Argentina World Cup bets

Manager: Diego Maradona
Captain: Javier Mascherano
FIFA World Ranking: 7
World Cup Appearances: 14
Best World Cup: Winners – 1978, 1986

Argentina Betting Article

Argentina Team Profile

Just the name ‘Argentina’ has this daunting affect on its opponents, and the Argentine’s may need their intimidating aurora to play a huge part during their stay in South Africa, as to say Argentina were inconsistent during qualifying is an understatement.

Diego Maradona was the man put in charge by the Argentina football hierarchy and midway through qualifying they must have been wishing they hadn’t. Argentina were supposed to cruise through South American qualifying, leaving the rest of the South American nations to battle it out for the remaining two spots. That certainly wasn’t the case however, as Argentina scraped through by the skin of their teeth and only just snatched the last remaining qualifying position by virtue of a 1-0 win in Uruguay in their final qualifier. Argentina are in South Africa though, not without their fair share of good luck mind, and now that they’re here they mean business.

Despite a rocky qualification, Argentina are still rated No.7 in the FIFA Rankings, while almost every bookmaker has the Argies rated as the fourth best team in the tournament according to their outright odds. We would strongly disagree after watching an awful lot of them throughout qualifying, but we can also understand that Argentina possess some nifty players, none more so than the World’s very best, Lionel Messi. However, Messi, a player who the natives don’t exactly idolise, will have the pressure of an expectant nation upon his shoulders in South Africa and the 22 year-old, who still has tonnes of time to mature and improve his already wonderful game, hasn’t always shone for his country, so to expect more magic from the Barcelona maestro might be a rash assumption.

Nevertheless a team with tonnes of International pedigree and they themselves will fancy their chances in South Africa, so understandable the Argentine’s will be a popular punt for the FIFA World Cup as they seek out their third World Cup success, their first since 1986.

Manager

Where do we start with the ‘controversial’ character which is – Diego Maradona. Many fans around the globe will remember him fondly for his memorable displays in an Argentina shirt, even guiding them to a World Cup success when he captained the side back in 1986. However, for England fans, he will be remembered for his cheating antics in the quarter-final which seen him put the ball into the England net with his hand. That game with the English defined his career as he went on to score what many pundits tout as ‘the goal of the century’ as he weaved through what seemed the entire England squad to score a sublime solo goal. In that game the whole footballing worlds seen the very best and the very worst of the Argentine great and now the world will need to brace themselves again as the lively and charismatic Maradona aims to guide Argentina to another World Cup success, this time as coach.

Diego Maradona has managed two clubs before taking over the role as national team coach but with little success. He took over what is a talented group of players with his country but he has yet to either find the right selection or formation, or perhaps even a combination of the two, to improve Argentina’s performances on the pitch. He has come under mass amounts of scrutiny, mainly from those outside of Argentina in all fairness, but the Argentina board have shown their faith in the Argentine legend in a bid that it might just pay off in the form of a successful World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Argentina Key Players

Lionel Messi

It didn’t take us long to highlight who Argentina’s most influential player is, Lionel Messi. Quick feet, the ability to leave a player standing in awe, bags of pace, skills and tricks in abundance and a very precise and clinical finisher in the final third. Messi can turn any game right on it’s head as one mazy run or one piece of trickery can open the game right up in Argentina’s favour. The entire squad has struggled to adapt to Maradona’s tactics but Messi is the exception to the rule. He can score or create a goal out of absolutely nothing and he will be the man every opposing manager will pinpoint as the biggest danger.

Javier Mascherano

Diego Maradona has put his faith in the Liverpool midfielder to guide his side to bigger and better things at the forthcoming finals. Mascherano has nailed down a starting berth in the Liverpool as a solid and reliable defensive midfielder. However, he has now not only nailed down a starting spot in the Argentina fold but he has also secured the captaincy of his country, arguably his greatest honour as a player. However, he hasn’t had the instants impact many, including Diego Maradona, had expected as captain so the pressure will be just as much on him as the manager himself.

Strengths

Well, it’s hard to look past Lionel Messi being Argentina’s biggest asset in South Africa as he’s a football genius. Quick and nimble footwork, this unique ability to weave in and out of the tightest defences, good vision and awareness, great ball retention and a prolific goalscorer. From a forward perspective, Lionel Messi has it all. Everytime he picks up the ball, the crowd goes silent as they know something special is in the offing whether it’s a jinxing little run or a quick yet precise shot on goal. If Argentina need a goal and Messi gets hold of the ball, be afraid as the kid, who is still just 22 years-old, can punish you with aplomb.

Another player who can and will score goals in South Africa, providing Maradona starts with him, is Gonzalo Higuain. The Real Madrid forward was prolific during the previous campaign. He has a decent turn of foot, he’s great at getting into those scoring positions while he’s a very composed finisher of the ball. Dare we say it, if Higuain gets a starting role at the forefront of the Argentina attack in the summer, we would put a fair wedge on the Real Madrid forward outscoring his Argentine team mate Lionel Messi.

The two we’ve just mentioned are, of course, forward players, so the strength with Argentina is quite obviously really in that they have plenty of goals in them.

Weaknesses

Our biggest criticism with Argentina would be their poor defence. That isn’t at all surprising when you consider that Diego Maradona, the Argentina coach, never did a single bit of defending in his life as a player. That’s no way to run a football team though, despite boasting some great riches in the final third. Their defence needs tightening up before they clash with some of the World’s elite nations because it was leaky during qualifying, with even some of South American’s smaller nations locating Argentina’s goal with alarming regularity.

