It was a fine day for Bo as I got 4 out of 4 correct results yesterday to land a 10/1 4 fold, as Germany beat the USA, Portugal beat Ghana, Algeria held Russia to a draw and Belgium overcame South Korea with 10 men which also saw me land my group winners selection which came home at 7/1 and I got the added bonus of a 10/1 winner as well in tipping up Algeria not to lose with the other 3 winners as mentioned. Thomas Muller continues to show his quality and he is now tied with Neymar and Messi on 4 goals and obviously my preference is for him or Neymar to win this market. What a tremendous piece of movement it was for his winning goal and the finish itself was of the highest quality. This man was born to score goals in the World Cup as he emulates his name sake Gerd. Perhaps in 4 years time he can challenge Ronaldo and Klose as all team leading scorer. The football itself was not especially exciting yesterday in most cases but Algeria’s qualification was more than deserved and sets up a grudge match with Germany which is bound to be feisty. The Algerians entered the World Cup finals for the first time in Spain in 1982, and caused an upset in their opening group game with a 2-1 win over West Germany - then the European champions. They finished with two wins and a defeat from their three matches, which they completed before West Germany and Austria met in the final group game. A 1-0 win for the Germans would take both sides through at the expense of Algeria, and that was how the match turned out with both sides shamelessly refusing to attack. The Algerians were absolutely furious as you can imagine as they launched a protest, claiming the match was fixed, but the allegations were never proved and the result stood. However, as a result of the controversy, the final round of World Cup group fixtures now kick-off at the same time and this year the Algerians will have their chance for revenge...not that I would expect them to take it, however it should be another fine clash of styles in what is shaping up to be a fabulous knock out tournament. The first phase has proved to be truly fabulous and if the 2nd phase can match up to it in terms of goals and drama then we will have one of, if not the finest World Cup in history and for that, we have to be thankfull. Russia and Qatar awaits for the next 2 tournaments so in my own head, this is pretty much the last World Cup. Sorry, FIFA, but this is it... I will post an extended preview of the knock out phase matches for the weekend which are as follows: Saturday, 6pm – Brazil v Chile Saturday 10PM – Uruguay v Chile Sunday 6pm - Holland v Mexico Sunday 10pm – Costa Rica v Greece Part 2 (This looks much better for Bo with 19 out of 24 correct result predictions!
Group E Bo’s Bets France to win the group ¾ - Correct France to reach quarter final or better 1/1 – last 16 tie with Nigeria awaits Benzema Tournament Top Goalscorer 25/1 – 3 goals so far Honduras to finish bottom of group 1/3 - correct Correct result predictions – 5 out of 6 I tipped up the French to “bring back the swagger” and they sure did that in their 5.2 win over Switzerland while I tipped the Swiss to join the French in the 2nd round while suggesting that their fixture with Ecuador would prove crucial and so it proved as the Swiss snatched a winner in the 93 rd minute. I also wrote the following about Honduras. “Honduras look to be the weakest outfit in the tournament and also one of the dirtiest having watched their encounter with England at the weekend” 1 goal, 0 points and a series of horrible challenges (did they get a red card?) in all 3 fixtures would indicate this was one of my better assessments. Group F Bo’s Bets Argentina to win the group 2/9 - correct Bosnia to qualify 5/6 – wrong Argentina to win the tournament/messi top scorer – 16/1 Correct Result Predictions – 5 out of 6 (damn you Bosnia!) Argentina have lived up my expectations of “getting off to a slow start” but still winning the group and Messi’s 4 goals have brought smiles to all and their progress was about as comfortable as I expected, while Bosnia proved a major disappointment as they were knocked out after the first phase and their match with Nigeria is the only game I got wrong. Group G Bo’s Bets Germany to win the group 8/13 – correct USA to Qualify 3/1 (dependent on Ronaldo’s fitness) - correct Correct result predictions – 4 out of 6 so far This group went pretty much according to the Bo plan with USA qualifying at the expensse of Ronaldo's Portugal, as tipped up on June 11th and at odds of 3/1, this was definitely one of my best selections. Ronaldo was never able to regain his fitness and the USA deservedly moved through at their expense. Group H Bo’s Bets Belgium to win the group 4/5 – correct South Korea to finish bottom 13/8 - correct Correct result predictions –5 out of 6 Belgium coasted to the top of the group but were made to fight for each ot their 3 wins and I was spot on in tipping up the Algerians last night to progress, reversing my earlier verdict (who said never change your mind in betting?) and I was also correct in predicting the weakness of the Koreans. Diego Maradona tipped the Algerians and in the end they deserved to qualify ahead of a lacklustre, Fabio Capello lead Russia. Overall result predictions for all of the groups - 28 out of 46 Groups E-H brought some terrific success and I was delighted to land my group winners bet thanks to Germany, Belgium, France, Argentina and Brazil at odds of 8/1. Thanks boys. And here are all my pre-tournament bets; OUTRIGHT WINNER Brazil 3/1 (Recommended stake of 20 euros) Germany to win (Each way) 13/2 (Recommended stake of 15 euros) TOP GOALSCORER Neymar Jnr 10/1 (Recommended stake of 10 euros) 4 goals Mr Fred 18/1 (Recommended stake of 3 euros) 1 goal Gonzalo Higuain 20/1 (Recommended stake of 2 euros) 0 goals Karim Benzema 25/1 - Recommended stake of 2 euros) 3 goals Thomas Muller 28/1 - Recommended stake of 2 euros) 3 goals Miroslav Klose 40/1 (Recommended stake of 1 euros) 1 goal Edin Dzeko 50/1 (Recommended stake of 1 euros) 1 goal Edin Hazard 66/1 (Recommended stake of 1euros) 0 goals Alexis Sanchez 50/1 (Recommended stake of 1 euro) 1 goal Name the Finalists Brazil and Argentina 8/1 (Recommended stake of 4 euros) Teams to Qualify for the 2nd round Bosnia – sadly no Belgium - yes Chile – yes France yes Pays at 5/1 (Recommended stake of 10 euros) LOST Teams to Qualify for the 2nd round (Extended acca) Chile – yes England – no Japan - no Belgium - yes France - yes Bosnia - no Pays at 13/1 (Recommended stake of 3 euros) LOST Teams to Win Their Groups Brazil - yes Belgium – yes Germany – yes Argentina - yes France - yes Pays 6/1 (Recommended stake of 10 euros) - Returned 70 EUROS TOP TEAM GOALSCORER BETS (4 acca's with a degree of ambition involved, small stakes only) Dzeko for Bosnia 11/8 – yes at reduced odds Sturridge for England 9/4 – yes at reduced odds Benzema for France 6/4 – 3 goals so far Tasty Treble at 26/1 (Recommended stake of 3 euros) This one is looking good at reduced odds, having seen 2 of my selections tie for 1st place. Should still pay out at 8/1 assuming Benzema gets the job done. He has a 2 goal advantage on his colleagues as it stands. Sanchez for Chile 5/2 – 1 goal so far, tied Messi for Argentina 11/8 4 goals – looking good Muller for Germany 7/2 – 3 goals – looking good Pays a very sexy 38/1 - (Recommended stake of 1 euro) If Sanchez can score on Saturday or at least not finish less than tied with a colleague, this bet will be looking a cert. Lukaku for Belgium 2/1 Eto'o for Cameroon 10/3 Forlan - Uruguay - 8/1 Remarkable 126/1 (Recommended stake of 1 euro) Sadly not my finest selection Gonzalo Higuain - Argentina 7/2 – 0 goals Joel Campbell for Costa Rica 7/2 – 1 goal Teofilo Guttierez for Colombia 4/1 - 1 goal 100/1 Treble (Recommended stake of 1 euro) Not much hope here TO QUALIFY/WIN GROUP/BOTTOM OF GROUP ACCA (GROUP BETTING MARKET) Brazil to win Group A - 2/9 – correct Australia to finish bottom of Group B - 1/5 – correct Colombia to qualify from Group C - 3/10 – correct England to qualify from Group D - 4/7 – fail – epic fail France to qualify from Group E - 1/5 - correct Argentina to win Group F - 2/9 – correct Germany to win Group G - 8/13 – yes if they don’t lose to the US tonight Belgium to win Group H = 4/6 – yes barring a minor miracle Pays at 11/1 – 7 out of 8 - Very unlucky. Thanks England. BOTTOM OF GROUP ACCA South Korea - 9/4 – yes Iran (sorry towelie) - 4/7 - yes Honduras - 4/9 0 yes Greece - 11/8 – no - thanks to Ivory Coast Pays at 16/1 (Recommended stake of 3 euros) First Weekend Big Acca Brazil to beat Croatia - Correct Chile to beat Australia- Correct France to beat Honduras - Correct Ivory coast v Japan BTTS - Correct Colombia to beat Greece - Correct Pays at 7/1 (Recommended stake of 7 euros) WINNER So in a tournament of surprises and far more goals than were anticipated by many(although in my selections I predicted 127 goals over the 48 matches and with 130 being scored, I was .pretty close) Things are going pretty well for Bo, with 2 of our pre tournament accas coming up trumps, and I am especially pleased with my goalscorer selections with 2 of my ambitious combination accas doing very well indeed. There will be lots more bets to come so the shape of my success will be determined in the coming days and I for one, cannot wait! I will post my knockout preview soon. Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng have been expelled from Ghana's World Cup squad for alleged indiscipline.
