[Tommy]

The World Cup starts on June 9th. Let's start talking some soccer fellas

[dananderson32]

thats what im talking about tommy....finally talk about a sport where the lines are nearly as sharp as american sports

[Buckery]

Originally Posted by big123

The World Cup starts on June 9th. Let's start talking some soccer fellas

Hey Tom...

Here's who wins, like it or not:

Group A: Germany -225 WINNER

Home support and weak division make this almost a no brainer.

Group B: England -125 WINNER

Good value here with England bet. They have many many world class players and the rest of the division just lacks the depth. Paraguay are solid team but shouldn't stand up to the English side who play an extremely fast game. Sweden posts biggest threat with likes of Ibrahimovic, Ljunberg, Wilhelmsson and Larsson but most of these players are getting old and England look fit with enough young and fast talent to make it deep into World Cup 2006. Maybe one of my outright favorites to win it all.

Group C: Netherlands +160 LOSS Goal differential

Yeah, Argentina, whatever. As we saw mostly at the Confederations cup this team has tremendous offense talent but on the back end? Not so great. Their best defenders as are Brazils are attacking players. Gabriel Heinze and the likes. Netherlands have a great defense, midfield and attack. Roy Makaay is getting older but has let off not a bit and Rudd Van Nistelrooy always shines on the wrold stage. Netherlands may go undefeated in group play, they're a great side who aren't getting the recognition they should. Ivory Coast boast about 1 player in Didier Drogba and he won't likely be enough. S&M will likely win a game or two but in this tough division even that might be very unlikely. They finish last between the 4.

Group D: Portugal -115 WINNER

Does this team not ever finish in the top 2 or 3 places of every tournament including a final berth in Euro 2004 when the upstart Greece team suprised the world and won the thing. Portugal are once again stacked and very good in attack and in defense. Christiano Ronaldo is truly a treat to watch and is arguably the best player in the world right now. A few more years on him and he just maybe. Ball control team in a very weak division. Mexico oppose the biggest threat but although much success in the Confederations cup, Portugal will surely be too great a task.

Group E: Italy -105 WINNER

Yeah, slight favorite over the Czech Republic. US & Ghana will be a no factor in the division. Italy and the Czechs both have explosive offenses. Fernando Totti a natural. Italy more defense than the Czechs and great Italy following perhaps to Germany? I give them edge in this division but should be close.

Group F: Brazil -333 WINNER

Croatia, Australia & Japan? Heh... Croatia are a solid team and can score but in comparison to the world players held by the Brazilians they will likely pale in comparison. Croatia always shows well on the international scale but really too much with Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Junihno & Robinho the list is endless. I fear something in this division the -333 maybe just a little too steep for that. Joe Publics money will be all over Brazil but for +300 for tourney win they hold a lot more value.

Group G: France -220 LOSS

Switzerland, South Korea and Togo will oppose France in Group G. France are surely out with something to prove with Thierry Henry completely reviving himself and his Arsenal team to the UEFA Champions League final. He'll be ready and rearing to go with full confidence and that makes a world of difference for this side. Not to mention his old friend Viera having a good season with Juventus. I believe France come out angry. Alex Frei and the Swiss will try to come up with something but will end up short and taking 2nd mostly likely...

Group H: Spain -160 WINNER

I think another pretty good bet with the only other team opposing anything is the Ukraine. Should be a few travellers from Spain to Germany as well I would imagine, World Cup is the largest soccer event in arguably the world and Europe is just bezerk. Spanish team too classy for the rest of this division, this maybe one of the best value bets for divison. I expect Ukraine to finish 2nd, maybe with 4 points or so and Saudia Arabia and Tunisia to likely finish winless and 3rd and 4th respectively.

World Cup Winner: Brazil +300

How can you argue, look down any club on paper and match player for player you won't be too satisfied. I try to look to another side but nobody in Europe will beat this team, I am pretty well certain. Even with injury or the chance of injury Brazil have the most depth and for that I will gladly put my money on them.



*6-2 overall, hopefully you guys got in on the decent ones
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/group/index.html

France was just horrible so far...


GL!
B

[Buckery]

PS..

I'm gonna make a shitload of money in June. If you were around with Euro 2004 with me you know what I'm talking about.

B

[dananderson32]

love love love that england play buckery where you been for a while buckery?