Another negative, and this one is a big pet hate with us, is Maradona’s tinkering. We don’t recall the great man ever recalling the same eleven for two matches in a row, while players with very few international caps were being called up in what appeared a desperate bid to get Argentina through their sticky situation during qualifying. If you watched Argentina during qualification you would have noticed a lot of stray passes, a lot of smart forward runs by the strikers which went unnoticed, while the organisation at the back was non-existent. This is because Maradona hasn’t given the team enough time to get to know one another and form some team chemistry. No-one was on the same wavelength, and against the very best footballing nations, Argentina will come unstuck unless they come together as a team. With Diego Maradona as manager, we have our doubts over whether sufficient changes will occur before Argentina kick-off their World Cup against Nigeria.

Argentina Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: South America

Position: 4th

Win-Draw-Lose: 8-4-6

Goals Scored: 23

Goals Conceded: 20

Argentina Qualifying statistics:

• Argentina severely struggled on their travels in qualifying, losing five of their nine away fixtures.
• Lionel Messi was the only player to be chosen to play in each of their qualifiers, participating in all eighteen of their World Cup Qualifiers.
• Sergio Aguero, Juan Riquelme & Lionel Messi all shared the honour of being Argentina’s top goalscorers with four goals each.
• 4 (Half/50%) of their wins came by just a one goal margin.
• Diego Maradona used a total of 49 players during the course of the campaign, which just highlights how much tinkering he has done during his spell at the Argentine helm.
• Carlos Tevez appears a fiery character when playing for Argentina, receiving two of the three red cards that Argentina received during qualifying.
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World Cup Potential: 4/5

If we were to be brutally honest about Argentina’s chances in South Africa, we would say they were slim. They are inconsistent, lack cohesion and have a manager at the helm which we simply do not rate in the slightest. Nevertheless, this Argentina team is pack full of world-class individuals, the type of individuals which can hand handle the Big Game pressure, the intense limelight and, more importantly, know how to win games. At club level the majority of these players have a deadly desire to win, that winning mentality that has helped their respective club become successful, but for their country they have failed to replicate that desire and determination, and without those key characteristics, we don’t see Argentina winning this summers showcase event.

However, while Argentina were hugely disappointing throughout qualifying for South Africa, the fact they even managed to qualify is a statement of intent in itself, and one that spells out in bold letters that Argentina just know how to get the business done when it really matters. It doesn’t matter how they got here, that’s all irrelevant now. All that matters now is bringing home the bacon in South Africa, and considering this Argentina team has goals in them, they will be a big threat to Italy’s World Cup crown.

Argentina World Cup Betting Odds

Argentina to win the World Cup: 9/2 Paddy Power

Before the World Cup the odds on Argentina were 7/1 

Official Argentina World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar)

Mariano Andujar (Catania Calcio)

Diego Pozo (Colon de Santa Fe)

Defenders

Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille)

Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich)

Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield)

Walter Samuel (Inter Milan)

Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes de La Plata)

Nicolas Burdisso (AS Roma)

Ariel Garce (Colon de Santa Fe)

Midfielders

Javier Mascherano (FC Liverpool)

Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle United)

Angel Di Maria (Benfica Lisbon)

Mario Bolatti (AC Florenz)

Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes de La Plata)

Javier Pastore (US Palermo)

Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool)

Strikers

Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)

Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid)

Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)

Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid)

Diego Milito (Inter Milan)

Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Argentina Fixtures – Group B

27/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Argentina – Mexico

World Cup 2010 Group B - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Argentina v Germany Betting Odds

Argentina to win: 11/8 at BetFred
Draw: 9/4 at Bwin
Germany to win: 12/5 at Stan James
 

Argentina

Argentina have looked dominant at South Africa 2010 so far, and the are reinforcing the strengths which the South American nations are bringing to the tournament. Argentina have not been troubled at all on their progress through the tournament, but you just wonder if they are going to hit a rough patch, and then the question will be, whether or not they can respond? They simply have not been put under enough pressure by any of their opponents so far, and their mental fortitude has not been tested. Mexico did give them some scares early in the last sixteen match, and Argentina could well have found themselves behind. What did Mexico do? They showed no fear and attacked quickly, trying to get the game by the scruff of the neck. However, the near misses were not enough, and sure enough Argentina punished them. Argentina, like all South American teams, cherish possession and keep the ball so that it has to work hard, and the players don’t. That is why they make it all look so easy. Perhaps the only sides from Europe which have the same mentality are Spain and Holland, but Argentina’s quarter final opponents seem to be learning it quickly as well. Germany will represent Argentina’s toughest opponents so far at South Africa 2010, and it is a repeat fixture of the 2006 quarter final in Germany. Argentina will be hoping for a better outcome this time though, as they were defeated on penalties then.

Argentina are confident, and Argentina are strong. They are showing a togetherness and team spirit that has not been there for some time. But things are fine as long as everything is going to plan, but one has to wonder if they will lose their cool, if they were to find themselves behind in a match? The South Americans are naturally a fiery bunch who play up to the referee, and intimidate opposition. Maradona himself is a huge presence on the sidelines and he is one of the lads when it comes to the team, and it is the coach which has found a way to get the best out the best player in the world, Lionel Messi. Argentina set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with Messi filling that hole between midfield and the two forwards, Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez. They do swap and change around, with Tevez dropping behind Higuain as well, and they become a little hard to pick up. Messi is used in the middle behind the strikers, in the position where he can get a lot of the ball, and the German defensive midfield will naturally have to watch him closely. They do not play a particularly wide game, preferring to pass their way down the middle, but Maradona went with a more defensive 4-4-2 formation against Germany when they played in a friendly match in March. The South American’s won that one by a 1-0 score line, but that was when they were still looking for their best formation, and still building confidence. It is hard to see them breaking ranks with what has worked so well for them so far during the tournament.