A statement on the Ghana Football Association website said both players had "been suspended indefinitely". It added Boateng had used "vulgar verbal insults targeted at coach Kwesi Appiah" and said Muntari was guilty of an "unprovoked physical attack on an executive committee member". The news comes just hours before Ghana take on Portugal on Thursday. Bo says, GET ON PORTUGAL. The 4/5 price will drop and it is sure this teams spirit is draining. Our last day with 4 games as we see the conclusions to both Groups G and H tonight with USA V Germany the stand out fixture in Group G while Portugal and Ghana should also prove fairly lively as all 4 sides still retain hopes of making it to the last 16 while in Group H, Algeria and Russia square off in a winner takes all match with Algeria only needing a point to secure their place in the 2nd round while Belgium should win the group and eliminate South Korea in the process in the other fixture. I am waiting for both Germany and Belgium tonight to seal my Group Winners acca and I do not envisage any problems for either side, especially Belgium who would need to lose to the Koreans while Algeria would also need to beat Russia to kick me square in the balls. I don’t think it will happen but perhaps a little cover bet could be in order. Germany requires a point to not only qualify but also to seal top spot and it is really impossible to imagine them losing to the USA and being knocked out of the tournament at this early stage. Both sides only need a point to secure their passage and such a result would not be a surprise although it would leave me a little nervous. BTTS is priced at 8/11 and looks a decent possibility and I also fancy the Germans to just edge this and you can back BTTS and Germany to win at generous 5/2 odds. Similarly in the second game between Portugal and Ghana, both sides need a win to have any chance of progression so we should see a very open contest between two teams who have certainly not performed to the level that they would have hoped for thus far in the competition. BTTS is short at ½ but does look like a banker. Over 2.5 goals is worth considering at 19/40 as we are likely to see a really open encounter. If you want a goalscorer, Ronaldo at 4/7 is quite short but will be desperate to break his duck while Andre Ayew at 11/4 looks a great price to add to his 2 strikes so far in the competition. As for the anytime goalscorer market, I will be looking at whoever starts for Germany and my man Klose who scored with his first touch against the Ghanaians might get a little more time tonight to try and break Ronaldo’s record. Back Klose to score at anytime at 7/5 if he starts or bet in play when he comes off the bench. I feel sure this man is destined to break the record and tonight could be his best opportunity against an organised but limited US outfit. Another man worth a look is Andre Schurle, once again if he starts. 7/5 on the Chelsea man as well. I expect Portugal to get the win they need but are unlikely to get the goals they require to make up the goal difference on the US. Portugal are 4/5 to win and while I fancy them, BTTS is more likely. Onto Group H which has been somewhat less thrilling although the performances of Algeria have been encouraging for African football and they have a real chance to join Nigeria as their continents soul representatives in the knock out phase and if they take a point tonight, they are likely to face a rematch against an old adversary in Germany. I am backing the Algerians to get at least a draw tonight to seal their passage through and you can back the Algerians at 5/6 not to lose this one. This is too good to ignore for me and I will be adding them to my main bet for the day. If you are looking for a goalscorer for this one, then Sofiane Fegholi is worth taking a look at with sexy odds of 15/4 to score at anytime. Belgium should finish off the challenge of South Korea and can be backed at 4/5 to get the win and I will only be backing them if they make some changes to their line up. Lukaku has been rotten, and I would like to see the youngster Origi get the nod as well as Kevin Mirallas, and if they do, I will be on the Belgians. Origi is 21/10 to score anytime which looks very generous given the opposition and the possibility of him starting as a lone striker but check team news before placing any bets. It could be a low key affair and so bets should be kept small with most of my attention focused on group G which should provide the more exciting and entertaining matches. Bo’s Best Bets Algeria not to lose to Russia 5/6 Belgium to beat South Korea 4/5 (team news dependant) Germany v USA BTTS 8/11 Portugal v Ghana – BTTS ½ Bo’s Anytime Goalscorer Double Origi 21/10 (if he starts) Klose 7/5 (if he starts or bet on him when he comes off the bench) Or Ayew 11/4 Double on first 2 pays at 8/1 Bo's BTTS and Win Double Germany v USA BTTS and Germany to win 5/2 Portugal v Ghana BTTS and Portugal to win 15/8 Bo’s Predictions Germany 2 v 1 USA Portugal 3 v 1 Ghana Algeria 1 v 1 Russia (possible 0.0) Belgium 2 v 0 South Korea Yesterday’s action was something of a mixed bag as both groups played out to their inevitable and predictable conclusion as Argentina, Nigeria, France and Switzerland became the latest sides to qualify for the last 16. Lionel Messi was at his majestic best, scoring 2, including a wonderful free kick to take him level with Neymar as top goalscorer on 4 goals as the Argentines edged home by 3 goals to 2 in an entertaining encounter with the Nigerians who join them in the next round following Iran’s failure to beat Bosnia. The Iranians went down 3 goals to 1 which brought up my BTTS selection although they were somewhat unfortunate not to take a little more from the game. Bosnia goes home with their pride restored but they will still be hugely disappointed not to finish ahead of an ordinary Nigerian side. In the late action, France and Ecuador played out a largely frustrating and disappointing 0.0 encounter with Karim Benzema in particular missing a whole host of opportunities to secure the win I had predicted and the anytime goalscorer double with Messi but with France winning the group, I now only require Germany to not lose to USA tonight and Belgium to avoid defeat to Korea in order to complete my 10/1 acca on the group winners as posted on June 10th. Switzerland saw off Honduras 3 goals to 0 with Xheridan Shakiri scoring a fine hat-trick and now they are all set to take on Argentina in the round of 16 in what should prove an awkward challenge for the Argentines but with Lionel Messi looking in fine fettle, I will be backing Argentina to advance to the quarter finals at the expense of the Swiss. The line up for the last 16 is almost complete so let’s have a look at what awaits us over the course of the next few days Saturday 28th June Brazil v Chile – 6pm Colombia v Uruguay – 10pm Sunday 29th June Netherlands v Mexico – 6pm Costa Rica v Greece – 10pm Monday 30th June France V Nigeria – 6pm Group G Winner – 10pm (probably Germany) v Group H second place (Russia/Algeria) Tuesday 1st July – 6pm Argentina v Switzerland Group H Winner (probably Belgium) v Group G Second place (probably USA) Saturdays’ fixtures are looking particularly juicy with 2 all South American affairs and I expect both games to go down as classic world cup encounters. I will be all over Colombia to qualify, especially if Luis Suarez is banned following the biting incident on Tuesday while Brazil should be able to overcome Chile but I think it will be exceptionally tough for Brazil and it would not shock me if they were pushed all the way to extra time. It should be a cracking weekend of World Cup drama but before all that, we have the conclusion to Groups G and H this weekend and so I will post a separate preview of the action later today. Today sees the end of the group stage in this ever so joyous world cup so it seems like a good moment to assess my pre tournament predictions and bets and yes, I will mention the bad ones too and yes I will also gloat about some fine pre tournament write ups. Here are groups A through D Group A Bo’s Bets Brazil to win the group 1/4 – Correct Brazil to win the tournament – 11/4 - looking ok Neymar to be top goalscorer 10/1 (4 goals currently) Neymar was my number 1 selection for top goalscorer and his 4 goals have lead him to the top of the charts with Messi and with Brazil winning the group and Mexico joining them, this was a group that i called correctly although I did say the Mexicans would “sneak through” and they did a little bit more than that to be fair. Correct Result predictions - 4 out of 6 correct Group B Bo’s Bets Chile to qualify – 5/6 – correct Australia to finish bottom of Group 1/4– Correct Australia to be lowest scorers 4/1 – wrong Noone could have imagined Spain being smashed out of the tournament so comprehensively in this group but I did however tip up Chile to qualify and that they did in some fine style as they comprehensively outplayed a broken Spain. Defeat to the Dutch means they will face Brazil next. The Aussies did better than I imagined but still finished pointless but at least they scored 3 goals. Correct result predictions – 3 out of 6 Group C Bo’s Bets Colombia to win group - 5/6 –Correct Japan to qualify - 1/1 – wrong Greece to finish bottom of group - 13/8 – wrong While I was incorrect in tipping Japan (should have just reversed those latter selections), I was correct in my belief that Colombia would “still be sexy minus falcao” and so it proved as they stormed to the top of the group with 3 wins. I also spoke about James Rodriguez in my preview; “In Jamie Rodriguez of Monaco they have a player who can light up the tournament with his flair and passing ability in the play maker role” I should have mentioned his scoring ability too! But Rodriguez has easily been one of the stars in this tournament as Colombia look to make a serious impression on these finals. Correct result predictions –3 out of 6 Group D Bo’s Bets England to win the group 21/10 – wrong Uruguay to finish bottom of the group 4/1 – wrong The Less said about this group the better, but fortunately it was the only section I got completely wrong and I have to blame that squarely on the English for their mistakes and naivety which cost them the chance to qualify ahead of some pretty average opponents. I did tip Costa Rica to take points but I never imagined they could win the section and remain unbeaten! Remarkable. Correct result predictions – 0 out of 6 (oh dear) Groups E through H to follow After the drama of last night, today’s action could prove a little more sedate by comparison with the conclusions to Groups E and F looking relatively predictable and straightforward. In the 6pm kick-offs, Argentina take on Nigeria knowing a point will win them the group while Nigeria sitting on 4 points know that unless Iran can beat Bosnia, they will be joining Argentina as the second qualifiers from a group which has produced little in the way of excitement beyond the 2 fine goals scored by Lionel Messi against Bosnia and Iran. I expect and hope (waiting on Argentina for my group winners bet) that Messi and Co will have enough to at least take a point tonight and they will be looking for an improved performance on their 2 previous efforts where they have lacked the spark to outplay their opponents and have only just edged past both Bosnia and Iran only with the aid of Messi’s magic. Iran meanwhile still have hope if they can pull off a win over a Bosnia side who should be determined to go home with some pride having taken 0 points thus far in the tournament. Argentina should win but again I do not expect it to be an overly impressive display in a match which may lack energy given both sides desire to take only a point, while I fancy another share of the spoils in the Iran match with Bosnia which will see both Argentina and Nigeria progress. BTTS is a possibility for the Iran game and this is priced at 4/5. The draw is 9/4 Later on in the evening we see the conclusion to Group E as France (another of my selected group winners) take on Ecuador looking for a 3rd straight win while Switzerland will hope to come through their encounter with Honduras unscathed against a side with a penchant for dangerous tackles. Ecuador will need to better Switzerland’s result in order to qualify and such a permutation is hard to envisage given their respective opponents and I expect both the Swiss and French side’s to win tonight to provide a brief respite for the Europeans who are falling hard at the hands of their American (the continent) opponents be it South or Central. Remarkably it looks like 8 out of 10 of the these sides will be in the last 16 with Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico lighting up the event with some wonderful displays and it looks increasingly likely that a winner will be found from that side of the world. Not the most exciting day’s action to be honest but hopefully Messi can continue his fine form and both France and Argentina can seal the groups for my big acca while I would like to see Benzema, Dzeko and Messi all find the net to aid my ongoing top team goalscorer trebles that are looking rather handy at this stage of the event (as posted June 10th). Let’s have a quick look at them, Sanchez - Chile – 5/2 (1 goal, tied for first place) Muller – Germany 7/2 (3 goals, 2 goals clear) Messi – Argentina 11/8 (2 goals, 2 goals clear) Treble pays at 36/1 Benzema – France 13/8 (looking good with 3 goals) Sturridge – England 9/4 (should have been a clear winner but tied with Rooney means halved odds) Dzeko - Bosnia 11/8 (needs a goal or 2 tonight) Treble pays at 20/1 Both of these trebles are doing really well, especially the former so I am looking for goals tonight from Benzema, Dzeko and Messi to boost my chances in both. I don’t think tonight’s games represent tremendous value or opportunity for success but of course I have some selections for the games. Here they are Bo's Best Bet Bosnia v Iran – DRAW 9/4 France to beat Ecuador - 7/10 Switzerland to beat Honduras - 4/9 Argentina to beat Nigeria 8/15 Bo's Anytime Goalscorer Double Benzema - France - 5/6 Messi - Argentina - -4/5 Double pays at 3/1 Bo's Predictions for today Bosnia 1 v 1 Iran France 2 v 0 Ecuador Switzerland 2 v 0 Honduras Argentina 2 v 1 Nigeria No more biting please. I'm looking at you dirty Honduras. Uruguay v Italy Review
