England

The bookmakers reacted to England’s 1-0 win over Slovenia by cutting their odds on World Cup success from 11/1 to 8/1 (bet365), although the Three Lions were on the drift just hours later after Germany beat Ghana to win Group D. It means that the two old foes meet each other at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein and this must be the most captivating last sixteen tie of the competition.

Both teams have drifted on the outright market, especially as they are also in the same quarter as Argentina, following La Albiceleste winning Group B. England are available at a best price 11/1 with Sporting Bet to win their second ever World Cup and the consensus is that the bookies could be a bit more generous when it comes to pricing up Fabio Capello’s team. After all, Slovenia are not a footballing powerhouse and England were guilty of not finishing them off in the second half.

Germany are available at odds of around 12/1 on betfair, with Joachim Low’s men having gone as short as 7/1 on the outright market following a 4-0 demolition of Australia in their first game. However, the team have looked a lot less convincing in games against Serbia and Ghana, although they did manage to win the latter to top the section.

Writing on Wednesday evening, it’s Brazil who are favourites to win the 2010 World Cup with the majority of firms. Paddy Power and bet365 are prepared to offer 4/1 about the Selecao and it’s worth noting that if you back any team on the outright market with the latter and they lose on a penalty shoot-out, you will get stakes refunded.

It’s a South American 1-2 at the top of most bookmaker’s market, with Argentina trading at no bigger than 5/1, with some bookies giving Diego Maradona’s team a bigger price now that they have to play Germany or England should they reach the quarter final – not that Mexico will be an easy game on Sunday night.

The one team who might be worth backing are Uruguay, another south American team who have flown under the radar to win Group A and now look as though they have a fairly clean passage through to the semi-finals. La Celeste are no bigger than 18/1 (Bet Fred) on the outright market, having been 25/1 earlier on Wednesday before England’s second place and Germany’s top spot meant that the two teams featured on the opposite half of the draw. Oscar Tabarez’s team will face South Korea and would then face either USA or Ghana – we could be seeing them in the final four.

There are still issues to be decided, with Spain and Brazil not guaranteed top spot in Group H and G respectively. Vicente Del Bosque’s team are available at 11/2 (Sporting Bet) to win the World Cup and will be hoping to face Portugal on Tuesday night, rather than Brazil on Monday night.

England V Algeria Preview

Kick-off: Friday, 18th June – 19:30 GMT
Stadium: Green Point Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
Group C

England

The English were slated back home following the stalemate with the United States. Robert Green stole all the limelight, especially in the back pages of the newspaper, but for all the wrong reasons after it was his blunder which handed USA an equaliser and a share of the spoils. However, with only a handful of the big teams actually excelling in the early stages, and Spain suffering a shock 1-0 loss to Switzerland on Wednesday, perhaps a little bit of perspective is needed as England prepare for their second Group C encounter against African minnows Algeria, with a win for England leaving them in pole position to qualify from the group, although, with Germany impressing everyone with their annihilation of Australia, perhaps finishing top of the group does become of more significance for Fabio Capello and England.

If we’re going to be honest and hand out a few home truths, England really shouldn’t bother turning up if they’re worried about who they’ll face in the Round of 16 phase. Granted every team wants to go as far as they can, so an easier tie in the first phase of the knock-outs is always ideal, but for England, a country which expects so much but is delivered so little, nothing less than a final will be deemed worthy, so a few scalps will need claiming along the way anyway. The problem is, do England really have the bottle needed to handle the colossal amount of pressure currently piled on top of them, as they haven’t in recent tournaments gone by despite having one of the more talented squads around.

Ahead of Friday’s crunch clash with Algeria, crunch only because England simply must win else they face some stinging backlash from the English media as well as a nervy final 90 minutes against Slovenia a few days later, Fabio Capello must make some of the biggest decisions in his England tenure when he decides where to play captain Steven Gerrard now that Gareth Barry is back from injury, who should playing the starring role alongside Wayne Rooney in attack and whether Robert Green deserves to keep the gloves, after it was his howler which cost us two points against the cocky Americans. We believe Gerrard will be deployed on the left, nullifying some of the fabulous attacking qualities the Liverpool skipper has, as Barry drops back into his familiar holdin role. Crouch will replace Heskey in attack after the latter failed to impress and score against the United States, while we hope Green retains his place in goal, although rumour has it that the West Ham keeper will lose his spot to David James.