Argentina 2010 World Cup Stats
Played: W4, D0, L0
GF/GA: 10/2
Cards: Y5, 2Y0, R0
Most Shots: Lionel Messi, 23
Top Scorer: Gonzalo Higuain, 4
Shots/On Goal: 75/36 (#1 on overall chart)
Fouls Committed: 45
Total Passes: 2403
Passes Completed: 1848 (77% success rate #3 on overall chart)

Germany

Germany have a lot of aces in their pack, although they are largely inexperienced ones. The approach which Ghana and Germany have taken towards the World Cup 2010, has been a little different to most teams, as they are investing heavily in their youth. The powers that be at the of head German football, invested millions in promoting youth academies and getting their youth to develop their creative and technical skills, after a failure at Euro 2000. Germany now boasts one of the highest rates of qualified coaching staff in Europe, and a mere decade later they are reaping the benefits of this incredibly large investment which was over half a billion Euros. The idea was to concentrate fully on promoting the development of the country’s best youth in order to give a fresh outlook on football, and to be able to compete on the world stage. The fact that they have taken their youngest squad ever to the World Cup, and are in the quarter finals of the tournament thanks to playing a bold, attacking style of football, is to their credit. The Germans were not about to be left behind and let their promising talent go to waste by having creative skills coached out of them.  Germany embraced a new attacking philosophy in their style of football, and after reaching the final of Euro 2008 the country definitely is heading in the right direction. It is not only the youthful exuberance which is paying dividends for Germany, it is the confidence in their own style of play which is driving them forward. They are not going to be perfect because of their lack of inexperience, with the average age of the squad around 25 years old only. But it means they have a brave and bold side which are prepared to take on the best with out much fear.

This match will re-ignite memories of the epic struggle of the quarter finals of Germany 2006 when the Europeans triumphed in a penalty shoot out. Even though the German side are now even younger than then, coach Joachim Loew insists that they are fully confident in their own abilities, and that he has spotted weaknesses in the Argentinean machine. Loew has almost a fully fit squad to take into the match, with only striker Cacau still suffering from a strain. This is young German side who are blessed with the youngsters who won the Under 21 European Championships in 2008. This is the reward that they are seeing for the heavy investment in youth from the ground level up. Germany need to attack, and they really have nothing to fear against Argentina, who sparked angry scenes between the two sets of players in their 2006 quarter final clash. So what may these weaknesses be in Argentina? Surely the South Americans have been much lauded as one of the favourites for the tournament and therefore have no chinks in their armour? There are two things which could see Germany through this match. The first one is temperament. Looking at the stylish Joachim Loew you can feel the air of calmness emanating from them, and that is exactly what the young team needs. The older players like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose need to not let the antics of the Argentineans effect how the Germans play. The Argentineans have already lost their cool in a half time bust up with the Mexicans, and they are known for their antics in winding up opposition. The German youth need to avoid any mental games and get on with their job, and that job needs to be attacking Argentina down the flanks.

The second thing is that Argentina do not have great full backs, nor a particularly strong centre half pairing come to that. Because Argentina like to go through the middle though, predominantly through Messi and the two holding midfielders, Germany need to open them up and do what they have been doing all tournament. The Germans need to use the width of Polodski and Mueller on the wings to put pressure on the Argentinean defence out wide. It is in those areas which the South Americans look the weakest and that will create a whole lot more space for Klose to poach goals, as well as letting Mesut Oezil display his incredible eye for picking out an attacking pass. These young Germans are winners, as shown at the Euro Under 21’s in 2008. At their young age they have shown a lot of composure, and can be fairly confident of winning this one. It is likely that they will need to do it in regulation time though, as the pressure of penalties may prove a little too overwhelming for the youngsters. There is a question of fitness too, in which the Germans should also have the edge, and there is a strong chance they will move onto an all European semi against Spain.

Germany World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W3, D0, L1
GF/GA: 9/2
Cards: Y7, 2Y1, R0
Most Shots: Lukas Podolski, 16
Top Scorer: Thomas Mueller, 3
Shots/On Goal: 61/27 (#9 on overall chart)
Fouls Committed: 41
Total Passes: 2239
Passes Completed: 1697 (76% success rate #5 on overall chart)

Germany v Argentina Betting Prediction: Germany to win by 1 goal 4/1 at Bet365
 

Current Argentina v Germany Odds:

Argentina v Greece Betting Odds

Argentina to win: 8/13 at Bet365
Draw: 14/5 at Extrabet
Greece to win: 11/2 at Boylesports

Greece

There does not seem to be a lot of enthusiasm or optimism coming out of the Greece camp ahead of their final Group B match against Argentina. Coach Otto Rehhagel has even stated publicly that his side are unlikely to qualify with going up against the strong South Americans in their final match. That may sound like a brutal thing for a coach to say, but credit has to be given for being realistic. Greece are not expected to take anything away from the match, which will leave them short of reaching the next round. The race for second spot in Group B is quite tight, and for Greece to progress, all they need to do is get a better result than what South Korea do against Nigeria. The thing is, Greece’s final group task is a much tougher one than South Korea’s. Greece played their way into some kind of contention with a 2-1 win over Nigeria in their second group match. That was a landmark result for Greece, as not only was it their first World Cup victory, it all recorded their first ever World Cup goals. The Greeks had gone five games in the world’s premier football tournament without scoring, but they finally managed to break their duck, with Dimitrios Salpingidis having the honour of going down in history as their first ever goal scorer.