It was another remarkable day’s action in the World Cup and For the second trounament in a row, following his hand ball in South Africa, Luis Suarez aka the Beaver, finds himself embroiled in further controversy having clearly taken a bite out of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during yesterday’s crunch(y)encounter which saw the Uruguayan’s emerge with a 1.0 victory thanks to Diego Godin’s fine header deep into the second half. The first thing to say is that it is pretty clear from the TV pictures that Suarez is guilty of the crime and given his past history it would seem fair to assume that once again he has totally lost control of his actions and committed an offence that is sure to end his World Cup and will certainly cast doubts on the future of his career at Liverpool and beyond. A fine player no doubt, verging on genius and without doubt world class, it is reasonable to assume that any notion Barcelona or Real Madrid had of pursuing the striker this summer will have been discarded after one of the most foolish crimes ever committed at a World Cup and his subsequent reaction in holding his teeth (almost comical in its shamelessness) and the denials that were to follow only served to shame further this ever so flawed man. There can be no excuses for Suarez now and the pathetic manner in which the Uruguayans have attempted to defend their player is perhaps worse than the crime itself. Here is the reaction of coach Tabarez: “"This is a football World Cup - it's not about morality, cheap morality". "As we say in Uruguay, there are people who are hiding behind a tree waiting for someone to make a mistake. Suarez, despite mistakes he might have made, is a target of certain media, of press." So football is not about cheap morality according to the coach? ...what a sad indictment it is for the sport that a manager of a team in the last 16 of the World Cup can ridicule the notion that morality and football can have nothing in common. It would seem the days of respect and integrity have long since departed our game if this is how the manager of a national team can respond to such an incident and perpetuates a sadness that in the 21st century, the only thing that seems to matter now is winning. Sporting behaviour is now no longer deemed relevant in the chase for glory, at least according to the Uruguayan’s and their manager who have been for many years, known for their gamesmanship and win at all cost attitude and it showed itself up again, not just in the bite, but in the spineless, distasteful and pathetic response which attempts to cast the blame on the English media. Now I am no great fan of the press in the UK and it is clear that for a while at least, Suarez was public enemy number one for his transgressions and yes it is very much true that our media like to crucify our celebrities should they step out of line or even when they don’t but in the case of Suarez, he has always brought it onto himself and the notion that he is being scapegoated by our media is nothing short of fanciful and actually brings the game into disrepute. It is one thing to bite an opponent (for a 3rd time in your career) but another thing entirely for his manager to claim that football is not about cheap morality. Frankly speaking, you just have to say, what a bunch of dickheads. Really, there is just no other way to describe the characters involved in this shameful episode. The Uruguayans are traditionally once of the dirtiest teams to enter the World Cup and Scotland fans will recall how their side was kicked off the park by a particularly rough house Uruguayan outfit back in 1986 and it seems, almost 30 years later that their win at all cost attitude remains in place and manifests itself in the shameful conduct of players and coaching staff who should grow up and bring themselves into the 21st century. It really sickens me that the Uruguayans attempt to paint this as some kind of UK lead conspiracy against their “wonderful man” (these were the words of the coach a few days ago) Luis Suarez who has been vilified by a horrible English media for opening his mouth and allowing the disgraceful Italian defender to leave his shoulder open to the warm affections of a beautiful player...what a lot of complete and utter nonsense. Yes Suarez has been the target of some aggressive journalism in England, but at no point does that ever excuse the conduct of a player who has been no stranger to controversy throughout his career and who time after time, fails to learn his lessons. This is his 3rd bite on a fellow pro and combined with the racially aggravated abuse he dished out to Patrice Evra, you have to wonder if this time there will be no second chances or third chances or in the case of this misguided genius, a 4th or 5th. Who’s counting? Only yesterday he spoke about silencing the UK media who he claims deride him for his “bad attitude” and asked the question, what would they say to him now, following his 2 goal salvo against England? Well Luis...I think you know the answer to that by now. Goals do not shape a man’s character, no matter how sexy the strikes. The complete lack of self awareness and irony in his words could not have been brought further into context following this incident yesterday and it really is staggering to think that he can apportion the blame onto others and fail to accept the responsibility for the mistakes he so frequently makes. Here he was on the greatest stage in the sporting world and for no apparent reason, decides to bite an opponent in full view of the world’s gaze. It simply boggles the mind that anyone could be so stupid and while there is no doubt that it is a terrible shame that we are likely to be deprived of seeing Suarez’s wonderful footballing ability again in this competition, it is without question that he deserves to be punished severely and is likely to receive a huge ban from FIFA. His tournament is done, there can be little doubt about that now and it would appear that his career in England is in further jeopardy and whether the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona (rumoured summer transfer destinations) will want anything more to do with him is entirely doubtful as well. There should be no redemption for a man unwilling to accept his mistakes and apologise with conviction and integrity and do something to change his behaviour and no amount of 40 yard screamers will do anything to change that, despite what Luis seems to think. Suarez has struggled to understand the concept that goals do not equate to character redemption and while undeniably talented, he is grossly disliked, not just for the crimes he commits, but for his reaction in the aftermath with a refusal to admit to his mistakes further aiding to his lack of popularity and his refusal to shake the hand of Patrice Evra following their racially aggravated bust up which resulted in the 10 match ban for Suarez two years ago further illustrated this is a man who cannot accept the mistakes he makes and is only too willing to further smear his reputation. The only thing we can assume is that this is a very badly educated, and let’s be honest, stupid man who simply cannot control his actions in the heat of the moment and who deserves nothing but scorn from the press and public alike for his brutality, his insincerity and the complete lack of self awareness that perpetuates both his actions and his responses. It is a real sadness for this tournament that all of the positive emotion and joy of the last 2 weeks can be drained away and pushed into the shadows because of the behaviour of one very stupid man and the response from one very stupid coach who simply refuses to accept that his star striker is nothing more than a spoiled, stupid little brat, who cannot control the pea-brained responses to provocation or pressure. For Suarez, his tournament will be finished by FIFA in the upcoming 48 hours and another huge smear has been stamped onto his resume, never to be forgotten. There can be no redemption for a man who continually commits the kind of offences that go beyond the average misdemeanours of your regular football player. The fact is he is not brave enough to accept his but surely now he will have to accept the consequences that result from his latest in a line of misbehaviours and I really hope FIFA throw the book at him and hand up an unprecedentedly long ban. This is not a first offence and when an offence like this is committed on the biggest stage, it should carry a respectively large punishment and anything under 10 games would be illogical. Suarez will never learn but these kind of infirgements cannot be tolerated or treated lightly and his sentence should be longer unless he is willing to admit to his guilt. What a terrible shame for a player so elegant with the ball but so moronic with his head and this latest disaster for Suarez is surely the biggest mistake he has ever made on a football field. As for the bets, it was a decent night overall with my Uruguay to win tip coming home at 19/10 as well as BTTS in Colombia v Japan and Jackson Martinez also found the net twice while I also tipped the English to draw with Costa Rica. The Colombians look fantastic well, and I will be steamrolling into them to see of Uruguay minus Suarez at 6/5 odds to win in 90 minutes. Without their main man, the Uruguayans will struggle to contain a Colombia who look like genuine threats for the title and in James Rodriguez they have a player fast becoming one of or perhaps the star of this tournament. Greece pulled off a shock win over Ivory Coast with a last gasp penalty by former Celtic man Giorgios Samaras and it was no more than the Greeks deserved against a desperately poor Ivory Coast. Once again an African team shows a complete lack of shape and ability and the fact they were still trying to score in the minute before they gave away a 91st minute penalty when all they needed was a point to qualify only underlines their lack of professionalism. A team packed full of experience chose not to defend their lead in the dying moments and how they paid the price. A last 16 match with Costa Rica awaits for Greece and noone could have imagined that. As for Suarez, it’s a sorry tale of woe at the end of a season that had been the finest in his career and he will be left to regret that he may never again have the opportunity to lead his team in a World cup tie again. 4 big games to look at today with all the sides involved (barring England) still holding a chance of qualification for the last 16 should results fall their way.
At 6pm we have the big clash between Uruguay and Italy to decide who will join the tournament’s big surprise package Costa Rica in the next phase while England themselves will take on the Central American side as they look to restore some pride, or rather, prevent further humiliation (I don’t think they can salvage any “pride” now, no matter the outcome) against the leaders of the group who only need a point to seal top spot and a likely clash with Ivory Coast in the next round. I have a big feeling that Uruguay can beat the Italians who looked awful in their defeat to Costa Rica and coming on the back of a fine win over England, Uruguay with a fit Luis Suarez are capable of getting the goals they need. I have changed my opinion suffice to say on my earlier predictions of the Europeans to get out of the group with England already eliminated and Italy looking so average in their defeat to the hugely unfancied Costa Rica. For Uruguay with a win under their belts and Luis Suarez fit and scoring again I expect big things from the Liverpool man tonight and he can be backed at 13/8 to find the net against an Italian defence that no longer carries the reputation it once did while Edison Cavani also looked to be in some pretty good form against England and he is worth considering as well. This should be a close encounter and I can see another 2.1 scoreline tonight so I will be banking on Suarez as the man to make the difference again. Uruguay are priced at 19/10 to get the win they need and while it should be close, BTTS seems a decent possibility with Italy unlikely to keep a clean sheet themselves. BTTS is 4/5 and if we get an early goal I would be very confident in this selection profiting. England should pick up something against a Costa Rica team who are likely to rest 1 or 2 players as they await their last 16 tie (what a truly remarkable position for them to be in) while England will be desperate to avoid defeat in order to avoid breaking an unwanted record of never going home from a World Cup with 3 defeats on the bounce. BTTS is my big tip here (of course) and at 8/11 the odds are shortening. This is a game that could go 1 of 2 ways. Free and entertaining or pointless and dull but I am plumping for the former given my optimistic World Cup spirit and also because it’s clear England just cannot defend but have some decent attacking options starting tonight’s encounter including Lallana, Wilshere, Barkley and Sturridge. Later on in the evening, Colombia take on Japan while Greece look for their first tournament goal against an Ivory Coast side probably only needing a point to progress to the last 16. The Greeks certainly haven’t surprised anyone with their defensive approach and I don’t expect much to change in this fixture and I fancy the Ivorians at 23/20 to get the win they need to guarantee their position in the next phase of the competition. Japan still have a chance themselves of qualifying but will need a fairly unlikely set of results in order to do this, including beating a Colombia side who look very dangerous and will represent a big threat in the knockout phase. A lot depends on the team the Colombians pick but I expect improvements from Japan who will be attacking and for this reason I fancy the BTTS selection at 8/11. It should be a decent night’s action and I expect some fireworks when Uruguay and Italy get us under way at 6pm in the tournaments biggest knock out tie thus far. Here are tonight’s selections Bo’s Best Bets England v Costa Rica – BTTS 8/11 Uruguay to beat Italy 19/10 Colombia v Japan BTTS – 8/11 Ivory Coast to beat Japan 23/20 Acca pays at 18/1 Bo’s Both teams to score, Double Draw Delight Colombia v Japan – BTTS draw 4/1 England v Costa Rica – draw 11/4 Double pays at 16/1 Bo’s Anytime Goalscorer Double Suarez (Uruguay) 13/8 Sturridge (England) 1/1 Pays at 6/1 Bo’s Score Predictions Uruguay 2 v 1 Italy (10/1) England 2 v 2 Costa Rica (14/1) Ivory Coast 2 v 0 Greece (15/2) Japan 2 v 2 Colombia (14-1) Others bets to consider... Bony to score for Ivory Coast – 15/8 Jackson Martinez to score for Colombia (if he starts) – 2/1 Cavani to score for Uruguay - 15/8 It was a busy day of action in Brazil yesterday with 4 games taking place to decide the placing’s for both Groups’ A and B.
