Match Review & Highlights: Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands | WORLD CUP 2010

Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands | WORLD CUP 2010

The scoreline makes this game look like a thriller. The scoreline is lying. Well, not lying. This game really did finish 3-2 to Netherlands. It just wasn’t quite as exciting as you’d think. What it did have was a couple of superb goals, including maybe the goal of the tournament from Gio van Bronckhurst, and one rather controverisal goal from Wesley Sneijder.

Yep, Arjen Robben scored a header. Seemed that the game would finish 3-1 but then Maxi Perreira scored for Uruguay in stoppage time (while the Netherlands were already half celebrating) and sent up a frantic final couple of minutes.

Obviously all the debate will be about Sneijder’s goal, and the role that a very probably offside Robin van Persie played in that. I thought he was onside at the time, but have since been convinced otherwise. If you want to join the debate about Sneijder’s goal and the standard of officiating in general, then click yourself over to Another Day, Another Dubious Decision: The Dutch Offside Goal..

Whatever your feelings on that, the Netherlands have advanced 3-2 and will meet the winner of tomorrow’s Germany vs Spain game in the final, while Uruguay will play the loser in the third place playoff.

Germany returns to mind games against Argentina | World Cup 2010

CAPE TOWN, South Africa – Prior to the decisive penalty kicks of Germany’s heated 2006 quarterfinal victory over Argentina, German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann employed an unusual tactic. He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his sweaty sock and read simple notes on the tendencies of Argentine players.

“Riquelme left high; Crespo long run/right, short run/left; Heinze left low; Ayala long wait, long run right; Messi left; Aimar long wait left; Rodriguez left,” it read, according to The Times of London. FIFA says the list was later auctioned for charity. There also remains a theory, though, that the note was blank, designed merely to psych out Argentina.

Whatever it was, it worked. Lehmann made two saves and Germany won the game on PKs 4-2. The decision was so tense, the teams wound up fighting afterward.

Now, Germany, on the eve of another quarterfinals clash with Argentina here Saturday, is vowing to take the tactic a step further.

Following the lead of some European professional teams, the Germans may employ “technology” to allow their goalkeeper to quickly scout potential Argentina shooters. Speculation is that there will be a handheld device that can quickly offer video replay of potential Argentina shooters.

There may only be 60 to 90 seconds available to scout all of the shooters, so it would be rapid-fire footage of past penalty kick attempts. The problem is which players would Argentine coach Diego Maradona send out?

German coach Joachim Low said Friday that, with Argentina now featuring so many powerful scorers, a humble scrap of paper in the sock is not enough. He said his side will have to employ deeper scouting techniques.

“In 2006, it was easier for us,” he said. “There was just one sheet of paper. And this time I realize we need to have a hefty brochure because there are so many who are perfectly strong to take the [penalty kick].

“We have to be very careful for the candidates and prepare a number of detailed information.”

Penalty kicks are used to determine a winner if the score is still tied after two 15-minute extra time periods. Making a save is very difficult. To do it, a goalkeeper needs to guess correctly where the shot is headed – or the shooter needs to flub the kick.

Germany has never lost a penalty shootout at the World Cup, an aura of invincibility that it wants opponents to recall during the tense, lonely moments of the competition. It’s won four times since the concept’s introduction in 1982, including the dramatic victory over Argentina.

Four years later, Argentina is no longer bitter about Lehmann’s note. It’s actually respectful of the strategy.

“In that moment it was a very smart move on their part, saving a piece of paper to know who was going to take the kick,” said Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero. “This time we have to be well prepared for everything.”

The gamesmanship in the run-up to this game has been enjoyable. The Germans have a well-earned reputation of playing mind games – hence the belief by many that nothing was on that sheet. On Friday, Low did not hesitate to discuss preparation for penalty kicks, which suggests he wants the Argentines to believe the Germans are ready.

“It’s just luxury,” Low said. “It just comes down to nerves really.”

What’s more nerve-wracking than thinking your opponent knows something about your habits and then wondering whether to switch to a less comfortable shot or stick with your original idea?

The advantage in a penalty kick is always with the shooter, unless the shooter is no longer confident in his plan. No one knows what effect Lehmann’s list and antics had on the Argentine shooters.

“It was like a Hitchcock movie,” then-German coach Juergen Klinsmann declared at the time.

Lehmann said he “never in a million years” thought that note would be such a big deal. “I was going to throw it in the bin afterward, but I had second thoughts. It’ll be a nice souvenir for my kids,” he told FIFA.com this week.

He said if Saturday’s game gets to penalty kicks, he hopes current German keeper Manuel Neuer pulls out a sheet of paper again.

“I certainly hope so! Maybe there’s something to simply pulling out a note, and the takers might start thinking, ‘Oh Lord, here we go again,’ ” Lehmann said. “Maybe it’ll be enough to beat Argentina.”

Which may explain why Joachim Low was so bold in discussing the issue. The Germans were basking in the glory of that crumpled note that may or may not have had anything written on it. They may have more this time. Or they may not.

Netherlands-Slovakia preview | World Cup 2010

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The Round of 16 game between the Netherlands and Slovakia pits one of the tournament favourites against a nation making its first FIFA World Cup™ appearance in its own right. Despite the obvious contrast between the star-studded Oranje and their lesser-known but close-knit rivals, it promises to be a fascinating duel.