There shouldn’t be any question of England winning this game though, against an Algeria team which looked entirely out of their depth against Slovenia, and the European’s were drastically poor themselves. If England can get their creative juices going, get the likes of Gerrard and Lampard joining attacks, Aaron Lennon charging at his defender and Wayne Rooney fired up, although there is a thin line with Rooney, then England should sail away into the night with a resounding win. We expect nothing less than a comfortable victory, the fans inside the stadium expect the same while the press back home in England will probably crucify them if they don’t.

Algeria

Algeria’s role in Group C appeared to be merely making up the numbers, although they will play a significant part in how England fare in terms of qualifying from the group. Not that coach Rabah Saadane will care an awful lot about England’s situation and goals mind, as with the gap between his team and Slovenia in first position being a mere three points, he, as well as the rest of the squad, will keep the faith that qualification from the group is still a realistic possibility and they will be going out onto the Cape Town pitch looking to bolster their own qualifying credentials and not their opposite numbers.

It is easy to forget that Algeria are still alive in kicking in this group despite falling to a 1-0 defeat in their opening game to the now Group C leaders Slovenia. It was an unfortunate lose though, with goalkeeper Faouzi Chauochi to blame for letting a vital point slip from Algerian grasps. Like his opposite number, Robert Green, Chauochi may well have been dropped but a knee injury looks set to rule him out of this contest regardless. We suppose that’s bad news for England, although it doesn’t bode well for Algeria if Chauochi is their best keeper judging by his display against the Slovenians. Back to the point at hand though, and Algeria need only a win to jump right back into qualifying contention again, although that does seem a huge ask and an unlikely outcome despite the recent heroics of Switzerland.

We had the displeasure of watching large chunks of Algeria’s game with Slovenia, and the African team were so disappointing. Ranging right the way up from goalkeeper to attackers, coach Saadane will have been furious with how his team players on the day in a game where they threw away any chance of picking up points. In fairness, their attacking play was so drab and dull, almost non-exsistent at times, that a point was the most they were ever going to get out of the game, although it does make you wonder how on earth they managed to record wins over Egypt (Winners of the African Cup of Nations) and Ivory Coast in January.

Algeria do have a couple of big named scalps under their belts in 2010, with their 3-2 victory over the Ivory Coast, who are battling away in Group G, the most notable. However, their poor team performance against Slovenia followed on from their poor showing in pre-World Cup internationals, where a 1-0 win over international lost causes UAE was all they had to brag about, as two defeats to Republic of Ireland and Serbia, both by a comfortable 3-0 scoreline, overshadowed their UAE victory immediately before heading out to South Africa.

World Cup Preview – England V Algeria Betting Tips

Match Odds:

England – 1.29 WilliamHill
Draw – 6.00 Bet365
Algeria – 15.00 VCbet

Our Prediction: England to WIN – 1.29 WilliamHill

If England don’t win this by a clear two goal margin they should pack their bags and head home now, such has been the woefulness of Algeria’s recent performances. The Algerian defence shaped up as though it would concede a large number against any nation which dared to attack them instead of messing around in the middle of the park like Slovenia did, while there’s little threat of Algeria scoring, even against fumbler Green, as they lack any attacking inspiration and have been further demoralised up front by the loss of Ghezzal through suspension, who actually looked menacing for the 15 or so minutes he was on the pitch before seeing red as a substitute.

It is, however, clear by looking at Algeria’s results this year that they do have a big performance somewhere in their locker, as victories over Ivory Coast and Egypt aren’t easy to come by. Consistency maybe an issue, while nerves may have played a part in what was the country’s first World Cup appearance since 1986, but you can only go on their last display and it was pathetic to say the least. If they play like they did against Slovenia, England will smash them for six. That is unless England somehow find a way to go backwards instead of forwards from their 1-1 draw with the United States.

Our Recommended Bet: England to Score in Both Halves – 2.20 PaddyPower

England V USA

Kick-off: Saturday, 12th June – 19:30 GMT
Stadium: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg
Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil)
Group C

England

England fans need little reminding that their one and only previous triumph at a World Cup was on home soil way back in 1966. A iconic year in the eyes of many England followers. At the 2010 finals in South Africa, the Three Lions will head into yet another World Cup with the same expectant attitude, with anything less than a final appearance likely to be deemed a failure by the English media. So with all this pressure, the weight of a nation dreaming of World Cup success for just the second time bearing down on them, is it healthy to be expecting so much from a nation which has never coped well under pressure?