The 2-1 victory for Greece, in a match from which they had to come from behind, earned them the three points which gives them a slight chance of progressing. The best they can hope for realistically is a draw, with the Argentineans looked fired up and hungry for success. Greece are not renowned for playing an open match, and that is where the problems will like for them. They are not an adventurous side, simply because they haven’t got the kind of talent which like to charge forward. They pride themselves instead on running a tight ship and keeping their guard up. They will need all of their defensive qualities if they are to scrape anything out of this match. They will be underdogs, but maybe the confidence of breaking their World Cup duck will inject a little more self belief into the players, even if Rehhagel is not exuding confidence himself.

Greece World Cup Betting: Perhaps in a World Cup of upsets so far, the best option for betting on Greece would be to take advantage of anything which has them to get a draw. Maybe the Argentineans will take their foot off the gas and allow Greece to get something out of the match? You would think that Argentina will be keen to keep momentum going along though, and not fall into that trap. A draw may be good enough for Greece, depending on what happens in the other match. Anything which offers decent odds on them getting a draw, and perhaps now we will see star striker Theo Gekas find the back of the net, so he’s worth looking at for an anytime scorer.

Greece World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: P2, W1, D0, L1
GF/GA: 2/3
Cards: Y4, R0
Most Shots: Georgios Karagounis, 2
Top Scorer: Dimitrios Salpingidis, Vasileios Torosidis, 1
Shots/On Goal: 33/13
Fouls Committed: 25
Total Passes: 962
Pass Completion: 72%

Argentina

Argentina are setting the tournament alight. They crushed the challenge of South Korea 4-1, with Gonzalo Higuain netting himself a hat trick along the way. While Lionel Messi has yet to get on to the score sheet himself, he has been instrumental in driving the South American’s forward. Any questions over the unpredictability and inexperience of coach Maradona, seems to have quickly disappeared, as Argentina are now outright favourites in World Cup betting to win the World Cup. It has been a bold statement by Argentina in their first couple of matches, and has sent warning signals that Argentina really are the to make an impact. The doubts about backing them came from the troubles they had during qualification, and from the fact that Maradona seemed completely befuddled as to what his best team and formation was. He has drafted in a staggering amount of different players during his reign as Argentina coach, but the final 23 which he took with him to South Africa, is arguably one of the strongest squads there.

The World Cup is all about watching your star players shine, and after criticism that he has not performed for his country, superstar Lionel Messi is standing up to take responsibility. Playing for Argentina in a completely different kettle of fish for Messi, as he has been asked to do a different role than the one which he does at Barcelona, where he naturally receives a lot of the ball. There appears to have been small adjustments in the way Maradona has set up his team, and now Messi is pretty much running games with the ball stuck to his feet. That will only work to the advantage of the Argentineans, and suddenly Argentina look a solid, comfortable side both going forward and in defence. They have never been far from the top of World Cup betting, but never were they perceived as favourites to take the title. While other top teams around them are facing challenges and upsets, Argentina look solid enough and are ready to back themselves. They should face either Mexico or Uruguay in the second round, which will mean that the Argentineans will be fully confident of reaching the quarter finals.

Argentina World Cup Betting. Messi has to get on the score sheet soon if the law of averages are anything to go by. He has had the most shots out of all Argentineans, and has been unlucky in front of goal. Taking both him and Higuain to get on the score sheet as anytime scorer will be worth looking at. Argentina should win the game, and if they get ahead early enough, Maradona will probably give some of his stars, like Messi a rest. That could affect the outcome of the game, but the Greeks do not look like a side which can realistically upset the run of the South Americans, so Argentina should be backed quite comfortably.

Argentina World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: P2, W2, D0, L0
GF/GA: 4/1
Cards: Y4, R0
Most Shots: Lionel Messi, 15
Top Scorer: Gonzalo Higuain, 3
Shots/On Goal: 42/18
Fouls Committed: 26
Total Passes: 1081
Pass Completion: 75%

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: May not quite be the all out assault on the Greek back line. Argentina will be happy to get through this comfortably without too much bother. They pretty much have things wrapped up nicely in the group, and therefore it may turn into more of a exhibition match than anything. Would still back the Argentineans to come good though.
Argentina -1 for 11/10 at Paddy Power
 

Current Greece V Argentina Odds:

World Cup Betting on Argentina Clearer as Top Spot is in Sight

The two winners from the first round of matches in Group B go head to head, as the battle for top spot will take priority on Thursday. Picking up a second win for either team in this match, will pretty much ensure a place in the second round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The second matches for the participating teams at the World Cup, should see teams be a bit more attack minded, even though Argentina gave a good account of themselves in their opening victory over Nigeria. Yes, they only won the match 1-0, but it answered a lot of questions about what coach Maradona was going to be able to deliver in terms of formation and personnel. The scoreline should have flattered Argentina a lot more, as they had plenty of opportunities, but ran into Nigerian keeper Vincent Enyeama who was in inspired form at the back. Argentina showed a creative balance in their passing game, and star player Lionel Messi could have bagged himself a hat trick on any other day. After receiving a lot of criticism about not bringing his A-game to the National side, Messi seemed to have the ball at his feet for most of the match, as the Argentineans played quite an expansive system, and were deserving of more rewards. After worries about the unpredictability over Maradona’s coaching ability, Argentina looked pretty solid and stable, and the living World Cup legend makes only one change to the side for the South Korea match. Ex Manchester United and Chelsea star Juan Sebastian Veron drops to the bench, in place of Liverpool’s Maxi Rodriguez. This is actually a move of caution as Veron tweaked his calf in the second half against Nigeria, and the veteran midfielder will be rested.