The match
Netherlands-Slovakia, Round of 16, Durban Stadium, Durban, 16:00 (local time)

In contrast to a number of Europe’s other big guns, the Oranje managed to assert their authority in their section, Group E, in which they were never seriously troubled. After beating Denmark 2-0 in their opener, they defeated Japan 1-0 to secure their berth in the Round of 16 before taking on an already-eliminated Cameroon in their first-phase fixture. Coach Bert van Marwijk used the occasion to run the rule over some of some of his squad players, and still came out 2-1 winners. The Netherlands’ strength in depth, along with the return to fitness of stand-out winger Arjen Robben, suggests the team are strong title contenders, though they will not be underestimating opponents that have already created one of the biggest shocks of the tournament so far by undoing Italy.

For their part, Slovakia took some time to find top gear, but when they did it proved too much for the reigning world champions. The central Europeans showed their inexperience at this level in allowing New Zealand to secure a late equaliser in their opening fixture, and then were outplayed in a 2-0 reverse by Paraguay. However, they upset the form book with a gritty and skilled display to secure a memorable 3-2 win that put Italy out of the FIFA World Cup.

Players to watch
Miroslav Stoch v Gregory van der Wiel

Expect sparks to fly when the pair renew aquaintances here in the Round of 16. Miroslav Stoch, an attacking midfielder who spent last year on loan from Chelsea with Dutch champions Twente, will find himself facing Gregory van der Wiel, right-back of Ajax. A fascinating duel awaits between these two fine prospects.

The stat
1 – The meeting between the Netherlands and Slovakia is the first since the central European nation became an independent country. However, the Oranje faced the former Czechoslovakia once before at a FIFA World Cup, losing 3-0 after extra time at France 1938.

What they said
“We expect a difficult game against Slovakia. They showed a lot of character against the Italians and were rewarded with a famous victory. Everything’s fine from our point of view, but there are a just a few things here and there that we need to put right,” Robin van Persie, Netherlands forward.

“I hope we're capable of producing another performance like the one against Italy. I believe we can give any team something to think about. But obviously the Dutch are favourites, not just for this game but for the whole tournament,” Robert Vittek, Slovakia forward.

The voice of the fans
“The Dutch are already thinking about Brazil. which could play into the hands of Slovakia, who are very comfortable in the role of underdogs. If this game is anything like Slovakia-Italy, get ready for plenty of excitement,” Jaaanosik, FIFA.com user.

World Cup Preview: Germany - England | World Cup 2010

World Cup Preview: Germany - England | World Cup 2010

Germany started their World Cup campaign on the most comprehensive note conceivable as they defeated Australia 4-0 in Group D. It remains one of the most vivid displays of the World Cup in South Africa and indeed was a statement of the Germans' intentions on the world's biggest footballing stage.

However, Joachim Loew's side stuttered in their next game as they lost 1-0 to Serbia with striker Miroslav Klose getting sent off. But Die Mannschaft recovered their composure and defeated Ghana 1-0 in their final group fixture to win Group D and qualify for the last 16 without much of a problem.

Going into the titanic clash with England on Sunday afternoon, the 2006 World Cup semi-finalists will have every reason to believe that they can win the match and thread their way into the quarter-finals. The Germans looked very slick and creative upfront and with the return of key striker Klose for this match and Mesut Oezil displaying superb creativity and craft, indeed the 2002 World Cup finalists will believe that they can overrun the English.

Moreover, Germany should take heart from the fact that the last time the two sides met in the World Cup finals, they won on penalties in Italia '90 in the semis. Six years later in the last four of Euro '96, Germany once again knocked out the Three Lions in the penalty shootout. The joke is that if the last 16 clash goes to penalties, then England may as well not take their spotkicks as the Germans are bound to win.

Regrouping Themselves

The shocking 0-0 draw with Algeria in their second game in Group C threatened to put the England camp into disarray but the Three Lions showed marvellous resilience and spirit to regroup themselves. Coach Fabio Capello imposed himself on the squad more strongly and although the 1-0 win against Slovenia in their final group match wasn't exactly a virtuoso performance by any stretch of the imagination, it was quite encouraging and it helped the 1966 world champions qualify for the last 16 as Group C runners-up.

Qualification for the second round must surely have given England a cause to believe. For a nation that feeds on its footballing history and tradition, it is almost imperative that Capello's men defeat the Germans on Sunday afternoon. England's performance on the pitch hasn't been enough to qualify them as one of the top contenders for the World Cup but in Capello they have a wily old coach who knows how to win and how to get the best out of his players.

A tie with Germany in the last 16 isn't perhaps what most England supporters would have wanted especially as the Germans have looked very impressive in their group stage. However, England should realise that defeating Germany will only reinforce their self-conviction and convince them to believe in themselves more.

Yet with the knockout stage already on their doorsteps, what England seem to be dreading - or at least are said to be dreading - is another penalty shootout. The Three Lions have been knocked out of the last two major internationals on penalties and there's a feeling that with the Germans having a reputation of never losing on penalties, they will have to win in normal time.FORM GUIDE

Germany

June 23: Ghana 0-1 Germany (World Cup)

June 18: Germany 0-1 Serbia (World Cup)

June 13: Germany 4-0 Australia (World Cup)

June 3 Germany 3-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina (Friendly)

May 29 Hungary 0-3 Germany (Friendly)

England

June 23: Slovenia 0-1 England (World Cup)

June 18: England 0-0 Algeria (World Cup)

June 12: England 1-1 USA (World Cup)

May 30: Japan 1-2 England (Friendly)

May 24: England 3-1 Mexico (Friendly)


TEAM NEWS

Germany

Coach Joachim Loew has no suspension worries ahead of Sunday's massive clash. Striker Miroslav Klose was suspended against Ghana in their last group game but is available for selection against England. However, Bastian Schweinsteiger is struggling with a thigh muscle problem and there is considerable doubt on whether or not he can start in the midfield.