In the early kick-offs, Spain saw off Australia 3.0 in the dead rubber of the group while the Netherlands overcame Chile 2.0 to seal their position as group winners with a very impressive full set of points. Both games were pretty unremarkable and Chile’s failure to find the net was a personal disappointment although for the tournament, it might be better to see the Dutch avoiding Brazil in the last 16 but that fate now awaits the Chileans who will be hopeful of causing a stir on Saturday’s 6pm kick off against the hosts. Spain got the win they expected but this is a tournament they will want to forget quickly but at least they found some nice goals in their final fixture with David Villa bowing out of the International stage with a fine back-heeled goal. The late games brought much more excitement as Mexico caused a minor stir by racing into a 3 goal lead against Croatia as they threatened to overtake the Brazilians on goal difference to top the group but substitute Fernandino found a late 4th to secure top spot in a comfortable 4.1 victory over Cameroon to bring up my -2 bet on the handicap and with my boy Neymar bagging 2, it was good result for both the hosts and for Bo. Brazil still look very average at the back and in Fred and Hulk they have 2 forwards who are offering very little to bring excitement to the party. Without Neymar, they would have almost 0 chance to win this competition but with the Barcelona man looking so impressive and seemingly enjoying the task of carrying his countries hopes on his slight shoulders (really this is where Hulk should be doing more given his ample frame) and with 4 goals, he has every chance to be top goalscorer at initial odds of 10/1 now shortened to a mere 2/1. Chile will represent very dangerous opponents to the hosts on Saturday and it certainly would not be the biggest shock if the Chileans push the hosts to the very edge in what should be a really great encounter. I expect Brazil to progress in that match but if Chile can find top gear it could turn out to be the upset of the century. Mexico’s victory was highly impressive and I while I tipped up Croatia to win, this was a tie that could have gone either way but the Mexicans ran out worthy winners to send the Croats like their neighbours Bosnia, home after the 1st stage and Mexico through to take on Holland in what should be another fine encounter. The Mexicans came into the tournament without much expectation after a dreadful qualifying campaign that forced them into a playoff with New Zealand having finished 4th out of 6 in their group but they have really turned it around at this year’s tournament and they should run the Dutch close on Sunday although I will be backing the Oranje boys to make it the quarter finals. Today’s action see’s a huge crunch clash between Uruguay and Italy with the Uruguayans needing 3 points to seal their place in the next round at the expense of the Italians who in years gone by could be relied upon to put up a pragmatic and dogged defence style to seal the point they need but this is 2014 and the likes of Maldini and Cannavaro are long since departed and it would be a real surprise (At least to me) if they can play out for the draw they need. I fully expect the Uruguayans to be up for this one and in Luis Suarez, they have a man who is capable of wrecking the Italians dreams. England take on Costa Rica with the Central American’s needing only a point to secure top spot in the group and what a remarkable achievement that would be and the English are looking to restore some pride in their final fixture with coach Hodgson naming a much changed line up. I have yet to finalise my selections but needless to say I quite fancy BTTS in these games with Luis Suarez a cert to feature in my daily anytime goalscorer double. Later on in the evening we see the conclusion to Group C with Colombia looking for the point they need to win the group against a disappointing Japan who need a little miracle to progress while Ivory Coast also require a point against Greece to secure their place in the last 16. The Ivorians should have too much for the Greeks while Colombia and Japan could produce a BTTS occasion with the Asians looking to inject some much needed life into what has been pretty poor fare from a side I expected so much better. I will post a small preview and some final selections later today We are into the last round of matches which means simultaneous kick-offs in each of the groups so there are 4 games for today kicking off at 6pm and 10pm respectively. At 6pm, we see the conclusion to Group B as The Netherlands and Chile battle it out for the right to win the group (and probably avoid Brazil) while Spain look to regain some pride against Australia who are also fighting for nothing more than respect. I expect goals in the Dutch/Chile affair and BTTS is priced at 4/7 but this seems almost a cert and will form the backbone of my main acca for today. Both will be eager to win and avoid the hosts and both are attacking sides with confidence and form on their side and I expect something of a humdinger of a contest. I fancy Salvio to find the back of the net for Chile and he is 5/4 to do so at anytime while Robben can again be backed for Holland at a similar price. In the other match, it’s very hard to predict what might happen but the Aussies could be worth a look against a Spanish squad on it’s knees following their humbling defeats earlier in the group. BTTS is a decent possibility and is priced at 4/5 for this one with the Spanish very short at just 2/5 to get the victory they need to avoid finishing bottom. Who would ever have imagined that? The late action at 10pm see’s the hosts entertain a poor Cameroon and Brazil really need to start finding some form and I expect them to do just that but whether they have enough to carry the handicap at ½ odds is debatable so it might be worth avoiding the Brazilians tonight although I would be a little surprised if they fail to beat the Cameroonians fairly comfortably. 2.0 looks the shout. The biggest game of the day and the one I will be watching is a straight shoot out between Croatia and Mexico for a place in the last against the loser of the Holland/Chile tie and while Mexico only need a draw to make it through, I have a feeling that the Croats could edge this one to seal the qualification. Croatia are 8/5 to get the win they need and this looks a decent price for a team that has some serious quality in the right areas. Mario Mandzukic will be my man to find the net again and I think there is also a good chance of BTTS in what promises to be a tough contest. BTTS is 4/5 while Mario is 6/5 to hit the net. The Croats will be embouldened by their fine win over Cameroon and while Mexico are indeed a step up, they might just be able to get the win they need to seal the qualification spot if Mexico are too negative and looking to hang on for a draw. It should be another super sexy world cup day and let’s hope there are no problems for Brazil as they look to seal that top spot and bring home the first part in my acca. Here are my best bets for today Bo’s Best Bets Chile v Netherlands – BTTS 4/7 Croatia v Mexico – BTTS 4/5 Brazil -1 to beat Cameroon – 8/15 Bo’s Ambitious Double Chile v Netherlands BTTS and draw 3/1 Croatia to beat Mexico 8/5 Pays at 11/1 Bo’s Anyime Goalscorer Double Mandzukic – Croatia – 6/5 Vargas – Chile 6/4 Bo’s Predictions and other selections Brazil 2 v 0 Cameroon Croatia 2 v 1 Mexico Australia 1 v 2 Spain Chile 2 v 2 Netherlands Also consider Robben anytime scorer for Netherlands (6/5) and Croatia to beat Mexico with BTTS at 9/2 Yesterday I was too busy relaxing to do my usual preview of the upcoming action and my review of what went before it so here is a small review of what we failed to analyse. On Saturday, we saw Argentina scrape past Iran in more than unconvincing style with their late winner coming at the hands of the genius Leo Messi who scored another spectacular goal to seal his side’s qualification but it was hard justice on an Iran team who more than matched their fancied opponents and should have scored on at least 2 occasions while also having a pretty good shout for a penalty denied. If the Argentina game was a disappointment then the action that followed with Germany and Ghana was anything but as the Ghanaians improved hugely on their opening defeat to register a fine 2.2 draw having lead midway through the second half. It was that man Miroslav Klose who found the net to take a share of the spoils in a game that was rich in excitement and drama and proved a fine choice for a Saturday night at home. Finally the action was rounded off in highly frustrating fashion as Bosnia slumped out of the competition following a narrow yet deserved 1.0 loss to Nigeria however had Edin Dzeko’s first half strike not been wrong ruled out for offside, it could and probably would have been an entirely different outcome. No doubt this was my biggest disappointment of the tournament so far as my hotly tipped Bosnian’s failed to live up to their qualification standards and Nigeria largely controlled a rather poor game. Sunday produced some more fantastic action but certainly not in that first game between Belgium and Russia which was decided by a late Belgian goal and while this was a result I needed for my group betting acca, it was a poor game and will be quickly forgotten by those unfortunate enough to be in attendance. Algeria and South Korea served up a 6 goal thriller with the Algerian’s surprising most (not Bo) with their win and this looks likely to send the Korean’s to the bottom of the group for the remained of the tournament which is just where I want them. I have a small acca on Honduras, Greece, South Korea and Iran all finishing bottom of their groups and this bet has a fine chance with 3 of the 4 bottom going into the last day. It looks like the Iran v Bosnia match will decide that one. Finally last night, I got my 2.2 prediction for the US and Portugal clash spot on (suppose you will have to trust me on that) and this was one of the more enjoyable games of the tournament with the US again proving dogged opponents and it took at 95th minute equaliser from Varela to rescue Portugal who still seem doomed to an early exit. My teams to win their group acca of Germany, Argentina, Belgium, France and Brazil is looking almost certain at this point and barring a major surprise, we will be looking at a fine 10/1 winner. Overall it was a decent weekend for the bets and at least 3 of the games were terrific value as this World Cup continues to defy expectations and is shaping up as one of the most special in the competitions history. Long may it continue. Preview of today’s action to follow. Yesterday's action proved to be decent fare as Costa Rica got things under way by stunning a very poor Italy 1.0 thanks to Bryan Ruiz's fine header in the first half.
