spain

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!

England v Spain will be the next big match on the betting calendar on November 12th, and boss Fabio Capello has announced that Chelsea’s John Terry will be in the squad against the World Champions. Terry is still under scrutiny because of an alleged racial comments back to QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. Some expected Terry to be left out until a line has been drawn under the investigation, but with backing from QPR’s owner Tony Fernandes, Capello will call upon the services of John Terry again. Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas has already stood by Terry in terms of not leaving him out of the club side, so Capello has followed suit. While Terry will be in the England squad, Capello has been a bit hesitant over whether Terry will actually play in the match or not, or use the experience against Spain to see how some of the back up players perform. Capello said that he knows what John Terry can do, but it is important to test the abilities of other players against the very best in the world. So we will have to wait and see whether Terry is in the side for England v Spain international friendly betting. One man who definitely won’t be in the squad for England’s games against Spain and Sweden during the international break next week, is Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney. Rooney of course picked up a red card in England’s final Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro, which means that he will miss England’s next three competitive matches, in other words, the group stage of next summer’s finals. The FA are appealing Rooney’s ban, but Capello has left the striker out, probably sensibly until the outcome of the appeal is known, and again it gives Capello a good chance to look at his alternative options, if they have to do without him for the early part of Euro 2012. Capello still hasn’t been drawn on whether he will take Rooney to the finals, if he has to served out his three match ban. Rooney’s team mate Rio Ferdinand will also miss out on the England squad because of poor form.

So Capello looks as if he will use the forthcoming matches as a testing ground for some of his back up players to take a chance. He has called up Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge, along with a recall for Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor up front. Everton’s Jack Rodwell also gets a place in the squad for the first time. If Capello does use the match as a testing ground, it may be a good excuse if they lose, which it appears is if the bookies are expecting them to do so. England topped their group in Euro 2012 qualifier group, going unbeaten. They will come up against the World Champions Spain, who also topped their Euro 2012 qualifier group, but also did it in style with a 100% record winning all of their matches. Spain’s David Villa was third top scorer through qualification, netting seven goals in their eight matches. England’s Darren Bent, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young all chipped in with three goals each during their group. Spain are the number one ranked team in the world, while England are currently seventh. It is a good chance to look at the head to head record between the two nations, where there have been 22 matches played. England actually lead the head to head with 11 wins to Spain’s 8. There have been three draws and in those meetings, England have scored 38 goals against Spain’s 24. It has mostly been International Friendly matches between the two of them though, and Spain have won the last three meetings. The last time they met was in Sevilla in 2009, when the hosts ran out 2-0 winners. Prior to that, there as  1-0 away win for Spain in 2007, the last time the two of them met in England. In the 16 recorded International Friendly matches between England v Spain, there has only been one draw, with England winning eight and Spain seven.

The bookies are in favour of the visitors in England v Spain betting at Wembley on November 12th. While there is no importance on the match of course, we could see plenty of experimentation, but for England it seems more of an important fixture than the cohesive Spaniards. Spain are who England really have to look up to and try and match in terms of quality, if they want to win Euro 2012, with or without Rooney. There should be goal scoring potential for both sides in this match, so we could see a good scoring match. Naturally you will expect Spain to control all of the possession, and it’ll be the highest quality test for England.

England v Spain International Friendly Betting Odds
England to win: 12/5 at Bwin
Draw: 13/5 at Stan James
Spain to win: 6/5 at William Hill

England Squad News v Spain: Joe Hart, Scott Carson, David Stockdale; Glen Johnson , Phil Jones, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott, Kyle Walker; Frank Lampard, Jack Rodwell, Stewart Downing, Gareth Barry, Adam Johnson, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott; Darren Bent, Daniel Sturridge, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Bobby Zamora, Danny Welbeck

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Spain v Scotland betting sees Craig Levein’s men on the brink of securing a place in the play offs to reach next summer’s finals. After clinching a vital 1-0 away win in Liechtenstein on Saturday, Scotland head to Spain to face the group winners, know that they must match whatever the Czech Republic can do away at Lithuania. This is down to the wire now, but credit to Scots who have kept themselves in contention with some brave performances. Spain will of course be red hot favourites to beat the Scots out in Alicante, so Scotland may need a huge helping hand from Lithuania in beating the Czech Republic. Even if the Scots lose and the Czech’s win their final match, it will be the Czech’s who go through thanks to a superior head to head record against Scotland during qualifying. So Scotland, while looking in a good position, really need something special to happen, if the Czech’s draw, Scotland need to draw. If the Czech’s win, Scotland have too. The Scots can’t rely on heading to Spain and trying to hold out for a draw, realistically at this point of the proceedings, they may as well just go all out and try and beat Spain. They may as well throw the kitchen sink at the problem because the Czech’s will be expected to beat Lithuania in Prague. However, Lithuania did steal a sneaky 1-0 away win in Prague last year during qualifying, but with Lithuania losing to Liechtenstein and then drawing against them at home, then going down 1-0 to the Scots does not scream of a team in form. They don’t have anything to play for, but the Czech’s do, and at home, you really would expect them to prevail. So Scotland need one of their best performances ever. Back to back wins over Lithuania and Liechtenstein, coming after a 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic have kept Scottish hopes high. Now it is all down to this.  The Spaniards have lost a few players, with Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos unlikely to make it for the match. Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta are definitely missing from the match, but Spain did still rock out a 2-0 win in Prague on Friday, maintaining their 100% record in Euro 2012 qualifying so far. Scotland came out of their win in Liechtenstein with a few bruises and are waiting on the fitness of Phil Bardsley, Barry Bannan, Charlie Adam and Craig Mackail-Smith. Cardiff striker Kenny Miller is also likely to miss out as well, after not getting ready to face Liechtenstein as expected on Saturday.