If the Bayern Munich star doesn't, then Toni Kroos will be his replacement. Left-back Jerome Boateng too is struggling for fitness and is likely to be replaced by Holger Badstuber. Playmaker Mesut Oezil is expected to start although he was hit with a family tragedy on Friday as his grandmother passed away.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer, Friedrich, Mertesacker, Badstuber, Lahm; Khedira, Kroos; Mueller, Oezil, Podolski; KloseEngland

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is available for selection after sitting out the group stage match against Slovenia because of suspension. He will slot into centre-back replacing Matthew Upson. Ledley King has resumed full training but will undergo a late fitness test to see if he can start ahead of Carragher. Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe will start upfront and James Milner will be deployed in midfield. Joe Cole has recovered his fitness but is likely to start on the bench.

Probable Lineup (4-4-2): James' Johnson, Terry, Carragher, A. Cole; Milner, Barry, Lampard, Gerrard; Rooney, Defoe


PLAYERS TO WATCH

Miroslav Klose (Germany)

The Bayern Munich hitman is not one of the most lethal strikers at club level and not many big clubs in Europe will break the bank to sign him. However, Klose's performance and goals in the World Cup finals show that he is a striker who can turn on the style on the world's biggest footballing stage and can find goals with his feet or with his head.

Klose was suspended against Ghana in their last group game and the Germans did miss him. England don't look particularly strong at the back and with John Terry prone to making mistakes, Klose could take advantage and put his aerial expertise into execution. With Mesut Oezil set to supply him the killer passes from the midfield, the 32-year-old will be a very tricky prospect for the England backfour.

Wayne Rooney (England)

Ever since the Manchester United striker made his debut for England in 2003, he has been ear-marked as the player who would lead the Three Lions to World Cup glory. Rooney, who had a great season with the Red Devils even though it was punctuated by injuries, was expected to burst into full swing in South Africa right from the start by the England supporters but so far the former Everton striker has been marginally better than a flop.

Rooney was pretty much anonymous in England's opening two games of the World Cup and came into some prominence only against Slovenia in their final group game. Against a German side that do tend to tremble from time to time at the back, a bullish Rooney with his strength, pace and fear-factor could be decisive.


PREDICTION

Germany-England clashes are always classics and this game promises to be one. Both sides have reasons to be optimistic: Germany have looked slick and creative upfront while England have rediscovered the spirit and urge to win.

The Castrol World Cup match predictor gives Germany a 46% chance of winning the match while England are given a 54% chance. Indeed, it's a very close call to make but Germany should just about sneak a win. However, the 2006 World Cup semi-finalists must take care to see that they don't concede first.

Germany 2-1 England (a.e.t.)

Ivory Coast vs Portugal Match Preview

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Time: 15th June, 16.00 local time.

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The first match from this tournament’s much discussed Group of Death: Group G, is between African favourites the Ivory Coast and strong European side Portugal. The match will take place at Nelson Mandela Bay, kicking off at 16:00 local time on June the 15th.

This group will be one of the most keenly watched of the first round, with these two sides and Brazil all competing for just two places in the knockout stage.

The Ivory Coast are strongly favoured among the African teams, with some outstanding world class players like captain and Chelsea star Didier Drogba, Eboue, Toure and Kalou. They are 30/1 at best, from bwin, to win the competition outright, and are evens favourites with most bookmakers to be the top African team, despite being drawn in the tournament’s hardest group.

Portugal, who also have a notoriously strong team with Cristiano Ronaldo among the front runners with the bookmakers to win the Golden Boot, are 28-1 to win the tournament with most bookmakers including Stan James and bodog.com.

This is the closest match of the group stages in terms of the bookmakers’ offerings with several, including Blue Square and 888sport.com refusing to call it at all and offering 8/5 on both teams to win. The majority of bookmakers are offering 11/2 on a draw. The bookies who are offering a slight difference in odds between the two teams vary in both directions.

The odds on both teams to score are short, with William Hill offering 17/20 on this eventuality. A no score draw is seen as far less likely at 7/1.

The best odds on a 1-0 result are with Victor Chandler, who offer 7/1 for either team to win with this scoreline. For 2-0 it gets interesting, with Paddy Power offering 14/1 on the Ivorians and 10/1 on the Portuguese, but conversely Tote offering 9/1 on the Ivory Coast and 10/1 on Portugal – the bookmakers are not in greement on their predictions for this match.

Portugal are 6/4 to keep a clean sheet, with the Ivory Coast 15/8, both with William Hill.

Prediction

This is one of the only games in the group round that is hard to call just because both teams are so good. It is guaranteed to be a good watch for the neutral, and in fairness probably isn’t the best match to bet on.

Because of the fantastic goal scorers on both sides, this could be a high scoring match, but it would be strange if one team wins by a big margin.

Both sides are capable of winning this, but the hype around African teams in this first African World Cup and the climate advantage could give the Ivory Coast the slight edge.

Brazil vs North Korea Match Preview

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Time: 15th June, 20.30 local time.

Venue: Johannesburg – JEP, South Africa

Second favourites Brazil take on rank outsiders North Korea in Johannesburg on day five of the World Cup. The match will start at 20:30 local time.

While the other match in the World Cup’s “group of death”, Group G, is one of the toughest games in the first round to call, with some bookmakers giving the same odds for both Portugal and the Ivory Coast to win, this match is probably the easiest to be found in the group stage.

With Brazil just behind Spain as the second favourites to win the competition outright at 5/1 with nearly all bookmakers, and North Korea conversely second to last behind New Zealand at around 2000/1, barring any serious giant slaying behaviour from the Asian side this should the most comfortable thrashing Brazil will get to deliver as they make their way out of the otherwise tricky group.