You may remember me tipping the Costa Ricans to pick up 1 or 2 points in the group but I could hardly have envisaged they would be sitting safely in the last 16 with a game to spare! stunning and it just about sums this World Cup up. France smashed the Swiss 5.2 in a highly entertaining game but I was left ruing the missed penalty of Benzema and a contentiously disallowed goal with the final kick of the game. Still, this win edged me closer to sealing a fine acca I placed pre tournament. Let's take a look at these ongoing accas which look set to deliver a great return. Posted June 11th. Teams to Qualify for the 2nd round Bosnia Belgium Chile France Pays at 5/1 (Recommended stake of 10 euros) Teams to Win Their Groups Brazil Belgium Germany Argentina France Pays 6/1 (Recommended stake of 10 euros) These were two of my three big acca's and these 2 look set to pay off handsomely although if England had not been so poor, I could have been toasting 3 out of 3 however if Bosnia can win tonight then we will be looking pretty good for the other 2, although Belgium still have some work to do and likewise Germany, but I expect both to win their groups. Last night also saw a surprisingly entertaining encounter between Honduras and Ecuador which saw the Ecuadorians come from behind to win 2.1 and keep alive my hopes for my bottom of the group acca which contains Honduras, South Korea, Greece and Iran and with 6 games played, none of those sides have picked up a win with only 2 draws between the lot. Tonight's action is looking pretty tasty with Argentina looking to seal their place in the last 16 against a stubborn Iranian side led by the soon to be departed coach, Carlos Queiroz. The Iranian's will defend doggidly and it could well take Argentina a little time to open them up but I expect them to win by at least 2 although they are a pretty short price to do so at 4/9 (-1) Leo Messi should be good for another goal but again at 1/2 it's pretty short odds. Gonzalo Higuain at 1/1 will be my selection with the Napoli man set to start through the middle. Germany should take care of business against Ghana who frustrated me so much in their encounter with the USA and I have a feeling Germany could make them look very foolish tonight. The Germans are 5/6 on the -1 handicap and that is the bet I like most although they could win by a bigger margin with Thomas Muller likely to be in amongst the goals tonight. I will also consider Lukas Podolski if he gets the nod to start but for me, the money lies in Muller who I backed (with a euro) to be top scorer at 28/1. BTTS is possible with Germany not the most reliable at the back these days and in Kevin Prince Boateng, the Ghanians do have a man capable of undoing the Germans. BTTS is 5/6 and worth considering. Finally my personal favourites Bosnia who I am banking on qualifying ahead of Nigeria and realistically they might only really need a point tonight against their African opponents tonight to ensure that they will only require a final day win over Iran to seal qualifcation (assuming Nigeria fail to beat Argentina) but I think they will be determind to get the job done tonight and I fancy them strongly to win at 5/6 and I expect the big man Dzeko to get his first goal of the tournament. It should be a great night and thank God I am not working and missing the early game as has been the case this week. Enjoy the action! Bo's Best Bets Germany -1 to beat Ghana - 5/6 Bosnia to beat Nigeria - 10/11 Argentina -1 to beat Iran - 1/2 Treble pays at 4/1 Bo's Second Best Bets Germany v Ghana BTTS - 10/11 Bosnia v Nigeria BTTS - 4/5 Argentina -2 to beat Iran - 6/5 Treble pays at 7/1 Bo's Anytime Goalscorer Double or Treble Higuain - Argentina 1/1 Dzeko - Bosnia - 6/5 Muller - Germany - 4/5 Treble Pays at 7/1 Bo's Predictions Argentina 3 v 0 Iran (8/1) Germany 4 v 1 Ghana (16/1) Bosnia 2 v 1 Nigeria (9/1) Another 3 games to focus on today as Italy takes on Costa Rica at 6pm followed by France’s local clash with Switzerland and the night is rounded off with the glory of Honduras and Ecuador. Italy will be looking to seal their place in the 2nd round with a win over shock stars Costa Rica who know that even with a win on the board, are still not expected to progress beyond the group phase. Italy looked strong against England but will expect a difficult opponent in Costa Rica who stunned Uruguay 3.1 in the opening fixture to turn the group on its head and the Italians will need to be at their best if they want to take all 3 points. I expect the Italians to want to seal their route to the 2nd round tonight and I am backing them at 8/15 to see off the Central Americans but I don’t think it is going to be easy and in Arsenal forward Joel Campbell, they have a man who can worry the Italians who are not as strong at the back as they once were. I expect Mario Balotelli to find the net again as he looks sharp and relaxed and is a world class striker when he has the head screwed on. Screws are in place (at least for now ) and Mario can be backed to score first at 9/2 or 5/6 anytime. It raises the question as to just where did all the good defenders go? England used to have Terry, Ferdinand, Campbell, Adams, Butcher et al and now they are left with Phil Jagielka! It’s clear to see that this has been England’s downfall at this tournament and likewise Italy who certainly do not possess a Maldini, Baresi or Cannavaro anymore and for that reason BTTS is possible but I think Italy to win is the more solid bet. We shall see. France looked sharp against Honduras and they can continue their good start to the tournament by beating Switzerland at 9pm in what will be a closely fought contest.I don’t expect lots of goals in this one but fancy the French to edge it by 1. They are 17/20 to get the win they want to secure their place in the round of 16. Finally and rather painfully we have a battle between Honduras and Ecuador and I use the word “battle” consciously as the Hondurans have proved to be the dirtiest side in the tournament. It’s clear they are over compensating for a lack of ability and I expect their filth tactics to continue tonight in a match where they are underdogs against Ecuador. The Ecuadorians should take the points but once more I am not expecting many goals and quite potentially this could be a pretty poor affair. If I had to pick a winner, I would side with Ecuador but I expect a scrappy encounter and 0.0 or 1.0 is entirely possible Not the best of days overall but it is still the World Cup and hopefully France and Switzerland can serve up something special at 9pm to match up to the feasts we have enjoyed in previous days. Bo’s Best Bets Italy to beat Costa Rica – 8/15 France to beat Switzerland 17/20 Bo’s Anytime Scorer Double Balotelli – 5/6 Benzema 5/6 Double pays at 2.7/1 Bo’s Predictions Italy 2 v 1 Costa Rica France 1 v 0 Switzerland Ecuador 1 v 0 Costa Rica It was a wonderful start to yesterday’s action as Colombia beat Greece 2.1, as predicted on the blog.
I tipped up Colombia to win, BTTS, James Rodriguez to score and a final score of 2.1 and with all 4 tips coming home, it marked a terrific start to the evening’s action although unfortunately it went somewhat downhill with England’s defeat to Uruguay. The Colombians look to be a genuine threat in this tournament and their narrow victory came as no surprise and they could be headed for a last 16 clash with Uruguay and that promises to be an absolute cracker. I landed my anytime double goalscorer for 3rd time out of 4 with Rooney finally scoring a World Cup goal to add to the Rodriguez strike in the Colombia game and this brought home a very nice double but sadly for England and for me, not only did they fail to get the win I was hoping for, but the late goal they conceded has all but certainly condemned them to an early flight home unless Italy can do them some major favours . I spoke at length about Wayne Rooney yesterday and as I expected he was England’s best player, looking sharp and being at the forefront of every attack they launched while young guns Sterling and Sturridge were less impressive and overall his performance will have silenced some if not all of his critics. In the end it was the genius of Luis Suarez and the appalling defending which cost England their chance and how they missed the Chelsea boys Terry and Cole at the back. I always felt it was a major blunder to leave out Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines has looked far below the standards set by Cole who was easily one of the top 5 left backs in the world game. Perhaps he still is? In any case, the manager’s decision to look to the future was brave and not without good reason but his decision to go for Baines ahead of Cole always struck me as strange and Baines has looked ill at ease this past week in his role at left back. In midfield Steven Gerrard may now decide the time is right to step down as another disappointing campaign stares him in the face and for the Liverpool man it has been an excruciatingly painful month and whether he still has the drive and ability to move forward again remains to be seen. Any England fans looking for some good football to cheer them up following the defeat in the late game between Japan and Greece were to be further disappointed as the two sides played out a depressing 0.0. The Greeks really are the dullest nation when it comes to football tournaments these days and it has to be hoped they are not back for the next one. Sorry Samaras. Tonight’s action see’s Italy take on Costa Rica with England fans praying for an Italian win while France take on the Swiss in what is essentially a winner takes all to decide who will top the group and the late action sees the match you have all been waiting for...Honduras vs. Ecuador! I am quite disappointed that on the night before my weekend off this is the action we have in store for us but you cannot have steak for dinner every night and let’s hope the action will be a little better than what the Japanese and Greeks served up last night. Bo’s World Cup Fun – Bo’s Joy of Six - World Cup wishlist
It’s been a super week of football so far in the 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup and with well over 45 matches left to be played, the story of this tournament has yet to be written. A good opening week is all well and good but ultimately, as with any tournament, it will be remembered for what is still to come and not so much for what we have seen so far (the Spanish smashing aside) and so with that, here are my wishes for the remainder of the tournament 1) Brazil to find their form and lift the trophy on July 13th Of course having backed Brazil this is an obvious call and if I were to write the script today I would have the Brazilians winning the final 4.3 against Argentina with Neymar blasting a hat-trick to seal the cup and the Golden Boot. Messi will also score a hat-trick and it will go down as the single greatest football match in history. Pele will finally get an erection and big Phil will knock out Robbie Savage for no apparent reason. Yes it is a lot to ask for but what are wishes for? 2) Bosnia to qualify from Group F The Bosnians came to Brazil for the first ever major tournament on the back of a fabulous qualification campaign which saw them rattle 30 goals in 10 games and in their opening fixture they showed they are certainly not to be dismissed in this tournament. Of course Bosnia is a country with a history more chequered than the strip of their Croatian neighbours and for a nation besot with tragedy in its formative years, it would be quite wonderful if this small, but beautiful country could emerge from their group ahead of a frankly awful Nigeria and achieve something tangible and long lasting to serve as a reminder that any country, no matter how small, how bereft of hope can actually emerge from the doldrums and propel their name into the common consciousness as a theme for hope and recovery. Or maybe it’s because I bet big on them to qualify...either way, come on Bosnia! 3) Rooney to silence critics Now it is fair to say that Wayne Rooney is not the most popular figure these days and to suggest he was divisive would perhaps be excessive flattery for a man who has done himself no favours in the past with his transfer demands at Man Utd and his onscreen outburst against the English support in the last World Cup to name but two such incidents, but despite all this, he remains one of England’s most creative and important forwards even if the press would have you believe that he is some kind of fag smoking imposter stealing the place of all their super talented strikers (Lambert, Defoe, Crouch) I have always been a fan of Rooney’s and quite why he generates so much negative attention is beyond me. He seems to me at least to be an excellent professional, who always puts in a hard shift and can when the moment is right produce a moment of serious quality as demonstrated in that fantastic assist against Italy. Over 250 goals for club and country is also no mean feat but despite all this, he continues to be the source of scorn and doubt in a country where bringing your top sportsman back down to earth is seen as some kind of ritualistic joust that the English media can not get enough of. Rooney’s record at World Cup’s has been the source of much of the criticism with media and fans alike seemingly willing to overlook the fact that he entered each of the last 2 tournaments carrying a serious injury and was unable to recover his match fitness in time and despite the fact he would have worked bloody hard just to get there in the first place, it seems like a terribly unfair stick with which to beat him Personally speaking I would love to see him bag a couple of goals tonight and leave the press feeling rather sheepish and put in their place. Or it could just be that I have money riding on England qualification...either way, let em have it Roon dog! 4) Refereeing Controversies limited only to England There is nothing quite like a refereeing error to ruin a good game of football and over the years we have seen plenty of potentially great games ruined by some poor decisions, especially when it comes to red cards and penalties and it would be truly wonderful if this year’s tournament could be remembered for great goals and fabulous footballing spectacles rather than all of our pundits whining and bitching about decisions that referees got wrong. Yes it is a real shame when a mistake or poor call can ruin a potentially special match but the bottom line is that our ref’s are human and have been denied the opportunity to work with video technology and as such, it would be far better for the game itself if our media and pundits could focus a little less on 1 or 2 decisions a referee got wrong in a game. Of course this will never happen so the best we can hope for is some solid performances from our men in black and pray that any mistakes will be largely limited to knocking out England (hopefully on penalties) 5) An African team to actually play well It would seem that ever since Pele declared that we would soon have an African champion of the World Cup that every nation who enters from that continent has the inability to actually reach the heights their country and their support deserves. Of course Pele talks a lot of shite at the best of times but it would seem we are no closer to such an eventand indeed have gone backwards in the race to find a first African champion in sport’s greatest prize. In this tournament, Nigeria and Cameroon have been pretty awful while Ghana were also completely devoid of shape and creativity against a limited US side and Algeria also managed to throw away a lead against the hotly fancied Belgians and only the Ivory Coast have actually managed to pick up 3 points so far but even in doing so they look a fairly ordinary outfit. For too long these countries have come here talking tall about winning the competition and not since Cameroon in 1990 has such talk ever looked even remotely possible. Ghana put up a decent fight last time in losing in the quarter finals but it remains a great source of frustration of mine having to watch these fabulous countries arrive at the world cup with all their culture and magnificent support and then turn in the kind of displays that Ghana and Nigeria have done in recent days. I have seldom been more frustrated in a player than I was with Ghana’s Sulley Muntari the other evening as he blazed cross after cross and shot after shot high over the bar. This is a man who has played at the top level in Italy and England (and for Portsmouth) and his inability to display any kind of composure really boiled my blood. At the end of the match I saw him attempting to console some of his team-mates who might well have been considering just how poorly their supposed star man in midfield had actually performed and were probably thinking about telling him to f*** off. If the African teams actually bothered to work a little harder on their shape, organisation and attacking skills and spent a little less time dancing into the arena singing their tribal songs (I do love this feature of African teams) then they might actually do some damage at a major event rather than facing an early flight home as would appear to be the case with all 5 representatives this year. 6) Bo to win every single bet placed Yes we can but dream but it would be nice if Brazil got the trophy, Neymar walks the Golden Boot and Chile can join England and Bosnia in the second round and Robbie Savage contracts some kind of horrible (temporary) stomach bug that rules him out of the BBC’s coverage for the remainder of the tournament and oh yes, Mark Lawrenson actually raises a smile and realises what a bloody lucky bastard he is...now that really would be the stuff dreams are made of. England’s match with Uruguay has the feeling of a real classic World Cup encounter and with Roy's boys ready to attack, I expect fireworks from the English in attack and a thoroughly hostile environment to be created by scores of travelling Uruguayans looking to make life as difficult as possible for the "away" team.