You may recall the great match at Hampden between Scotland and Spain back in October of last year, when a late strike by Llorente secured a 3-2 win for the Spaniards. Scotland had actually struck back from being two nil down in that match, to only narrowly miss out on a valuable point in the end. That is the kind of spirit that they will need to show in Spain on Tuesday. This is their last chance to make the Play Offs. The Head to Head record between these two is a lot closer than you may think. Out of 12 meetings, Spain have won five and Scotland winning three. Spain have hit 20 goals and Scotland 19 in those meetings. The last time they met in a continental qualifier before Euro 2012 qualifying, was back in 1976 when Scotland earned a 0-0 draw in Valencia (on the back of a 2-1 home defeat). The last time that Scotland played in Spain, they earned a 1-1 draw in a friendly in Valencia back in 2004. So there could be a plucky draw on the cards for the Scots, but that may not be enough. Should be a very interesting match and Craig Levein says that the Scots aren’t afraid of going there and giving the Spaniards a game.

Spain v Scotland Euro 2012 Qualifier Betting Odds
Spain to win: 1/6 at Bet365
Draw: 7/1 at Victor Chandler
Scotland to win: 14/1 at SportingBet

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Unlike British football, continental Europe wisely decide to take a nice break over the winter, and two of the most prominent leagues, the Spanish Primera Division and the German Bundesliga are on hiatus until the new year. La Liga get back into the swing of things on Sunday, January 2, with Barcelona at home to Levante and Getafe hosting Real Madrid. Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona have the edge in the title race, which is quite an extraordinary one, holding a two point lead over rivals Real Madrid. The biggest result of the season on the Spanish Primera Division, was Barca’s 5-0 thrashing of Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid. The two side have lost two matches between them all season (in a total of 32 matches played. Barcelona have dropped just four points in their sixteen and Real Madrid have dropped just six (one loss and two draws). That is quite staggering, and second placed Madrid are a massive eight points clear of third placed Villarreal. Barcelona are averaging over three goals per match, hitting an incredibly 51 goals in their sixteen matches. Talk about the best in Europe, and here are two of them. It is little surprise that they are the front runners for the Champions League too. Over in the Bundesliga, giants Bayern Munich have not been having things their own way this year, and are actually down in fifth place going into the break. It is Dortmund who are the team to catch, holding a huge ten point lead over Mainz after just 17 matches. Fourteen wins from their 17 matches have fired Dortmund to the top, in one of the toughest leagues in the world.

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With all the furore over the Euro 2012 fixtures last Friday and Wednesday, in which the home nations managed to not pick up a single victory between them all, we take a football betting look at the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Scotland and Wales lost their matches, while England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all picked up one point each. That doesn’t tell the whole story though, as there were some strange mitigating circumstances to the results. Where does these results leave the qualification hopes of the home nations? They will be sitting back and watching the likes of Spain and Germany continue to dominate their matches, taking the standard of European football to new levels. How can the home nations catch up? The process all begins here with the Euro 2012 qualifiers, and we assess the chances of completing the first part of the puzzle, getting to Poland and Ukraine 2012.

England

Previous Match: England 0, Montenegro 0
Current Standing: Second in Group G

Left Wembley with a very disappointing 0-0 draw against Montenegro, which left Fabio Capello’s men in second place in the group. Not where they were expected to be. England were short on striker options, highlighted by the fact that Bolton’s Kevin Davies was there, and with Wayne Rooney anonymous until the final kicks of the game, England have left themselves in a frustrating position. Alright, it is not the end of the world, and they should have enough quality still to turn their fortunes around, but the old symptoms of lack of pace and drive let them down against badly. England now really have to face the facts that they are not one of the teams occupying the higher echelons of quality football in the world. They need to understand their place and work on that, instead of letting complacency fool them into thinking that they are better than they are. Who would England be in the Premier League? Aston Villa? Everton? Certainly not a Chelsea, Man Utd or an Arsenal. So England are three points off the lead with a game in hand, which is still a pretty strong position. Their next opponents will be Wales, who haven’t picked up a single point yet, and Capello has to be ready for the trip down to Cardiff. England are the group’s top goal scorers at the moment, and that is the extra disappointment about being shut out by Montenegro, who actually haven’t conceded a goal themselves so far in Group G. The no score draw was a bitter blow for England fans, but they should get a little stronger by the time their next match comes along. They have one more match to end this year, a friendly against France at Wembley in November. Need to step up their game and produce more competent displays, which everyone knows they have in them.

