Sports Betting Tips and Game Handicapping Picks » FIFA World Cup

Argentina still team to beat in World Cup

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 08 May 2010 16:02:39 +0000

Can Lionel Messi power Argentina towards World Cup glory?

You read it, one of the most talented footballers in the world, that being Lionel Messi, will be leading Argentina in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

That’s probably why many sports bettors are picking Argentina to win Group B, especially with the talent that they have.

Argentina is only the fourth of five qualifiers from South America, ahead of Uruguay, but behind Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.

Their main man, Lionel Messi, won the 2009 Ballon d’Or and was awarded the European Footballer of the Year.

Messi is the diamond that the whole world recognizes, while Sergio Aguero, another star Argentina can rely on the pitch, is another youngster on the rise. They also have Carlos Tevez, a skillful, hard-working striker.

In midfield, Javier Mascherano gives Argentina steel, while Juan Sebastián Veron is a good distributor of the ball.

Last year, Argentina played 13 matches, won eight of them and lost five. This is not the kind of record a country with Argentina’s proud history finds acceptable, especially when included among those results is a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of 56th ranked Bolivia.

Let’s see how they do come June in...

Can the Greeks win the 2010 World Cup?

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 07 May 2010 16:02:58 +0000

Can they finally add some hardware other than that cup they won six years ago in Euro 2004?

Team Greece, who topped Euro 2004, finished second in European Group Two behind Switzerland, but beat Ukraine 1-0 in a two-leg playoff to secure their place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The only score Greece had came in the away game in Donetsk.

That is the thing about this Greek team, they’re not flashy, but they have the mental fortitude to grind out 1-0 wins, no matter where they play.

The team’s appearance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup would only be the second time in their country’s history that they have reached the World Cup finals.

Previously, in the USA in 1994, they exited in the first round after losing all three of their group games.

Their ambition will be much higher this time around.

During 2009, Greece played 10 internationals, winning four of them, losing twice, and drawing four.

Striker Theofanis Gekas is a key for the Greek national team.

His 10-goal return was the highest tally by a player in European qualifying.

Another key is fellow striker Angelos Charisteas, who scored the winning goal at Euro 2004.

He presents a physical challenge to opposing defenders because of his...

Can South Africa win the World Cup?

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 01 May 2010 16:02:30 +0000

South Africa is the first ever African nation to host the FIFA World Cup.

That’s probably why they are one of the sentimental favorites to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

As hosts, they qualified automatically marking their 3^rd appearance overall after making it to France in 1998 and then again in 2002 after being banned from entering qualification from 1966 until 1994.

Despite the automatic qualification, South Africa played World Cup qualifiers mainly because World Cup qualifiers also serve as qualifying for the African Nations Cup.

Unfortunately, South Africa was eliminated from the qualifying. They are, in some way, playing in a World Cup even though they lost in the qualifying stage.

South Africa also played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. They played well, advancing from the group stage before being eliminated by the No.1 ranked team, Spain, in overtime, 3-2.

South Africa plays Mexico, Uruguay, and France. All three will be tough matches. France is ranked in the top 10, while Mexico and Uruguay are in the top 20. South Africa is ranked 88th.

It has been a turbulent few years for South Africa, but a creditable performance at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the prelude to this summer, has set expectations high going into their Group A matches.

Their semi-final loss to Brazil followed by a succeeding single-goal, extra-time defeat by Spain in the third-place match, show that the hosts can compete at the highest level.

And though they have fallen at the group stage in...

Can the USA shock England again?

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:04:14 +0000

Oh yes, after 50 years, they meet again.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is almost here and South Africa is ready to take over the world as they play hosts to the biggest football tournament in the world.

As always, countries participating in the 19 ^th FIFA World Cup are all looking forward for a fantastic campaign. England for one, is a country still trying to dominate the sport they introduced into the world. The United States on the other hand, is still trying to stay respectable in this sport since, let’s face it, they are still not known as that good of footballers.

And as stated, England and the United States will meet on June 12. This will be their first meeting since the Americans earned a shocking win over England back in the 1950 tournament in Brazil. And since the Americans did beat England the last time they faced on this stage, you can’t blame them for being confident coming into the tournament.

”American fans are thinking we should advance out of the group, and I like that. I like how they’re thinking,” United States team captain Carlos Bocanegra said. ”We feel confident as well that this is a group we can get out of.”

After advancing to the quarterfinals in 2002, the best finish the Americans had since the initial World Cup in 1930, there were high expectation for the Americans at the 2006 tournament in Germany. But they were eliminated in the first round with losses to the Czech Republic and Ghana.

The U.S. famously upset England 1-0 in the first round of the 1950 tournament in Brazil, still considered by many as the greatest American victory in football. That makes their meeting this June one fixture football fans can’t afford to miss.

After playing England, USA will play Slovenia at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park on June 18 and completes the first round on June 23 against Algeria in Pretoria. The U.S. has never played either nation.

