a star team. There is an enviable line up which Brazil can field, with the likes of Pato, Chelsea target Neymar and Robinho on the pitch. However, the ball just was not getting to them well enough from support behind them, so they had to try and carve chances out for themselves and it wasn’t enough. There was not enough grip in midfield, and new Brazil coach Mano Menezes will have been particularly dismayed at how Brazil simply faded from the game as an attacking force in the second half. It was a sorry sight really for those who had turned up expecting a bit of a Brazilian exhibition match against the weakest side in the tournament. Now Brazil have to pick up the pieces and punters have to move on to Brazil v Paraguay 2011 Copa America betting.

Brazil v Paraguay betting looks interesting. Naturally Brazil will start as favourites here, but Paraguay are not going to be a push over either. Paraguay were stopped in their tracks in their opening match, as 39 year old Ecuador keeper Marcelo Elizaga turned away everything that was thrown at him. There was more exciting football played in this match, than in both the Brazil and Argentina matches put together. Paraguay had the better of things for most of the match, as expected and kept pushing forward in search of a winner. But chance after chance came and was wasted or spurned by the veteran Ecuadorian goalkeeper. It was a brilliant display and you probably wont’ see a better one throughout the whole tournament. Paraguay, on the basis of this match, even though they didn’t score, look quite a handful. They have some very good creativity in the side, and look pretty brave, ready to push forward at every chance. Of course, that is something which could back fire badly when playing Brazil. But the Paraguay side will remember that famous win in Asuncion over Brazil in the 2010 World Cup Qualifiers in the South American Zone, when they ran out 2-0 winners, and gave a good account of themselves in Brazil, losing 2-1 after being tied 1-1 at half time. Brazil v Paraguay 2011 Copa America football betting should really produce some of the best football of the tournament so far, a good open match. Group B, where this takes place is all square after the opening matches were both drawn, so there is everything to play for still, with no-one at an advantage yet.

Brazil v Paraguay 2011 Copa America Betting

Brazil to win: 4/7 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 29/10 at Bwin
Paraguay to win: 11/2 at Unibet

Brazil v Paraguay 2011 Copa America Betting Tip: Really looking forward to this one, simply because Paraguay look to be a pretty handy side. Of course, this match may hinge on how brave they are prepared to be against Brazil, or whether they will try what most teams do and just block the midfield to stop Brazil playing. They two World Cup qualifying matches between these sides in 2010 were great to watch and we are hoping for more drama and excitement. As for picking a winner, well you have to look at Brazil first. They may get more space to exploit, but they did not play too well as a team in their first match. So while there is potential for a draw here, we are just going to tip things in favour of over 2.5 goals for 9/10 at Bet365.

Online bookmaker Unibet is the place to be for your 2011 Copa America betting. Why? Because not only can you bet live on the games, but you can watch them FREE with Unibet TV as well. Yes, bet live and watch live Copa America football with Unibet. All the matches, free. Something else just to make this even better, is that Unibet are running a great bonus on the individual matches. When you bet on a correct score in a match and win that bet, Unibet will give you a fantastic £40 bonus on top of your winnings. Imagine doing that one more than one of the matches at this year’s Copa America. The free bonus winnings will soon stack up. Head to highly recommended online bookmaker Unibet today and take advantage of their £20 no risk bet when you register. Open an account, and if your first bet loses, then Unibet will refund that lost first bet up to the value of £20. It’s win – win all round!

July 3rd, 2011 – Brazil v Venezuela 2011 Copa America football betting starts the campaign for the defending champions. Brazil won the 2007 edition of the Copa America, beating their rivals Argentina in the final by a score line of 3-0. Brazil whimpered out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and so they have a lot to prove to their fans. This is an important tournament for Brazil, because they are hosting the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup ahead of the 2014 World Cup, so they will want to be building momentum and this is the perfect place to start for new coach Mano Menezes. Brazil needed a change after coach Dunga was blamed for taking a lot of Brazilian out of Brazil at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, so while the nation is in something of a transition period, the side is still packed with an awesome array of talent. With players like Neymar, Fred, Ramires, Adriano and David Luiz to name but a few, Brazil are not going to give up their title easily. They have won the Copa America eight times and victory down south in Argentina would be just the feel good boost that they need to prove that they are still the South American force to be reckoned with. How much of a team they will be remains to be seen, but they will no doubt take their time and grow into the tournament, and the thing about Brazil is that they have enough individual talent to be able to get by, especially in the early rounds. You stand them up against the other teams involved and you can only realistically see Argentina beating them over ninety minutes. They are probably not as strong as a collective team as Argentina at the moment, so it will be interesting to watch their progress.