To qualify: 1/20 at Bet365. Hard to see a major collapse happening and Capello’s men failing to qualify at all. Therefore, not too much value in this one.

To Win Group G: 2/9 at Ladbrokes. A little better value after their bore draw against Montenegro, but England are expected to be in the driving seat, and the Bookies are all over that.

To win Euro 2012: 10/1 at Victor Chandler. Pretty reasonable price all things considered. Perhaps it says something about the quality of European football behind the might of Spain and Germany, when England and Italy are so far out. Are they worth a bet though, that is the question. It will be a big, patriotic wager, but there is plenty of time for a new England side to establish itself, and for some of the younger players to make an impact over the next couple of years. At that ante post price, may worth a punt as you never know. Likely to remain on the outside of realistic chances though, because there much better teams around at the moment.

Republic of Ireland:

Previous Match: Slovakia 1, Republic of Ireland 1
Current Standing: Second Group B

The Republic of Ireland are doing OK at the moment in a very tight group. They are level on standings with Armenia and Slovakia, against whom they earned a credible and predictable draw in the week. That has left them in second place in the group, only on goal difference, and there will be a big race for second place. Russia are expected to win Group B, although they themselves haven’t been completely dominant, but they do look the best team there. That means that Ireland will be looking to battle their way through some tough challenges to hold on to second place. The Republic’s only defeat has come against Russia, and they actually make for a decent bet to qualify for Euro 2012. They may not do it as outright winners, unless they get the better of Russia when the two sides meet in Ireland later in the group, but they are a decent price to reach the finals, nonetheless. The Republic of Ireland go into back to back matches against Macedonia who are sitting on just one win in the group, and therefore stand a great chance of picking up the pace in their charge for qualification. Hard working, battling well and if they can find a bit more composure at the back, then they are in with a great chance.

To Qualify: 13/8 at Bet365. Well worth looking at and considering. It’s a tough, tight group the Irish are in, and it looks as if they have to chase the very strong Russians. Nonetheless, they have the fight in them to push all the way.

To win Euro 2012: 125/1 at Ladbrokes: Well there are bookmakers who have Ireland at much shorter odds than this, even half of what Ladbrokes are offering, it’s just not going to happen. Ireland aren’t going to beat enough elite teams in a finals to win a European Championship anytime soon. Even the most patriotic fan wouldn’t touch this.

Scotland

Previous Match: Scotland 2, Spain 3
Current Standing: 3rd Group I

So Scotland are in third place in the group, however they are the only team which has played four matches, with the rest of the teams on three, including Lithuania who are on the same amount of points as the Scots. Scotland put in a storming, heart warming battling performance at home against Spain in the weekend, pegging the World Champions back to 2-2, before Spanish sub Lorente netted a winner. The scoreline was never expected to be that close, but the defeat means that Scotland have now lost against the top two teams in the group, which really sets them back in their chances of qualifying for Euro 2012. Spain and the Czech Republic who are above them, still have a game in hand over the Scots, so again Scotland could be missing out on a summer tournament. To be honest, the bookies never really gave them much of a chance to get out of this group, and that hasn’t changed. Spain and the Czech’s look too strong for the rest of the group, not only Scotland themselves. Is there a slim chance of Scotland getting out of the qualifying group? Certainly not as winners, but if they can produce another good home display in their next match against at home against the Czech’s then it could open things up nicely. They then could back that up with another home fixture against Lithuania, so there is hope, and Spain and the Czech Republic haven’t met yet, so when they do, there will be points taken away from one, or both. Not quite out of the running yet, but a lot of brave work still to do.

To Qualify: 9/1 at Bet365: Ideal football betting odds and sums up Scotland’s position perfectly. They will need some big hearted performances from here on out, with the crucial one being the home match against the Czechs. Good price and worth backing the Scots.

To Win Euro 2012: 999/1 at Bwin: Extravagant odds, and not reflective of most of the market, but we present you with best odds available. Even if the Scots reach the finals, they are not going to win.

Northern Ireland

Previous Match: Northern Ireland 1, Faroe Islands 1
Current Standing: 5th in Group C

Northern Ireland missed the boat big time with a 1-1 draw against the Faroe Islands in midweek. That really was tantamount to a defeat, as everybody expects to beat the Faroe Island, who are averaging conceding five goals a match in qualification. However, Northern Ireland didn’t get their lines right on the night, and as suggested here, their lack of goal scoring power hurt them. That is just two goals in three matches now for Northern Ireland, and unless they start firing quickly, they are going to be left with nothing to play for very soon. However, on the bright side, they have a game in hand over the four teams above them in the group, and are just three points off the lead. Their huge 1-0 win in Slovenia has kept them in the running, along with a heroic effort in holding Italy to a 0-0 draw. Those are the scrappy points which Northern Ireland will value greatly, but with Serbia, Italy, Slovenia and Estonia in the group, it will realistically be an uphill battle in getting through to the finals. It is to their credit that they are unbeaten so far, and that they have managed to pick up five points by scoring just two goals. A lot of that has come down to a resilient defence which has only conceded one goal. If they keep working hard for these draws and then sneaking a win here and there, then you just never know. It will be tough, and while UEFA await to see what the repercussions are of the Italy v Serbia match being abandoned after six minutes, there is life in this group and is one of the main groups in which big surprises could happen, as Italy are in rebuild mode. Still in with a fighting chance are Northern Ireland but they need to strap on their goal scoring boots.