Brazil have a wealth of superstar players including Luis Fabiano, Robinho and Kaka, whereas North Korea, who have little World Cup history, are all relative unknowns outside of their own country.

The odds of course reflect this, with even the best odds on Brazil being 1/8, available from Sky Bet. For a North Korea win, the best odds are 33/1 with Victor Chandler – the longest odds of any team to win their first match.

Even predicting the correct scoreline here doesn’t bag particularly great odds (if of course, you favour Brazil), with even 5-0 only returning at best 11/1. 2-0 is the shortest odds score prediction at 6/1, but you can go as high as 10-0 with Brazil for 100/1.

It is 11/1 against North Korea keeping a clean sheet with William Hill, and the odds of both teams scoring regardless of end result are 11/5.

A no score draw is 16/1, everybody is expecting Brazil to get something, probably something substantial, out of this fixture, and they will need to given that the other two matches in their group stage will not be pushovers, and tactically all three of the other sides will be looking to score as much as possible in their North Korea match in case it comes down to goal difference who gets to progress.

Prediction

As potentially the biggest forgone conclusion in this round, it is very difficult to even imagine anything other than a comprehensive win for Brazil in this match. They will be looking for as many goals as they can before taking on the rest of the group. The prediction is therefore 4-0 to Brazil, which gives best odds of 7/1 with bet365 and Victor Chandler at the time of writing.

Brazil vs Ivory Coast Match Preview

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Time: 20th June, 20.30 local time.

Venue: Johannesburg – JSC, South Africa

The “Group of Death” are back in action on the 20th of June with one of the most eagerly anticipated games of the tournament’s group stage – Brazil versus the Ivory Coast. The match is to be held at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium, and will kick off at 20:30 local time.

Brazil are the second favourites after Spain to win the tournament, whereas the Ivory Coast, even with doubts about captain Drogba’s fitness, are the favourite African team. The two teams have never played each other before, and with both trying to get out of the toughest group on paper in the tournament there is a lot riding on this game.

Brazil are the favourites to win, with the odds at best 8/13 on them coming out with three points. For the Ivory Coast to win the best price is 11/2. For the draw, the odds are 3/1. This shows Brazil to have a lot more backing from the bookmakers, but in this group anything can happen so the odds on the Elephants are certainly worth a look.

It is a similar story with the correct score market, there are short odds on most Brazil winning lines. The favourite being Brazil 1-0 at 11/2 with Bet365 or US Friendly SportsInteraction. 2-0 gets you 6/1 and 3-0 is 9/1. For a win for the Ivory Coast, you are looking at 16/1 for 1-0 – if they pull it out of the bag there is money to be made backing the African team here.

Luis Fabiano is top choice for first goal scorer. He is offered at 17/4 by Sportsbook.com. Kaka is 11/2, and Robinho is 13/2. For Saloman Kalou for the Ivory Coast you will get 10/1.

Prediction

This is a game where there is a clear favourite but the opposition are strong enough that an upset could occur, which is what makes this fixture so fascinating. I can still see Brazil winning this, particularly if Drogba is absent. My prediction is 3-2 to Brazil.

Portugal vs North Korea Preview

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Time: 21st June, 13.30 local time.

Venue: Cape Town, South Africa

Portugal have their “easy” group match in the “Group of Death” Group G on the 21st of June when they take on North Korea in Cape Town. The fixture kicks off at 13:30 South African time.

Portugal are, understandably, at very short odds to win this game. The best price you can currently get on a straight Portugal win is 1/5, with Betfred or BetUS. Some bookies are offering as little as 1/6. Most are offering 5/1 on the draw, including Bet365 and 888sport.

A North Korea win is looking unlikely with odds as long as 20/1.

Portugal will be looking to take as much as they can away from this game, as will their group mates Brazil and the Ivory Coast when they meet with North Korea. In a tough group like this where goal difference could matter, they will be looking to score on the North Koreans as many times as possible, rather than just take away the three points.

Looking at the correct score market, the favourite is 2-0 to Portugal, which will get you 5/1. 1-0 and 3-0 are both at 6/1. 4-0 is an interesting bet – Portugal can easily achieve this, and in a game where they will be looking for a high margin win the 10/1 odds could be worth a look, as could 20/1 on 5-0.

The favourite for first goal scoere is one Cristiano Ronaldo. For him to score first you are looking at around 13/5. Liedson is at 14/5, Almeida 16/5, and then it goes out to 5/1 for Nani.

Prediction

I can definitely see Portugal taking away a good few goals from this fixture. North Korea will be the team all the others in the group will be looking to rack up goals against, as they are just not capable of offering up much competition to teams of the caliber of Portugal, Brazil and the Ivory Coast. For this reason the prediction is a 4-0 win to Portugal – odds on this are 10/1.

Honduras vs Chile Match Preview

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Time: 16th June, 13.30 local time.

Venue: Nelspruit, South Africa

The first games of the final group to kick off their World Cup campaigns, Group H, will take place on the 16th of June. The first, seeing Honduras take on Chile, will be at the Nelspruit stadium and play commences at 13:30 local time.

Honduras are one of the biggest outsiders to win the tournament, just ahead of North Korea and New Zealand at anything from 350/1 with Expekt to 1000/1 with bet365. Their opponents Chile are in the upper middle of the pack with odds ranging from 33/1 with bodog.com out to 66/1 from bwin and Paddy Power among others, in around the same region as Ghana and Serbia.