I have spoken at length on my feelings on both sides and I am very confident in backing England at 13/10 odds to overcome overrated opponents who lack pace in key areas and this could be the night where Raheem Sterling announces himself on the international stage and a certain Wayne Rooney puts a sock in the English media's sallivating mouth With Sterling expected to operate on the flank with Rooney returning to a more central role, England will have pace in the right areas and I really feel they can expose a Uruguayan side who will be missing their Captain Diego Lugano as well as the suspended Maxi Pereira and while Luis Suarez is expected to start, there are serious question marks about his fitness and match sharpness and I believe England can adequately handle the Liverpool man who is unlikely to be operating at anything close to the top of his game. The so called “Rooney debate” has to be one of the most annoying features about this World Cup and quite why the English media refuse to let go of this notion that Rooney should be dropped is anyone’s guess. Even if it were true, can they not just shut up for a few weeks and the let the team get on with their job? Here is a man who is their top goalscorer in qualifying (7 from 10), a man who is only second to Bobby Charlton on Man Utd’s all time top goalscorer charts, a player who runs his socks and heart out in every single game, a player who has the ability to turn the game on its head with a moment of genius, a player respected and revered by many footballers across the world. It’s not as if England have a litany of talent to call upon and the very idea that they should drop Rooney for someone like Lallana is quite simply nonsensical and bordering on the offensive. Lallana, great little player that he is has the square root of **** all experience for England and while he has had a super season at Southampton, the suggestion that he should be shoehorned into the English team at the expense of Rooney is simply wrong. I for one fully expect Rooney to have a great game tonight and I am backing him to score in a man of the match winning performance. If not, I shall eat my words in tomorrow’s updates In contrast to England, everyone talks about the South American’s attack as being truly world class but I have just never understood the fascination with Edison Cavani who never seems to perform when I see him play and I feel he is not someone who can cause England great damage (cue 2 goals for big man tonight) while Luis Suarez has not played in over a month and cannot be 100% fit, while Diego Forlan looks like he only has 10 minutes of action left in his legs. Conversely, Under Roy Hodgson, England are developing a pretty attractive team and in Daniel Strurridge they finally have a top striker to work in tandem with the much maligned Wayne Rooney while in Raheem Sterling they have arguably Europe’s finest teenage talent in their squad with pace and ability to burn and these 3 could really hurt the aging Uruguayans tonight by stretching them whenever they can on the break. I would quite happily take Rooney, Sturridge and Sterling over Suarez, Cavani and Forlan to be honest. Uruguay need the win just as much, if not more than the English given their catastrophic defeat to Costa Rica on Friday and they look sure to be fired up but I just feel they are similar to Spain in someways...past their best and on their last legs. England must take confidence and play with attacking verve and I fully expect them to do so. It won’t be easy for England but if there key attackers perform then I cannot see anything other than English victory and if they come out firing, they might just do it with a little style and I am going to say it now and put my head on the line... Tomorrow’s English press will be hailing Wayne Rooney and declaring the result one of the best in England’s recent history. Of course they certainly enjoy a degree of hyperbole down south and if England do get the victory, we can expect to see some revised optimism about England’s chances of going all the way in Brazil. Bo’s Best Bets England to win – 13/10 Rooney to score 1/1 (or Sturridge or both) Rooney man of the match – 7/1 Today’s action in what is fast becoming one of the best World Cup’s in memory see’s three vital games as Colombia take on Ivory Coast at 6pm followed by a huge match involving England and Uruguay with the action rounded off at midnight by Japan and a lacklustre Greek outfit.
4 of the 6 team’s today began their tournament with a defeat so it is fair to assume that there should be some serious drama with all of the teams involved in 2nd and 3rd games facing possible elimination. First off, Colombia will look to seal qualification against Ivory Coast in what should be an entertaining clash of styles and culture as both sides have the opportunity to take a 2nd win and seal their place in the last 16. I was very impressed with the Colombians in their 3.0 win over Greece and in James Rodriguez they have one of the potential stars of this tournament and his presence should ensure the Colombians have control on an opponent who while recording a victory in their opening fixture with Japan, flattered to deceive and were perhaps fortunate to emerge with 3 points. I expect the Colombians to win today but there is certainly the potential for BTTS at 8/11 odds. Colombia can be backed at 11/10 to win and that is exactly what I will be doing. The Ivorians have an aging team and while they do possess a decent threat going forward, I was not left overly impressed with them against Japan (admittedly I did fall asleep at halftime!) and I do not expect them to get anything more than a point from this game at the most but even that should prove beyond them. I will post a separate preview of the crunch England match and following on from the action in Sao Paulo will be Japan taking on Greece with both sides knowing nothing less than a win will do as they look to bounce back from opening day defeats. Japan are a great little team to watch and I feel they will have more than enough to see off an ordinary Greece side who looked so limp in their defeat by Colombia. Japan are 6/4 to win and this seems like an excellent price given the lack of quality available to the Greeks who never perform on the big stage (Euro 2004 aside..Ok they really DID perform then) and I expect them to go home without so much as a point from this group although they might sneak a goal tonight against a Japanese team who do not tend to focus too much on defence. BTTS IS 5/6 Bo’s Best Bets Colombia to beat Ivory Coast – 11/10 Japan to beat Greece 6/4 Colombia v I Coast – BTTS – 8/11 Japan v Greece - BTTS 5/6 Bo’s Predictions Colombia 2 v 1 Ivory Coast Japan 3 v 1 Greece Anytime Goalscorer Double Rodriguez – Colombia 7/4 Rooney – England 1/1 Spain the reigning European and World Champions were last night unceremoniously dumped out of the 2014 World Cup after being out thought, outplayed and outworked by a determined, attractive and worthy winner in Chile.
