Northerner

Bosnia a real threat in the World Cup 2014

When Vedad Ibišević fired that strike against Lithuania in the last game of the qualifying campaign, Bosnian fans could kick off their celebration. For the first time in nations short history, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for a major tournament and did that in a truly marvelous fashion. In a group against Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina managed to finish top on goal difference, plus a better head to head stats against the 2004 EURO champions.

Nearly 20 years ago, this whole nation was in ashes, as the Bosnian war was just over. In 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina opened a new chapter of their history and looked forward to a much better time. For example, their best player Edin Džeko, had to migrate and spent several days in the cellar, hoping for the bombing to stop. After the war ended, many Bosnians sought comfort and faith in the game of football, trying to focus on some other things instead of just pain and suffering.

After being eliminated by Portugal in two previous attempts to qualify for a major tournament, they made it this time, under Safet Sušić. Formally declared the best foreign player in the history of Paris SG, Sušić guided this generation to a place in the World cup finals. In Brazil, Bosnia will face Argentina, Nigeria and Iran, in group F. The group looks highly passable, considering the fact that Bosnia survives the initial panic and plays the football they played during the qualifications.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only debutant on this years World cup. Bosnia has good chances of going pass the group stages, as their impressive record one friendly games before and some tactical changes persuaded the football media, that Bosnia can indeed conclude the tournament after the group stages.

While Argentina seems unbeatable, at least for the Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nigeria game can be crucial for a potential place in the last 16. Bosnia has a good recent record against African teams and have even defeated the Ivory Coast in a friendly game. A win against Iran can’t possibly come into question, if any calculations are being made. Asian team simply should not present a real threat and everything but a win will be seen as an shock. If they make it pass the group stages, Bosnia can play, probably, either France or Switzerland. These two teams are both better than the “Dragons”, but Sušić’s man can cope with them.

Although Bosnia has a really impressive starting line-up, the whole rooster of 23 players is very average. First eleven consist of very influential players, like Stoke City’s Asmir Begović on goal, Emir Spahić, Senad Lulić from Leverkusen and Lazio respectively. However, the highlight of the team is upfront, where Manchester City striker Edin Džeko expects great passes from Miralem Pjanić (As Roma) and Misimović, former Wolfsburg Bundesliga-winner. Bosnia is mentally a difficult squad and can sometimes enter into an euphoria and upset when that is less needed than ever. Injuries have avoided their team, which is a great plus, because many positions in the team rely purely on one player. Bosnian national team will present themselves in a great light and the world will be surprised.

WorldCup 2014 Preview

With 1 year to go before the start of the World Cup 2014 and the teams will slowly start to take shape for qualification.  No matter how you look at it there are some expected teams that will be in the tournament and here is what we think of them.

England

The English squad have been a complete mess for years. After disappearing in the Euro 2008, playing rubbish in WorldCup 2010 followed by a nice string of 2 years before bowing out in Euro 2012, this team has completely lost it's identity along the way. The team they will feature won't be considered as strong as previous English squads and the underdog status might actually help the team.  The team has younger players and they appear to be confident players that have expectations of winning whereas previous English squads had high expectations and always failed against teams that quite simply have the drive to win rather than the fear of failing. Expect bookies to offer lower odds but they might be a team that surprises.

Brazil

This team has been in disarray for years but they are acknowledged as being the team that is capable of pulling it together last minute to make something happen.  The tournament all star is expected to be Neymar who just signed for FC Barcelona.

Argentina

Until this team gets a top notch coach, expect this team to fail. It is extremely unfortunate that people say that he needs the Spanish talent around him to win but he is the 4 time Fifa player of the year and this isn't by mistake.  He is playing on a stacked Argentinian squad but they have had some of the worst coaching possible.  The players need a strong coach to guide them. No team has won the worldcup with poor or average coaching. 

Italy

They made it to the finals in Euro 2012 and got demolished by Spain. This team has potential and perhaps Super Mario Balotelli can take his game to yet another level. 

Spain

This team has won the last 3 major tournaments and will go into this one as the favourites. Fernando Torres has been in decline in the past few years but the strikes available for the coaches is phenominal, so much that even amazing talents like Michu are below the list.  If striker David Villa is healthy again he could be the main go to guy but they quite simply have talented agressive scorers that want the ball in pressure situations. 

Germany

The Germans have some amazing players on their squad and will be considered one of the favourites. Some of their players have matured and gained experience where they used to be considered too young but they play with confidence. The 2013 champions league finals featured Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich which of course featured some of the best German footballers. This team looks like the making of a champion. 