Argentina World Cup Betting: So, Argentina will start as favourites for this one, as they are the side packed with the stars. Victory in the first match will have settled some nerves for them, and they should grow stronger through the tournament. Messi really stepped up to the plate, and there is every chance that he will open his World Cup account. Players don’t get mentioned as favourites for the Golden Boot for no reason, and Messi is up there on merit, and he is 4/5 at Stan James to be an Anytime Scorer. Packed with talent like Messi, Higuain and Milito, Argentina to win by 2 goals is not a bad shout priced at 10/3 at Bet365, while Argentina to win by one goal is also well priced at 5/2 with Coral. Should Argentina win? Yes, of course, and they should be the dominant force in terms of possession on the day. They missed so many chances that the law of averages should mean that they will be a little more accurate in beating the keeper this time out.

Argentina World Cup 2010 Stats:
Played: P1, W1, D0, L0
GF/GA: 1/0
Cards: Y1, R0
Most Shots: Lionel Messi, 8
Top Scorer: Gabriel Heinze, 1
Shots/On Goal: 20/7
Fouls Committed: 7
Total Passes: 597
Pass Completion: 75%
Last 5 Form: WWWWW

South Korea Mobility and Speed Pays Dividends

South Korea got their campaign off with their first ever World Cup win outside of their own territory. It was a comfortable 2-0 win over an un-ambitious Greece side, that earned coach Hun Jung-Moo and his squad the vital three points. That victory should put them in the driving seat to grab one of the top two spots in the Group. One interesting titbit of information, is that Hun Jung-Moo marked Maradona as a player at Mexico ‘86, when the Argentineans ran out 3-1 winners. Will history repeat itself as the two go up against each other as coaches at the World Cup on Thursday? South Korea looked sprightly, and full of attacking adventure in their opening fixture, ready to take their chances. They were actually one of the teams going into the World Cup which were carrying some great form, and they have hit the ground running. Their enthusiasm and creativity still remains one of the bright sparks in otherwise edgy opening fixtures for the nations. South Korea showed pace and that could be the weapon which will hurt Argentina. Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung was influential in midfield as expected, and the nation will again look to their hero to carry them forward. The likelihood is, that even if they get pressed back by the Argentinean passing game, the South Koreans will still be able to carry a bit threat of attack in breaking forward at speed. For Korea it is all about speed and mobility, which undid the Greeks, and which will cause a threat to the Argentinean back line. This is an intriguing match up, with a clear lead at the top of the group at stake. Both sides would probably be happy with a draw, but we should see a bit more of an open game here.

South Korea World Cup Betting: Their main man is Park Ji-Sung, so look for him to get plenty of the ball, and carry a large threat towards goal. He is decently priced around 9/1 at ExtraBet as an anytime scorer, but a better bet would be number ten, Park Chu-Young 5/1 at Ladbrokes in the same market, as he had the most shots on goal in the first match. Argentina are edging this one on fixed odds outright World Cup betting, but South Korea probably shouldn’t be discounted quite as easily. They will create chances. Will they take them?

South Korea World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: P1, W1, D0, L0
GF/GA: 2/0
Cards: 0/0
Most Shots: Park Ji-Chung, 6
Top Scorer: Lee Jung-Soo, Park Ji-Sung, 1
Shots/On Goal: 18/7
Fouls Committed: 14
Total Passes: 499
Pass Completion: 67%
Last 5 Form: WWLLW

Argentina v South Korea Match Odds
Argentina to win: 1/2 at Bet365
Draw: 7/2 at Boylesports
South Korea to win: 8/1 at Stan James

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: This could be a close game, with two open sides. Hopefully there are plenty of goals on show, with Argentina’s stars, and South Korea’s speed and mobility. Decent coverage on this one, is taking South Korea +1 at 13/10 with Paddy Power, as it offers defence coverage, backing South Korea for a plucky draw, and you’ll only lose if Argentina win by two clear goals.
 

Maradona Charged With Unlocking Messi Mystery

It has been almost sixteen years to the very day, since Diego Maradona last pulled on his country’s jersey. Ironically that final match was a group stage game against Nigeria, the team against which he will begin his fledging World Cup management career. Want stats? It was on June 25th, 2004 in Boston, and Argentina won 2-1 that Maradona last played for his country. Now, however long it may last, Maradona’s tenure as head coach of the passionate Argentineans, will be under close scrutiny at South Africa 2010. Wherever Maradona goes, controversy is sure to follow, from the “Hand of God” to lewd outbursts, he is a character that will draw the press to him like a magnet. Perhaps the time has come to wipe the slate clean of the much publicised troubles that the star studded Argentineans had in the South American qualification zone. The fact of the matter is, they are at the World Cup, they were drawn in an easy group, and they have been in the top four of World Cup Odds on the outright winner market before even the draw was made. There is enormous pressure on particular head coaches, and the Argentina coach has a lot to bear. The fans are expectant and do not like living in the shadow of Brazil. Now they want their World Cup legend to inject a little more magic once again.

Pundits, tipsters and the armchair fans are completely divided about Argentina though. They boast a mightily talented side, with arguably the World’s best player, Lionel Messi in their ranks. The trouble is, much like the beleaguered French under Raymond Domenech, Argentina do not have a firm identity. You know what to expect when Brazil turn up to a match. You know what kind of performance you will get from Spain. But Argentina is something of an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum. A lot of the underlying problems with the South Americans can be highlighted in Lionel Messi. Messi has had his critics about him not performing as well for his country as he does his club, Barcelona. But it is not Messi’s failing, it is knowing how to use him properly in the side. Barcelona stroke the ball around, and play zonal positioning, so it is easy to get the ball to him. Argentina do not play the same way, and the ball does not get to Messi as much, and in some degrees, it is a step down for the superstar. Put it this way, if Barcelona with Messi in the side played Argentina with Messi in the side, who would you back to win? That is the puzzle for Maradona to solve.

Can Nigeria Withstand An Unstructured Attack?