[Tommy]

Nice to see you Buck. Missed you around here. Thanks for all that info! I don't know about 2004 but I do know about 2006 and looking forward to your plays if you share them

[jron619]

What about Owen and Rooney being hurt? Can Gerrard carry the load?

[naught33]

wow, what a pleasure to read! thx for the info man it helps us soccer illiterates like myself get a handle on what to expect this coming june...wasnt around in 04 for ur $$ making skills in soccer but im def gonna be looking out for ur plays this yr and hope to kill the books!

[Buckery]

Found this is another forum I'm registered under:

Italy once again in trouble for alleged match fixing, will this shit EVER end!



Scandal hits Italy World Cup plans

Match-fixing, threats of violence, blackmail, illegal betting, coercion - that's the background to Italy's World Cup build-up on the final day of their season

Barbara McMahon in Rome and Kevin Buckley in Milan
Sunday May 14, 2006
The Observer


Italian football is in meltdown with the World Cup less than a month away. Four Serie A clubs stand accused of match-fixing, a referee and his assistants have been pulled off the World Cup list while being investigated for corruption, the Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon may also miss the tournament as a result of a betting scandal, and several of the most senior figures at club and national level have been forced to resign.

Article continues

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Italy's national game has been shaken by a barrage of allegations, with prosecutors in five Italian cities - Rome, Turin, Naples, Parma and Perugia - investigating claims of coercion of referees, threats and blackmail, illegal betting, false accounting and even a report of holding match officials against their will.
If Buffon is found guilty of illegal betting - phone taps reveal the Juventus number one wagered as much as €500,000 in a single bet in a series totalling over €2 million - he could be kicked out of the Italy squad, which is due to be named tomorrow. Buffon was questioned by magistrates in Turin yesterday and his lawyer said that the bets were placed before the autumn of 2005, when new regulations came into force. The goalkeeper made no comment.

Italy's coach, Marcello Lippi, has been forced publicly to deny claims that callups to the national side have been influenced by business interests. And the national team's captain, Fabio Cannavaro, has been implicated in further claims of skulduggery. Cannavaro is said to have deliberately underperformed at his former club, Inter, in order to facilitate a move to Juventus two years ago.

Italy's FA are rudderless after their top two officials were forced to stand down, and prosecutors in Rome and Naples are probing GEA World, the management company that handles more transfers in Italy than any other. GEA World is run by Alessandro Moggi, son of Luciano Moggi, the man at the centre of the investigation. Moggi senior quit as general manager of Juventus after being heavily implicated.

The authorities are looking into allegations of abuse of GEA's 'dominant position' in football and allege that both father and son used threats and violence to conduct their business. Moggi and Juventus chief executive Antonio Giraudo are additionally under investigation for allegedly locking a referee and his two assistants in a changing room at the end of Juve's match against Reggina in November 2004 and haranguing them for having failed to support the team, who lost the match 2-1. Coincidentally Juventus return to Reggina today needing a draw to clinch their 29th league title.

What began last weekend in Turin with a ripple of rumours about manipulation of match officials rapidly became a tidal wave of scandal that by last Thursday had swept away the entire board of Juventus. If the club win the scudetto this afternoon, celebrations will be muted. Angry fans protested against Moggi outside the club's headquarters on Friday, knowing that if the club are convicted of 'sporting fraud' they could be relegated and even have past titles rescinded.

The Turin tapes - from magistrates' telephone taps - implicated Moggi. When evidence from the tapes was leaked to the press, news emerged of the parallel undercover investigations in other cities. Fifty-eight people are under formal investigation, including 20 referees and assistant referees, a dozen club officials, eight journalists and 10 players' agents. Massimo De Santis, one of the two Italian referees due to officiate in Germany, was withdrawn by the FA yesterday, though he has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. 'I am willing to cooperate because I have done nothing wrong,' he said.

In addition, the claims are highly embarrassing for the wealthy car manufacturing Agnelli family, which owns Juventus and whose members have pointedly distanced themselves from the lurid revelations. Juventus' share price went down because of the crisis, crashing by 10 per cent on Thursday.

The Agnelli family - involved in another recent scandal when heir to the empire Lapo Elkan was hospitalised after overdosing on cocaine in the Turin apartment of two transsexual prostitutes - instructed the Juventus board to resign en masse on Thursday afternoon. There have been calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the scandal, which is likely to happen. 'There needs to be a total clean-up, to clear out what's bad,' said Francesco Totti, the Roma and Italy striker.