To Qualify: 11/1 at Bet365: Again, like most of the other home nations, this is an outside bet which may be worth a punt. You really can’t go wrong with those odds, even if you have just £1 on it, or use some of your free bets when you sign up for an online bookmaker.

To Win Euro 2012: 1999/1 at Bwin. Again, simply highlighting the best value bet out there. Extravagant and extreme, but it is to the point. Northern Ireland aren’t going to win Euro 2012.

Wales

Previous Match: Switzerland 4, Wales 1
Current Standing: 5th Group G

Wales had their big chance to get their group going, albeit with a tricky away fixture in Switzerland. Both sides were without a win in their opening two matches, and there was a lot to play for. Wales, however, fell apart and collapsed to a 4-1 loss, making qualification from the group rest in the hands of a miracle. Quite frankly, Wales aren’t good enough to really get out of the group. Their weaknesses were highlighted by a Switzerland team, who are one of the least prolific goal scoring nations in Europe. The fact that the Swiss ran riot points to a lot of problems for Wales. That was on the back of defeats against Montenegro and against Bulgaria, which was at home. There’s no doubt that energy levels and pride and passion will be at a max when they welcome England in March, and the Welsh, as underdogs, will be relishing the challenge of picking up their first points against England. However, the same problem which seems to plague the rest of the home nations, is evident as well with Wales, in that there is not enough quality in front of goal, and if there is, then there is no quality service getting forward. There are still some tough matches ahead for Wales, and realistically, out of the home nations, they look the least likely to qualify for Euro 2012.

To Qualify: 66/1 at Bet365: The longest odds in this market of all the home nations, and that is because they are without a point, and floundering at the bottom of Group G. Not going to happen.

To Win Euro 2012: 4999/1 at Bwin: Online bookmaker Bwin likes to throw out some crazy big numbers. They could put this out even further, or cut it by three quarters and it still wouldn’t make a difference to the chance of Wales winning Euro 2012, which is none. Stick to match betting for Wales, they are bound to pick up points in the group sooner or later.

Euro 2012 Outright Winner Odds

While that is the home nations taken care of, who are the bookmakers leaning towards as outright winners of Euro 2012? Naturally there is only one nation who is going to be leading the way, and that is the current European and World Champions, Spain. They have maximum points from three matches, and have scored ten goals in those three matches. Pretty good going, and in quite an easy group for them, with the biggest challenge expected to come from the Czech Republic. Spain will get to Euro 2012 and be a massive threat, as there doesn’t look to be anyone else in their class at the moment. Perhaps Germany will pose the strongest challenge at the finals themselves, and they are well on course to qualifying with ease. Four wins from four matches from the Germans, racking up thirteen goals. They have picked up from where they left off in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and are looking mightily strong and adventurous. Belgium pushed them hard in the opener, but the Germans have really been untroubled so far and no sign of a slip up. Holland are the other European nation which are going strong with full on performances seeing them sitting with a 100% record as well. Four wins from four from them, in a group which houses Hungary and Sweden, there is not going to be any banana skins here for the Dutch, who will hopefully adopt a more attacking, less cynical approach the Euro 2012 finals than they did at South Africa 2010. Here at the ante post football betting prices at the moment:

To Win Euro 2012
Spain: 4/1 at Bet365
Germany: 11/2 at Coral
Holland: 15/2 at Totesport

Just two months after the 2010 World Cup came to an end, the focus shifts towards Euro 2012, with the first round of qualifiers taking place on Friday. The tournament finals will take place in Poland and Ukraine, which means that just fourteen qualifying places are available due to the co-hosts automatically booking their place at the table.

There are nine qualifying groups, with the winner from each going through to the finals along with the best performing 2nd-placed team. The other eight 2nd-placed teams will play-off to determine the final four places.

It’s little surprise to see Spain as outright favourites (4/1 bet365) to win Euro 2010, with La Furia Roja now the champions of the world as well as Europe. Vicente Del Bosque remains as manager of the national team and it will be largely the same set of players that defend their crown.  A group including Czech Republic and Scotland shouldn’t pose too many problems for the holders.

However, the one other European team that stood out in South Africa were Germany, especially as Joachim Loew took a chance on several young players such as Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. The pair have both signed for Real Madrid this term, while the likes of Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger should ensure that Die Mannschaft are lively contenders. Paddy Power go 11/2 that they win Euro 2012.

