Betting on Holland at the World Cup 2010

Manager: Bert Van Marwijk
Captain: Giovanni Van Bronckhorst
FIFA Ranking: 3
World Cup Appearances: 8
Best World Cup: Runner’s-up – 1974, 1978

Holland Betting Article

Holland Team Profile

It’s rare that the Netherlands, or Holland – whichever you prefer – turn up at these major events without their own unique party atmosphere, and the crazy Dutch could meet their match with the locals in South Africa. On the pitch, however, Holland will mean business as their explosive players will look to drive Holland towards their third final appearance in a World Cup and possibly to win the competition for the very first time as well.

Holland have been the bridesmaid on two occasions after twice coming up short in the final of a World Cup; 1974 & 1978. Recently, though, the Dutch haven’t even got close and will seek inspiration only from their 1998 semi-final in France when they came oh so close to their third World Cup final but lost out on penalties to Brazil. They haven’t really had a squad strong enough to mount a genuine World Cup push since though, but 2010 could be different as a whole host of players within the Holland squad are branded as ‘World-Class’ in their own right.

The Dutch fell at just the last-sixteen stage in their previous World Cup, while they were knocked out of the European Championships in 2008 in the quarter-finals. At one stage in those 2008 European Championships, the Dutch looked the real deal, the team everyone had to beat as they stormed through the Group of Death in emphatic fashion. But, however, they failed to deliver when the limelight was on them, and only time will tell if they fall ill to the same fate in South Africa. The group shouldn’t be a problem, they should complete that part of the mission fairly comfortably, but the knock-out stage is where the pressure will mount and Holland, in recent years anyway, haven’t coped at all well with knock-out football. There’s no time like 2010 to better that though…

Nicknames: Oranje, The Flying Dutchmen

Holland Key Players

All three mentioned below are exciting, explosive and exhilarating to watch. To have all three in the same team is breathtaking as the deadly combination of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie means Holland’s biggest flaw, their lack of a world-class striker, is now longer of great concern. All three are immensely talented when it comes to creating chances but they can also score plenty of goals themselves.

Wesley Sneijder has been a revelation at his new club Inter Milan since joining from Real Madrid. He has superb vision; possessing the ability to read, predict and influence the forward play, but he’s also a very good hitter of the ball as well. He’s a player which will look to shoot on sight and when he catches it right, they stay hit.

Arjen Robben is a magician on the ball, weaving in and out of defences with ease, using the quickness of his feet and his flexibility to dodge oncoming tackles. He occupies one of the flanks usually, often making the full-backs next 90 minutes a nightmare, but he’s prone to cutting inside and having a pop and he too is deadly from long range. Robben doesn’t get a lot of back lift with his shots but they fizz through the air at a disturbing rate of knots, often swerving from side-to-side that the keeper has no chance.

Robin Van Persie is one of our personal favourites; such a delicate little footballer, sort of Dennis Bergkamp like in how he goes about playing the beautiful game. His deft touches, jinxing little runs in between defenders and one lethal shot make the Dutch winger one of the best forwards in the modern game. He’s also a fabulous reader of the play, often seeing a move before it’s even happened. Great vision, the ability to pick out and implement the perfect through ball. Add to his game precision like set-plays and you’ve got one talented winger. 

Strengths

At the 2008 European Championships, Holland were shaping up as genuine contenders for the European crown after storming through their ‘Group of Death’ with France and Italy, emphatically beating two recent World Cup winners. The catalyst for their success on that occasion was the manner at which they counter-attacked. They were lightening quick, precise with their passes and emphatic with their finishing. The Dutch really did look a sheer delight to watch, and with some explosive and exciting players within their midst once again, we’re expecting some more quick breakaways in South Africa as they look to make the pace and guile of the three Dutch musketeer’s to good effect; Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie, all of which are more than comfortable when in possession, know how to take on a defender and certainly know where the goal is. Given the chance to run towards goal, either of the three will punish opponents. 

Weaknesses

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is a young lad with plenty of potential and raw talent, but he has his critics despite plenty of room for improvement, with age certainly on his side. He has, however, tried his hand with some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and on some of the biggest occasions, but he’s disappointed massively and there is a big question mark hanging over Huntelaar heading into South Africa over whether the AC Milan flop has what it takes, has enough experience to score the goals Holland need him to score if they are to go far in South Africa.

In fairness, though, there are few strikers available for Bert van Marwijk to choose from, with Huntelaar likely to be the only out-an-out striker travelling to South Africa for Holland. The prolific Ruud Van Nistlerooy has retired, while the forlorn figure of Dirk Kuyt is perhaps the only back up for Huntelaar in that central-forward role.

Holland Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Europe
Group: 9
Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 8-0-0
Goals Scored: 17
Goals Conceded: 2

World Cup Potential: 4 / 5

Holland have some explosive players in their midst, players which can really make a difference and have that big game experience from club football. They’re a team jam packed with creativity and forward ingenuity, with the likes of Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie all boasting that vital match winning mentality. We aren’t entirely convinced with their defence but it does have more than enough caps to suffice on paper, while a big tournament is needed from wonder-kid Klaas-Jan Huntelaar if the Dutch are to be a big player in South Africa. We feel they can be and they are one of our personal favourites to spring a surprise at odds which would suggest they have only an outside chance of lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy.