Fabio Capello’s men kick-off their campaign against the United States in Rustenburg on Saturday, June 12th, with the sole aim of bringing home three points thus setting them up nicely for a comfortable ride through to the knock-outs. Their Group couldn’t have been any easier in fairness, with only their opponents on Saturday likely to pose any sort of problems. However, that could all change should our Three Lions lose their roar in Rustenburg and not come away with all the spoils. On paper, even Saturday’s encounter should be plain sailing even though they’re up against a United States team which surprised everyone with their trip to the final of the FIFA Confederations Cup last year, dashing Spain’s 35 game unbeaten run along the way.

You would be forgiven for claiming England have a far better player in every single position that the United States, and you would be correct. That makes dropping any points on Saturday even more disastrous, calamitous in fact. But with England it’s never simple even though it should be.  We have the problem of who will start in goal, will it be Jamies Carragher or Ledley King playing alongside John Terry at centre-half and who will play Rooney’s side-kick up front. All of these issues should have been resolved weeks ago, and perhaps they have behind closed doors, but it’s this uncertainty which is leading to doubts and what has partly led to some pretty shambolic international displays during their preparation period before the finals.

In all three of England’s warm up games, not once did we see some natural chemistry of link-up play. We’re still playing as individuals instead of coming together as a team and this is largely down to our own bad luck with injuries. Without one of the most composed centre-backs in the game in Rio Ferdinand we’re vulnerable in defence and the absence of Gareth Barry means we’re unbalanced now that Steven Gerrard has slotted back into the middle of the park with Frank Lampard. We know this can’t be helped but it appears Lady Luck, who has always been against us in previous finals, still isn’t siding with the Three Lions. We were showing some real togetherness during qualifying that has been missing from the England national team for years, but these latest injury setbacks have done just that, sent us back to the stone age where England forget how to play as a team and struggle to carve out opportunities. We’re concerned, although an impressive display against the USA on Saturday would change our mindset completely.

USA

The United States went as far as the semi-final way back in 1930 in what was then the inaugural World Cup. Since then, however, USA have performed to a lousy standard at recent finals and in the 9 finals they’ve competed in, only three times have they qualified from their group. When the draw for South Africa 2010 was made, the United States were delighted with their group, with not only the glorious opportunity to make the knock-outs encouraging the nation to get behind their team but the chance to get one over on the English, who in just about every other sport are inferior to the US.

The one and only occasion the USA recorded a win over England in a World Cup encounter was 60 years ago in Brazil, when the United States etched out a 1-0 victory in the 1950′s finals. Go forward over half-a-century and a similar result would reverberate around South Africa, with Bob Bradley’s not fancied to get a whole lot out of their Group C opener with Fabio Capello’s Three Lions in Rustenburg.

Bradley masterminded USA’s safe passage through qualifying, finishing top of the CONCAFAF table, topping the likes of Mexico and Honduras, of whom both are participants in the 2010 finals. However, it’s common knowledge that football up in the Northern hemisphere isn’t at the same level or standard as that down further south, and that no North American country has ever lifted the FIFA World Cup. The United States did, however, come within touching distance of lifting last years Confederations Cup only to be denied by a second half Brazilian surge, after previously taking a 2-0 lead into half-time. Many of the 100,000+ USA supporters in South Africa are clinging onto their inspirational performance during what is the World Cup prep tournament for dear life, praying it will serve them will and provide the United States team with a springboard to further success in South Africa.

The main characteristics with this current United States crop is their self-belief and their industrious mannerism on the field. Very rarely will a USA team turn up for a match, especially those against the elite nations, and put in a lazy performance. This especially has been the case under coach Bob Bradley, who has instilled some hard-working qualities into this USA team and it has served them well recently, more notably at the Confederations Cup last year. They are, though, a tad lightweight at the back in terms of calm and composed defenders, defenders which are smart enough to spot the oncoming runs and quell the attacks. You don’t really get that with this USA team, and whole their organisation is often second to none, they are susceptible to capitulating if they concede early on.

Bradley tried to go with a 4-3-3 formation in the pre-World Cup friendlies, although that didn’t really work out in the early part. Against England, Bradley will probably set his team up in a more defensive formation. The bulky figure of Jozy Altidore will play the role of the forlorn striker, with Fulham’s Clint Dempsey and former Everton loanee Landon Donovan with the onrushing support. It’s likely to be something in the shape of a 4-5-1 formation, with the idea being to keep the game stalemate for as long as possible, whilst looking to snatch a goal on the counter or from a set-piece.