Nevertheless, it was the Netherlands that made the final of the World Cup and it was disappointing that Bert van Marwijk’s team resorted to an aggressive style of play against the Spanish which meant justice was served when Andres Iniesta scored an extra-time winner for Spain. Paddy Power offer 7/1 that Holland go one better in Poland & Ukraine, providing that they manage to qualify from a group which includes Sweden and Finland.

The three big European disappointments at the World Cup were England, France and Italy. The English did make it beyond the group stages, although they were badly exposed by Germany and Fabio Capello is now under pressure to deliver in this tournament. Sporting Bet go 12/1 that the Three Lions are victorious, although there’s no certainty that they will qualify from a group which includes Switzerland and Bulgaria.

We should expect a completely different French team from the side that went on strike under Raymond Domenech. Although Laurent Blanc has to restore the confidence of supporters who saw their nation disgraced in south Africa, there are some talented players to call upon and Les Bleus are 14/1 with Stan James to win Euro 2012.

Cesare Prandelli has replaced Marcello Lippi as manager of Italy and he is likely to bring through plenty of young players as the Azzurri look to put the poor performances of the 2010 World Cup behind them. Paddy Power offer 11/1 that the 2006 World Cup winners are triumphant and we should expect an improved showing.

Portugal (12/1 bet365) and Russia (22/1 bet365) are the other teams worthy of consideration, although Carlos Queiroz might not be the right man to take the former forward after setting them up ultra-defensively against the Ivory Coast and Spain in the World Cup.

Can England upset odds and beat strong Spain in semi?

It was a late show for England’s Under-19’s at the UEFA Championships, but a 93rd minute header from substitute Matthew Phillips gave England the point they needed to squeeze through to the semi final. After one win and a defeat, England faced table topping France, who had beaten Holland 4-1 and Austria 5-0 in the group. Things didn’t look too promising for England as they fell behind in a match they expected that they would need to win in order to qualify. The scenario was supposed to go like this: Netherlands would beat Austria, which would leave England needing a win themselves over France to stand a chance of going through to the last four. As it happens, Austria popped up with a surprise victory over Holland, giving England the advantage in the group, and even if Wycombe Wanderers Phillips had not have netted, England would have gone through.

Noel Blake’s side will now face Spain on Tuesday, looking to emulate their last outing in the competition, where they reached the final in 2009. France’s team selection helped England a little bit, as they were sure of getting through to the semi’s. Still, France started the match better than England, and deservedly took the lead. Luck played a big part in the game, even though England battled well without ever looking overly impressive or consistently threatening in attack, they certainly did not have the same quality in possession as the French. England did create chances, having a shot off the line, but at the other end keeper Declan Rudd certainly had his fair share of work to do against one of the best teams in the tournament. England were generally chasing the game against the slick passing and movement of the French.

England finished as runner’s up in the tournament last year, losing to the Ukraine, and there has been a lot of focus on the progress of the young players, after the failure of the senior England national team at the World Cup. But England have not set the tournament alight, certainly not in comparison to France and Spain, two of the other semi finalists. They made hard work of their opening 3-2 victory over Austria, while they were bogged down in the middle of the park by a hard working Netherlands team which had much more of a creative spark than England. But tournament football is sometimes simply about progressing and building momentum. What the last minute draw against the strong French will have done for Blake’s side, is give them confidence. Hopefully they are saving their best for the latter stages of the tournament, as they have generally flattered to deceive in their outings so far.

The reports from the camp insist that England are up for the job, and that confidence is high. Whilst winning would inject a huge boost of confidence into the squad, the players and tactics should come under scrutiny. Are England playing the right way, abandoning the typical English game of being physical and playing with speed? Not really, there has not been quite as much evidence of technical passing and patience in possession as one would have hoped, but hopefully results can be gained in a better fashion than what they have produced so far. There is a lot of pressure on this crop of young players to not only perform, but to bring some creativity, flair and a touch of a new brand of football to build England’s future upon. It’s not quite there yet, and again any failings will be exposed by their semi final opponents, Spain. The Spanish beat Italy 3-0 in their final group match to secure top spot, setting up the semi final clash with England.

Spain play with a fantastic confidence on the ball, and can play a high tempo but very well controlled and structured match. Spain have won four out of the eight previous UEFA Under-19 European Championships, and have never lost when reaching the semi final. The success of the current senior Spanish team can be traced back to the successful development of their youth players. Fernando Torres hit four goals in the inaugural tournament in 2001/02, including scoring the winner in the final which kind of underlines the importance of this youthful tournament. Unfortunately though, judging by the displays so far, England are still behind the level of the Spanish in many aspects of the game, even at this young level. The balance should tip in favour of the technically gifted Spaniards, and while they know they can expect a battling performance from England, for England fans, they would be hoping things were the other way around.