Los Rojas were utterly insipid in defeat and the manner of the performance will have stunned many a viewer across the world. This was a team who had conceded just 4 goals in their last 2 tournaments but yet in Brazil all they could manage in 2 games was a penalty followed by 7 unanswered strikes to both Holland and Chile and their demise could hardly have been more pronounced and painful. The post-mortem in defeat will reveal that this was a team devoid of motivation, of energy and of the necessary will and courage to even make it out of their group, let alone defend the title and while there are sure to be casualties, it would be wrong to describe the Spaniards as an aging team who had simply ran one race too many. Yes Xavi, Casillas and Xabi Alonso look to be finished on the international stage but they still have an absolute wealth of talent and the fact they were unable to find a formula for this tournament rests much on the shoulders of Del Bosque who meddled with tiki-taka and ended up with something stuck in the middle of 2 different philosophies and the result was that they ended up playing without any kind of structure or blend. The decision to elevate Diego Costa to a central striking role was expected but given his injury plagued finale to the league season, it was borderline insanity for Del Bosque to put his trust in a man who has yet to score for his country and who seemed completely spent following a gruelling campaign with Atletico Madrid. Xabi Alonso was an absolute shadow of his former self while Fernando Torres was never going to be the answer as a second half substitute and the selection of Casillas always seemed to be dubious given his lack of game time in the past 18 months and he too is no longer the player he used to be. The Spanish inquisition will be long and painful and questions such as why was younger blood like Koke not introduced when clearly the Xabi/Xavi combination was no longer what it was and why did they give up on their “false 9” tactic that had served them so well in Euro 2012? For Del Bosque, it is expected that he will step down along with at least another 4 of his squad. Los Rojas badly need an injection of new blood and pace and they are sure to return to Euro 2016 a stronger unit than the one so badly exposed this summer. And for Bo, their failure to find the back of the net cost me a lovely treble and I was cursing them from about 50 minutes onwards. They never looked like scoring and their defeat will leave a bitter taste for many who still believed in what was a truly great team but this was a highly positive result having backed Chile to emerge from this group in 2 of my pre tournament acca’s although I must confess I did not expect Spain to be eliminated at the expense of the Dutch. If they had scored a consolation it would have been perfect for me but such was the tepidness of the Spanish performance, it never looked likely. In the early game, Holland overcame a determined and unfortunate Australian side 3 goals to 2. The Aussies who had held a second half lead to defy expectations but with both the Robin’s finding the net again as tipped on the blog yesterday, they fought back to seal their qualification and send the Aussies packing. The Dutch, having conquered Spain will have their eyes on the big prize but they still need to improve if they are to seriously challenge for the title following a rather poor display against valiant Aussies. In the final game, as tipped on my blog, Croatia smashed Cameroon 4.0 after I had tipped them to win -1 goal at 15/8 odds. I posted a prediction for 3.0 which was only undone by Mandzukic’s late 4th although his first strike did bring up my Anytime Goalscorer Double of Robben and Mario Mandzukic at 3/1. Overall it was a pretty decent day for my long term bet’s and my anytime double came in to make it 2 out of 2 in this market. My goalscorer tipping has been excellent and long may it continue. I will post my preview for today’s action shortly and we should be in for some crackers with England against Uruguay a do or die match for both while Colombia against Ivory Coast should prove entertaining and Japan will be hopeful of seeing off Greece in the late game. Phil Neville - Co-Commentator BBC Oh dear...where to start with poor Phil Neville. Often regarded as the lesser of the two Neville’s, Phil made his co-commentary debut in the England v Italy match on Saturday night and subsequently earned himself well over 400 complaints for his performance. This seems truly extraordinary on a number of levels given that a) he was so bad as to actually generate complaints about his role and the very fact that over 400 people in the UK have the time or inclination to actually bother to complain about such a trivial matter. Neville was however, almost stunningly bad and as I turned on my TV to watch the game, I almost instantly asked myself who the hell was this mono-toned dull man we were having to endure during one of the biggest games of the group phase. It was impossible to actually discern if Neville was offering insightful or relevant opinion because the tone of his voice was such that any interesting points were rendered obscelete because of his inability to communicate in a way that was even borderline listenable. I genuinely could not criticise the content of his commentary as the tone of his voice was so distracting that I would be lying if I said I was aware if he had made any actual errors in his commentary. Never have I heard someone in the co-commentary position in such a big game sound quite so utterly devoid of passion or excitement and the fact he was handed such an important gig to make his debut almost beggars belief. One fan observed that he sounded like someone talking to themselves while playing FIFA on the Xbox and this summed it up rather nicely I felt. Neville mumbled and fumbled his way through an excruciating 90 minutes to hopefully never be heard again in the co-commentary role and It has to be asked as to why no one at the BBC had a quick word with Gary Jnr and asked him to inject some tone into his delivery during the halftime break because it was utterly apparent almost instantly that this was a man not cut out for such a big event. The BBC continues to frustrate and you wonder if they even bother to screen test these ex footballers before hiring them or perhaps one of their bigwigs concluded that if he was Gary’s brother he must be good. It seems this assumption was made before they threw him a mic and told him to get on with it “Go on Phil, just do what Gary does” was probably the extent of the production advice. In any case, you did feel a touch sorry for Neville as he clearly does know his football and seemed much more like a human when appearing as a pundit the following evening but the co-commentary role has to be reserved for someone with a bit more passion...cue Robbie Savage on our screens the following evening. And that my friends is just another reason why the BBC continues to draw scorn across the country. Thierry Henry (BBC) This was obviously going to be a good choice as Mr vava-voom has throughout his time in English football offered a confidence, swagger and eruditeness to his personality that makes him a hit with both the ladies and the gents and seemed like a guaranteed choice to spice up the BBC’s coverage and he has not been a disappointment. It is quite startling to see a Frenchman speak the English language in a manner that Robbie Savage could only dream about and Henry, for the most part has delivered insightful, articulate and intelligent analysis with a little comedy thrown in for good measure and his presence on our screens has been a particular pleasure, especially for myself as he is unquestionably one of my footballing heroes. There was a particularly enjoyable moment as Savage derided a player for a dangerous challenge and Henry almost fell off his chair laughing at the sheer comedy of one Robbie Savage criticizing anyone for a bad challenge. The fact he called out Savage on the matter only increased the viewing experience and one has to hope that the BBC can bring Henry back to our screens in the future. And some others (BBC) Neil Lennon has been surprisingly non detestable (as a Rangers fan) while Clarence Seedorf has the heir of a confident, articulate champion in much the same style of Henry and his presence again has to be welcomed. Alan Shearer has certainly raised his game from a 0 out of 10 to at least a 5 (high praise indeed) and it’s clear he does take the role more seriously than the likes of Lawrenson who are paid highly to attend a World Cup and provide a little bit of insight and act as though they are working 24/7 to clean Robbie Savage's toilet.when they should be thanking there lucky stars that anyone even bothers to offer them any kind of employment let alone the chance to work at a World Cup. Shearer however deserves a bit more credit than is usually the case, given that he is obviously not blessed with the sharpest brain in the world but has paid closer attention to detail and research and while this seems like an obvious, fundamental part of the role, with others it evidently is not and for that he deserves at least a passing portion of respect. The first week of the World cup has proved to be a revelation, with goals a plenty, comebacks and thrilling late victories, so you would assume that the commentators and pundits jobs would be quite straightforward and that their analysis would be professional, interesting and insightful...well, in the case of some, this is certainly true but for others it would appear that the heat (isn’t this to blame for everything in Brazil?) has taken its toll. So with that being said, let’s take a look at some of the pundits and commentators who have "graced" our TV’s for the past week. Commentator, Jonathan Pearce – BBC Old loud mouth has been at his insufferable best during this tournament and has provided more than 1 gaff so far in the competition, one of many being for the Benzema goal against Honduras when the new goal line technology was called upon for the first time. Have a look at this exchange with co-commentator Martin Keown. Pearce: "Look at this again. We've seen so many spurious goal-line technology replays. And it signals no goal! No goal has gone up on the screen. The fans have heard it, the Honduran players have seen it." Martin Keown: "But it's a goal there..." Pearce: "Oh goodness me, they've changed their minds now. Does goal-line technology work or doesn't it? Which replay are we supposed to believe? This was supposed to be a flawless system." Keown: "Yes but it says the ball was over the line on the second instance." Pearce: "The whole goal line technology debate will flare up again because it was not good enough, was it?" He really got his panties in a twist over something that was clear for 99.9% of people watching but still he managed to get excited and try to draw some controversy out of a moment where the technology had helped the referee reach the CORRECT decision. They say the system is fool proof but not in the case of this simple commentator. Overall, Pearce scores points for being excited but loses them for his inability to get excited at the right moments and this very fact caused him to declare a a goal for about 3 seconds before he realised it had only been the side netting he had seen bustling (it's a goal, yes, it's 1.0.....oh no) and his presence on our screens makes me long for the days of commentator god Barry Davies or even the late departed Brian Moore. Pundit – Rio Ferdinand BBC Rio in Rio had a nice ring to it for the BBC and while everyone else got ready to squirm in their sofa at the prospect of Ferdinand joining the pundits team for the competition and while most, myself included would have not been especially enamoured at his appointment, as it turns out, he has been something of a revelation. To contextualise this, I am comparing him against the likes of Hansen, Lawrenson and Shearer (more on him later)where it doesn’t take much to offer more in the ways of insight, so it would perhaps be naive to hail Ferdinand as the second coming of Gary Neville, but his performances have exuded excitement and a willingness to share his experiences of actually playing the game and given his age and the fact he is still very much involved in the playing side of the game, it adds a gravitas and relevancy to his comments that the likes of Lawrenson and Hansen simply no longer posses (did they ever?) He also sounds like a real human being, again a quality that is absent in so many of our pundits. His little stories about marking Messi and getting slated by Busquets were actually interesting little side notes that footballers very rarely tend to share and even if they were not especially revealing, it makes a real change having the presence of a man who actually understands the modern game and seemed genuinely as excited as I might have been to be at the Maracana to witness Messi’s goal in their win over Bosnia. This is a great quality for any pundit to have and really has made Ferdinand much more likable than you might have imagined before the tournament got under way. Of course he is by no means the finished article but I can see a bright future for Rio and the BBC are likely to promote him to Match of the Day in lieu of the retirement of the aforementioned Hansen and this could only be a good thing tg have a younger, fresher approach to a show stuck in the dark ages. Pundit and Co-Commentator Robbie Savage (BBC) Just what this man has done to deserve his place on the BBC panel for a World Cup in Brazil, only god (or superman) can answer. The Welsh Wally was actually part of a presentation team that included Thierry Henry (World Cup Winner and living Legend), Alan Shearer (Best EPL striker ever with 30 England goals) Clarence Seedorf (man of multiple Champions League winners medals) and Gary Lineker, former Barcelona striker and Golden boot winner from Mexico in 1986...and Savage...39 caps for Wales and general hatchet man and bullshit talker. Really is there any justice in the world when a man as stupid, arrogant and downright rude can get such a privelaged role commentating at a Brazilian World Cup? Savage seems to believe that the validity of a point is closely related to the decibel level that said point is delivered at and during his co-commentary role it seems he was trying his hardest to be the complete antithesis of monotone Phil Neville. Somewhere in between would do nicely boys...we don’t need you screaming your head off about a Ghanaian corner but at the same time a little sense of occasion wouldn’t go amiss. Are you listening Phil? Savage has always been a loudmouth in everything he does. Make a tackle? break the man’s legs. Buy a new car, paint it pink, co commentary? shout your face off and discriminate against anyone who has not played the game at the “top top top top level” It was a real pleasure to watch Henry disagree and generally make him look like the long blonde haired fool he truly is. Long blonde hair it could be argued is better for Shakira and betting/blogging experts called Bo :) Like Pearce he does score points for enthusiasm but that is about the extent of his talent and the sooner he is forgotten about and put out to pasture, the better it will be for everybody. Sadly such an occurrence seems highly unlikely in a world where Commentators seem destined to stay in their jobs until they are about 100. Only another 40 years then of this man's nonsense to enjoy. In all seriousness, where the hell is Barry Davies? he is certainly still alive and kicking and the fact he is no longer an option for the BBC at football events is truly a tragedy. Well a commentary tragedy. Davies had the perfect combinations of knowledge, tone and the ability to sum up what he was watching in a manner that conveyed both joy and excitement and that truly is a rare skill. It seems easy but with a litany of voiceless commentators now polluting our airwaves, it seems the days of first rate commentary have long since departed and we will be stuck with the likes of Pearce, Tyldsley and Mowbray forever! Today’s action promises much in the way of excitement and drama with all 3 games absolutely vital to each of the respective teams chances of qualifying for the 2nd round phase.