Match Odds:

England – 1.53 PaddyPower
Draw – 4.30 VCbet
USA – 7.50 WilliamHill

Our Prediction: England to WIN – 1.53 PaddyPower

While we have sided with England, it isn’t beyond the realms of possibility that the United States will grab a share of the spoils in Rustenburg. The US will look to rattle England’s cage right from the start, harassing whoever is on the ball and allowing none of the England players to settle when in possession. They are a hard-working bunch of lads these Americans, relentless in how they go about their business and it will be intriguing to see if England have the answers to unlock what is likely to be an organised and well-drilled USA defence.

In Wayne Rooney, we feel England do have the answers and if the Man Utd forward can fire England towards their first set of three points, it may be the platform for the rest of the team to grow in stature and confidence. The first game is always going to be nervy, perhaps doubly more so for England as the pressure on them is enormous, so it may well take a scrappy and ugly win in order to get the Three Lions in the swing of things. However, we don’t rate this American defence in the slightest and while Bob Bradley will try  his utmost to ensure the United States defence as resolute as possible and ready for the test of England, there just aren’t enough wide-old heads at the back to thwart the likes of Rooney, Lampard and Gerrard for the full 90 minutes.

Our Recommended Bet: England -1.25 (Asian Handicap) – 2.10 Bet365

Online Bookmaker Paddy Power’s World Cup Specials section, is something well worth exploring on their website. Well known for their promotions and cash back offers on big events, Paddy Power again delivers with a nice array of alternative bets on England’s World Cup campaign. The main outright odds have been well covered on England’s chances of winning the World Cup, as well as things like England winning their group. So instead, we will explore some of the more obscure bets that can be found on England at South Africa 2010 that Paddy Power are offering right now. These are time sensitive bets that will need to be taken advantage of before England kick off against the USA on Saturday.

“Roo Beauty”
Paddy Power are running a “Roo Beauty” World Cup promotion, for the England v USA fixture on Saturday. This is the first match in England’s World Cup campaign, as they go in search of repeating the success of 1966. Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is of course the focal point of the team, whether it is banging goals into the back of the net, or losing his cool in the heat of battle. Well, Paddy Power are offering a cash back promotion on lost 1st /last goal scorer, correct score & score cast singles on the match, if Rooney scores at any time during the match against the USA. The maximum refund is £100, so this offers some pretty good coverage if your lost bets are redeemed by Rooney scoring, as expected.

1st England Player to Be Fouled during the Competition
The stipulation here is that a free kick or a penalty must be awarded for it to be a foul, so it doesn’t cover fouls that get missed! So who will be upended first? Here it is best to look for the players mostly in the thick of the action, which means you should gravitate towards midfielders. However, Wayne Rooney is top of the list here at 9/2, closely followed by Frank Lampard at 5/1. England captain Steven Gerrard is at 6/1 and makes for a very good bet, along with Peter Crouch out at 9/1.

How Many Shots Will Frank Lampard have in the World Cup?
England’s source of midfield goals, Frank Lampard, usually comes good with finding the back of the net. He is one of the most prolific midfielders at the tournament, and is usually good for a bet on having a crack at goal a few times during a match, even if he doesn’t beat the keeper. There are some interesting brackets to look at in this World Cup market, with “Between 7 & 9 Exactly” and “Between 13 and 16 Exactly” both going at 3/1. Knowing what the dynamic Chelsea midfielder is like, Paddy Power has “Between 10 & 12 Exactly” at 5/2. If you think he is going to hit “Seventeen or more” then you can take it at 4/1.

England Method of Elimination
It is not great to think about, but if England are not to be successful, and Fabio Capello cannot lead the nation to lift the World Cup, then it is worth considering how they will be knocked out. If you think they will be Knocked Out During Normal Time of Knockout Stage, Paddy Power offer odds of 8/13. The next option to look at is England getting Knocked Out During 30 Minute Extra Time Period at 6/1. The dreaded penalties may raise their ugly head again, if you think England will bow out of South Africa 2010 in the cruellest way, then Knocked Out in Penalty Shootout goes at 9/2. In the unlikely event that they will be Knocked Out in Group Stages, you can grab odds of 15/2 on that happening all the same.

First England Player to Be Sent Off
Will it happen? Well all know the fiery temper of a certain Mr Rooney, and the Manchester United star is 10/1 to be the first England player dismissed at the tournament. Chelsea’s John Terry, who is sometimes caught for pace, is at 15/2. The favourite selection in this market however, is No Red Card going for odds of 2/5.

England v USA National Anthem Special
Here is one of Paddy Power’s World Cup bets that come from left field a bit. How many England players will be singing the national anthem during ITV’s coverage of the big match? The anthem is there to instil some pride and get the emotions flowing, so it’s always nice to see players giving it their all. So, between 7 and 9 players is going for 11/10, while something fans would like to see, Ten or more players is at 2/1. The disappointing figure of Between 4 and 6 players singing the anthem, is currently running at 5/2.
 