UEFA Under-19 European Championships Semi Finals

England U19 to win: 17/4 at Bet365
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Spain U19 to win: 4/6 at Boylesports

France U19 to win: 8/11 at Stan James
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Croatia U19 to win: 17/4 at Bet365

Poland and Ukraine are the countries co-hosting this tournament and that means that there are only fourteen other places up for grabs. Some would probably argue that Spain should get a bye into the finals after adding a world crown to their European one in South Africa, although we will almost certainly see Vicente Del Bosque’s team in eastern Europe to defend their title.

A selection of bookmakers, including Ladbrokes and bet365, offer 4/1 that La Furia Roja continue to show they are top dogs in Euro 2012 and they will retain the nucleus of the team that won the country’s first ever World Cup. Young players such as Pedro, Jesus Navas and David Silva will ensure that there is fierce competition for places and we might even see a fit Fernando Torres in two years time!

However, many people will be looking to back Germany antepost instead, especially as they are available at odds of 6/1 with Ladbrokes. Although Joachim Low’s team fell short against the Spanish in the semi-finals, there’s a strong case for arguing that they are the second best team in the world and the manager will have two years to ensure that his team can come back stronger.

With Thomas Mueller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and  Mesut Ozil all playing starring roles for Die Mannschaft in South Africa, it will be interesting to see whether they can continue their free-scoring ways which made them so prolific this summer.

The Netherlands are available at 8/1 (Victor Chandler) to win Euro 2012 and they will take some beating if the last World Cup is anything to go by. While the likes of Mark Van Bommel aren’t getting any younger and Gio van Bronckhorst has retired, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin Van Persie will still pack a punch for the Oranje.

While Spain, Germany and Holland ensured that there were three European teams in the semi-finals, there were several of the ‘old order’ that failed to make much impact at all in South Africa. Expectations were once again high that England would deliver in a major tournament although their poor performances throughout means that Sporting Bet have pushed the Three Lions out to 12/1. It could be a period of transition for this team who need to bring young players in.

As for France, there will also be sweeping changes with the players in the squad. Raymond Domenech has been replaced by Laurent Blanc and the latter will command much more respect within the camp after the shameful way that Les Bleus conducted themselves in South Africa. Perhaps they are the best bet at 14/1 (Stan James), especially as the squad will be packed with top quality players.

Italy were equally as disappointing with their failure to beat New Zealand, Slovakia or Paraguay in their World Cup group and they have been pushed out to 11/1 (Paddy Power). Meanwhile, you can back Portugal at 14/1 (Coral), Russia at 20/1 (Blue Square) and Ukraine at 40/1 (bet365).

England v Austria Match Odds

England to win: 3/5 at Bwin
Draw: 11/5 at Bwin
Austria: 5/1 at Bwin

The future of English football could be on display in France on the weekend, as the UEFA Under 19 Championship kicks off. The eight team tournament will give England’s youth a chance to shine, in the hope that the FA can learn something from another senior World Cup failure, and learn how to nurture and embrace young talent, instead of training any flair out of them. After all the fall out of England’s failure at South Africa 2010, eyes will turn to the Under 19’s as the benchmark for the next generation of England’s youth. There have been concerns that there is not enough youth coming through from grass roots in English football, and that the English game and lack of professional youth coaches, are taking something away from the national game. It has been suggested that any inherent flair and technical ability to play a passing game, is drilled out of youngsters, as the focus is more on the physical aspect of the game, and learning to play at tempo. So, just how England do at the UEFA Under 19 Championship could be an eye opener for things to come. England have been drawn in Group A of the tournament, along with host nation France, Austria and the Netherlands. It is a group from which they will be expected to get out of without too much trouble. Here are the fixtures for England at the UEFA Under 19 Championship:

Sunday, July 18th: Austria v England
Wednesday, July 21st: Netherlands v England
Saturday, July 24th: England v France

There is a sprinkling of hope for the future of English football, as England finished as runner’s up in the previous tournament, where they lost to the Ukraine in the finals. This, in all honesty, is not too bad of a draw for England, as Holland are making their debut in the competition, and Austria are rank outsiders to win the tournament. The toughest challenge in the group stage will be France, who are joint favourites along with Spain to win. After the group stage, the top two teams from each group will go forwards to the semi finals. This tournament does have bigger implications, as the teams which finish in the top three out of each group, will earn automatic qualification for the 2011 FIFA Under 20 World Cup. Coached by Noel Blake, England were the last team to qualify for the tournament, and hopes could rest on 2008/09 top scorer Nathan Delfouneso, who is on the books at Aston Villa. They also have a strong pairing in the midfield of Dean Parrett and Jacob Melis, while there is plenty of experience t the back with Fulham’s Matthew Briggs and Manchester United’s Reece Brown.