Only last Tuesday Franco Carraro, the FA chief, memorably told reporters: 'I have complete faith in the judiciary. I am calm.' That evening, tape transcripts were leaked suggesting that Carraro and Moggi worked closely together. The following morning Carraro quit, soon followed by refereeing directors Pier Luigi Pairetto and Luigi Bergamo. They had apparently been heard discussing with Moggi which referees to allocate to Juventus games, and joking over expensive watches received as gifts.

Bergamo was also dumped from Uefa's refereeing committee. Carraro's deputy, Innocenzo Mazzini, then quit, leaving Italy with no top official to represent their FA in Germany.

Naples magistrates are looking into 19 Serie A matches last season, when Juventus won the title under Fabio Capello, the coach who is increasingly likely to exercise a contractual option to end his contract a year early. 'I want to get out of this country,' is the message Capello has been circulating recently. Investigators have used sanctioned phone taps for more than a year in probing Moggi, who is believed to be at the epicentre of a secretive group who 'constructed an association to influence the entire system of Italian professional football in the interests of Juventus and other companies'. This is a reference to GEA World.

Finance police in Rome - apparently unbeknown to the Naples investigators - had themselves been tracking the activities of GEA World for months. It is alleged that GEA World intimidated players by warning them they needed to be on the agency's books if they wished to move to a big club. Alessandro Nesta, who transferred from the financially crippled Lazio to AC Milan three years ago, ditched his agent to join GEA.

Most of Moggi's enemies appear too shellshocked to rejoice at his downfall. But one man who was cheering was Luciano Gaucci, ex-owner of Perugia, who feels vindicated for his past criticism of Moggi's methods. News of a fat man in a Hawaian shirt drinking champagne on a tropical beach provided the most surreal moment of a strange week: Gaucci himself is currently in Santo Domingo as a fugitive from Italian justice over financial charges relating to his former club.

Reflecting the fear and suspicion throughout the upper echelons of Italian football, a well-placed source insisted on anonymity yesterday when he said: 'If true, this could be the most serious scandal in the entire history of Italian football. The sheer extent of alleged corruption is much deeper than any of us ever imagined. It shows it is not a one-off case, it is systemic.

'But, at the same time, this represents a great opportunity to clean things up once and for all.' 'If true, this could be the most serious scandal in the history of Italian football' Under investigation: a police officer at Juventus HQ and referee De Santis; fugitive Gaucci; main man Luciano Moggi; and goalkeeper Buffon.

--------------------------

Guys fear not. This only helps our chances in the big tourney this summer. The world will have this tourney under a microscope and it will be won in fairness. The more top name officials that get blasted for this the better for the gambling man. I say find and fine all the bastards!

B

[dananderson32]

read that same thing buckery.......italian league i heard holland also got busted for fixing games

[pwn3dyo]

thanks for the input buck hopefully we kill the book come june.

[Arabe]

Hey guys.
Good to see your all ok!
These are my views on the group stage...

Group A: Germany and Poland (not too much value here) Ecuador and Costa Rica are going nowhere in this WC.

Group B: Value, in this order, is on Sweden and Paraguay. England should be in the second round, but a bad day could spell disaster for them. TNT, thanks for coming.

Group C: Up for grabs! Which Argentina will show up this time? I have always think that Bielsa is a much better coach than Pekerman and look how he fared in WC2002 with a better team. Plus, they have'd trouble in the past with African style which gives Ivory Coast a boost in the ratings. And Serbia's defensive style may spell trouble for all of them.
Value here is on Ivory Coast (+900@thegreek; +798@pinn)

Group D: HOMER TIME! LOL! Nah, it's not a homer pick, it has some value @ ++odds, and since '94 Mexico has fared real well on the group's stage, winning a couple against the likes of Italy and Holland. Plus, this is the best team we have'd since WC1994. Look out fellas!

Group E: Value is on the Czech Rep. Italy would only do the necessary to get to the next round.... But watch out with Ghana. And I will be surprised if the Americans win a game in this group.

Group F: HA! Of course value is only on the Croats. The only thing between Brazil and the 6th cup is a bad day against an inspired team.

Group G: This might be the weakest group of them all. France is the logical choice (no value), but we might get a surprise with Togo and the South Koreans. Heck, the winner of that match could take this group and there's where the value is, cuz any of these two could take over the dissapointing French, with Henry and all (he was there in the scoreless team four years ago too). I think the Swiss will lose all three.