Mano Menezes has not had a flawless start to his managerial stint with the national side. He ran off four straight wins but then lost an exhibition match in Qatar 1-0 against Argentina. That will have spurred them on even more to get some revenge over their Latin American rivals. That defeat was followed up by another one as they lost away in France. They responded with a 2-0 win over Scotland before battling out a 0-0 draw with the Netherlands in a friendly. With Brazil hosting the next World Cup, they are not going to get as much competitive action as other teams. So the Copa America is crucial to their development as a new team. Menezes named 10 debutants in his firm 24 man squad, so he is not afraid of chance, nor of pulling together the best of the Brazilian youth. There is plenty of time to gel together ahead of the World Cup in 2014. Their opponent Venezuela may not be the pushovers which many may think they will be in the 2011 Copa America. In their last four matches, they have beaten Mexico twice and Guatemala once, and suffered a 3-0 defeat against Spain. So there is hope for them that they will be able to battle their way through to the knockout stage as they have to face Paraguay and Ecuador. For your Brazil v Venezuela 2011 Copa America betting though, Brazil should be backed firmly to get off the ground running. They won’t admit it, but they will be gunning hard for Argentina in the tournament. At the bookmakers, Brazil are generally trading as second favourites behind the hosts.

Brazil v Venezuela 2011 Copa America Betting Odds

Brazil to win: 1/6 at BetFred
Draw: 13/2 at Stan James
Venezuela to win: 22/1 at Stan James

Brazil to win Group B: 2/5 at SkyBet
Brazil are 2/1 second favourites at Bet365 to win the 2011 Copa America

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

The Summer League sides are getting ready for conflict.
I find that as they run alongside the winter leagues it gives them time to settle down and gives the punter a chance to evaluate form without losing any cash.

BRAZIL.
Biggest of the summer competition, at least by repute, must be BRAZILIERO.
Competition here must be a little intense. Especially at the lower end of the table were FOUR teams are relegated to the Paulista.
A noticeable occurrence over the past 6 seasons has been the rise in drawn games. 2005 saw just over one in five ending all square.(102). 
It has progressed from there to last seasons 31.1%.(118). Formerly the home stats were over the 50% mark but last season it dropped down to 47.1%.
Perhaps the level of ability is beginning to level out somewhat. Nevertheless, it’s something to keep in mind.
Goals whilst showing an average of 2.6 per game teams do seem to find it hard to score with any regularity. Best team total is 68 by Gremio Porto Alegre only 1.78 goals per game. Gremio P A and Corinthians managed only 41 goals each at home (1.07) and they were the best in the league.
Away team goals eke out at 1.0 per game. Individual team performance being best from Fluminense and Santos with 31 goals each.(0.81 per game).
Best HOME defensive side was 12th placed Ceara giving away just 12 goals in 19 games. They did rather spoil things by shipping 32 goals in away games.
Palmeiras 10th in the table were best AWAY defensive team giving away just 20 goals. Just to mix things up even further OVERALL BEST DEFENSIVE team was
Fluminense giving away just 36 goals to average 0.94 per game.
Add to these figures that in almost 10% of all games at least one team scored four or more goals.
All in all I would consider it imperitve to follow the form book but with caution.

ALLSVENSKAN. (SWEDEN)
Probably the most popular European Summer League.
Composed of 16 teams. Champions get a Champions League Qualification spot. 2nd and 3rd get Europa League Qualifications spots. Relegation is automatic for bottom two, whilst 14th placed team has a play-off against Superetten 3rd place side. Syrianska and Norrkoping were automatic promotion teams for the coming season.
Over the past few seasons honours have beenspread around without any teams really dominating as with some of the lower class leagues.
Form must be scrutinised very closely. Last seasons returns of 49.0% home wins was a vast improvement on all of the previous six seasons.
Twice the home teams returned just 39.0% wins. Real food for thought. The return for draws is also quite erratic. A low of 20.9% and a high of 30.8%.
The aways figure has been fairly constant are 28%+.
Last seasons champions were Malmo. A repeat of 2004. Since then they’ve hovered around between 5th and 10th.
Total goals last season were 601 over 240 matches. An average of 2.5 per game. Malmo were top of the scoring chart with 59 goals. 27 at home and 32 on opponents grounds. 
Worst defensive side was Atvidabergs shipping 51 goals with 32 of them away from home.
With an average of 2.5 goals per game, there’s always the likelihood of a few high scoring games. Last season there were 21 games were four goals were  scored by
at least one side.
57 games ended 1 – 0 or 2 – 0.