Holland World Cup Betting Odds

Holland to win the World Cup (odds before the final):          3/2 – Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Holland were 11/1 

Official Holland World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax Amsterdam)

Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht)

Sander Boschker (FC Twente Enschede)

Defenders

Khalid Boulahrouz (VfB Stuttgart)

Edson Braafheid (Celtic Glasgow)

Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord Rotterdam)

John Heitinga (FC Everton)

Joris Mathijsen (Hamburg SV)

André Ooijer (PSV Eindhoven)

Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax Amsterdam)

Midfielders

Ibrahim Afellay (PSV Eindhoven)

Mark van Bommel (Bayern Munich)

Nigel de Jong (Manchester City)

Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan)

Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid)

Stijn Schaars (AZ Alkmaar)

Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax Amsterdam)

Eljero Elia (Hamburger SV)

Strikers

Ryan Babel (Liverpool)

Dirk Kuyt (Liverpool)

Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)

Klaas Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan)

Robin Van Persie (Arsenal)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Holland Fixtures – Group E

28 June – 15.00 – Round of the last 16: Holland v Slovakia 2-1

02 July – 15.00 – Quarter Finals: Holland v Brazil 2-1

06 July  – 19.30 – Semi Finals: Holland v Uruguay 3-2

11 July – 19.30 – World Cup Final: Holland v Spain

World Cup 2010 Group E - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Spain v Netherlands Betting Odds

Spain to win: 11/10 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Bwin
Netherlands to win: 3/1 at Victor Chandler

To Lift the Trophy
Spain: 4/7 at BetFred
Netherlands: 13/8 at Coral

Spain will go into the 2010 FIFA World Cup final without any worries over injury. Not that coach Vicente Del Bosque is one to change up the side very much, and his only decision remains as to whether to insert Fernando Torres back into the starting eleven. Torres, whose club future is under a great deal of speculation after being linked with Chelsea, was left out of the semi final against Germany, due to his lack of form. The Liverpool striker had an injury troubled season, and had to undergo two knee surgeries before South Africa 2010. Del Bosque had persevered with the striker, giving him plenty of time to play his way into form, but dropped Torres for Barcelona striker Pedro. Pedro was lively and injected extra pace where Torres has been wasteful with chances and in possession. It is expected that Torres will get the start, simply because of his experience, and Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas is reportedly fully fit after being injured during training, but he was not used in the semi final. Spain will again look to David Villa for their goals, as he has scored 5 of their 7 goals in the tournament, or 71% of their goals if you want a look at it that way.

For Holland coach Bert van Marwijk, there could be a couple of changes from the semi final. Van Marwijk was without preferred holding midfielder Nigel de Jong and full back Gregory van der Wiel for their semi final win over Uruguay, because of suspensions. They will both probably come straight back into the side in replace of Demy De Zeeuw Khalid Boulahrouz respectively. De Zeeuw’s chin met with the boot of a Uruguay player in the semi final, and after concerns that his jaw had been broken, it was discovered that there was no break, but his teeth were damaged. His inclusion is doubtful, especially with De Jong coming back into being available. Key man for Holland Wesley Sneijder reported a problem with his calf, but both he and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg have both been pronounced fit to go on Sunday. Apart from that, Holland should be able to field their strongest starting eleven, and will hope that they will be able to dig deep and take their chances against the Spanish, in the World Cup Final. The Netherlands have scored 12 goals in the tournament, with goals coming from six different players. It would be something for Dutch defender Andrew Ooijer if he gets onto the pitch, as he celebrates his birthday on July 11.

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Facts
One of the sides will be the eighth nation to win the World Cup, the Final of which is being played at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. It will also be the first time that a European nation has won the trophy outside of their own continent.  The Stadium as at the heart of South African football, and it has hosted some famous events in its relatively short history. Kick off is at 19.30 GMT. One person who may finish off Sunday with a whole feast of awards for the season, could be Wesley Sneijder, the Inter Milan player won the Coppa Italia, the Champions League and the Serie A title with his club, and he is also in line for both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball awards. His performance at the World Cup Final could determine the outcome of those awards, and if he adds the greatest accolade in football by winning the World Cup, it would be some 2010 for him. If Spain are looking at superstitions, then no team has won the World Cup after losing their opening match. This is the fourth time that a team has been in the World Cup final after losing their opening match, but the three previous attempts, by Germany (’82), Argentina (’90) and Italy (‘94) each fell in the Final after opening their campaigns with a loss. Spain and the Netherlands have never met at the World Cup, nor the European Championships.
 

Spain v Holland Betting Odds

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

Spain

It is what nearly two years of preparation have led to, the World Cup Final between Spain and Holland. While the strong Spaniards were expected to be in the finals, there was always an air of mystery about whether Holland would have the right mental fortitude to make it all the way through to the finals. Now, after a very strong showing by the South American nations, the European nations dominated the semi finals, and for Spain, it took a very un-Spanish like goal to see them through to the finals. After neatly playing their wonderful passing game, and taking short corner after short corner against Germany in their semi final match, Spain eventually found a way through with a cross into the box which defender Carles Puyol netted with his head. The move summed up the patience of Spain perfectly. All through the match, against a German side which had shown how ruthless they can be, Spain kept their football on the ball, as resisted the temptation to throw balls into the box from corners, simply because of the height and strength of the German defenders. One switched play however, caught the German defence off guard and Spain were into the finals. It is just reward for the European Champions, who have slowly grown in stature all through their 2010 World Cup campaign.