In a group that also features outright 4/1 favourites to win the title, Spain, and low ranking European side Switzerland, Chile will be hoping, if not expecting, to make it through this group whereas Honduras will most likely expect to go out in the group round and will see just qualifying for the competition as a major achievement in and of itself. Switzerland may have the potential to cause an upset to Chile’s plan, but it is very unlikely Honduras will be stopping any of their opponents in this stage.

The odds for the match reflect the comparative weakness of the Honduras side. The best odds from Chile, available from PaddyPower, are a meagre 4/6. Odds for a Honduras win from most bookmakers are 9/2. A draw would get best prices of 11/4 from Victor Chandler.

In the correct score market, the favourite result is currently a 2-0 win to Chile. This has odds of around 11/2 in most places, with 6/1 the best price from Paddy Power and Stan James. A 1-0 win to Chile also will fetch 6/1 with Victor Chandler, with most bookmakers offering 5/1.

Best prices on Honduras winning 1-0 are 11/1 with Paddy Power, and they also offer the best price of 33/1 on a 2-0 win for the outsiders.

The odds of Chile keeping a clean sheet are good at 10/3, with a clean sheet just 17/20 – both from William Hill. The bookmakers seem confident Chile will score and win in this game.

Prediction

It is hard to expect anything but a win for Chile here, and it will be difficult for Honduras’ inexperienced team to get past their defence and score in this match. For these reasons, the prediction here matches that indicated by the bookmakers’ offerings – a 2-0 win for Chile.

Spain vs Switzerland Match Preview

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Time: 16th June, 16.00 local time.

Venue: Durban, South Africa

The last of the opening matches for each team comes from Group H and takes place on day six of the month long tournament, the 16th of June. The match, which will kick off in Durban at 16:00 local time, will see the favourites finally make their appearance and start off their campaign to dominate the 2010 World Cup.

Their opponents, Switzerland, will also be looking to go through from this group, which contains strong competition from Chile as well as rank outsiders Honduras.

The two teams haven’t played each other since back in 1994, when Spain beat Switzerland 3-0 in a previous World Cup. Whilst this was 16 years ago and so isn’t particularly relevant in terms of today’s squads, it is worth noting that the odds for that same result this time around are 8/1 at best.

With Spain the outright favourites to win the tournament and their two star strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres both in the list of favourites to win the Golden Boot, with Villa topping it, Spain should be formidable opposition to the Swiss side, who themselves are 200/1 to win the tournament and on paper less likely to make it through the group stage than 66/1 Chile.

The best odds on Spain winning this game are just 2/5 from Tote Sport, with Switzerland’s best price 10/1 from bwin or Victor Chandler.

The draw is offered at 15/4 by bet365.

With the goal scoring quality of Villa and Torres as well as the rest of the team, Spain could potentially be looked to to win by a number of goals in this game. On the correct score market the favoured result is 2-0 to the Spanish, which most bookmakers are offering 5/1 for, with 1-0 at 7/1 and 3-0 at 8/1.

To bet on just the margin of a win for Spain, Spain to win by two or more goals is just 21/20 with bet365, but to win by exactly three offers 5/1 with William Hill. Switzerland to win by two or more goals is at 22/1, again with bet365.

Prediction

This game will almost certainly go in the favourites’ direction, and there should be at least a couple of goals from the Euro 2008 winners. Spain will want to start their campaign off well and be in good shape ahead of their match against Chile, which for them will be the trickiest in the group round.

Chile vs Switzerland Preview

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Time: 21st June, 16.00 local time.

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The penultimate game in the second round of group stage matches takes place in Nelson Mandela Bay on the 21st of June, and sees a Group H clash between Switzerland and Chile. The match kicks off at 4pm local time.

Chile are the favourites to win this game with evens being offered by most of our favourite bookmakers. Switzerland are offered at around 11/4 as best. This shows that while they are the outsiders, the odds aren’t that long, this is a game where the Europeans could upset the natural order of things. Interestingly, on the three previous occasions these teams have played, Switzerland won two…

The best odds on a draw here are 12/5, but the favourite scoreline in the correct score market is a 1-1 draw. This is offered at 11/2 by Bet365, though they offer the same price for a Chilean 1-0 win. For Switzerland to win with the same scoreline you can get 7/1 with Bodog (US Friendly). A nil-nil draw is offered at 15/2 with William Hill.

A big win is not seen as likely in this game, with even just 3-0 to Chile attracting best odds of 20/1. 3-0 to the Swiss is at 40/1 with Bodog and BetFred among others at the time of writing, and 4-0 to Chile is 66/1 – the bookies are not forseeing a lot of goals in this game.

Prediction

Whilst Spain are the big draw in this group, this game could be an interesting one, with the clash of styles between South America and Northern Europe on show and teams at a close enough level of expectation and ability to offer a competitive match. That said, I can’t help agreeing with the bookmakers here – this does not look like a goal fest. For this reason, the prediction is a 1-1 draw, offered at 11/5 (3.20) by SportsInteraction.

Spain vs Honduras Preview

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Time: 21st June, 20.30 local time.

Venue: Johannesburg – JEP, South Africa

In the last game of the second set of group stage matches, favourites Spain take on outsiders Honduras in Johannesburg at the Ellis Park Stadium. It is a 20:30 local time kick off at Ellis Park, and Honduras will be looking to do some giant slaying while Spain will be looking to take away as many goals as possible, what with Villa and Torres both eyeing the Golden Boot this summer.

Spain are of course the favourites to win this match – they are the favourites to win everything at the time of writing. The odds on them winning this game are some of the shortest on any team in any match in the group stage. 1/6 is the best price which you can get from Sportsbook or William Hill.