There were some club v country discussions going on ahead of the tournament, as some clubs were unwilling to release some of their young players for the tournament. However, after the senior England side failed to perform and lessons were learnt from Germany’s youngsters, England were able to select a strong squad to take to France. There are two notable omissions though, with Everton’s Jack Rodwell and Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere missing out, as they are wanted to step up an age group. It is the Germans and the Spanish which England need to emulate. Since investing heavily in their youth, Germany have won the European Championships at every age level, while Spain have won the Under 19 Championships four times. Getting things right at these young levels, will naturally enhance the quality of what will come in future senior teams. There are signs that England are on the right track, after the Under 17’s won the European Championships a couple of months ago, and that was on the back of the Under 21’s reaching the final of their respective tournament the year before. Germany didn’t make the tournament this time around, after failing to get out of the Elite group qualifying process, finishing third in a group which Holland won.

England Under 19 Squad: Goalkeepers: Declan Rudd (Norwich), James Severn (Derby); Defenders: Nathan Baker (Aston Villa), Matthew Briggs (Fulham), Reece Brown (Manchester United), Stephen Caulker (Spurs), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace), Thomas Cruise (Arsenal), Josh Thompson (Celtic); Midfielders: John Bostock (Spurs), Matthew James (Manchester United), Jacob Mellis (Chelsea), Dean Parrett (Spurs), Matthew Phillips (Wycombe), Andros Townsend (Spurs); Forwards: Nathan Delfouneso (Aston Villa), Ryan Donaldson (Newcastle), Frank Nouble (West Ham).

UEFA European Under-19 Championship Winners
2002: Spain
2003: Italy
2004: Spain
2005: France
2006: Spain
2007: Spain
2008: Germany
2009: Ukraine

While England are in with a fair shout at claiming the honours here, there are some quality youth teams taking part alongside them. Spain will be one of the strongest competitors at the tournament, and they will be expected to win Group B, where Portugal, Italy and Croatia also reside. Croatia are making their debut in the tournament, and therefore they won’t be looked at for too long in the betting. Portugal have shown in the past they can put out a decent crop of youngsters, but they have probably fallen just a little bit behind the other stronger European nations, as this is their first year back after missing the last two tournaments after failing to qualify. Italy are a little bit of an unknown quantity, but will be expected to get through to the semi finals. From a football betting point of view, England and France will be expected to progress from Group A, and Spain along with Italy will be expected to get through from Group B.

UEFA Under 19 Championship Outright Odds at Bwin
Spain: 4.50
France: 4.50
England: 6.00
Italy: 6.50
Netherlands: 8.00
Portugal: 8.50
Croatia: 12.0
Austria: 15.0

World Cup Final Odds – Spain V Holland Betting

Spain to win: 23/20 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 12/5 at Totesport
Netherlands to win: 11/4 at Totesport

Spain v Holland brings together a European clash for the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain will go into the match as favourites in World Cup betting, and here we take a look over the areas of the games where the World Cup Final may be won or lost. Spain have history in their grasp, but Holland will do their best to make a match of it of course. The Dutch may have a hard time living with the passing quality of Spain, but the Spanish need to keep their feet on the ground and not get carried away with the hype of what is expected of them. The Dutch will be underdogs, but they have already beaten Brazil. Which way will the 2010 FIFA World Cup final swing?

To Lift Trophy
Spain: 4/7 at Bet365
Netherlands: 6/4 at Bet365

Spain V Holland Preview

Goalkeepers. Iker Casillas, who is known as Saint Casillas back in his home nation has the edge on this one. If you were backing one of them to pull off a match winning save, then it would be Casillas, who is one of the top goalkeepers in the world. That is not to say that Stekelenburg has not pulled off some good saves, he has done the trick and looked fairly solid, but this is the big occasion and for Casillas, who generally has very little to do, his concentration is fantastic. Casillas was at fault largely for the Swiss goal against them, but other than that he has been good. The Dutch keeper will be the busier of the two without doubt, and even if it goes to penalties, you’d back the confidence of the Spaniard.
Goalkeeping: Spain 1, Holland 1

Defence. With full backs Joan Capdevila and Sergio Ramos flanking Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique, there probably is not a more solid and consistent back line in the World. Not only that, they are a major threat at the other end of the pitch with Pique and Puyol going up for corners, and the two full backs playing as wingers. That is the confidence which Spain have, and they use the overlapping full backs to get crosses into the opposition box, so much better than any other team in the world. Not only do opponents have to find a way to stop the threat of the Spanish midfield tearing down the centre of the pitch, they have to stop the wide players as well. If there is a chink in the armour then it probably is Capdevila, but there is so much quality and composure in the back line, they really don’t give much away. For the Dutch, watching the Spanish full backs run at them will give them nightmares. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst and Khalid Boulahrouz are not the fastest of full backs, and Van Bronckhorst, while a great professional, may have a torrid time against Spain when they attack down the right. It will be imperative that he gets help from Robben or Kuyt, whoever is patrolling the left of midfield at the time. That doesn’t instil a lot of confidence either, as they aren’t great at tracking back. In the middle they are a little more secure with John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen, who both look very solid. While they have the height to deal with crosses and long balls, they are going to be test more on the floor from the Spanish passing, an area which they aren’t as strong. Cameroon caught them out badly when playing at pace, and Brazil tore them apart in the early stages of their quarter final match, and that should send warning signals.
Defence: Spain 1, Holland 0