England

Pre-World Friendly Form: WW

England 3-1 Mexico
England 2-1 Japan

It’s been unconvincing from Fabio Capello’s England up till this point, although the fact they’ve nothced up back-to-back wins before the start of the finals without playing to their full potential has to be a big plus. England found themselves outplayed for the most part against Mexico at Wembley, but the Three Lions took their chances when they came in a clinical manner, whilst relying on some keeping heroics from Robert Green. Many were expecting England to push on from their reasonable opening victory by beating Japan comfortable in Austria. With Japan taking the lead after just six minute, it was patently obvious that another shaky England performance was on the cards, and so it prove to be the case. However, if their fortunate win over a competent Mexico was an indication that the footballing Gods were looking over Capello’s men, their fortuitous turnaround against the Japanese was, with two second half own goals enough to seal a second quick-fire international win.

Without watching either game, you could be forgiven for thinking England head into South Africa with form. Their performances, though, have ranged from lacklustre and lethargic to adequate, with England never getting past 3rd gear in either. One way you could look at it, surely their display can only get better. But there were plenty of mistakes and flaws that their World Cup opponents will look to capitalize on.

The big news, however, was that defensive rock and captain Rio Ferdinand would miss the finals after suffering ligament damage in his knee during training.  As a result, Michael Dawson was recalled and it now leaves Fabio Capello pondering over whether to start with Jamie Carragher or Ledley King in Ferdinand centre-half void. It would appear some of the momentum and confidence gained from two successive friendly wins has now been lost, at such a crucial time as well.

France

Pre-World Friendly Form: LDW

France 2-1 Costa Rica
Tunisia 1-1 France
China 1-0 France

As per usual, France will arrive in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup with little in terms of positive aurora and some winning momentum. Their early victory over Costa Rica, one which was largely undeserved, came when Valbuena scored late on to seal an almost trademark style France win. It was a shaky display all-round from Domenech’s men, with their persistence eventually seeing them run through the finish line first. However, instead of building upon their jammy win, France went in the other direction when drawing 1-1 in Tunisia. It was yet another worrying display from the French team, conceding another early goal before the predictable comeback. This time however, there wasn’t to be a winning finale.

Last and certainly not least, France completed and unwanted set of results, tasting every after-match feeling when losing to China, a team ranked 84 in the FIFA Rankings, thus ensuring the France squad tasted one of each during their World Cup preparations: 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat. It was a match France were very much in control in, but a distinct lack of cutting edge aided by some bad luck meant France would arrive in South Africa with an embarrassing loss hanging over them.

Germany

Pre-World Friendly Form: WW

Hungary 0-3 Germany
Germany 3-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina

News that Germany’s influential captain, Michael Ballack, would miss the finals through an ankle injury really did rock the camp and seen the country’s chances of lifting the FIFA World Cup aloft in South Africa decrease significantly as a direct result. If the German squad was reeling over the loss of their captain they weren’t showing it, as in their first warm up game they thrashed an ever-improving Hungary 3-0. The win came in impressive fashion, both in regards to the scoreline and their performance, and it may well have punters re-evaluating Germany’s chances.

Despite a shaky start to their final warm up game against a tricky Bosnia & Herzegovina, Germany ran out comfortable winners and finished the game with style and in an impressive fashion when winning 3-1 thanks to second half strikes from captain Phillip Lahm and Bastien Schweinstieger. The latter’s brace came via the penalty spot although both were put away with aplomb in the absence of Michael Ballack. It was a case of two halfs, with Germany a tad one-paced in the opening 45 minutes but completely dominant in the second, pinning Bosnia back for the entire length of the second period, with two second-half substitutes in particular impressive for Germany in Marko Marin and Cacua.

Ghana

Pre-World Friendly Form: WL

Holland 4-1 Ghana
Ghana 1-0 Latvia

‘The Black Stars’ were given a Dutch spanking in their opening warm up encounter ahead of the finals in Rotterdam, Gyan grabbed Ghana’s one and only goal of the game in a heavy 4-1 defeat. Coach Milovan Rajevac received crushing news when combative midfielder Michael Essien was ruled out of the finals, and Essien’s absence against Holland, a team with real quality, was evident. There were gaping gaps in the centre of the park, they struggled to retain possession and there was a distinct lack of presence and leadership. It was certainly a worrying display from Ghana, and from an African nation where some were touting as serious players this summer, one of the better African nations to challenge for the title itself. Perhaps that is no longer the case without their talisman.