Group H: Ukraine all the way. Value and all. Nope, not Spain! They might pull another "almost" anytime... And look out for Tunisia as well.

The questions are: who will dissapoint? and, who will overachieve?
IMHO France, England and Holland won't go far. Germany either, but they will take some advantage of being the home team, but that's it. I don't give them any chances to win it all.
Portugal will be more of the same. To my Portuguese friends, no offense please, but your team is full of great players as it has been for the past 12 years or so... and nothing happens. Very similar to Uruguay, lots of great players in every position, all the time, but never a team and with a slow and old fashion playing style... And this is why I pick Mexico to win Group D pick, and not because I'm a homer :P
On the other hand I think that at least two African teams will advance and one will get into the semis. Ukraine and Serbia could be nice surprises and Croatia and Argentina should perform well again (no surprise here).
My picks to win it all are Italy and the Czechs. And yes, of course, I have some $$ on Mexico too

Just my two cents guys.

[Tommy]

Hey Arabe. Nice to see you and hope all is well buddy

I don't know much about soccer but this thread has a wealth of soccer world cup information!

Thanks alot and keep it coming

[Tommy]

Here's some stuff from Bet365

WILL YOU BET ON A 1966 FINAL REPEAT?
************************************
Bet365 are offering odds of 18/1 that England face Germany in the World Cup
2006 final on 9th July in Berlin. This bet has been popular so far, even
though the teams could meet as early as the last 16 stage instead.

It’s an 11/1 shot that England face Brazil in the final and a generous 20/1
that they come face-to-face with Argentina instead.

Other interesting ‘Name the Finalist’ selections are Brazil v Argentina
(10/1), Germany v France (50/1), Italy v Spain (40/1) while USA v Iran is a
massive 20,000/1!


THREE LIONS TO WIN THEIR THREE GROUP MATCHES?
*********************************************
England are 11/4 with bet365 to win all three World Cup group games. Sven
Goran Eriksson’s men face Paraguay in their first match, Trinidad & Tobago
in their second game and Sweden last of all.

The price of 11/4 may seem huge if they manage a win in their first two
games. However, if you think it’s an ambitious bet, England to score 6 or 7
points instead is a 10/11 shot while bet365 go 2/1 that they score under 6
points instead.

You can bet on the Group Points of every World Cup team with bet365. Brazil
are a tempting 13/8 to win each of their three group games.


ENGLAND 11/4 FOR REPEAT QUARTER FINAL DEFEAT
********************************************
England are 11/4 with bet365 to repeat their 2002 quarter final exit in
Germany. They also bowed out at the last-8 stage during Euro 2004 so
there’s bound to be plenty of takers at the current odds.

England are currently 7/1 to win the World Cup and 8/1 to finish Runner-Up.
They’re 9/2 to reach the semi-final stages and just 5/2 to fall at the
last-16 stage instead. For those doomsayers amongst us, they’re 9/2 to fail
at the group stages.

You can bet on the ‘Stage of Elimination’ for every World Cup team with
France 4/1 to reach the semi finals, Holland 10/3 to reach the quarter
finals and Spain 15/8 to fall at the last 16 stage.


BRAZILIANS LEAD WAY IN GOLDEN BOOT MARKET
*****************************************
Ronaldo (10/1) and fellow team-mates Adriano (12/1) and Ronaldinho (12/1)
lead the way on bet365’s Top Goalscorer market. This reflects the view that
holders Brazil are expected to score many goals during the tournament.

England’s Michael Owen is 12/1 with bet365 to win the Golden Boot, with
Wayne Rooney at 16/1 and Peter Crouch a huge 50/1 to grab the honours.

Many Premiership strikers feature in bet365’s list, including Thierry Henry
(14/1), Hernan Crespo (14/1), Ruud Van Nistelrooy (16/1), Milan Baros
(40/1) and Djibril Cisse at 50/1 with bet365.

[Moldoveanu]

i dont know what to say but sweden should win the group easily!

England Suck! even with all those strikers!! look what they have done

in the world cup qualifications! Lost to Northern Ireland won barely

at Azerbaijan 1-0! then home friendly to paraquay almost lost but lucky won!!

even with all those good players they just dont have the chemistry!

England can win the games vs the other 2 teams Sweden can too!

but in my opinion! Sweden will score a bunch of goals while England maybe 2 3 times shorter amount of goals!!

Sweden are nice odds! + England has not beaten sweden in like 50 years!