No, the start was not ideal for them, as they lost their opening match to Switzerland, but it was a result which did not hurt them either. It was a real wake up call for the pre-tournament favourites, and it illustrated to the Spanish, just how patient they were going to have to be in breaking down teams which set up completely defensively in front of them. That same trend has pretty much followed Spain all through their tournament, but what Spain do better than any team in the world, is slowly and patiently chip away at their opposition in order to get that break though. For all of their offensive power in the squad, Spain simply have not been going out and steam-rollering teams. Ever since their last group match win, a 2-1 victory over Chile, Spain have won all of their matches by a single goal, with Barcelona striker David Villa usually being the hero. It has been enough to see the Spaniards through time and time again, and the resolve that has been shown from that surprise opening feat, has probably been the biggest asset to coach Vicente Del Bosque. It is often hard for teams going into tournaments as favourites to live up to expectations, largely down to inflated confidence. But that will have been obliterated in the defeat to the Swiss, and humility can be a great tool for learning. The only way for Spain after that, was forward.

Spain do not change their personnel very much and they certainly do not change the way they play. Even going up against the Germans, who were scoring freely throughout the tournament including putting four past England and Argentina, Spain stuck to the plan which works best for them. They didn’t switch to any kind of defensive mode in order to snuff out the threat from the quick Germans, in fact it was the Germans who paid a lot respect to the Spanish and sat back. Any team which takes on Spain are going to have to cede a lot of possession. That is the Spanish way, keeping the ball and making passes all across the pitch, patiently waiting for that opening. The main orchestrator of this is Xavi, who does a lot of unseen work in comparison to the likes of Villa and Iniesta, but he pulls all of the strings in the middle of the park. If something is happening, then the likelihood is that he was at the origin of the move. Do the Spanish have what it takes to create some history and win the World Cup for the first time in their history? It really does feel like it would be now or never for this wonderful Spanish side. The only way they should be able to not get their hands on the title now, would be to blow it through over confidence and conceitedness. But you feel that any hints of that were wiped out by the defeat by the Swiss. Losing may just have won the World Cup for Spain.

Del Bosque started with Pedro up front instead of out of form Fernando Torres, to many people’s surprise. Pedro was incredibly lively and a lot sharper in all aspects of his play than Torres has shown throughout the tournament. Now Del Bosque has to decide whether to stick with the young Pedro, who squandered an incredible opportunity to make it 2-0 to the Spaniards against Germany, or go with the experience of Torres. The leaning is towards the latter, as experience counts for a great deal in the biggest occasions of world football. But Pedro brought a whole new level of energy to the Spanish side, helping out wonderfully on the right hand side in doubling up with impressive right back Sergio Ramos. Now all Spain have to do, is put on another perfect 90 minutes of football, and even if it is just that one goal from David Villa, or whether Torres pops up with a winner, it is all that Spain will need. For more than just an attacking team, Spain are incredibly hard working off the ball. It may be something again which goes unnoticed, but they are tough to break down. Firstly because it is so hard to get the ball off them and to make breaks, but that have one of the best centre half pairings in the world in Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol. Breaking through there is one of the toughest jobs in football at the moment. Spain will rightly start as favourites to be the new named etched in the World Cup history. It is hard to bet against them.

Holland

What can Holland do to stop Spain? Coach Bert Van Marwijk has to take a great deal of credit where many Dutch coaches have failed before. He has not built a particularly spectacular looking side, certainly not of the level of quality of Brazil and Spain in terms of technical ability, but he has perhaps done something more important. He has kept the peace in the Dutch camp, and has united a team which has been infamous for rifts and falling apart under pressure at tournament football. The old Dutch beast threatened to raise its head again during South Africa 2010 when Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie was complaining about being substituted. That blew over pretty quickly, as Van Marwijk played down the incident and was happy to start with Van Persie in the next match. The Arsenal striker was against substituted, but he left the field of play this time with his head quietly hung instead of making a scene. That is perhaps indicative of the mentality that the Dutch have at this tournament. They are together as individuals and that has been the big difference this time around.

Frankly, the Dutch are not as good as the Spanish. That is clear to see in following the action from South Africa 2010, but the Dutch are a solid unit which have been getting the job done. They have needed a lot of luck to get where they are, with Wesley Sneijder getting a lucky goal against Brazil and again in the semi final against Uruguay, which broke the resistance of both teams. While Holland have won all of their games at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they have not played to the high expectation which was expected from them. Their free flowing confident game has been a little subdued, and certainly getting Arjen Robben back from injury was a major boon for them. He, along with Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder is the attacking dimension of the team, and where all of their strengths are. Without them, it is hard to see where the creativity is coming from, and if they are starved of the ball, which they should be against the Spaniards, they will naturally find it hard to make an impact. Without them, the hopes of the Netherlands will rapidly fade, and therefore it will be interesting to see how coach Van Marwijk deals with this problem. Will they simply sit back like Germany did, and look to quickly hit the Spanish on the break. It is something which the Dutch have done in the tournament already, but Spain are so good, not many of those breaks come your way.