Ghana left it late in their final international before the World Cup, narrowly recording a win over European’s Latvia via a strike from Quincey Owusu-Abeyie in the 88th minute. While not entirely convincing, the win did at least restore some confidence and self-belief that might have been lost following their Holland drubbing days earlier.

Greece

Pre-World Friendly Form:

Greece 2-2 North Korea
Greece 0-2 Paraguay

Led by one of the most respected managers on the international scene, Otto Rehhagel, Greece will have it all to do in South Africa if their display against Korea DPR and Paraguay are anything to go on. Greece were strong favourites to win their opening friendly, a game against the largely unknown North Koreans. When Greece scored just minutes into the game everyone assumed a rout was on the cards, but stunning equaliser sparked the Asian’s into life and thereafter Greece struggled to keep up with their energetic opponents. Rehhagel’s men were actually losing at one stage and had to dig deep just to pick up a draw and save face. The weren’t so lucky against Paraguay though, with another lacklustre performance by the Greek’s enabling the South American’s to stroll towards victory. Sloppy at the back, a severe lack of creativity and guile in the midfield and a couple of forlorn strikers are what Greece have shown us all so far.

Honduras

Pre-World Friendly Form: LDD

Belarus 2-2 Honduras
Azerbaijan 0-0 Honduras
Romania 3-0 Honduras

The Hondurans were a surprise inclusion into this years event and needed a big helping hand from the United States in order to qualify. After that slice of good fortune, Honduras will feel the God’s have blessed them with this golden opportunity and that they must now seize their opportunity. Two draws against less than average opponents haven’t helped their cause nor has it boosted the confidence of the players. Their first came against Belarus, who in fairness do play some decent football. The second stalemate came against Azerbaijan in what can only be described as a shocker of a result as far as Honduras are concerned. Reinauldo Reuda’s men face the likes of Spain and Chile in Group H at South Africa, and if they can’t put Azerbaijan to bed then what chance do they have against nations with genuine quality.

As if a run of two consecutive draws against teams deemed as minnows within their respective zones, Honduras succumbed to defeat in their final game before facing Chile on June 16th by a Romanian side which failed to perform throughout qualifying for South Africa. To make matters worse, combative midfielder Wilson Palacios was stretched off and remains a doubt for South Africa.

Italy

Pre-World Friendly Form: DL

Mexico 2-1 Italy
Switzerland 1-1 Italy

The defending champions have been hugely disappointing during their preparations for South Africa, with a defeat to Mexico followed by an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Switzerland lamenting the concerns of a country eager to defend their title. In both encounters, Marcello Lippi fielded a strong team and the fact that one of the favourites to win this years edition can’t beat two of the outsiders, with Switzerland in particular almost completely ruled out of the outright equation, it does make you think that Italy might not even put up a fight for their crown in South Africa. The Italians are obviously frustrated with their preparations as in both encounters they received several yellow cards. Concerning to say the least for the usual consistent Italians.

Japan

Pre-World Friendly Form: LLL

Japan 0-2 South Korea
England 2-1 Japan
Japan 0- Ivory Coast

Japan’s World Cup preparations have been tortuous to say the least, with Takeshi Okada, the Japan coach which targeted a semi-final appearance in South Africa, having to watch on as Japan record two quick defeats. The first loss was the more damaging as it came against one of their fiercest Asian rivals in a 2-0 defeat by South Korea. To add insult to injury, and to increase the tension and pressure already rapidly building on the Japan camp, the defeat came on home soil in front of their hostile fans.

Their second came in Austria when they took on one of the competition favourites, England. Japan were big odds to spring an upset before kick-off, and with 6 minutes gone and Japan 1-0 up through defender Tulio, a huge turn up for the books was well and truly on. However, while their English opponents at the time were enjoying some good fortune of late, Japan weren’t and their bad luck was compounded with two second half own goals, resulting in a 2-1 defeat for Japan. The positive, however, was firstly Japan taking the lead and maintaining their advantage for over an hour of play, while the second being the fact they more than held their own in the first hour or so, thus proving in a way that Okada’s bold South Africa objective is at least achievable even if it’s extremely unlikely.

In Japan’s third and final international before the do battle in Group E, the Japanese, after previously putting in a valiant display against England, somewhat rolled over against the Ivory Coast. A 2-0 loss to one of the more fancied African nations competing in this month’s finals left Japan with a hat-trick of defeats ahead of a tournament the coach expects to reach the semi-finals. At this rate they’ll be lucky to avoid the wooden spoon in their group.