Ireland (Republic).
This league must pose quite a challenge when it comes to forecasting. Most leagues average around 47/48% on home wins. Not so here. The last few seasons
have seen figures ranging between 36% and 45%. The low 40′s should be the average expectation. Obviously someone must be gaining from the home teams low
showings and that appears to be the away sides. They regularly ring up over 30% successes. Something I have noticed over the past couple of years is the
unexpected away win. They seem to have a habit of happening when the home side looks "nailed-on".
Over the past few seasons Bohemians have been the most consistent side with Shamrock Rovers (Champions last season) and St. Patricks Athletic being not too far behind.
The League Champions get a Champions League qualifying spot. 2nd and 3rd get Europa League spots.
Bottom side is automatically relegated but 8th and 9th have a play-off to decide who meets the winner of the First Division 2nd and 3rd place play-off.
Which means it’s possible only one side will be promoted. Still with me?
Goal average per game was at a high last season at 2.6 per game. Sligo Rovers were top scorers with 61 goals. Their home win percentage of 61.1 was, along
with Shamrock Rovers, the best in the league.
Worst defensive sides were Bray Wanderers and Drogheda United who each gave away 74 goals.
Unfancied Sporting fingal were draw championa with 14 out of 36.(38.9%).
There has been some upheaval in the past couple of seasons due to cash problems. Mainly Cork City and Derry City who found themselves relegated. However Derry were
1st Division champions last season, so be prepared for a bold showing in the coming Premier season.

England’s Under 20 women’s side crashed out of the World Cup after failing to win any of their group matches, and there goes the national interest in this tournament, which has thrown up some pretty interesting football matches. England only managed to pick up one point from a draw against Nigeria in their opening match. They then dominated against Mexico but lost 1-0, and then the lively Japan completely over-ran the English as the Asian side ran out 3-1 winners. A lot more was expected of England to be honest, and even though they played quite well, there was a lack of a punch up front for the young women. Sadly it’s an all too familiar story for English national sides. So who is left in the competition? Let’s take a look at the quarter final line ups, and the predicted route to the final for the tournament, which is being held in Germany. The quarter final matches are being played on the 24th and 25th of July, with the final to come on August 1st.

Germany to win: 4/7 at Stan James
Draw: 29/10 at Bwin
North Korea to win: 17/4 at Bwin

Germany v North Korea is undoubtedly the match of the quarter finals to look out for. Germany simply blitzed their way through their group, being one of the most attacking and free flowing teams at the FIFA Under 20 Women’s World Cup. They have hit eleven goals in their three matches so far, elevating them to one of the favourites for the tournament. They beat France 4-1 in their final group match, their supposed toughest game, thanks to a hat trick from Alexandra Popp. Now they have to go up against North Korea, who are one of the best women’s sides in the world, and former World Champions. After wins against Brazil and New Zealand, North Korea looked to be on course to top their group, but a strong comeback from Sweden in their final group match, saw the Asian side fall 3-2 after one of the best second halves of the tournament. The North Koreans are technically good, but they were just out-muscled by the Swedes. Germany have a tough match here, but they will go as favourites, but North Korea are not to be underestimated. On the whole Germany look to have the edge.

South Korea to win: 3/5 at Bwin
Draw: 27/10 at Bwin
Mexico to win: 18/5 at Bwin

Mexico v South Korea. The winner of this will play the winner of Germany v North Korea, so there could be a massive North Korea v South Korea encounter going on in the semi’s. Mexico, courtesy of one win and two draws, squeezed their way through England’s group. They haven’t looked the best side at the tournament, but have played with plenty of heart. South Korea on the other hand have showed some great attacking flair, hitting nine goals in their three group matches. Probably not the strongest defence, but they should be able to get the upper hand of possession against Mexico. South Korea matched up against the tournament favourites USA quite well in their last match, even though they lost 1-0. They will be happy that they created good chances, especially when JI So Yun came on at half time. Would lean towards South Korea getting through here.