Incidentally, this fixture was the Olympic Final in 2008 if anyone remembers that? Argentina won that match up with a fair crop of the players in the squad today, and so Nigeria may be out for revenge. The Super Eagles are coached by Swede Lars Lagerback, and they were not without their own problems during qualifying for the world cup. They do not have great history against La Albiceleste, and they are still looking a defensive formation which will plug the obvious holes they have at the back. Their back line could have a torrid time on Saturday, with Vincent Enyeama needing to stand strong in goal behind them, as “The Cat” he has been one of the most consistent presences in the side. Nigeria will be strong and physical, but as showed at the African Cup of Nations, they have fallen behind somewhat in the ladder of power in African football. Nigeria could be in for a torrid World Cup, and may struggle to compete for second spot. They have not looked too organised or strong during their build up, and even a directionless Argentina should be able to pull them apart.

Argentina have the talent, but do they have the right coach? Between Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez, there was 83 domestic goals this season. As said, the talent is not in question. But coach Maradona has been confused, using a staggering amount of personnel in his squads, suggesting that he doesn’t really know what his best side is. He literally came out and said as much, stating how confused and how many headaches he was having over selecting his final squad. The side he is taking with him, would make a lot of other nations envious, but as was seen with France’s opener against Uruguay, there needs to be a stern game plan and tactics in place, or things cannot work. France lost shape and became sloppy after getting frustrated in not breaking their opposition down. The strength in World Cup Odds with bookmakers suggests that there is something more to come from Argentina. But can the slate simply be wiped clean that easy? Can a team which has not clicked before, suddenly flick a switch and become as strong as the Spaniards or the Brazilians? It’s down for your betting strategy to decide.

Argentina v Nigeria Betting Odds and Stats

Last 5 Matches
Argentina 5, Canada 0
Germany 0, Argentina 1
Argentina 2, Jamaica 1
Argentina 3, Costa Rica 2
Spain 2, Argentina 1

Nigeria 3, Korea DPR 1
Nigeria 1, Colombia 1
Nigeria 1, Algeria 0
Ghana 1, Nigeria 0
Nigeria 0, Zambia 0

Last 5 Match Goals
Argentina: 12 For, 5 Against
Nigeria: 5 For, 3 Against

Recent Stats
Argentina: P50, W29, D10, L11 with a 58.0% win percentage
Nigeria: P24, W7, D8, L9 with a 29.2% win percentage

Last 10 Match Form
Argentina: WLLWWLWWWW
Nigeria: WDLWWDLWDW

World Cup Stats
Argentina: P65, W33, D13, L19, GF113, GA74
Nigeria: P11, W4, D1, L6, GF14, GA16

Match Odds
Argentina to win: 1/2 at Boylesports
Draw: 7/2 at BetFred
Nigeria to win: 15/2 at Coral

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: Well, there seems to be only one way to go on this one, and that is taking a Nigeria plus handicap. It will just be down to the degree of how badly you think they may do. For example, Nigeria +1.75 is a decent 1/2 at Bet365, but you can get a little more profit out of Nigeria +1.25 at 19/20 at Bet365 also, which is a pretty decent bet.
 

World Cup Group B Teams: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece. All eyes will be on Maradona’s Argentina in this group, as the world waits to see just what the coach can pull out of his hat. With the start of the World Cup just days away, the final preparations are being made by the teams participating in the World Cup and there same thing should be said of your betting strategies for the tournament. Here we aim to help you along, by looking beyond the familiar outright betting markets, and taking you into each group to see the potential behind some of the best value bets.

Win Market: Argentina 8/15 at Stan James
Well, it does not represent the best of odds in terms of reaping returns, but it should be a good solid bet. The Argentineans have yet to pull together as any kind of cohesive team, but they are arguably the most talented team in the tournament. That alone must count for a lot, and therefore it makes a solid bet in Group B, and that in its own right makes this a good value bet. Argentina under the guiding hand of World Cup legend Maradona, and he came in when the nation was in dire straits. He still looks confused in terms of knowing what personnel to pick and what formation to use in order to get the best out of them, but the one thing about this bet, is that the rest of the teams in the group are really not much of a threat to anyone. Certainly they should not be any problem in stopping Argentina topping this group. Yes, they had to scrape and battle their way into the qualification spots to actually reach the tournament, but Messi and co have the talent to win this, especially after getting such a kind World Cup draw. Whether they scrape together or build momentum slowly, they should be a shoe-in for winning this group. Remember, teams have gone to the World Cup before looking disjointed, notably Maradona’s very own World Cup wining side of 1986.

South Korea to Qualify: 5/2 at BetFred
What’s this? An outside bet? Yes, but the South Koreans are actually looking in decent form at the moment, and when you consider their main opposition for second place, Nigeria and Greece, you can only see defensive minded teams, and that could prove cannon fodder for the aggressive South Koreans, led by Manchester United’s Park Ji-Sung. They battled against Spain in a pre tournament international friendly, and weren’t over run in a 1-0 defeat. While they may not be a great team, certainly not a team that will challenge for a place in the World Cup final, but when planning your World Cup betting strategies, you have to take into consideration the level of opposition to. Nigeria have been stumbling and falling, while Greece do not really have anything to call upon besides their much lauded team spirit and striker Theo Gekas. The spirited South Koreans are the strongest of the Asian nations and really could make an impact in this group with a high pace game. Therefore, this makes them a good bet in terms of World Cup Odds.