Rio Ferdinand becomes the second big casualty of the day, the second captain of a World Cup-bound nation to be ruled out of the summer’s showcase following Michael Ballack’s ankle injury for Germany, after a scan on his knee revealed ligament damage, and that the influential England centre-back would miss the entirety of the finals in South Africa.

It now means that Michael Dawson, who originally was sent home by Fabio Capello just days ago, will fly out to South Africa to join the rest of the England camp to bolster England’s centre-back options. However, what we also have is another unwanted debate over who will start alongside John Terry, who earlier in the year relinquished his stranglehold over the captains armband. It would appear Ledley King would ideally be Capello’s first choice, but the Tottenham centre-half has knee problems of his own and wouldn’t be able to string consecutive games together by the looks of it. Were Capello to go down this route that it could lead to some disharmony at the back, a lack of cohesion which could cause England all sorts of problems defensively. Jamie Carragher was one of several surprise call-ups by Fabio Capello but he could be in line to make a stunning international u0turn by starting against the United States despite an indifferent season for Liverpool.

Despite Dawson joining up with the England camp, it is unlikely that Capello will drop the Spurs defender in at the deep end against the USA, so it would appear as though the battle to partner Terry in the heart of the defence lye’s between King and Carragher, and in fairness we wouldn’t be entirely satisfied with using either.

Terrible news for Ferdinand, devastating for England’s chances and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Three Lions drift in the outright betting market. We wish Ferdinand all the best in his recovery.

England World Cup Betting will hit fever pitch with the online bookmakers very soon, as bets starting piling on ahead of their opening World Cup fixture. The big World Cup kick off for England is now just days away, with the two nations kicking off on June 12th in Rustenburg. England coach Fabio Capello has named his official 23 man squad, with some surprises, but overall, as long as Gareth Barry is fully fit, then there is little doubts as to the starting eleven that Capello will field. So, if Capello can put out his main starting eleven, the side which pretty much got them successfully through qualification, what does that mean in context for betting on the game? This is the big match which a lot of hopeful England fans and punters will target, as it is the first game of the tournament which involves one of the proposed favourites to win the 2010 World Cup. Naturally England will start the match as favourites, but what threat will the USA pose to England and their World Cup hopes in this match?

Before the recent spate of International Friendlies, the USA were sternly criticized for not having any kind of firepower up front. In a friendly against the Czech Republic recently, the USA looked short in a tactical approach to the game, and the frailties in them going forward were clear to see. The effort was there, but the end product looked a long way short of the effort that was being put forth. Were they simply guilty of trying too hard to secure World Cup spots in the final 23 man squad? Possibly, as they exposed themselves poorly time and time again at the breakdown in midfield, but coach Bob Bradley has some tough decisions to make in terms of selections as well as personnel in the team. Incidentally, this is this youngest USA squad to hit the World Cup, with an average of just 27. So, being pulled out of shape could simply all be down to inexperience. So what will their approach be to the game against England? Try to snuff out the attacking threat from midfield? Or find a way to shut down the flanks?

The USA are one of the teams used to the conditions in South Africa, after partaking in the 2009 FIFA Federations Cup. The USA did rally themselves though from the Czech Republic defeat, they did rally from behind to beat Turkey in their next warm-up match. The USA finished top of the CONCACAF ahead of Mexico, in what is considered one of the weaker qualification zones. But the USA, as shown before at the World Cup, will be full of confidence in causing an upset against their more illustrious peers. It really is not about the lack of want of trying, as they did reach the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup in a big surprise, beating Portugal and Mexico along the way. But a good question to base your England v USA betting strategy on, is to look at the USA squad and ask yourself how many of them would get in the England World Cup squad? There is a gulf in class between the two teams, in every position. England simply have to make sure they keep their cool and play as a team.

It is likely the Americans will be somewhat gung-ho in their approach, if their friendly warm-up matches are anything to go by. They will see their best chance as catching England cold in the first half of the match, by throwing speed into the equation against the England defence. England’s slow first half performances may have just given the USA a hope of sneaking an early goal and then shutting up shop. The USA will get one more run out before they take on England, as they play Australia on Saturday, in which a lot could be learned in your approach to betting on England at the World Cup. The Australians will be a tough test, as they are an equally hard working team, but like to play a bit more of a physical game. It is well worth keeping an eye on, for the defensive frailties of the USA, could influence your correct score bets.