For a Honduras win here, and a big surprise, we are seeing odds as long as 22/1. This is the offering for Victor Chandler, who are evidently even more sure than the others that Spain will take away three points here. They are offering the best price on the draw here too at 13/2.

There are no surprises in the first goal scorer market either. Torres and Villa are the joint favourites at 13/5. They are followed by Negredo and Mata at 18/5, but with so many potential goal scorers in the Spain squad you may feel spoilt for choice; Iniesta is at 17/2, Fabregas is 10/1 and Silva is 15/2.

Prediction

Spain should not only win this but win it by a big margin. They will be looking to show against Honduras exactly how good they are and anything less than a high scoring win would suggest they aren’t going to live up to the hype. I predict 4-0 to Spain, which is offered at 8/1 with Bodog (US Friendly).

Netherlands vs Denmark Match Preview

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Time: 14th June, 13.30 local time.

Venue: Johannesburg – JSC, South Africa

Fifth favourites Holland meet with Denmark on day four of the World Cup in the opening match of Group E. The fixture will be played in Johannesburg at 13:30 local time.

As the first all European game in the tournament, this match will be watched with interest by supporters and neutrals alike, given that all of the preceding fixtures have much more diversity in the home regions of the teams playing. Both teams, being from northern Europe, will have the South African climate going against them throughout the tournament.

With comparatively unthreatening opposition elsewhere in their group from Japan and Cameroon, both of these teams will be aiming to progress and viewing this as an important fixture.

Holland, who are 12-1 to win the cup outright are understandably favoured against Denmark who are at around 150-1 to be crowned World Cup champions.

The odds for winning this match are, at best, 4/5 to the Netherlands, from Sky Bet and Boyle Sports. Best odds on Denmark are 4/1, offered by both Expekt and Paddy Power. The draw is offered at around 5/2 by most bookmakers.

Odds on the finishing scoreline are quite short for most of the most likely Holland win scenarios, with 5/1 on 1-0, 6/1 on 2-0 and 7/1 on 2-1 being the most common offerings. This goes up to 14/1 for 3-0 or 3-1.

A Denmark win with correct scoreline fetches better odds, as you might expect, with 9/1 on 1-0, 20/1 on 2-0 and 14/1 on 2-1.

Netherlands and Denmark have played before once recently, in May 2008 in a friendly. This match resulted in one all draw. The odds for the same result in this 2010 World Cup fixture are between 5 and 6/1.

In other bets, Holland are 4/5 on to keep a clean sheet whereas the same bet on Denmark will get you 23/10. Holland are 15/2 to win from behind, whereas for Denmark to do this it is 16/1 – both offered by William Hill. The odds of there being an own goal are 8/1, and the odds of this being the first goal are 16/1.

Prediction

This game could well be there for the taking for the Dutch team, with little to suggest Denmark will upset them. Holland will need to win this game to prove themselves worthy of their place among the very favourites.

With this in mind, and the high hopes for this year’s Dutch squad, the prediction for this match is 2-0 to the Netherlands. We have also listed more predictions for Group E.

Japan vs Cameroon Match Preview

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Time: 14th June, 16.00 local time.

Venue: Mangaung / Bloemfontein, South Africa

On the 14th of June in Bloemfontein, Group E’s second match will be played out between Japan and Cameroon. The game kicks off at 16:00 local time.

With Cameroon at 100/1 to win the cup, similar to other group rivals Denmark, and Japan at 250/1, Cameroon are expected to win this fixture, with some bookmakers only offering evens, and the best price just 6/5 from Tote Sport, Sky Bet, 888sport and Paddy Power, among others.

Cameroon are the third favourite to be the top African team in the tournament after the Ivory Coast and Ghana, with most bookmakers offering 11/2 for this possibility. Cameroon have previously done well in international tournaments, though they were disappointed to go out in the quarter finals of the African Cup of Nations to eventual winners Egypt.

Japan’s odds to win this game are longer by far, with the best price being 13/5 with William Hill. Most bookies seem to be favouring a draw over a Japan win, but the best price on the draw is 23/10 with bet365.

Japan are second favourites after Australia to be the top Asia/Oceania team, at 7/2, which is above South Korea who have performed well in the past.

On the correct score market, a 1-0 win will get you (best odds) 6/1 for Cameroon and 8/1 for Japan, both from Victor Chandler. Cameroon 2-0 is 17/2 from William Hill, and 2-1 is 8/1 from bet365. Japan 2-0 is 16/1 or 2/1 is 12/1, both from PaddyPower.

Cameroon are at 3/4 to be the first team to score in Bloemfontein on the 14th of June, with Japan at 7/5. Best odds on a no goal draw are 7/1.

The teams have played once before in 2007, when Japan won the friendly match 2-0. That same result on match day in South Africa is, as previously mentioned, worth 16/1.

Prediction

As the favourites both overall and in this fixture, Cameroon look like they should emerge as the winners here. With the African climate working in their favour and hopefully plenty of support, Cameroon should have what it takes to take away the full three points from their first game. They will be in competition with Denmark to qualify alongside group favourites Holland, so will be keen to win this, which should be their easiest fixture.

Netherlands vs Japan Preview

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Time: 19th June, 13.30 local time.

Venue: Durban, South Africa

On the 19th of June in Durban at 13:30 local time Group E gets back into action with the match between group favourites the Netherlands and Japan.

With the Netherlands among the favourites to win the World Cup, and Japan, along with all of the other Asian teams, on the outside, there is not much money to be made backing a Dutch straight win here. Bodog are offering just 2/5 on this outcome, and BetFred a mere 1/3.