To Concede Most Group Stage Goals: Nigeria 4/1 at Bwin
South Korea are the favourites to actually concede the most goals in Group G, but they have been showing some kind of resilience in their World Cup build up, and their natural attacking game may ease some pressure of their defensive duties. It could of course backfire and leave them all exposed at the back, but Nigeria represent good value in this market, simply because they have been quite poor. Argentina should have enough firepower to undo them, and if, in that first Group B fixture Argentina pull out a comfortable win, it could leave a huge dent in the already shaky confidence of the Nigerians. This is by no means a dead cert bet, but the value here means that it is well worth considering in your World Cup Betting. You can expect Greece to run a very tight ship, and Argentina have enough quality to keep clean sheets, therefore this bet should fall between either Nigeria or South Korea.

Under 14.5 Group Goals: Evens at Bwin
There are two ways to look at this bet. Either there is the majority of the weaker teams in the group means that scoring goals will be easier, or the fact that the teams may be working so hard not to lose as expected, they will shut up shop and set themselves up defensively. You do not look at the likes of Greece and Nigeria and expect a plethora of goals to be flowing from them. There is more of a team spirit approach to both of these nations, working hard not to give anything away in tight formations. This means that their ambitions will start matches with trying to close out opposition, and that should bring the goals down. Group B looks to be quite tight in terms of the race for the second qualification place, and therefore there will be a lot of tension in not conceding. For the six group matches, if you average two goals per game to get under this total, then it is looking realistic. Normally you would look at around 3 goals per match, but take into consideration what is a stake and the quality of the teams in this group. At Evens, it is a fair bet.

Not to Qualify: Nigeria 5/6 at SkyBet
The Super Eagles looked out of sorts at the African Cup of Nations earlier in the year. There is talk of them having a balanced squad, but they looked unbalanced in finding a way to attack. Qualification from the African Zone is a little tricky to take into consideration, because if you look at their stats alone, they look more than a competent side. However, when you look at the opposition they had to come past, such as Mozambique and Kenya, the stats somewhat negate themselves. They got the job done, and that was enough, and they are the World Cup finals. Will the tournament being held on the African continent for the first time have any influence on their progress? It is hard to see and in ways they look the weakest team in the group, despite what the best bookmakers for Betting on the World Cup are saying. To see them not qualify for the second round would not be a big surprise and therefore, this means that this bet is well worth considering.

Manager: Diego Maradona
Captain: Javier Mascherano
FIFA World Ranking: 7
World Cup Appearances: 14
Best World Cup: Winners – 1978, 1986

Argentina Betting Article

Argentina Team Profile

Just the name ‘Argentina’ has this daunting affect on its opponents, and the Argentine’s may need their intimidating aurora to play a huge part during their stay in South Africa, as to say Argentina were inconsistent during qualifying is an understatement.

Diego Maradona was the man put in charge by the Argentina football hierarchy and midway through qualifying they must have been wishing they hadn’t. Argentina were supposed to cruise through South American qualifying, leaving the rest of the South American nations to battle it out for the remaining two spots. That certainly wasn’t the case however, as Argentina scraped through by the skin of their teeth and only just snatched the last remaining qualifying position by virtue of a 1-0 win in Uruguay in their final qualifier. Argentina are in South Africa though, not without their fair share of good luck mind, and now that they’re here they mean business.

Despite a rocky qualification, Argentina are still rated No.7 in the FIFA Rankings, while almost every bookmaker has the Argies rated as the fourth best team in the tournament according to their outright odds. We would strongly disagree after watching an awful lot of them throughout qualifying, but we can also understand that Argentina possess some nifty players, none more so than the World’s very best, Lionel Messi. However, Messi, a player who the natives don’t exactly idolise, will have the pressure of an expectant nation upon his shoulders in South Africa and the 22 year-old, who still has tonnes of time to mature and improve his already wonderful game, hasn’t always shone for his country, so to expect more magic from the Barcelona maestro might be a rash assumption.

Nevertheless a team with tonnes of International pedigree and they themselves will fancy their chances in South Africa, so understandable the Argentine’s will be a popular punt for the FIFA World Cup as they seek out their third World Cup success, their first since 1986.

Manager

Where do we start with the ‘controversial’ character which is – Diego Maradona. Many fans around the globe will remember him fondly for his memorable displays in an Argentina shirt, even guiding them to a World Cup success when he captained the side back in 1986. However, for England fans, he will be remembered for his cheating antics in the quarter-final which seen him put the ball into the England net with his hand. That game with the English defined his career as he went on to score what many pundits tout as ‘the goal of the century’ as he weaved through what seemed the entire England squad to score a sublime solo goal. In that game the whole footballing worlds seen the very best and the very worst of the Argentine great and now the world will need to brace themselves again as the lively and charismatic Maradona aims to guide Argentina to another World Cup success, this time as coach.

Diego Maradona has managed two clubs before taking over the role as national team coach but with little success. He took over what is a talented group of players with his country but he has yet to either find the right selection or formation, or perhaps even a combination of the two, to improve Argentina’s performances on the pitch. He has come under mass amounts of scrutiny, mainly from those outside of Argentina in all fairness, but the Argentina board have shown their faith in the Argentine legend in a bid that it might just pay off in the form of a successful World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Argentina Key Players

Lionel Messi

It didn’t take us long to highlight who Argentina’s most influential player is, Lionel Messi. Quick feet, the ability to leave a player standing in awe, bags of pace, skills and tricks in abundance and a very precise and clinical finisher in the final third. Messi can turn any game right on it’s head as one mazy run or one piece of trickery can open the game right up in Argentina’s favour. The entire squad has struggled to adapt to Maradona’s tactics but Messi is the exception to the rule. He can score or create a goal out of absolutely nothing and he will be the man every opposing manager will pinpoint as the biggest danger.