For England, if Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry is fully available, then it will answer all questions of team selection as well as formation queries which arose during the recent International Friendly matches against Mexico and Japan. The only question which may be raised, is who gets to partner Wayne Rooney up front? There are two camps here. Emile Heskey may get the nod, simply because he is tried and tested, and could really cause the shaky USA defence a lot of problems with his physical presence. That would allow Rooney to play off him, a position in which he is at his most dangerous. The other camp is leaning towards Peter Crouch, who can provide a little extra potency on the floor, and in finding the back of the net. The World Cup start is all important for both sides. With England in the hunt for glory in South Africa, according to the best bookmakers for betting on the World Cup and the USA facing an uphill battle in the supposed race for second place.

Now it is on to the crux of things. England v USA betting odds:

England to win: 1/2 at SkyBet
Draw: 10/3 at Bet365
USA to win: 13/2 at Bwin

Asian Handicap Betting Tip
Yes, there will be, and has been much talk of the famous 1-0 USA win over England at the 1950 World Cup, the only time the two teams have met on the world stage. Despite the winds of confidence blowing over from the across the pond, England really should win this with relative ease. It is the perfect chance to build some momentum for the rest of the tournament, as the will be much, much harder games to come. England should comfortably be two goals better than the USA, and you will need to decide whether you want to take the USA in a plus to hang on, or look for better prices on England to come from behind.
England -1.25 Asian Handicap is 21/20 at Bet365, or England -1.5 is 32/25, both of which represent decent value.

With the excitement of England’s final 23 having been decided a few days ago, the attention from the press now turns towards some of the other interesting sub-plots; Who start in goal against USA in England’s World Cup opener? Which forward will partner Wayne Rooney up front? Will Gareth Barry be fit in time to start against the United States? Not only are these debates the media are thriving on, but bookmakers as well are making the most out of England’s riddles, putting up various markets to coincide with Fabio Capello’s big decisions.

The battle for the gloves appear to lye between Robert Green and David James, with Joe Hart’s inexperience at this level likely to leave him in the dark despite an impressive campaign on long with Birmingham City and a convincing display between the sticks in England’s recent friendly against Japan. Talking of friendly, this tussle for keeping supremacy is just that if what each keeper has to say is anything to go by, with all three uttering the same sentiment, that they’re here for the team and that they have faith in whoever is chosen.

The biggest indication from Capello came earlier today when announced the squad numbers, naming David James as his number 1. As a result, James has leaped into strong favouritism despite Robert Green having played a large portion of England’s qualifiers. The Portsmouth shot-stopped is now the slim odds of 2/7 with Bet365 to start in goal against the United States on June 12th, with Green 3/1.

Capello’s next hint was with the strikers, handing Peter Crouch one of eleven starting numbers. Crouchy, who has a better international scoring record than any other striker in camp, was given the keys to the number 9 shirt on Thursday by Capello and is now 2/5 with Bet365 to start against the United States in favour of Emile Heskey, who served England and Capello well during qualifying when playing the role of Rooney’s assistant, with Heskey now 2/1 to start instead. The one remaining forward is pacey Jermain Defoe, a player Capello looks likely to use as a super-sub rather than a first-team fixture, and the Tottenham hitman is 5/1 to lead the line against the USA on June 12th.

The Barry debate we are just as much in the dark as you are. After watching England’s latest efforts against Mexico and Japan, we think everyone is of the same opinion that Barry is pivotal to England’s chances playing in that holding role, enabling Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard to play further up the pitch. The Man City midfielder was handed the number 14 shirt but that doesn’t matter, as if Barry recovers in time he will definitely start. His shirt allocation is of little indication as to how quickly he is recovering. Gareth is 6/4 to start against USA and it’s basically a case of having eyes in the back of your head. As soon as you hear news that Barry is winning his battle, get on as his price will begin to drop.

However, if Barry isn’t fit in time, then the squad numbers will become informative, as with Joe Cole being handed the No. 11, it would appear as though Cole will start on the left, with Gerrard dropping back into a four man midfield. Joe Cole incidentally is now 1/3 with SkyBet to play from the off against the United States.

Official Squad Numbers:

1. David James
2. Glen Johnson
3. Ashley Cole
4. Steven Gerrard
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. John Terry
7. Aaron Lennon
8. Frank Lampard
9. Peter Crouch
10. Wayne Rooney
11. Joe Cole
12. Robert Green
13. Stephen Warnock
14. Gareth Barry
15. Matthew Upson
16. James Milner
17. Shaun Wright-Philipps
18. Jamies Carragher
19. Jermain Defoe
20. Ledley King
21. Emile Heskey
22. Michael Carrick
23. Joe Hart