Netherlands

The Dutch, Holland, Oranje, whatever you want to call them they are a fierce team with nasty defenders and a very strong midfield featuring Arjen Robben. 

Portugal

The reason why Portugal should be given consideration is for the play of Christiano Ronaldo. He is still dominant and at Euro 2012 he played absolutely amazing and silenced many critics taking the team on his back with him.  They have excellent footballers and if there is a single player that could carry his team in this tournament, everyone would agree that Christiano Ronaldo is the potential MVP of this tournament and is the player anyone would want over Lionel Messi even. He will simply score goals on his own if he has to and he'll have an agressive supporting attack to help him.

Goal Line Technology: Finally One Step Away!

Goal Line Technology: Finally One Step Away!

With so many referee mistakes these days, more and more people stand behind the idea of the Goal Line Technology. What’s that you’d might ask? It’s simple. It will be a simple camera which will look over the goal line and it will be used to replay questionable moments, so everyone can see if the ball has crossed the line.

It’s quick, it’s accurate, it’s necessary! FIFA’s president Sepp Blatter has been against the introduction of this method for a long time, since according to his words it would get rid of the human error, which was part of the game. After World Cup 2010 and Lampard’s goal his vantage point change.

Michel Platini, the president of UEFA however, didn’t agree with this, and decided to put an extra referee on each goal line, claiming that ‘now they see everything’. After Euro 2012, and Ukraine’s equalizer that wasn’t counted, Platini was  embarrassed and his theory was proven to be wrong.
The IFAB voted unanimously, shortly after the end of Euro 2012, for the goal line technology approval. The two systems that were approved are Hawk-Eye and GoalRef.

Here’s a little bit more info on both. Hawk-Eye is a British system that you are probably already familiar with if you watch tennis or cricket. It’s pretty convenient and accurate and is already in use in other sports. It was used in football for a first time on May 16th 2012.

GoalRef is a Danish-German system, that uses magnetic sensors to track a special ball. It will be most likely used in some of the Danish Superliga matches for testing purposes on May 23rd 2012.
What’s next? More testing of both systems and hopefully an implementation in all major leagues and tournaments across the world. While many officials are still against the technology impact on football, fans grow eager to see it in use with every day.

The truth is, if you want things to be hundred percent fair, you absolutely need this. Many sports have already seen the positive impact, why can’t football?

Currently both systems mentioned above are in a second phase testing, so we might see an implementation in a major European league pretty soon. The Premier League has promised to start using it as soon as it comes live.

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Spain wins World Cup

Spain has won their first ever World Cup title in their history. They beat a tough Netherlands squad that endured 9 yellow cards with Jonny Heitinga being sent off in extra time for 2 yellow cards. The game was an intense one that was marred by some horrible tackles by Van Bommel and De Jong who is being labeled for his 'kung fu' kick on Xavi Alonso.

Iker Casillas was in tears as Andres Iniesta scored the extra time goal on a pass from Cesc Fabregas. The Dutch players cried foul claiming the play was offside but TV replays clearly show the play was well onside. One of the Dutch players received a yellow card for harassing the linesman for not blowing the whistle. 

For the Dutch the pain continues as they have made it to the final 3 times and lost all 3 times. Spain made it to their first finals and now have a perfect record. A huge celebration takes places in Madrid today featuring an estimated 1 million fans.

Paul Octopus picks Spain to win the world cup - bet Spain

Paul the Octopus picks Spain to win the world cup = bet on Spain! The World Cup finals on Sunday will feature a great matchup of Netherlands against Spain where both teams are looking for their first World Cup title. Spain makes it's first Finals appearance while Netherlands make their 3rd trip since the 70s and hope to add their first title to the small country that has produced some of the best footballers in the world in the past 50 years. Regardless of the outcome it features 2 entertaining teams where one will get their first championship.  

Bet on Spain 

Paul the Octopus has a perfect record in the World Cup predicting Germany loss to Serbia and Germany losing to Spain in the semi-finals. If you bet on all of Paul's picks then you would have a lot of money in the bank. Spain are the favorites to win this game and Paul picks Spain so

At Sportsbook.com here are the prices

Netherlands +250
Draw +235
Spain +100 

Betting for Netherlands will probably be considered the value bet even though Spain will be seen at the big favorites going into the final. They did outplay a top German team to get make it to the finals game and seem to be playing with a confidence perhaps no other Spanish team has shown. This is their best chance to make their country proud.