All in all, this is Holland’s big day, but their 3-2 victory over Uruguay in the semi finals, showed that they are perhaps a little more vulnerable than the Spanish. The two sides have never met in the World cup finals, and at South Africa 2010, there will definitely be a new name on the trophy. Other records from World Cup history have fallen already, and another one will be the fact that for the first time, a European nation will lift the trophy outside of their own continent. Holland or Spain? Holland will know that they are underdogs, and looking around at World Cup betting tips, everything is leaning towards Spain fulfilling their destiny of being both European and World champions. In order for Holland to get their hands anywhere near the trophy, they will need to tread the thin line between confidence in attack, and displaying a stalwart defence. If they can get a goal early, meaning that they come out and really take the game to the Spaniards in the early stages, then they will have a better chance. Spain will naturally come on to them, and the counter attack may again be the best weapon for the Dutch. They do not have the quality in the midfield that Spain do thought, and that means they must hustle the Spanish players, something the Dutch aren’t great at, and make the most of the opportunities which come their way.

Spain v Holland Betting Tips & Prediction

Prediction (who will win): Spain to win by one goal 13/5 at Bet365

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

Current World Cup Final Holland v Spain Odds:

Uruguay v Holland Betting Odds

Holland to win: 7/10 at Paddy Power
Draw: 13/5 at SkyBet
Uruguay to win: 11/2 at Bet365

World Cup Semi Final
Date: Tuesday, July 6th
Kick Off: 19.30 GMT

Uruguay

Despite having four teams in the Quarter Finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, South America have only one representative left, as the remaining Europeans took charge of the competition. Uruguay saw the favoured Brazilians and Argentineans fall by the way side, as they themselves battled through to the semi finals in a tight match against Ghana. Uruguay had the unenviable task of taking on Ghana in the Quarter Finals, who were the last remaining team from Africa. That meant supporters from South America were heavily outnumbered on the African continent, but they were the ones who smiling at the end, after seeing their team win through on penalties. Uruguay have been commended throughout the tournament for their strong defensive play, but they largely had the upper hand in all aspects of their contest against Ghana, who lacked a little punch up front. But it was Ghana who struck first, with a long range effort from midfielder Muntari, who caught Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera off guard. It took a great free kick from striker Diego Forlan to draw Uruguay level, but all of the controversy game at the end of extra time, when fellow striker Luis Suarez cleared a shot off his own goal line with his hands. He saw red and Ghana star striker Asamoah Gyan had the chance to put his side into the semi finals, the first time an African nation had been there, from the penalty spot. Gyan hit the bar, and the game went to a shoot-out, which the South Americans won 4-2.

Uruguay have played well throughout the tournament, even if they have not been one of the most exciting teams to watch. They have a superb resilience and team work about them, which is the underlying root of all of their success. They have scored crucial goals when they needed to, and have defended for long periods of game, being quite comfortable in their role of being a defensive team. But they are a side which show a lot of quality when they have time on the ball, with Diego Forlan being at the heart of most of it. While known for his striking prowess across Europe, the number has more tricks up his sleeve than just putting the ball in net. You can watch and admire how he finds space, delivers dead balls with accuracy as well as picking out creative passes. Uruguay are just as comfortable on the ball as any other South American team, but because they have not go the out and out quality as Brazil or Argentina, they work to tactics which work for them. That is being conservative and by giving very little away, it means that they do not have to chase games too hard. Uruguay’s defence works from the front to the back, and the forwards press quite hard to stop the ball getting forward in the first place. The scrapping and quality tackling is a strength of the Uruguayans, especially in midfield, where there are three core players who keep compact. With the two wide forwards dropping back to held in midfield, there is a tough sky blue wall for opponents to get through.

But the South Americans naturally have very good quality up front as well, particularly in the link between Forlan and Suarez. Now however, after his indiscretion in the Quarter Final, Uruguay will have to do without Luis Suarez as they take on Holland in the semi finals. This is quite a big blow for Uruguay, as Suarez is quite the prolific scorer. But, because they generally set up with three players up top, they may be able to cope. Uruguay do put out three forwards, with Forlan linking up between attacking midfielder and extra forward. It is a system which offers a lot of defensive benefits, as well as having the power in position to attack on the counter attack. Uruguay will go into their semi final match as underdogs against Holland, as the Dutch have been riding high on a long run of unbeaten games. But Uruguay can take confidence into the match, simply because of their defence, and knowing that the Netherlands have not looked particularly great through the tournament. Holland v Uruguay will see the South Americans thinking that this as a chance to bring down one of Europe’s elite, by playing a tight, compact game as they always do. Uruguay are a great World Cup Betting tip to grind down, dent the confidence of, and beat Holland.

Uruguay are not a prolific team going forward though, but that does not mean that they do not have goals in them. They are a huge threat from set pieces, and when hitting teams on the break. Holland’s style will suit Uruguay to some extents, as the South Americans will be facing a patient team which like to knock the ball around and look for beautiful goals. Uruguay will be pretty confident that they can negate the threats from Holland, simply by keeping things tight in the middle of the park, and cutting off the supply line to the forwards. They will have to deal with opponents who like to throw a bit more width into their game than any of their opponents have done so far, but with Suarez having to be absent, it may allow for an extra out and out midfielder to spread out and clog up the midfield, leaving just two strikers up top. There is not a harder working team left in the tournament, and the Uruguay strikers always drop back as much as possible anyway, so they always seem to have extra midfielders on the pitch.

Uruguay Team News: Midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro is injured. Captain and defender Diego Lugano is a doubt. Jorge Lugano and Luis Suarez, suspended.