For Japan to cause an upset, which, if you saw them play against England in the friendlies, is always a possibility, you can get 9/1 from Victor Chandler, the best price for a Japanese win. A draw is offered at 7/2, again, from Victor Chandler.

Victor Chandler and William Hill both have bets available already for the first goal scorer in this game. Predictably, the field is led by Dutch players, with Robin van Persie and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar joint favourites at 18/5 and Arjen Robben, who may not even play in the group stage due to injury, third at 11/2, followed by Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt both at 13/2. The first Japanese players appear at the 11/1 mark, where you can take Morimoto or Okubo, at the same price as van Bronckhorst on the Dutch side.

If you want to predict the correct score, the bookmakers are favouring a 1-0 or 2-0 win to the Dutch, most offering the same odds for both scorelines. Bodog will give you 5/1 on these picks. With all the confidence in this year’s Dutch side, perhaps you fancy a bigger win margin? Well, prices for 4-0 vary anywhere from 16/1 to 22/1, but the best price is from Ladbrokes, who also offer the best price for 5-0 at 80/1.

Prediction

Holland should have no trouble here, and this could be a high scoring game for the Dutch. To stay on the conservative side I am going for a 3-0 win for Holland, but it is possible they could put even more past the Japanese defence with some of the goalscorers they can field. 3-0 will get you 8/1 with Bodog right now.

Cameroon vs Denmark Preview

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Time: 19th June, 20.30 local time.

Venue: Tshwane/Pretoria, South Africa

The fourth match in Group E is to kick off on June the 19th at 20:30 local time in Pretoria, and sees Cameroon meet Denmark.

Whilst very different in culture and football style, the teams here are seen as pretty evenly matched. Denmark seem to be very slightly favoured by the bookmakers, though you can get 6/4 on either team to win from most bookmakers, Expekt put Cameroon slightly further out and offer the best price on them at 7/4. This isn’t a bad bet considering that the teams are close in ability and expectation, and yet Cameroon have the African advantage. For US players, Sportsbook.com offers the best odds and most betting alternatives.

A draw here will get you 23/10, the best price on offer, from Ladbrokes – most bookmakers offer 2/1. Again, this is quite a good price considering there isn’t much to suggest either team has this game in the bag. In the correct score market, a 1-1 draw is the favourite outcome, with Bodog (US Friendly) offering 11/2, whereas a 0-0 draw will get you 7/1.

1-0 to Denmark is the second favourite scoreline in most books, and it will fetch you 13/2, again Bodog offer the best price here. 1-0 to Cameroon is actually at 6/1 with Bodog who are one of a couple of bookmakers who seem to rate Cameroon over Denmark, but Victor Chandler will give you 13/2 on this.

William Hill already offer first goal scorer odds for the group stage games, and for this match the joint favourites are Samuel Eto’o, Rajko Lekic, Nicklas Bendtner and Jon Dahl Tomasson – all offered at 5/1 with William Hill.

Prediction

Here is a game that could easily go either way, and one of the few matches in this round that is difficult to call. On the one hand the Danes have some good, solid players and a good if not amazing level of skill. On the other, Cameroon have a bit of a tradition of being dark horses that can upset groups, and they do have the advantage of a little more support and a better acclimatisation in South Africa. I think there will be goals, but in this case I am going with the bookies – a 1-1 draw. This will fetch you 11/2 on the correct score market or 2/1 just for the draw.

Italy vs New Zealand Match Preview

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Time: 20th June, 16.00 local time.

Venue: Nelspruit, South Africa

Match number four in Group F sees Italy, one of the favourites, take on absolute outsiders New Zealand at the Nelspruit stadium. This match takes place on the 20th of June with a 4pm kick off in local time.

Italy, the current champions, will be looking to take as many goals away from this game as possible, with it being on paper the easiest fixture in their group, which also includes Paraguay and Slovakia. New Zealand have, however, shown that they are not as easy to beat as many thought when they beat Serbia in a friendly last week.

Italy are of course the favourites to win this by a huge degree. The odds on Italy winning the game are as short as 1/9 with William Hill and 1.13 (-769) with SportsInteraction (US Friendly) This looks pretty close to a certainty, but a surprise win by New Zealand will get you odds as long as 20/1 with Victor Chandler. Even the draw is worth 6/1 at Bodog and Bet365.

This is a game where Italy are expected to pick up goals. 2-0 is the favourite scoreline in the correct score market, at 5/1 with Bodog, but 3-0 is the second favourite at 6/1 and even 4-0 is only at 7/1. Italy will be looking to get as much out of this as possible, so you can back 5-0 for the same price as a 0-0 draw here, at 14/1 with Bodog. The first New Zealand win in the field is at 40/1 with Bet365 for 1-0. There’s not much faith in the All Whites from the bookies here! They are also the least expected team to win the World Cup.

Di Natale and Gilardino are the favourites to put the first goal in the back of the net, both offered at around 18/5.

Prediction

This could be one of the highest scoring games of the group round if Italy are on form – I am expecting to see a total thrashing. The prediction therefore is 5-0 to Italy – at 14/1 with Bodog this is not a bad bet at all.

Slovakia vs Paraguay Preview

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Time: 20th June, 13.30 local time.

Venue: Mangaung/Bloemfontein, South Africa

Group F kicks off its second round of group stage play with a match between Slovakia and Paraguay. The match will take place at Manguang and kicks off on June 20th at 13:30 local time.

Paraguay are the favourites to win this game with most bookmakers offering evens on this outcome. That’s not to say there are long odds on Slovakia, the best price for them to win is 11/4 with Bodog (US Friendly) or Expekt. The draw is offered at pretty short odds too at 12/5. This suggests that while Paraguay should, on paper, be the better team, there is still some room for Slovakia to upset them.