Sweden to win: 4/5 at Stan James
Draw: 27/10 at Bwin
Colombia to win: 13/4 at Bwin

Sweden v Colombia starts things in the other half of the draw. The Swedes are one of those teams which dig in well and fight for each other, and they have always had a good record at the different levels of women’s football. Came through the group well, without really overly impressing, but they held Brazil to a draw which was a crucial result, and then stunned favourites Korea DPR in their final group match. The second half of that match was the best we have seen from Sweden, and should give them a huge boost. Colombia left it late to qualify for the quarter finals, a nice achievement for their first appearance in the Women’s U20 World Cup. They have had a mixed bag of results, showing some fight to come back from a goal down to grab a draw against France in their opener. They then got overran by the strong Germans, but bounced back well to beat the group’s weakest side Costa Rica 3-0 in their final match. With Germany beating France, that opened the door for Colombia to squeeze through. If they break down the more established Swedes, then it will be a surprise. Probably a tight game, but would edge Sweden.

USA to win: 7/19 at Bwin
Draw: 7/2 at Bwin
Nigeria to win: 6/1 at Stan James

USA v Nigeria could well have been USA v England. But to their credit, the African side weren’t overawed in their group matches, even if they lacked a little bit of a cutting edge up front. They managed two drawn matches and a win, which sent them through in second place from England’s group. The USA will be outright favourites for this one though, as they are the top ranked team in the world and have been for some time now. After a little bit of a slow start where they could only manage a draw against a hard working Ghana side, the USA have been gaining momentum, and won their group as expected. They perhaps have not had things as comfortable as they would like, but they, without doubt have the quality to go on and win the tournament. They will be relishing the chance against Nigeria, who are one of the weaker side in the quarter finals, and with a semi final match against the winner of Sweden v Colombia, then the road to the final is relatively comfortable for the world’s best team. Would back them comfortably here. They have the tournament’s joint top scorer in Sydney Leroux, who has hit five goals along with Germany’s Popp, and South Korea’s JI So Yun.

England v Nigeria good test for Lionesses credentials

Thought we were done with World Cup action for 2010 once Spain’s Andres Iniesta had hit the back of the net against the Netherlands? Well, think again, as they Women’s U20 World Cup in Germany kicks off on Tuesday July 13th and runs to August the 1st. England are there, ready for a workout, and are in a group which they would be expected to challenge for top spot. We’ll look at England in a bit, but firstly some tournament info. There are four groups of four teams challenging for the honours, and the tournament is held across four German stadiums. The sixteen teams participating come from a mix of all six federations, with Europe having the lions share of five (including host nation Germany). The tournament itself has been held every two years since 2002, with the USA winning two of the four tournaments contested, including the inaugural one and the last one held in Chile in 2008. Sandwiched in-between those two victories for the Americans, has been a triumph for Germany and for Korea DPR.

Group A: Germany, Costa Rica, Colombia, France
Group B: Brazil, Korea DPR, Sweden, New Zealand
Group C: England, Nigeria, Mexico, Japan
Group D: USA, Ghana, Switzerland, Korea DPR

England 9/1 at Bwin
England have never done very well at the Women’s U20 World Cup, as they missed out on action in 2004 and 2006, and the two times that they have qualified, they have gone out at the quarter final stages, once to Canada, and once to the USA. England’s Lionesses should have a lot more optimism going into this tournament, as not only do they have what looks to be a fairly comfortable group, they are going to be hoping that they can emulate Spain in the men’s 2010 FIFA World Cup. England’s Under 20 women are the current European champions, and they have shown a marked improvement in terms of development, and coach Mo Marly had a system which looks to have a very well balanced ethic between attack and defence. The European Championships victory was the first major title than an England women’s side had ever picked up, and one to watch for the Lionesses will be striker Toni Duggan, who plays for Everton. England also have a star goalkeeper in Rebecca Spender.

For their tender age, the women are being labelled as a “Golden Generation” but that is down to the talent that the England side have. Even at this young age, there has been a lot of work behind the scenes, right down to the grass roots, which has paid dividends. With England deciding to send a strong team to the men’s  Under 19 tournament in France, which starts in just over a week’s time, there are signs that England are addressing the problem of a lack of quality youth. For now the spotlight will be on England’s U20 women, as they compete in Group C of the World Cup alongside Mexico, Nigeria and Japan. It is the Japanese who will pose the biggest problem to England, as they sit above England in the World Rankings. Nigeria are ranked down in 28th, while Mexico are ranked 22nd in the World. England’s first game of the 2010 World Cup is against Nigeria on the 14th.

