Betting on Greece at the World Cup 2010

Manager: Otto Rehhagel
Captain: Giorgos Karagounis
FIFA Ranking: 12
World Cup appearances: 1
Best World Cup: Round 1 – 1994 

Greece Team Profile

The 2004 European Champions will be making just their second appearance in the finals of a World Cup when they travel to South Africa after successfully coming through a two-legged qualifying play-off to get there, beating Ukraine 1-0 on aggregate after a 1-0 win in Donetsk.

The Greeks will be lead in by Otto Rehhagel of Germany, one of the longest serving international managers in modern history after spending nine years at the helm of the Greek national team. Rehhagel is up their with the sporting bests in Greece, with his leadership qualities and motivational skills enabling Greece to perform to some very high standards in recent tournaments, even winning the 2004 European Championships against all odds, while the loyal and passionate Greece fans will wish for another shock win when they make the long distance trip to South Africa in the summer.

Despite Rehhagel’s position as manager looking assured after gaining qualification into South Africa, the pressure will certainly be on the German and his Greek squad to perform after an unsatisfactory display in the 2008 European Championships which seen Greece fail to make it past the group stages. Their group this time around remains competitive but one they could quite easily bypass, so there will be no excuse for failure in South Africa.

Strengths

The Greeks are worldwide renowned for their stubborn, resolute qualities. Otto Rehhagel sets his team up in an organised manner, with every defensive and midfield player knowing their role and often performing their respective duties to perfection. The Greeks really are a well oiled machine when it comes to defending, while their patient attitude when in possession enables them to dictate the tempo of most games and go at a pace that suits them, which is generally walking pace.

Weaknesses

Greece, for all their admirable qualities at the back and in midfield, aren’t the most attractive of teams on the eye, nor do they play the most entertaining of football. They go at their own pace, which is often very steady and sometimes extremely slow, to the point where the play often stops and breaks down. However, what this all boils down to is when Greece do need a goal, in those do or bust situations, they lack the required urgency needed in order to pile necessary pressure on the opposing defence. Moreover, because of their slow build ups, Greece are very predictable and very easy to defend against.

Greece Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: European
Group: 2
Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 6-3-1
Goals Scored: 20
Goals Conceded: 10

It took a two-legged play-off with Ukraine to decide Greece’s World Cup fate. In typical Greece fashion, they made both legs scrappy and untidy, but it proved an effective tactic as they prevailed over two-legs thanks to a 1-0 win in the away leg in Donetsk.

World Cup Potential: 1/5

If we’re completely honest, we don’t think Greece will go far and, quite frankly, we don’t want them too either. They are one of the dullest footballing nations to watch and the sooner they leave the competition the better. It’s very, very rare that you come across an entertaining affair when Greece are involved, and in the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet, everyone wants to be treated to exciting games. The Greeks are too slow in their build up and often turn games in a snooze-fest, while world-class talent is at a premium to really make any serious in-roads anyway.

Greece World Cup Betting Odds

Greece to win the World Cup – 350/1 Expekt

Before the World Cup the odds on Argentina were 199/1 

Official Greece World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Tzorvas (Panathinaikos Athens)

Chalkias (PAOK Thessaloniki)

Sifakis (Aris Saloniki)

Defenders

Seitaridis (Panathinaikos Athens)

Vyntra (Panathinaikos Athens)

Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos Athens)

A. Papadopoulos (Olympiakos)

Torosidis (Olympiakos)

Kyrgiakos (Liverpool)

Papastathopoulos (Genoa)

Moras (Bologna)

Malezas (PAOK Thessaloniki)

Midfielders

Karagounis (Panathinaikos Athens)

Katsouranis (Panathinaikos Athens)

Ninis (Panathinaikos Athen)

Prittas (Aris)

Tziolis (Siena)

Patzazoglou (Omonia Nicosia)

Strikers

Charisteas (Nuremberg)

Gekas (Hertha Berlin)

Salpigidis (Panathinaikos Athens)

Samaras (Celtic Glasgow)

Kapetanos (Steaua Bucarest)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Greece Fixtures – Group B

World Cup 2010 Group B - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Greece, who have been at a training camp in Switzerland, take on World Cup bound Korea DPR on Tuesday evening. Betting on the World Cup at Bet365 has Greece as one of the outsider bets of the European teams, but the Greeks themselves are out to upset the odds. The 2004 European Champions are making only their second appearance at the World Cup, after successfully coming through a tough qualification play off against the favoured Ukraine. At their only previous showing on the World stage at USA 94, Greece failed to pick up a victory in their three group matches, conceding 10 goals and not managing to find the back of the net themselves. They start their campaign in South Africa with an opener against the Korea Republic on June 12th before moving on to face Nigeria and then rounding off their group fixtures against Argentina.

Coached by Otto Rehhagel, the 2010 side are perceived to be a lot stronger, and the Greeks will go to South Africa with a game plan which will see them be stubborn and difficult to break down. It is unlikely that a lot of expansive football is going to be seen from the Greeks in their group, but their recent record is putting them in good stead to make a run at qualifying from Group B which contains Argentina, Korea Republic and Nigeria. There is an element of history at play in Group B, as Greece faced Argentina and Nigeria at USA 94 in the group stages. With the Argentineans favourite in World Cup odds to win the group, Greece are in a position in which they could pose a serious challenge for the second spot. German Rehhagel is known for his tactical savvy and has instilled a visible steel and grit in the Greek national side. This could serve them well in their group, which is likely to be a tight and unpredictable affair.