A 1-1 draw or Paraguay winning 1-0 both attract similar odds. Bet365 and Sportsbook (US Friendly) are offering the same price, 11/2, on both eventualities. Slovakia 1-0 and a 0-0 draw both fetch 8/1, again, the best prices and again, from Bet365. At William Hill, a 2-0 win to Paraguay is also 8/1, as is 2-1 to Paraguay back at Bet365. This is not a game that is easy to call, when results that cause Paraguay to win, lose and draw all attract the same odds!

Oscar Cardozo is the favourite to score the first goal. Odds for him from Victor Chandler are 17/4. He is followed by Roque Santa Cruz and Lucas Barrios, both at 11/2. The Slovakians join the field at around the 15/2 mark, with their favourites being Stanislav Sestak and Erik Jendrisek – again, the prices are the best prices currently available and are offered by Victor Chandler.

Prediction

I think Paraguay are a somewhat underrated team in this group who may even upset Italy, so I can certainly see them beating Slovakia in Manguang. I predict 2-0 to Paraguay, which will get you 8/1 with William Hill or Sportsbook.

New Zealand vs Slovakia Match Preview

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Time: 15th June, 13.30 local time.

Venue: Rustenburg, South Africa

On the 15th of June, day five of this year’s World Cup Finals tournament, Rustenberg plays host to the second match in Group F, where absolute outsiders New Zealand take on low ranking European side Slovakia. Kicking off at 13:30 local time, they will be playing in the hottest part of the day.

Within a group that also contains Italy and Paraguay, progressing past the first round will be a huge achievement for either one of these teams if they manage to get the results to be any more than just teams who were “happy to take part”.

New Zealand, who have only been in the World Cup once before in 1982, and who then exited during the group stage, have the lowest odds of anybody in the competition to lift the trophy, with expekt.com offering as much as 3000/1 on this eventuality and most others around the 2000/1 mark.

Slovakia, whilst having slightly higher expectations than this, are the lowest rated European team in terms of odds to win, alongside Slovenia. The best odds for them to win are 300/1 from bwin. Yes, ten times better than New Zealand, so while neither team is looked at as serious contenders, in this game Slovakia should have the upper hand.

This is indeed shown in the odds for the winner of this game, with the best odds on Slovakia 8/15 from Sky Bet. The best odds available at the time of writing for a New Zealand win are 8/1 from Victor Chandler.

The draw is offered at around 3/1 from most bookmakers, so a Slovakia win is definitely the bookies’ most expected outcome.

The chances of New Zealand keeping a clean sheet in light of this are 5/1 from William Hill, but for Slovakia to do the same are just 8/13.

Correct scoreline betting will offer Slovakia winning 1-0 or 2-0 both for around 5/1, with the odds of New Zealand making it 2-0 for themselves 40/1 with Tote Sport or William Hill. A 0-0 draw is seen as being as unlikely as Slovakia winning 3-0, with 10/1 available on both of these outcomes.

Prediction

New Zealand really have very little chance of doing anything in the World Cup, but Slovakia may well be hoping to be in with a chance to contend for second place in the group, in which case they will definitely need to take away three points from this match and do so with as many goals as possible.

For this reason, the prediction is a 3-0 win for Slovakia.

Italy vs Paraguay Match Preview

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Time: 14th June, 20.30 local time.

Venue: Cape Town, South Africa

Italy, the current World Cup holders, take on Paraguay on the 14th of June in the second match to be held in Cape Town, and the first match of Group F.

With rank outsiders New Zealand and low ranking European team Slovakia the other opposition in the group, this should be the toughest fixture for the Italians who will be looking to equal Brazil’s record of five World Cup wins.

Italy have been criticised for fielding quite an old squad, which did not do them a lot of favours in the Confederations Cup or the qualifiers for World Cup 2010, where they were unable to beat the Republic of Ireland, who ultimately failed to qualify after controversially going out to France in the play offs, over the two legs.

In spite of this, they are still one of the favoured teams entering the competition with best odds of 14/1, the same as for Germany.

Betting on Italy vs Paraguay

Paraguay are between 40/1 and 80/1 depending on where you look, with the best odds being from bwin and bet365. This makes them the third favourite of the South American teams after second favourites Brazil and fourth favourites Argentina.

The odds for this game favour Italy, with many providers such as Victor Chandler, bodog.com and Paddy Power offering 5/6 on a win for the azzuri. Odds for Paraguay are currently best from Expekt who also offer some really special World Cup bets for almost all games.

Boyle Sports and bet365 offer 12/5 on the draw.

In other bets, if you think both teams will score, regardless of the end result, William Hill will give you 5/4 on this outcome. For neither team to score, i.e. the goalless draw scenario, the odds are 6-1, so they are expecting some action out of this meeting.

In the correct scoreline market, for either a 1-0 win for Italy or a 1-1 draw, the best odds are 6/1. A Paraguay 1-0 is at 9/1. Italy winning 2-0 comes in at 7/1, interestingly, the same as a goalless draw, with most bookies offering the same for 2-1 with just William Hill offering 8/1 on this.

Italy are 4/5 on to keep a clean sheet, with Paraguay around 2/1 to do this.

This is one game where there is some potential for upset, with Italy failing to inspire since they won the last World Cup and Paraguay looking good in qualification with players like Roque Santa Cruz performing very well.

Having said that, with the relatively easy opposition in the rest of the group, Paraguay would probably be satisfied with a draw out of this fixture, where as Italy will want to prove their capabilities and go all out for a win.

The prediction is 2-1 to Italy, with odds at 8/1. Find more World Cup predictions for all games.