Holland

Holland have not been playing anywhere near their potential of Total Football, the style associated with the Dutch. While they have gone nearly thirty matches now without losing, there appears to be something lacking in their game, an edge that is not quite sharp enough which may see them fail in the Holland v Uruguay semi final. That seems an odd thing to say about a team which just went out and beat Brazil 2-1 in the Quarter Finals. Holland found themselves behind early on in the match after the Brazillian attack were cutting through them like a hot knife through butter. To their credit, they got themselves back into the match with a piece of luck from a cross from key man Wesley Sneijder, which eluded everyone including Julio Cesar in the Brazilian goal. Holland went on to win the match, largely helped by the South Americans completely losing their cool and capitulating, with Brazil’s Felipe Melo being shown the red card. It was a feisty, tetchy match, in which the Netherland were guilty of showing unsportsmanlike conduct, with winger Arjen Robben in particular spending a lot of time on the ground in drawing fouls. He was lucky to still be on the pitch for simulation, as the Dutch players milked all they could in playing up to the referee and agitating the Brazilians.

Holland have not displayed as much firepower as they were expected to have, and while going behind against Brazil was the first time that they have had their backs against the wall, they have not been overly convincing in proving that they have enough to win the World Cup. However, luck does play a huge part in football, and the Dutch are now just two victories away from winning the greatest prize in the game. South Americans Uruguay stand in their way now and it will be tough test for the Dutch, who will need to show a little more passion than they have done. They are on the brink of something good, and perhaps they are saving their best for last, and their best will be needed to break down the resilient Uruguayans. There were rumours of fractions in the Dutch camp after Robin Van Persie was moaning about being substituted in match. He had a very poor afternoon against Brazil, and him not being on song will not help the Dutch cause any. The key man for Holland is Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder, who floats around linking up the midfield and attack. It was his two goals which caused the downfall of Brazil, and Uruguay simply have to find a way to keep him quite. They do that, and they will be giving themselves a huge boost.

At the back Holland lost their main centre half Joris Mathijsen just before kick off, and the aging legs of Andre Ooijer had to step in. The Dutch were not, in any way shape or form convincing against Brazil at the back, and Uruguay will fancy their chances there, especially from dead ball situations. The best way for Uruguay to get through Holland will be going down the middle of the park, where the South Americans will be able to out work, out battle and out tackle the European side. There is not a great deal of toughness in the middle for Holland, with Mark Van Bommel being the main man who holds things together. Quite how he was on the pitch at the end of the match against Brazil is quite a mystery, as he was guilty of some very blatant fouls. He was quite reckless, and if the craft and speed of Forlan can get the better of him, then the South Americans will be in with quite a good chance of winning this one. For Holland, this will now represent their best opportunity to win the World Cup in their history. They will believe that they are facing the weakest team left in the competition, and their place in the final should be already booked. This is something else which could work against their favour, underestimating the technical capabilities of the Uruguayans. Holland need to show a lot more conviction, and a lot more creativity than they have done in the tournament so far, in order to break down Uruguay. They have the talent, but do they have the team to rise again and get the job done without being over complacent?

Netherlands Team News: Gergory Van Der Wiel, Nigel De Jong (suspended). Robin Van Persie, Joris Mathijsen (injury doubts).

Holland v Uruguay World Cup Betting Prediction: Uruguay could again edge this one, adding another upset to the list of unexpected results for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Uruguay +0.75 Asian Handicap for 41/40 at Bet365
 

Current World Cup Betting Prices

European Champions Spain have again stretched their legs at the top of the World Cup 2010 betting chart. After coming into the tournament as outright favourites, their less than emphatic run of results, saw their price lengthen in comparison to Brazil and Argentina, who had theirs shortened. Spain though have had the last laugh over the two South American power houses, as they both fell by the wayside in the Quarter Finals, while Spain ambled on unconvincingly to the World Cup Semi Finals. Spain are now back as favourites to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the best price around on them at the moment is Spain 2/1 at SkyBet to be lifting the trophy on July 11th in Johannesburg. They have a mighty tough task in their semi final though, as they take on the tournament’s most exciting and in form team, England’s conquerors, Germany. The Germans have been scoring for fun, and their young, dynamic team have looked very impressive. As they are going head to head with Spain in the Germany v Spain semi final and are not starting as favourites in the World Cup betting for that match, they sit behind Spain in the outright market. There are still worth a good punt though, especially as they are priced at 9/4 with SkyBet. Out of a four horse race, that is not bad at all.

Germany are priced the same as Holland 9/4 at Victor Chandler at the moment. This says even more about Germany, as Holland have the perceived easier task of taking on Uruguay in their semi final. Taking on the favourites Spain, Germany are priced evenly with the Dutch, which suggests, and rightly so, that the Germans are much better than Holland. Out of the four teams which remain in the hunt for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, neither Holland nor Spain have played particularly well. They have been winning their matches, but not playing any world beating football or running out as emphatic winners. Germany on the other hand have been firing goals in, left right and centre, and look a much stronger bet than the two of them. They are not favourites, simply because they are inexperienced compared to Spain, but out of the Spain v Germany semi final, you would realistically expect the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to emerge.