Javier Mascherano

Diego Maradona has put his faith in the Liverpool midfielder to guide his side to bigger and better things at the forthcoming finals. Mascherano has nailed down a starting berth in the Liverpool as a solid and reliable defensive midfielder. However, he has now not only nailed down a starting spot in the Argentina fold but he has also secured the captaincy of his country, arguably his greatest honour as a player. However, he hasn’t had the instants impact many, including Diego Maradona, had expected as captain so the pressure will be just as much on him as the manager himself.

Strengths

Well, it’s hard to look past Lionel Messi being Argentina’s biggest asset in South Africa as he’s a football genius. Quick and nimble footwork, this unique ability to weave in and out of the tightest defences, good vision and awareness, great ball retention and a prolific goalscorer. From a forward perspective, Lionel Messi has it all. Everytime he picks up the ball, the crowd goes silent as they know something special is in the offing whether it’s a jinxing little run or a quick yet precise shot on goal. If Argentina need a goal and Messi gets hold of the ball, be afraid as the kid, who is still just 22 years-old, can punish you with aplomb.

Another player who can and will score goals in South Africa, providing Maradona starts with him, is Gonzalo Higuain. The Real Madrid forward was prolific during the previous campaign. He has a decent turn of foot, he’s great at getting into those scoring positions while he’s a very composed finisher of the ball. Dare we say it, if Higuain gets a starting role at the forefront of the Argentina attack in the summer, we would put a fair wedge on the Real Madrid forward outscoring his Argentine team mate Lionel Messi.

The two we’ve just mentioned are, of course, forward players, so the strength with Argentina is quite obviously really in that they have plenty of goals in them.

Weaknesses

Our biggest criticism with Argentina would be their poor defence. That isn’t at all surprising when you consider that Diego Maradona, the Argentina coach, never did a single bit of defending in his life as a player. That’s no way to run a football team though, despite boasting some great riches in the final third. Their defence needs tightening up before they clash with some of the World’s elite nations because it was leaky during qualifying, with even some of South American’s smaller nations locating Argentina’s goal with alarming regularity.

Another negative, and this one is a big pet hate with us, is Maradona’s tinkering. We don’t recall the great man ever recalling the same eleven for two matches in a row, while players with very few international caps were being called up in what appeared a desperate bid to get Argentina through their sticky situation during qualifying. If you watched Argentina during qualification you would have noticed a lot of stray passes, a lot of smart forward runs by the strikers which went unnoticed, while the organisation at the back was non-existent. This is because Maradona hasn’t given the team enough time to get to know one another and form some team chemistry. No-one was on the same wavelength, and against the very best footballing nations, Argentina will come unstuck unless they come together as a team. With Diego Maradona as manager, we have our doubts over whether sufficient changes will occur before Argentina kick-off their World Cup against Nigeria.

Argentina Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: South America

Position: 4th

Win-Draw-Lose: 8-4-6

Goals Scored: 23

Goals Conceded: 20

Argentina Qualifying statistics:

• Argentina severely struggled on their travels in qualifying, losing five of their nine away fixtures.
• Lionel Messi was the only player to be chosen to play in each of their qualifiers, participating in all eighteen of their World Cup Qualifiers.
• Sergio Aguero, Juan Riquelme & Lionel Messi all shared the honour of being Argentina’s top goalscorers with four goals each.
• 4 (Half/50%) of their wins came by just a one goal margin.
• Diego Maradona used a total of 49 players during the course of the campaign, which just highlights how much tinkering he has done during his spell at the Argentine helm.
• Carlos Tevez appears a fiery character when playing for Argentina, receiving two of the three red cards that Argentina received during qualifying.
•  

World Cup Potential: 4/5

If we were to be brutally honest about Argentina’s chances in South Africa, we would say they were slim. They are inconsistent, lack cohesion and have a manager at the helm which we simply do not rate in the slightest. Nevertheless, this Argentina team is pack full of world-class individuals, the type of individuals which can hand handle the Big Game pressure, the intense limelight and, more importantly, know how to win games. At club level the majority of these players have a deadly desire to win, that winning mentality that has helped their respective club become successful, but for their country they have failed to replicate that desire and determination, and without those key characteristics, we don’t see Argentina winning this summers showcase event.

However, while Argentina were hugely disappointing throughout qualifying for South Africa, the fact they even managed to qualify is a statement of intent in itself, and one that spells out in bold letters that Argentina just know how to get the business done when it really matters. It doesn’t matter how they got here, that’s all irrelevant now. All that matters now is bringing home the bacon in South Africa, and considering this Argentina team has goals in them, they will be a big threat to Italy’s World Cup crown.

Argentina World Cup Betting Odds

Argentina to win the World Cup: 9/2 Paddy Power

Before the World Cup the odds on Argentina were 7/1 

Official Argentina World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar)

Mariano Andujar (Catania Calcio)

Diego Pozo (Colon de Santa Fe)

Defenders

Gabriel Heinze (Olympique Marseille)

Martin Demichelis (Bayern Munich)

Nicolas Otamendi (Velez Sarsfield)

Walter Samuel (Inter Milan)

Clemente Rodriguez (Estudiantes de La Plata)

Nicolas Burdisso (AS Roma)

Ariel Garce (Colon de Santa Fe)

Midfielders

Javier Mascherano (FC Liverpool)

Jonas Gutierrez (Newcastle United)

Angel Di Maria (Benfica Lisbon)

Mario Bolatti (AC Florenz)

Juan Sebastian Veron (Estudiantes de La Plata)

Javier Pastore (US Palermo)

Maxi Rodriguez (Liverpool)

Strikers

Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)

Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid)

Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)

Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid)

Diego Milito (Inter Milan)

Martin Palermo (Boca Juniors)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Argentina Fixtures – Group B

27/06 – 19.30 – Round of the last 16: Argentina – Mexico

World Cup Group B - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

World Cup Group of Argentina