Place your bets
 
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Netherlands Spain preview - World Cup Finals

The World Cup finals on Sunday will feature a great matchup of Netherlands against Spain where both teams are looking for their first World Cup title. Spain makes it's first Finals appearance while Netherlands make their 3rd trip since the 70s and hope to add their first title to the small country that has produced some of the best footballers in the world in the past 50 years. Regardless of the outcome it features 2 entertaining teams where one will get their first championship. 

At Sportsbook.com here are the prices

Netherlands +265
Draw +225
Spain +100 

Betting for Netherlands will probably be considered the value bet even though Spain will be seen at the big favorites going into the final. They did outplay a top German team to get make it to the finals game and seem to be playing with a confidence perhaps no other Spanish team has shown. This is their best chance to make their country proud.

Place your bets
 
Think you know who will win the very last game? Put your money where your mouth is and if you know your stuff you'll not only have bragging rights but more money in your wallet.  
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Zidane headbutt Materazzi World Cup Final

Do you remember the last World Cup 2006 in Germany? How about the finals France versus Italy or rather Zinedine Zidane versus Marco Materazzi where the French captain lost his cool and delivered a vicious headbutt to the chest of Materazzi.

Rumours of what was said was that Zidane said 'if you really want my shirt you can have it after the match' with Materazzi replying 'I would rather take the shirt off of your wife'. Other rumours surfaced that the Italian said something offensive like his sister was a whore or he was the son of a terrorist whore. The Italian denied saying that but didn't deny it had something to do with Zidane's wife.

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Headbutt Zidane on Materazzi

Maybe if Zidane didn't make his headbutt then France could have won the tournament which ended in penalties. Zidane was still awarded the tournament MVP. At least Zidane will also be known for his 2 goals against Brazil to award the first World Cup to France on home soil.

Relive the moment here of the famous headbutt heard around the world. 

World Cup shocking moments

Almost every World Cup has a storyline and one story that dominates the entire tournament. Just ask anybody some of their most memorable or most shocking world cup moments and you'll get an answer from every person. Without giving away any secrets here is out top 5 most shocking and most memorable World Cup moments. 

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Headbutt Zidane on Materazzi

The World Cup 2006 finals saw Zinedine Zidane win the tournament MVP and he was certainly the highlight of the tournament in a good and bad way. Unfortunately for Zidane his last playing role will always be remembered for the vicious headbutting incident delivered to Marco Materazzi. 

Baggio misses penalty kick and loses final match

If you watched the final of the World Cup in 1994 in America you would have seen a great tournament come down to 2 great teams in Italy and Brazil. Roberto Baggio was certainly the star of the tournament and in the knockout rounds he produced 5 goals to give him 6 in the tournament. But the final game was against powerhouse Brazil and the game was a 0-0 draw going to penalty kicks. Baggio was the last player to shoot for Italy and needed to score to keep Italy alive. With his goal scoring touch everyone expected the star of the tournament to come up big for his country but instead the striker blasted the ball a little too high over the cross bar. 

It might be painful for some to watch but here is the final play of the 1994 tournament in USA

Maradona Hand of God Goal against England

In the 1986 World Cup tournament where Argentina became the World Champions against England he scored one of the most controversial goals ever scored. For this famous and shocking goal the goal itself was awarded the name 'Hand of God' goal and these words are synonymous with Diego Maradona. A goal that needs little introduction: 

Battle of Santiago violent game

Fortunately this game has happened so long ago that most wouldn't know that footage existed but it goes. Probably known as one of the most violent games in World Cup History it featured Italy versus Chile in the 1962 World Cup where both teams seemed intent on injuring each other. 

Andres Escobar Columbia player murdered after own goal

For some players when playing for their country in the World Cup must have events like this in the back of their mind. Nobody wants to have an own goal hurting their team but what is worse is when people from your own country turn against you. 10 days after scoring the own goal in the 1994 tournament in America, Escobar was shot 12 times near a bar of his home town of Medellin. It is suspected that a sports betting team was behind the murder as it most likely cost them a lot of money for the loss of that game.

World Cup Upsets

There are some huge upsets in the making at this year's World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Teams that were thought to be contenders have nearly hit rock bottom while a few others have surprised the world with their superior play.

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World Cup Upsets

Germany

The Germans lost a crucial game to Serbia and need a win to ensure they qualify to the World Cup. Germany have played well despite the poor showing in the standings.

England

England were strong favorites heading into the tournament now their fans have turned their backs on the team. Reports are swirling around that coach Fabio Capello is going to be fired by the FA or will quit after the tournament is over should England fail to qualify. The players are taking a lot of heat including the likes of Wayne Rooney who hasn't come close to scoring a goal in the tournament. 