The other team which should not be overlooked, is Uruguay, the last South American team standing. Come the quarter finals, South America looked to be dominating things with four teams left in. However, the Europeans came through strongly to take three of the remaining four spots in the tournament. So Uruguay are left flying the South American flag, and while controversy surrounds their striker Luis Suarez for punching Ghana’s last ditch attempt at a winner off the line, the Uruguayans are fully deserving of their spot in the semi finals. They are a phenomenally hard working team, but not as expansive of exciting to watch as other nations. They are more than capable of beating Holland in their semi final, simply because they have the capacity to outwork the Dutch, but they are now rank outsiders to win the tournament, out at 13/1 at Bwin to win the World Cup. Are they worth a punt? They are the underdogs, but yes, even if you get them down as an each way bet, at the price they are, they are probably worth a dabble.

Here are some 2010 FIFA World Cup Stats to draw some comparisons to help your World Cup Betting.

To Reach World Cup Final Odds
Netherlands: 1/3 at Totesport
Spain: 4/5 at Stan James
Germany: Evens at Totesport
Uruguay: 13/5 at SportingBet

Name the World Cup Finalists
Spain/Holland: 17/11 at Bwin
Germany/Holland: 17/10 at Stan James
Spain/Uruguay: 6/1 at Bet365
Germany/Uruguay: 13/2 at SportingBet

Betting Guide to Holland

Perhaps that old destructive nature has started to creep back into the Netherlands, just as it appeared that Holland were finally a collective that would push on towards World Cup glory together. Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie has been complaining about the fact that he got substituted in Holland’s last sixteen victory over Slovakia. He was visibly unhappy at the time, insisting that Wesley Sneijder should have been taken off instead of him. Now coach Bert Van Marwijk has the task of trying to unite the Dutch side as they chase a place in the World Cup final. All too often Holland have failed to put their talents to good use when it matters, usually falling into some disarray off the pitch at tournament football, which then causes them to crash out. Historically, the Dutch always start well at tournaments, and then bottle it on the big occasion. Even during their impressive qualification run and build up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Van Marwijk kept stating that he is imploring and drilling into the players the need to stay calm and to show a togetherness. The in fighting has been a problem will Dutch sides in the past, and all was looking to be plain sailing until Van Persie launched an angry outburst. Holland unquestionably have the talent worthy of winning in Europe and on the World stage. Whether they can put everything together for three more matches remains to be seen, as they have yet to display with any consistency, the beautiful game they have come to be known for. Not that they have been troubled in the World Cup so far this time, they haven’t, winning all three of their group games comfortably. But the Netherlands look as if they have not hit top gear, and going into a quarter final match against Brazil, that is exactly what you would need.

Holland came through their World Cup qualification with a 100% record, and they are on a long unbeaten run of games, which should put them in good standing in terms of confidence. While confidence is a necessary part of football, the Dutch are usually over confident to the point of arrogance, another of the qualities which are often their own undoing. Holland are famous for Total Football, but they are looking well short of that great title, even though they are clearly one of the stronger teams in Europe. Tournament football has never been their forte though, and like Spain, they are still chasing their first ever World Cup title. They certainly have the individual talent to do it, with Robin Van Persie himself, and the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben. Do they have the team to do it though? Their back line is solid enough, yet they have rarely been tested against top opposition. Cameroon exposed a lot of holes when playing and pace, and managed to get in behind the Dutch defence on several occasions. It is little things like this which keep Holland from being favourites in tournaments, even though they have some of the most impressive form around. They are not as good as Brazil, but they good give Brazil a good game if they can get enough of the position, but they are nowhere near as potent up front as Brazil are, the same level of threat just is not there. Holland, when the stressful times come and backs are against the wall, probably do not quite have the team nor the team spirit to win out.

Tactics: Holland’s Total Football approach lies in the fact that they let their midfielders and forwards link up by instinct. While there is obviously a formation to start out with, there is not so much of a rigidity in the workings of it. It is a very South American style which the Netherlands play, with the key man in the creative number ten position, being Sneijder who links up the midfield and sit in behind lone striker Van Persie. Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt patrols the flanks then, as well as filling in in centre midfield. Interchangeable is the word for Holland.
 
Coach: Bert Van Marwick – is not a person who is afraid to go his own way, but he does keep the ethics of Holland’s impressive style of football. Has relied on his experienced players a lot through his reign, and took a huge gamble in taking Mark Van Bommel with him, who has become pivotal in the middle of the park for Holland. The only thing wrong with Holland, is that is hard to see a back up plan if they go behind, and Marwijk hasn’t got a lot on the bench to change things up.

Holland World Cup 2010 Stats

Results
Holland 2, Slovakia 1
Holland 2, Cameroon 1
Holland 1, Japan 0
Holland 2, Denmark 0

Goals: 7 For, 2 Against
Cards: Y8, SY0, R0
Top Passer: Mark Van Bommel (238 passes, 78% completion rate)
Most Fouls: Wesley Sneijder, 8

Last 10 Match Holland Form:  DDWWWWWWWW

Probable Route to Winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup: Brazil (Q/F), Uruguay (S/F), Spain (F)

Holland Betting Tips

Stage of Elimination
Quarter Finals: 2/1 at Ladbrokes
Semi Finals: 6/1 at Bet365
Winners: 10/1 at Ladbrokes
Runners Up: 11/1 at Ladbrokes

To Reach Final
No – 1/5 at Bwin
Yes – 3/1 at Bwin

Holland’s Top Goal scorer at StanJames
Robin Van Persie 3/1 (1 goal)
Arjen Robben 5/1(1 goal)
Wesley Sneijder 4/6 (2 goals)
Dirk Kuyt 4/1 (1 goal)
Klaas Jan Huntelaar (1 goal)