After another failure at Euro 2008 in which they failed to get out the group stage, it is only natural that Greece are way back in the odds in World Cup betting. But that is exactly the position they were in when they beat the odds at Euro 2004. Greece qualified for South Africa 2010 behind Switzerland, with Theo Gekas hitting 10 goals in 12 qualifying matches. Other stand out players in the Greece World Cup squad, which is at a count of 25 players at the moment, are Angelos Charisteas, captain Georgios Karagounis and Celtic striker Georgios Samaras. Greece are definitely a team, with great work ethics and the ability to close out opposition and sneak winners of their own, as shown against the Ukraine in the play-offs. They have just two international friendly matches as part of their World Cup warm ups, as they take on two South Africa competitors in North Korea and Paraguay.

Greece Pre World Cup Schedule
May 25th: Greece v North Korea
June 2nd: Greece v Paraguay

International Friendly Match Prices
Greece to win: 3/5 at SportingBet
Draw: 3/1 at Ladbrokes
North Korea to win: 5/1 at SkyBet

Manager: Otto Rehhagel
Captain: Giorgos Karagounis
FIFA Ranking: 12
World Cup appearances: 1
Best World Cup: Round 1 – 1994 

Greece Team Profile

The 2004 European Champions will be making just their second appearance in the finals of a World Cup when they travel to South Africa after successfully coming through a two-legged qualifying play-off to get there, beating Ukraine 1-0 on aggregate after a 1-0 win in Donetsk.

The Greeks will be lead in by Otto Rehhagel of Germany, one of the longest serving international managers in modern history after spending nine years at the helm of the Greek national team. Rehhagel is up their with the sporting bests in Greece, with his leadership qualities and motivational skills enabling Greece to perform to some very high standards in recent tournaments, even winning the 2004 European Championships against all odds, while the loyal and passionate Greece fans will wish for another shock win when they make the long distance trip to South Africa in the summer.

Despite Rehhagel’s position as manager looking assured after gaining qualification into South Africa, the pressure will certainly be on the German and his Greek squad to perform after an unsatisfactory display in the 2008 European Championships which seen Greece fail to make it past the group stages. Their group this time around remains competitive but one they could quite easily bypass, so there will be no excuse for failure in South Africa.

Strengths

The Greeks are worldwide renowned for their stubborn, resolute qualities. Otto Rehhagel sets his team up in an organised manner, with every defensive and midfield player knowing their role and often performing their respective duties to perfection. The Greeks really are a well oiled machine when it comes to defending, while their patient attitude when in possession enables them to dictate the tempo of most games and go at a pace that suits them, which is generally walking pace.

Weaknesses

Greece, for all their admirable qualities at the back and in midfield, aren’t the most attractive of teams on the eye, nor do they play the most entertaining of football. They go at their own pace, which is often very steady and sometimes extremely slow, to the point where the play often stops and breaks down. However, what this all boils down to is when Greece do need a goal, in those do or bust situations, they lack the required urgency needed in order to pile necessary pressure on the opposing defence. Moreover, because of their slow build ups, Greece are very predictable and very easy to defend against.

Greece Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: European
Group: 2
Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 6-3-1
Goals Scored: 20
Goals Conceded: 10

It took a two-legged play-off with Ukraine to decide Greece’s World Cup fate. In typical Greece fashion, they made both legs scrappy and untidy, but it proved an effective tactic as they prevailed over two-legs thanks to a 1-0 win in the away leg in Donetsk.

World Cup Potential: 1/5

If we’re completely honest, we don’t think Greece will go far and, quite frankly, we don’t want them too either. They are one of the dullest footballing nations to watch and the sooner they leave the competition the better. It’s very, very rare that you come across an entertaining affair when Greece are involved, and in the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet, everyone wants to be treated to exciting games. The Greeks are too slow in their build up and often turn games in a snooze-fest, while world-class talent is at a premium to really make any serious in-roads anyway.

Greece World Cup Betting Odds

Greece to win the World Cup – 350/1 Expekt

Before the World Cup the odds on Argentina were 199/1 

Official Greece World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Tzorvas (Panathinaikos Athens)

Chalkias (PAOK Thessaloniki)

Sifakis (Aris Saloniki)

Defenders

Seitaridis (Panathinaikos Athens)

Vyntra (Panathinaikos Athens)

Spiropoulos (Panathinaikos Athens)

A. Papadopoulos (Olympiakos)

Torosidis (Olympiakos)

Kyrgiakos (Liverpool)

Papastathopoulos (Genoa)

Moras (Bologna)

Malezas (PAOK Thessaloniki)

Midfielders

Karagounis (Panathinaikos Athens)

Katsouranis (Panathinaikos Athens)

Ninis (Panathinaikos Athen)

Prittas (Aris)

Tziolis (Siena)

Patzazoglou (Omonia Nicosia)

Strikers

Charisteas (Nuremberg)

Gekas (Hertha Berlin)

Salpigidis (Panathinaikos Athens)

Samaras (Celtic Glasgow)

Kapetanos (Steaua Bucarest)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Greece Fixtures – Group B

World Cup Group B - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

World Cup Group of Greece