Odds on the U.S. winning were lowered from...

Can Mexico win the 2010 FIFA World Cup?

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:02:17 +0000

Can the El Tri continue to ride on the momentum that carried them where they are right now?

Mexico qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup by finishing second in CONCACAF qualifying, just one point behind the United States. They were undefeated at home but inconsistent on the road. They won impressively in Costa Rica 3-0 but fell in Honduras 1-3.

In the Gold Cup, Mexico was impressive as they advanced rather easily through the group stage and defeated Haiti 4-0 in the second round. In the semifinal, they drew with a tough Costa Rican team but advanced on penalties. In a memorable final, Mexico crushed the host United States 5-0. Though the United States did not field their best players, it was still an impressive victory.

Coming to the World Cup in South Africa, Mexico is the eight-time and current CONCACAF Gold Cup champions. They also won a FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999. The Mexican team is currently ranked No.17 in the world. They have a long, storied soccer tradition and have the nickname ”El Tri.”

One of the key players team Mexico has is Giovani dos Santos. Dos Santos is an intriguing player that has been hyped for years, and his first World Cup may be the time he finally breaks out as a legitimate star. Reared in Barcelona’s youth division, he played for the senior team at the tender age of 18.

Mexico is coached by Javier Aguirre, who has been a calming presence for the team. Mexico can attack from the wings and from set pieces and can be quite dangerous offensively. The 5-3-2 formation has some tradition in Mexico and Aguirre has been willing to use this formation as it accentuates the wing play.

The first eight seeds in the World Cup consist of the top seven ranked teams and the host nation. Mexico got lucky because they drew the host nation, South Africa. Instead of having to play a top-ranked team, Mexico is playing the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament.

Mexico has gone on to the second round in the past...

Bet on these 2010 FIFA World Cup Games

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:04:14 +0000

We only have a couple of months left before the biggest tournament of the year gets going.

That’s right, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the premier international football tournament in the world, will run between June 11 to July 11 in South Africa. It will be the culmination of a qualification process that began in August of 2007 and involved 204 of the 208 FIFA national teams.

As expected, there are some intriguing matchups to see in the 19 ^th FIFA World Cup and one fixture that football fans shouldn’t miss is this one between Italy and Paraguay. Italy and Spain are the top two teams in continental Europe. Italy faces Paraguay, Slovakia, and New Zealand. If they lose one of those games it will cause a national crisis, and quite possibly yet another governmental collapse. Luckily, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue for them.

Playing Paraguay is arguably one of the biggest challenges to Italy, it’s also one of the most exciting fixtures in the tournament. Both teams focus on defense first, and neither scores a lot of goals. But Paraguay isn’t as strong as they seem in my eyes.

Another matchup to watch out for is Portugal vs. Brazil. Fans are so looking forward for this matchup that tickets for the match were already sold out four and a half months before it takes place.

The game between Portugal and Brazil has proven to be one of the most in-demand matches of the whole tournament. The matchup between the cross-Atlantic rivals is generating so much interest for a variety of reasons. The two countries have strong historical and cultural ties, as well as sharing a common language.

Portugal beat Brazil in their only World Cup meeting so far, in 1966, contributing to an early exit for the South Americans. In recent years there has been the added spice of Portugal’s naturalized Brazilian players donning the shirt of the Seleccao. Injury permitting; Pepe, Deco and Liedson are all likely to line up against the country of their birth in Durban.

Another matchup to look forward to is the match between Chile and Spain on June 25. Spain will face Chile as the European champions. Spain was held to be the favorite in the lead up to the World Cup finals qualifications, at least until a hiccup against the USA in the semis of the Confederation Cup saw them finish third runner-up.

La Roja, the No.1 ranked outfit in the FIFA world ranking...

2010 FIFA World Cup is 2 months away

Jeffdstuff — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 16:06:20 +0000

South Africa is the place to be come June.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place in ten different South African stadiums between June 11 and July 11, 2010. It is a historic undertaking because it is the first time that the famous series of matches will be hosted by an African nation. It is expected that more than one billion fans will tune into many of the games and follow all of the events that happen during this time.

The new stadiums in South Africa are some of the most spectacular venues in the world and they will collectively seat more than 570,000 people. The Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban has a steel arch 105 m above the middle of the pitch, and by using a cable car, spectators will enjoy a stunning view of the Indian Ocean.

Soccer City in Johannesburg takes the form of a calabash, a traditional African drinking vessel. The outer skin area spans 43 000 m2 and will be constructed from wholly natural energy-efficient material. It is the biggest stadium in Africa, seating almost 95,000 people.

The Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit is situated in a region known for its wild beauty and animals, close to the Kruger National Park. Its signature feature is the 18 roof supports that resemble giraffes. Stadiums in townships are being upgraded, some as training venues.