Holland Betting Tip: Total Goals: 8-9 for 3/1 at Ladbrokes

Holland look to affirm World Cup Betting Odds with second victory

One of the most in form teams in the World, Holland, will look to book themselves a place in the second round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, by taking three points off Japan on Saturday. The Netherlands opened their account with a comfortable 2-0 victory of the defensive minded Denmark, and on display were the slick passing moves that have pushed Holland up near the top of World Cup betting odds. They were not quite as efficient as had been expected, if you are looking at the match with a critical eye, but still, it was more than enough to get them over the line against Denmark. One thing which will help the Dutch, is that they should be able to comfortably build momentum, even though they came into the tournament on the back of some great form. They have traditionally been the side which blew it on the big occasion, the nation which has far too often crumbled when they are the threshold of achieving something big. Now, however, things look a little different, as coach Bert Van Marwijk has been pressing home the need for the Dutch to remain calm and go about their business with their feet on the ground. Holland still have the capacity to play some of the most attractive football at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as their pace and movement is something to be admired. But they have ran into walls when they have had to dig deep and scrap it out in physical games. Even though the Danes sat back against, the Dutch had enough guile to break them down, but they will face much more difficult tasks.

Next on the menu for Holland, are the Japanese, which will pose a whole different type of opposition than the Danish. Japan will probably play a bit more of an open match, and will have more pace than the Danish. That actually sounds like a recipe for disaster against the Dutch, who can pass any team off the pitch. A place in the second round is at steak, and as expected, Holland really should push on and win the group with ease. So strong have the Dutch been backed lately, that bookmakers have consistently been cutting their odds as outright winners of the tournament. There is the possibility that Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben will get a run out against Japan as he continues his rehabilitation from what seemed a tournament threatening injury. His replacement, Rafael van der Vaart did not really hit the spot against Holland, and Robben, who has had an amazing season, would be welcomed back. Playing at full speed and full potential will sit up and make any participating in the 2010 FIFA World take notice. They were graced with a pretty easy group by their standards, and with Wesley Sneijder pulling the strings in midfield, the Dutch should continue to look strong, collected and untroubled as they head towards the second round.

Holland World Cup Betting: Should Holland, now they will have gotten any first match nerves out of the way, win comfortably? Yes. They will have seen Germany and Argentina enjoy goal fests, and there is no reason why the Dutch can’t do it against Japan, who are not the force they used to be. Holland to win by 3 goals or more at decently priced at 7/2 at SkyBet, while Holland to win by 2 goals is a decent 10/3 at Bet365. If you fancy Robin van Persie to get in amongst the scoring, then he is 21/20 at Bet365 as an anytime scorer. Dirk Kuyt is also nicely priced at 2/1 with Bet365. Looking at the tournament as whole, Holland are 9/1 at Bet365 to win the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Holland Asian Handicap Betting Tip: A comfortable -1 is 9/10 at Bet365, as Holland will be expected to win by at least one goal.

Holland World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: P1, W1, D0, L0
GF/GA: 2/0
Cards: Y2, R0
Most Shots: Two Players, 2
Top Scorer: Dirk Kuyt, 1
Shots/On Goal: 18/7
Fouls Committed: 13
Total Passes: 576
Pass Completion: 80%
Last 5 Form: WWWWW
 

Blue Samurai exceeding expectations

The Blue Samurai will have been immensely delighted with their three points earned against Cameroon in their first match. Japan ran out 1-0 winners, with a goal from midfielder Keisuke Honda, but while they took the three points, the game still raised enough questions to suggest that Japan really to pick up their game if they are going to get anything out of Holland. With their first three points in the bag, Japan will probably go into this match without much pressure on their shoulders, as they will not be expected to win. There were doubts whether they would even be able to take anything off a Cameroon side which are lacking in confidence and ability. But the Blue Samurai showed an unexpected turn of pace, which resulted in a spirited performance. With a final game to come against Denmark, who are not an expansive side, Japan will still be fairly confident on pushing on to the second round. They were not expected too at the beginning of the tournament, as they have undergone quite a transitional period, with their golden generation having passed on. They are a nation in rebuild mode, and that means there was not the expectation of quality from Japan. But they dug deep enough to beat Cameroon in an evenly contested match, and now, if they can steal an unlikely point against the Netherlands, they will have already had a successful 2010 FIFA World Cup. But they will have to be tighter, and keep the ball better if they are to go anyway in matching the Dutch.

Japan World Cup betting: The Blue Samurai are not expected to take anything from Holland in this match, with the Dutch clear outright favourites in the match. Realistically the best that Japan could hope for would be a draw, and that would be the best way to go in your betting with them. They will set out to stifle and frustrate the Dutch. The best option for doing that, would be giving them a big Asian Handicap advantage, as they really do not pack much punch up front.
Japan Asian Handicap Betting tip: +1.25 for Evens at Paddy Power, gives you coverage up to Japan losing by one goal.