[Moldoveanu]

How About this

Instead of England Winning the Group

i can get them at +125 but the catch is! Sweden has to come 2nd!!

same with other groups!

Brazil +125 brazil 1st croatia 2nd!!

[Buckery]

Originally Posted by Arabe

Hey guys.
Good to see your all ok!
These are my views on the group stage...

Group A: Germany and Poland (not too much value here) Ecuador and Costa Rica are going nowhere in this WC.

Group B: Value, in this order, is on Sweden and Paraguay. England should be in the second round, but a bad day could spell disaster for them. TNT, thanks for coming.

Group C: Up for grabs! Which Argentina will show up this time? I have always think that Bielsa is a much better coach than Pekerman and look how he fared in WC2002 with a better team. Plus, they have'd trouble in the past with African style which gives Ivory Coast a boost in the ratings. And Serbia's defensive style may spell trouble for all of them.
Value here is on Ivory Coast (+900@thegreek; +798@pinn)

Group D: HOMER TIME! LOL! Nah, it's not a homer pick, it has some value @ ++odds, and since '94 Mexico has fared real well on the group's stage, winning a couple against the likes of Italy and Holland. Plus, this is the best team we have'd since WC1994. Look out fellas!

Group E: Value is on the Czech Rep. Italy would only do the necessary to get to the next round.... But watch out with Ghana. And I will be surprised if the Americans win a game in this group.

Group F: HA! Of course value is only on the Croats. The only thing between Brazil and the 6th cup is a bad day against an inspired team.

Group G: This might be the weakest group of them all. France is the logical choice (no value), but we might get a surprise with Togo and the South Koreans. Heck, the winner of that match could take this group and there's where the value is, cuz any of these two could take over the dissapointing French, with Henry and all (he was there in the scoreless team four years ago too). I think the Swiss will lose all three.

Group H: Ukraine all the way. Value and all. Nope, not Spain! They might pull another "almost" anytime... And look out for Tunisia as well.

The questions are: who will dissapoint? and, who will overachieve?
IMHO France, England and Holland won't go far. Germany either, but they will take some advantage of being the home team, but that's it. I don't give them any chances to win it all.
Portugal will be more of the same. To my Portuguese friends, no offense please, but your team is full of great players as it has been for the past 12 years or so... and nothing happens. Very similar to Uruguay, lots of great players in every position, all the time, but never a team and with a slow and old fashion playing style... And this is why I pick Mexico to win Group D pick, and not because I'm a homer :P
On the other hand I think that at least two African teams will advance and one will get into the semis. Ukraine and Serbia could be nice surprises and Croatia and Argentina should perform well again (no surprise here).
My picks to win it all are Italy and the Czechs. And yes, of course, I have some $$ on Mexico too

Just my two cents guys.

Very good 2c, thanks for the post Arabe.

B

[Buckery]

Originally Posted by Moldoveanu

How About this

Instead of England Winning the Group

i can get them at +125 but the catch is! Sweden has to come 2nd!!

same with other groups!

Brazil +125 brazil 1st croatia 2nd!!

Both seem very possible...

B

[naught33]

seems like we got some solid soccer cappers on board...always good to know what ppl think...i will be looking fwd to all ur plays to help me make some $$ come june

[Hope 1]

very nice reads Buck and Arabe, thks guys

Portugal will be more of the same. To my Portuguese friends, no offense please, but your team is full of great players as it has been for the past 12 years or so... and nothing happens

you could be right Arabe, I 'hope' your not. They lost Andrade--that's a huge loss as they are thin on defense as is. Pity. Midfield is their strength and also are under good eyes with Big Phil as manager. Pauleta is a nightmare upfront, hopefully Gomes plays out of skin. I sure 'hope' they don't have another debacle as they did in Japan, 4 yrs ago. That performance in Portugal was fantastic (Euro). Great adjustments by Big Phil in that tournament--he is his own man and will NOT be influenced by individual player's agendas (anarchy destroyed them in Japan).

Buck, I agree i'm taking Brasil at 3 to 1. Like Arabe said anything can happen on the pitch, but this friggen team is loaded, it's sick. Their second round opponent will be scary- Czech or Italy likely, ouch.

I agree Buck, now or never for England. DISASTER with the loss of Rooney (may play in elimination round?). Nonetheless an ideal draw. Lampard, Gerard, Cole and Beckham--that is one sweet midfield.

GO PORTUGAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO BRASIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



LET THE BATTLES COMMENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!