France

This team was destined to fail and reports that Florent Malouda wanted to attack coach Domenech suggests the team unity wasn't there. Now Nicolas Anelka has been suspended from the squad and now the entire team has boycotted their own practise with their fitness coach resigning saying the players' actions make him disgusted. 

Italy

This team tied Paraguay and nearly lost to New Zealand in a chippy affair. If it wasn't for the gracious diving of the Italians the Kiwis would have had their best victory in a world cup and make for one of the biggest upsets of all time. Unfortunately the referee fell for a De Rossi dive and gave the Italians a penalty kick to redeem themselves. This is a team waiting to fail.

Spain

This team choked against the Swiss. If they want to qualify they better win the rest of the games in their group.

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World Cup Highlights

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa has been full of interesting story lines from actual game results to behind the scenes drama. Here is a recap of some of the events that have highlighted this year's World Cup event. Looking for a place to bet on the tournament get a 50% signup bonus at Sportsbook.com

Shocking Results at World Cup

Some teams have been shocked and upset with either shock defeats or draws that have left people wondering who is going to win the world cup this year. Some teams that have been labeled as perennial contenders are looking like average teams that might bow out of the tournament and fail to qualify.

England in poor form at World Cup

England have no wins in 2 games at the World Cup and might fail to qualify. They were labeled as being in the easiest group in the tournament but have drawn 1-1 against the Americans and had a 0-0 draw against 30th ranked Algeria. Now they must play Slovenia in the last game and need a win to advance. Wayne Rooney has no goals in the tournament and lashed out to the English fans on camera and swearing at it, being sarcastic of the England supporters and fans. Well the fans must be royally pissed off with their poor performance thus far. If they can't handle the pressure in the group stages against 'easy' teams then what will happen when they face a powerhouse team?

Germany robbed, Undiano is man of the match

Germany had a shock defeat against Serbia where the referee Alberto Undiano became the man of the match by dishing out 9 yellow cards including 2 to Miroslav Klose. The decision to card Klose twice left many in wonder if this referee received a large sum of cash to throw the game and make calls against Germany to help Serbia win. One must wonder if underground sportsbetting syndicates have influenced the match this way. Germany need to win their last game against Ghana to stand a chance to qualify. I think Undiano should be awarded man of the match since he was the centre of attention in all aspects of the game. Way to ruin a good match up, just let the teams play please.

Spain shocked by Switzerland

Spain were the favorites to win the tournament with bookies giving them the toughest price to bet on. They were humbly defeated by the Swiss for a score of 1-0 and never really put any good pressure on net. The team had plenty of possession but when connecting passes sometimes they would go astray and you got the sense that they just didn't show up to play that day. Perhaps Torres should have started the game but if Spain fail to qualify expect the players to take a lot of heat.

France falling apart

France was falling apart before the tournament started. The '98 World Cup champs have shown poor form ever since they won the Euro Championship in 2000. Benzema was left off the team who was their potential #1 striker and instead the team have 0 goals in the touranament with Nicolas Anelka left as the lone striker. Well Anelka has been sent home early in the tournament for insulting coach Domenech. However it was rumoured that Florent Malouda nearly attacked the French coach before the tournament started and this team was a time bomb waiting to happen.

Italy uninspired

Italy tied their opening match against Paraguay which is a team they are supposed to beat and nearly were defeated by them. Their team seems weak and on the pitch they don't look like the defending champs or a team that could contend even for the world cup finals. Boring football at it's best.

Exciting teams to watch

Argentina playing perfectly

They are playing beautiful football and Messi is showing the form he displayed at Barcelona the past 2 years. Higuan is now the leader of the tournament in goals and this team looks focused on qualifying and going deep into the tournament. If you want to watch some exciting goals and great passing forget watching England, watch Argentina. 

Uruguay featuring Forlan and Suarez

Uruguay look comfortable in their group and expect their strikers to get on a roll and be unstoppable. The striking duo of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez are looking like the best striking tandem ever. Although Suarez doesn't have a goal yet he looked dangerous in his last game and it's only a matter of time before he will break through and challenge Forlan and Higuan for the goal scoring lead. If you missed Forlan's wicked strike the other day go to youtube to relive the moment. 

Netherlands on a roll

The Dutch look like a team that will qualify easily and are now favorites to win the tournament after teams like Germany, Spain, England, France and Italy are stumbling. They might not have Van Niistelrooy but Kuyt and Huntelaar can get the job done and their midfield attack with Robben and Van Persie are one of the best in the tournament. 

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