Japan World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: P1, W1, D0, L0
GF/GA: 1/0
Cards: Y1, R0
Most Shots: Keisuke Honda, 2
Top Scorer: Keisuke Honda, 2
Shots/On Goal: 5/5
Fouls Committed: 20
Total Passes: 389
Pass Completion: 59%
Last 5 Form: DLLLW

Holland v Japan Betting Odds

Holland to win: 4/9 at Bet365
Draw: 7/2 at Stan James
Japan: 9/1 at Boylesports
 

Current Holland v Japan Odds:

For those of you that haven’t noticed, Holland’s odds to win this summer’s 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa have plummited in recent weeks. A nation many consider as the most talented country not to have won a World Cup, the Dutch, on Betfair alone, have nose-dived in the outright market quite significantly, with Bert Van Marwijk’s men readily available at around 16.5 but are now a less attractive 12.0. There hasn’t really been any one reason as to why their price has shrunk so apparently, it’s more than likely that punters have quickly come to realise that the Dutch have their familar squad of worldbeaters on paper, a team packed full of explosive and entertaining forward talent, that certainly boast both the credentials and potential to win a FIFA World Cup. And as their price has began to dimish,  at least in the sense of value, the part-time punters, those looking to have a random and speculative punt in the outright market, have noticed Holland’s popularity in the market and jumped on board. That is just one theory, although it could simply be the fact that Holland were a stunning price to win the first FIFA World Cup on African soil in the first place and punters have quickly snapped up the value on a team now generally perceived as the fifth highest rated side in the competition according to the outright betting market.

As far as we can recall, Bert Van Marwijk and Holland have played two pre-World Cup friendlies; beating North Americans Mexico 2-0 in Germany on May 26th and then there was their demolition job of Group E’s Ghana on Tuesday night (1st June) in Holland as the team left their homeland with a bang. All the big sides have attempted it, in their final game on home soil trying to put in a world-class performance will won’t only have the patriots standing up and taking notice but supproters from across the country beleiving that 2010 will be their year. Holland did just this with aplomb on Tuesday night, and if you had any doubt about whether the value boat had been missed on Holland their rout of Ghana may of had you thinking otherwise, and probably dashing to your local bookmaker to stick a few pounds on Oranje ending their World Cup duct in South Africa.

Holland were mightly impressive against Ghana without ever really breaking into too much of a sweat and overdoing it, although Ghana were a big disappointment in our eyes. Ghana’s decision to sit back and to press on only the select few occasions allowed those in Orange to get a feel of the ball, to grow in confidence and then assert themselves on the fixture. And against a Holland side which consists of some of the more lethal and destructive players in the world; Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van der Vaart, Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben amongst several others, that’s international suicide, or heaven in the eyes of the Dutch. In fairness though, Holland weren’t going full-pelt at Ghana although had they, the Dutch may have been out of sigh by half-time. As it turned out, Holland to just a 1-0 lead into half-time. That could be out first real problem with Holland, or a niggle, in that they are prone to the odd lazy performance every now and again, and while this game was only a friendly and the need to exert too much energy wasn’t really needed, if they don’t play to their full potential and capacity from day one, with the aim being to kill sides off as early as physically possible, Holland may come unstuck. Another concern of ours was this lull in the early stages of the second half, much like they did against Mexico a few days earlier, where they sat back for some reason and allowed their opponents, Ghana on this occasion, to familarise and become comfortable with the ball and enjoy a spell of pressure. Again, against a more experienced, renowned and talented side, Holland will get punished.

The positives though about how the Dutch go about their business is based around ‘explosions’ and by that we mean Holland have this unique ability to go from simmering to boiling almost instantously and this is mainly down to the fact they have so many classy individuals. Players like Arjen Robben, Afellay and Robin Van Persie are all accomplished dribblers of the ball, but it’s shooting from distance, to get in a dangerous goalbound attempt, that makes Holland stand out from the rest, as while some of the remaining ‘big’ teams can struggle to compete when enduring an off-day, Holland have players within their midst which can turn any game completely on it;s head with one gifted strike of the ball.

It’s always pleasing, especially for a punter, that when a side is struggling to assert themselves in the final third of the pitch, they have players which can strike a ball from distance with pace and precision like accuracy and for Holland it’s almost become a ‘Plan B’ should their fabulous interchanging and sleek pass-and-moves not prove effective. The latter feature of Holland’s play takes us onto our final point; counter-attack. The Dutch are arguably the best counter-attacking nation heading to South Africa in the summer, maintaining their reputation from EURO 2008 where they tore France and Italy to pieces with some blistering moves out of defence into attack. At times it’s quite unbelieveable to see especially live. While it may look as though it’s a rapid dash up the field from Holland, it’s all plan in that everyone knows their roles and it’s the simple fact that counter-attacking is a permanant feature within the Dutch style of play, an attribute which enables them to become even more of a threat in the attacking third and a trait upon many others which ensure Holland stand out from what is a competitive crowd, as while many other teams focus on one or two methods of playing, Holland don’t just have a Plan B, they also have a Plan C and possibly even a D. The Dutch are one of the more versatile nations, willing to play in a number of ways, and it’s of little surprise that punters have been taking chunks out of their price for weeks now ahead of the finals which kick off shortly.

Holland will take on Hungary at Ajax’s Amsterdam Arena before flying out to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they’ll first take on Denmark on June 14th before later meetings with Cameroon and Japan in Group E. The Netherlands are widely expected to sail through their Group with their usual swagger when it comes to playing in the Group stage of a major international tournament and it won’t be until the knock-out stage of the competition until the Dutch will really be tested, as in the last-sixteen Italy could await them.

Holland Bets:

WIN the 2010 FIFA World Cup – 11/1 Bet365

To Reach the Semi-Final – 9/4 PaddyPower