Midfield: This is where the game will be one or lost. If you are looking for the most likely candidate to get a red card in the World Cup final, then look no further than Holland’s Mark Van Bommel. The midfielder, who is out of favour at Bayern Munich has been fouling left right and centre under the nose of the referee and he keeps getting away with things. He will have a very tough time in trying to keep Xavi and Xabi Alonso quiet. How well Van Bommel and his midfield partner (which will probably be Nigel De Jong who will return to the side after suspension) can deal with the Spanish duo will be key. They can’t afford to lose sight of them, especially with Alonso making late runs to join attacks, and they can’t give too many free kicks away either. There is a lot of responsibility resting on their shoulders, and while Van Bommel has probably been one of the best Dutch players, he will need to be on top of his game. If he has a bad day at the office, Spain will run riot. Why are Spain so good in midfield? Because they have such phenomenal passing quality in there. Xavi is one of the best passers of the ball in the world, and pretty much everything goes through him. Opposition know that, and still they have a hard time in keeping him quiet, and that is because Spain as a team keep the ball so well. When they start stretching their passes across the full width of the pitch, it creates so much space in the middle for Xavi, they are able to use him to the best of his best ability. Spain do like to keep things fairly narrow in the centre of the pitch, when defending, but when going forward, there are always options out wide, and Xavi will pick out the passes. For the Spanish, having Iniesta dropping back to pick up the ball as well, he uses his phenomenal control to take advantage of any space. He takes balls into tight spaces and ties up defenders, creating space for his team mates. For Holland, their main weapons in going forward are Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder. Sneijder is in awesome form, being the link up man between midfield and attack. The question is, can he find the space to deliver his usual performance, as he may spend a lot of time tracking back? The same for Robben, who switches flanks well with Dirk Kuyt and Robben, Kuyt and Sneijder are great on the break. They may have to do more defensive duties than they will like, but when they do break, they simply have to make it count. The counter punching quality is there for Holland, but not the ball retention or creativity.
Midfield: Spain 1, Holland 0

Forwards: Not surprisingly Spain will have the edge here, as they have tournament top scorer David Villa. Villa hugs the left hand touchline and likes to come in and attack from angles there. He has pace, he has great close control and he is bristling with confidence. He will give any back line in the world a problem, and it is no wonder Barcelona have paid big money to land him. He has an incredible international scoring record and would be well worthy of lifting the Golden Boot at South Africa 2010. He will be the big threat, but the question is, who will be his partner? Will coach Del Bosque throw Torres back into action after dropping him for the semi final? Will he stick with the livewire Pedro whose energy really gave Spain an extra dimension, but blew a clear cut chance to make it two nil in the semi final by being selfish? Will Del Bosque change things altogether and put in Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas in a supporting role? Questions, but Torres will likely get the nod because of experience. For Holland, Robin Van Persie is quality, but he was expected to carry just a little more threat at the tournament, only scoring once so far. Has been a bit anonymous, truth be told and he will need to have a big game, as the Dutch do not have a great deal of options on the bench. If a chance comes his way he will have to take it, as it he clearly will not get as many as David Villa will.
Forwards: Spain 1, Holland 0

Coach: Del Bosque inherited the current squad pretty much, but still he has worked well with them in turning them into a world beating side. Really has not had a lot to do tactically, as Spain play their way whoever the opposition is. Showed a lot of sense in dropping Torres for the semi final, and whether he puts him back into the line up or not is his only question. Van Marwijk deserves a lot of praise for his work, having only lost one match since taking over as national coach. The Netherlands are on a 25 game unbeaten run, and that is thanks to the calm composure he has instilled in his team. Does not change things tactically too much, as Holland like to play on the attack, but seems to be a great leader of a nation which is usually self destructive.
Coach: Del Bosque 1, Van Marwijk 1

Tactics: Tactically the sides will line up relatively similarly. They both employ a back four, and while Holland have two holding midfielders, Spain employ just the one in Sergio Busquets. Sneijder is the key man as he stays central in joining the lone attack, while Robben and Kuyt are used for width. This means that they are great on the break, but are also vulnerable to teams getting in behind them. Spain, with a similar system, use Xavi and Alonso in front of Busquets, and then Iniesta and Torres to drift wider into attack. Spain use their full backs better in getting forward, and David Villa creates a whole world of space because he has that extra level of movement in him, attacking from wide on the left. Dynamic is the word for Spain, predictable would be the one for Holland. Holland are set up strongly, but Spain play to the strengths of their playmakers, and that allows them to control games with possession.
Tactics: Spain 1, Holland 1

Spain V Holland Betting Tips

Prediction: Holland may put up stubborn resistance, but Spain should be backed to win this final simply because player for player, they have a higher level of quality in the midfield. With their foot on the ball and playing their patient game, Spain will dominate anyone. They have grown in confidence, and there is just the feeling that they will have saved their best till last, and will win comfortably in the end by a couple of goals.
Winning Margin: Spain to win by one goal 13/5 at Bet365