England’s Group C Matches
England v Nigeria: July 14th
England v Mexico: July 17th
Japan v England: July 21st

Here are the top Women Under-20 FIFA World Rankings
1st USA
2nd Germany
3rd Brazil
4th Sweden
5th Japan
6th Norway
7th Korea DPR
8th France
9th England
10th China

USA 4/1 at Bwin
The USA have been at the top of the rankings for a couple of years now, and will be one of the strongest teams at the tournament. The holders are a strong bet to hold onto their trophy, primarily as they have won the tournament twice, while never finishing outside of the top four at the each tournament. They have the women’s Under 20 equivalent of Lionel Messi in Sydney Leroux, who finished as tournament top score and was named the top player at the 2008 tournament. The Americans are the dominant force on women’s youth football, and came through their qualification for this year’s World Cup, completely untroubled. They have been given a very good draw as well, which will help their cause greatly, only having to go up against Ghana, Switzerland and the Korea Republic. Their one little weakness is probably defending set plays, but they pretty much have enough talent on the pitch to breeze past teams. If England win their group (which is Group C), then they will play the second placed team from Group D, which is the USA’s group.

Brazil 5/1 at Bwin
They have been at the semi finals of three of the four tournaments, but need to make amends for not getting anywhere near in 2008. This is Brazil and you should never count them out. They have, almost single handedly, dragged the quality levels of young women’s football in South America up, and Brazil won the full Women’s World Cup in 2007, as well as finishing as runners up in the Olympics in 2008. They lost to Germany in the quarter finals in 2008, and like any good Brazil side, they will be hungry to fix past mistakes. They have a wealth of talent and trickery in their side, just like any good Brazilian team, and they have fantastic set up behind them to further their development, backed fully by the Brazilian FA. Watch out for fullback Leah Lynn, as she is an exponent of one of those cool throw ins which come from a forward flip. They are in fine form at the moment, and won the South American U20 Championship back in March after winning all of their games. Brazil averaged over four goals per match during qualification for the Women’s U20 World Cup. They are packed with talent up front and solid in defence. Worth a punt, simply because it is Brazil.

Korea DPR 7/1 at Bwin
Brazil have a tough opening fixture though, as they take on North Korea, having won the title once and have been in the last two finals, but were unable to hold onto their title against the USA in 2008. The two sides went head to head in 2006 in their opening fixture as well, with Brazil winning out on that occasion. Korea DPR are not to be overlooked in World Cup betting here, as they have a wealth of talent, and seemingly came out of nowhere to be one of the world’s best sides. They have a star player in Ho Un-Byol in the midfield, and while they could only manage a third place finish in qualification for this year’s tournament, they have good previous experience in their squad. Some of the U17 side which won the U17 World Cup two years ago are around at this higher age level. The Brazil v Korea DPR is a great match on the opening day of the 2010 World Cup

Germany – 3/1 favourites at Bwin
The Germans, as hosts will be in with a very good chance of taking the title here. Maren Meinert’s team is a strong contender. Germany invests heavily in their youth, and they will be hoping for a big improvement over their performance at the Women’s U19 Championships, when they failed to get out of the group stage. The Germans have a great squad, just like the senior men’s at the 2010 FIFA World Cup will play some attractive football. This is probably their most developed, most technically gifted generation of youth. Key player for them is the Dzsenifer Marozsan, which hopefully I won’t have to type again. She is the go-to girl of the German side, and has great vision as the creative playmaker in the side. Much in the vein of Mesut Oezil in the men’s senior team. They are favourites in World Cup Betting at Bwin, but in reality, they should be behind the USA and Brazil.

Women’s Under 20 World Cup Match Betting Tuesday, July 13th
(Tips in Bold)

Germany to win: 1/12 at BetFred
Draw: 13/2 at Bwin
Costa Rica: 19/1 at Bwin

Colombia to win: 15/2 at BetFred
Draw: 18/5 at Bwin
France to win: 3/10 at Bwin

Brazil to win: 13/10 at Stan James
Draw: 9/4 at BetFred
North Korea to win: 9/4 at BetFred

Sweden to win: 4/6 at BetFred
Draw: 27/10 at Bwin
New Zealand to win: 17/4 at Bwin

Women’s Under 20 World Cup Match Betting Wednesday, July 14th

England to win: 18/19 at Bwin
Draw: 9/4 at BetFred
Nigeria to win: 5/2 at BetFred

Mexico to win: 6/1 at BetFred
Draw: 16/5 at Bwin
Japan to win: 3/8 at Bwin

USA to win: 1/10 at Bwin
Draw: 23/4 at Bwin
Ghana to win: 18/1 at Bwin

Switzerland to win: 10/111 at BetFred
Draw: 9/4 at Bwin
Korea DPR to win: 13/5 at Bwin