These include; Orlando Stadium, which has been completed ahead of schedule, and Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto, Rand, Cecil Payne, Rabie Ridge and Ruimsig stadiums in Johannesburg, HM Pitje, Super and Giant stadiums in Tshwane/Pretoria, Sesa Ramabodu Stadium in Rocklands, Cape Town, Princess Magogo, King Zwelithini and Sugar Ray Xulu stadiums in Durban and Olympia Park Stadium in Rustenburg.

In terms of transportation, around R11.7-billion is being invested in the transport infrastructure program to ensure the smooth movement of fans, teams and media. The 2010 FIFA World Cup transport projects are an integrated part of the government’s overall investment in transport, which is revolutionizing the transport system for the long term benefit of commuters and the economy.

The roads, rail and bus-route upgrade will...

England plans big for the World Cup

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:45:43 +0000

The World Cup, which is played every four years, never fails to capture the imagination of the English people.

And after failing to qualify for Euro 2008, it has been a long four years for England fans to wait and remember what it feels like to get behind their team in a major international competition. Now that England is in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, English football fans couldn’t be any happier.

England head to South Africa confident, having easily secured their place for this year’s World Cup. And for the first time in quite a long time, English fans can finally look forward to the World Cup with a sense of optimism.

With players such as Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard ranking amongst the best in the world, together with the other members of the talented England squad, Fabio Cappello could well be the man to guide England to World Cup glory for the first time since 1966.

The draw for the 2010 World Cup took place in Cape Town and with the way the countries have been drawn, it looks like lady luck is really smiling on England. They got a great draw coming up against USA, Slovenia and Algeria in Group C, making the English team as the clear favorites to win the group.

Looking back at England’s history in the World Cup, England has entered all 14 post-war competitions. They qualified through play in the preliminary competition on nine occasions (1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1998 and 2002), as host country once (1966) and as reigning champions once (1970).

England have had only moderate success in the World Cup, and that is perhaps a fair indication of their standing in the world game. They won the tournament once, in 1966, when it was held on their own soil and they played all their matches on their home ground, Wembley Stadium, an advantage extended to no other team in World Cup history.

Their 4-2 extra-time victory against...

2010 FIFA World Cup Betting Tips

Jeffdstuff — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:02:23 +0000

The rest of the world will be watching South Africa soon.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is fast approaching and eyes will be set on South Africa with matches held in nine cities across the land. The world’s greatest footballers will be on display too as football fans around the world are eagerly anticipating a month of football bliss.

On that note, here’s an early rundown of the top five countries to watch out for in this year’s World Cup, starting with the country that won the last biggest tournament in football, the Euro 2008 champions Spain.

Though Spain has never won the World Cup, this may be their best chance ever. Their forwards score goals and their midfield is among the best in the world. At goalkeeping, Iker Casillas is equally very impressive, helping them to engineer a 15 game winning streak to set an international record earlier in 2009.

Although the United States‘ victory over Spain late in the year was one of the biggest upsets in a long time, Spain remains the team to beat. They are in Group H along with Switzerland, Honduras and Chile.

Another team to watch out for is Argentina primarily because they have on their roster the best footballer in the world right now in Lionel Messi. Argentina also has the best defensive midfielder in the world, Javier Mascherano along with a number of very talented youngsters, including Sergio Aguero.

Their manager knows what it takes to win. While they did suffer a bad loss, 6-1, to Boliva, at extreme altitude, Argentina will not have the same problems in June. Argentina is in Group B facing Nigeria, Korea and Greece in the first round of play.

Italy is also one of those teams...

Beckham wants to stay in AC Milan

Jeffdstuff — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 09:30:56 +0000

Because right now, Becks is still on loan to the Italian football giants from the L.A. Galaxy.

And in case you were living under a rock, AC Milan has been enjoying the services of David Beckham this 2009 Italian Serie A season, loaning probably the game’s most marketable star from the Los Angeles Galaxy.

And since David Beckham is finally seeing some ‘’real'’ football action in Italy after making the move to Los Angeles only to appear as a ‘’trophy'’ athlete, he is now admitting that he wants his transfer to the Italian football team a permanent one.

Yup, apparently, Becks has no more intentions whatsoever in returning to the Los Angeles Galaxy and waste even a minute of his aging career playing MLS soccer. After all, playing alongside football icons like Ronaldinho in AC Milan is an opportunity any football athlete should not let pass, especially guys like Beckham who is probably in the late stages of his career.

But since this aspired permanent move to Europe is out of his hands, he knows he’s still a property of the Los Angeles Galaxy until they relinquish him for good to the European football franchise.

‘’I've expressed my desire to stay here but at the moment I’m still a Galaxy player,'’ David Beckham said. ‘’I respect the Galaxy and everything they have done for me. They have always been great to me.'’

‘’But I hope they can come to an agreement and it’s down to the clubs now. At this point it’s out of my hands. I’ve said what my feelings are to both clubs. To be given the chance again to play at this level at my age is pretty incredible and I’ve enjoyed it so much I would like to...''