Getting us underway at 6pm are the wonderful Dutch, fresh from spanking Spain and they will be confident of another victory as they take on the downunderdogs Australia who know themselves that they must take something from the game to retain a mathematical chance of progress following their 3.1 defeat to Chile. Then at 9pm we have the biggest match of the tournament so far as holders Spain take on Chile knowing that anything less than 3 points is likely to see them eliminated at the first stage of the competition while the Chileans, fresh from their victory over Australia will be confident of adding further to Spanish woe. The late game sees Croatia take on Cameroon in what is a must win for both sides with both having lost their opening fixtures. Whoever loses is facing certain elimination and an early flight home. Holland should have little difficulty seeing off the Aussies who performed pretty well against Chile and were certainly unfortunate to lose by 2 clear goals but that is the outcome I fancy again tonight and you can back the Dutch at 4/6 to win by 2 goals or more. Robben and Robin should continue their fine form and I expect more goals tonight for one or the other if not both against the Australians who while full of courage, lack the necessary quality to halt Van Gaal’s men as they seem certain to top the group following that crushing win over Spain. I expect this Dutch side to win with 3 or maybe even 4 goals but I would not be too surprised to see the Aussies grab a consolation. BTTS is priced at 5/6. Then we get down to serious business as Spain look to show the world their reign as champions is not yet finished as they take on the highly fancied Chile in a match that has the makings of a truly classic affair given their need for victory and the attacking nature of their opponents. Chile were not overly impressive in beating Australia but I do expect them to raise their game in what is one of the biggest matches in their recent history and both teams to score seems the obvious selection at 8/11 odds. I am somewhat undecided on this encounter in terms of picking a winner, and much will depend on the team picked by Del Bosque and whether they still have the belief to come back from a truly shattering defeat while Chile, who can be brilliant on their day, do suffer from inconsistency and at this stage it’s hard to lean either way. The bookies fancy Spain at 7/10 odds but this seems far too short for my liking and I will stick with BTTS in this one. Finally in the late game, Croatia takes on Cameroon and I will be backing the Croats to take the 3 points and set up a crucial final game decider with Mexico. Simply put, the Croats will have to win both games to qualify for the 2nd round and I expect them to complete part 1 of that mission tonight against an ordinary Cameroon side who will be missing their talisman, Samuel Eto’o in attack. The Indomitable lions were more limp lions in their loss to Mexico and with spirit seemingly poor following a bonus dispute pre tournament, I expect the African’s to be knocked out of the competition tonight by a Croatia side who have ability in key areas and should have enough about them to force the decider with Mexico. You can back Croatia at 4/7 to win and with the likes of Modric and Rakitic running the midfield and Mandzukic back from suspension, they may do it quite comfortably against a side that seem to carry none of the spirit that captured the world’s heart back in 1990 and I quite fancy the Croats on the -1 handicap at 6/4 Bo’s Best Bets Spain v Chile BTTS - 8/11 Netherlands -1 to beat Australia – 4/6 Croatia to beat Cameroon – 4/7 Anytime Scorer Double Robben (Holland) and Mandzukic (Croatia) pays at 3/1 Bo's Bonkers Final Score Predictions Australia 1 v 4 Holland Spain 2 v 2 Chile Croatia 3 v 0 Cameroon Well it was a frustrating night for Brazil and a mixed day for Bo as their failure to beat Mexico broke my 4 fold acca at its third stage although Belgium’s recovery from a goal down to Algeria earlier in the day to win 2.1 was a vital result as I have backed the Belgians to win their group in at least 2 of my pre-tournament accas and with Korea and Russia sharing the points in the late game, this was a vital turnaround which gives the Belgians a super chance to win their group. The Belgians looked ordinary in their opening 45 minutes and going into the break a goal down, it looked somewhat bleak for the waffle and chocolate specialists but following second half goals from substitutes Marroaune Fellaini and Dries Mertens, the Belgians are back on track but they will need to raise their game if they are to make a significant impact on this summer’s tournament. A sigh of relief for Bo following those 2 late goals. Brazil meanwhile were very poor in the 9pm game and in the end could easily have lost to a Mexican team who have improved greatly since their struggles to qualify last year and in the end they more than deserved their point and but for some wayward finishing, could easily have snatched a winner. The Selecao were ordinary cumbersome and lacking in creativity while their central “striker” Fred was an abomination with an inability to stay onside and offering next to nothing in the way of movement or link up play. How has it come to this, that Brazil should be so bereft of striking options? In the last 20 years they have had Ronaldo, Romario, Bebeto, Rivaldo, Ronaldihno and others to call upon and now they have Fred, Jo and Bernard! Not only are they lacking the necessary quality in the attacking areas (with the exceptions of Neymar and to a lesser extent Oscar) but what happened to the names of their strikers? Fred? Jo? Bernard? They sound like the local lawn bowling over 65 team, in an old English country village rather than the strike force of the most feared nation in world football. Maybe if they changed their names to Fredinho, Jomario and Bernardele they would strike a little more fear into oppostion defenders. Lining up against a man known simply as "Fred" might make you think you are about to take on your grandpa at football although in the case of Fred, it wouldn't be far from the truth given his lack of mobility and penchant for falling down when hardly touched. Having backed Brazil to win the tournament, I am now having serious reservations about their selection with at least 6 teams impressing more. The likes of Holland, France, Germany, Italy, Colombia and Argentina have shown more in their opening fixture to suggest that they have a superior team than the one offered up by the hosts. Still, it is early days and they are indeed the hosts and and will need all the backing of their support to carry them to the final and while it is still early days, coach Scolari has much to ponder, especially in the attacking areas where Fred seems to be nothing more than a passenger in a team that can ill afford anyone who is not up to the task. It was perhaps worrying to read that Scolari felt the team performed well in this game. Clearly the Brazilians need to improve hugely if they are to meet the nation’s expectations and changes have to be made but whether Jo can adequately lead the line remains to be seen but I would be stunned to see Fred continue in this role for the remainder of the tournament. A solution needs to be found and found quickly but as I mentioned earlier, it is early days, and it is not a sprint but this team have some serious work to do if they are to find a level sufficient to win the trophy. The situation of Fred reminds me of the French national team in 1998 who had the much maligned Stephane Guivarch as there central striker, a man unable to find the back of the net or provide quality in the final third yet they still won the tournament and it would be fair to say that both are at a similar level of ordinariness and this must give Scolari some comfort to know that a World Cup can be won without a decent striker. Oh how he most long for the days of the great phenom, Ronaldo to allow him to sleep more comfortably at night. Belgium also failed to impress against Algeria but they will be energized by their comeback and should emerge from the group to face whoever finishes second to the Germans in Group G. The late game between Russia and South Korea was never going to be a cracker and after a turgid opening 45 minutes, the second half picked up and both teams deservedly grabbed a share of the spoils in a 1.1 draw with old warhorse Kerzhakov coming off the bench to level after a horrendous error from Akinfeev had gifted the Koreans an opener. Overall it was a disappointing day with Brazil performing in such a flat manner and the Belgians lucky to overcome a plucky Algeria but tonight’s action promises much more in the way of excitement with Spain v Chile certain to be a classic in what is virtually the first knock out tie of the tournament. I will be backing BTTS but will post a preview this afternoon. DAY 6 PREVIEW
Brazil are back in action tonight as they take on Mexico in what is sure to be feisty encounter in Fortaleza, while Belgium kick their campaign off against unfancied Algeria in the first action of the day, and finally in the late game Russia look to get things going by beating South Korea. Belgium of course are tournament dark-horses and many have dubbed this Belgium team the 'Golden Generation', with Marc Wilmots' side one of the favourites to lift the World Cup. The Red Devils breezed through qualifying with relative ease, going unbeaten in their group, winning 8 out of 10 and they are the last of the so called contenders who we have yet to see play in this year’s tournament and a matchup with Algeria provides them the perfect opportunity to showcase their obvious abilities. Algeria come to this tournament as genuine underdogs but have some decent quality and a solid team unit and they should provide decent opposition and are unlikely to be overawed by the star quality of their opponents. I expect Belgium to take the points and indeed I am waiting on them for the 2nd part of my acca which started well with BTTS in last night’s US/Ghana match but it won’t be too easy. I can see a 2.0 victory for the Belgians with Romelu Lukaku expected to find the net. You can back the "Chelsea" man at evens to grab a goal at anytime. All eyes will turn to Fortaleza as the hosts look set to continue their winning ways and march on in to the last 16 against a Mexico side who can play free of pressure having secured the points in their opening match with Cameroon. I don’t expect this to be easy for Brazil and last year’s narrow win over Mexico at the Confederations Cup would point to a tight encounter. But this is the World Cup and I expect the Brazilians to play with less nerves than they did in their opening day victory over Croatia and they should be able to see of a Mexico side who are lacking in serious quality. I expect 2 or 3 goals for Brazil and they may well concede again but I am very confident in backing them for victory at 1/3 odds. They can be backed on the handicap at 8/11 as well and this looks solid enough and Neymar should continue his scoring ways and can be backed at 11/4 to find the opener or 8/11 to score at anytime. If you prefer the Oscar option, he is 6/1 to fire the opener and continue his goalscoring form. In the final fixture, Russia, marshalled by former England and Milan boss, Fabio Capello, get their tournament underway and should have enough quality to take care of an ordinary South Korea who are unlikely to go anywhere near to matching their exploits of 12 years ago as hosts. I am not especially convinced by Russia, and with Capello having endured such a horrid tournament last time with England, it begs the question as to whether the Russians have enough spirit and quality to progress and as such, they are not expected to go deep into the tournament. After all, he banned Ketchup for the English...no vodka for the Ruskies will not go down well... That being said, they should have enough quality to take care of the Korean’s and I expect them to do so at odds of 5/6. It should be another exciting day in the 2014 World Cup, a tournament that so far is shaping up to be one of the most memorable in the modern day era and with the hosts expected to raise their game, we could well witness some more fabulous home celebrations come 11pm tonight. Bo’s Best Bets Brazil to beat Mexico 1/3 Belgium to beat Algeria 19/40 Russia to beat South Korea 5/6 Bo’s Handicap Bet Brazil -1 to beat Mexico 8/11 Belgium -1 to beat Algeria Evens Anytime Goalscorer Double Neymar 8/11 Lukaku - 1/1 Double pays 2.72 to 1 Day 5 of the World Cup was a mixed bag of drama and surprise as proceedings got under way with Portugal taken apart by a confident Germany while Iran and Nigeria played out the first 0.0 draw of the tournament followed by late drama which saw the USA hitting back to beat a poor b
The Iran and Nigeria fixture was by far and away the least entertaining game of the tournament but I was more than happy to see the “Super Eagles” falter having heavily backed Bosnia to make it out of this group and this result played right into my favour. Super they were not as they failed to break down a stubborn Iranian side. Not much more to say except I was not surprised to see a poor Nigeria unit struggle against the well organised Iranian’s who under Carlos Quieroz will have been delighted to claim a point. Indeed I had tipped a tight draw in the blog yesterday and so it proved as both sides never looked like scoring in a drab encounter. It begs the question, as to what has happened to the African teams? Cameroon were awful against Mexico and Nigeria and Ghana both looked very ordinary indeed last night while Ivory Coast, despite beating Japan, no longer look like the threat of years gone by. Can Algeria prove to be their continents best representative? It would seem unlikely but they have a chance to get out of a group containing Belgium ,Russia and South Korea and at the very least they should be organised and play with a shape so lacking in the performance of Ghana. In the early game, Germany’s win over Portugal saw Thomas Mueller grab 3 goals and emerge as the new favourite for tournament top goal-scorer and his big game performances, especially at World Cup’s make him a big contender for that prize. Portugal however were never in the game and the behaviour of Pepe once again confirmed what a liability he truly is. A career littered with red-cards and bad behaviour has been the calling card of the Real Madrid centre back and quite why he is still trusted by both club and country remains a mystery. His tournament could well be over and frankly, it’s all he deserves. Finally, in the late game, we saw 2 late goals as the US somehow managed to respond to a late Ghanaian equaliser with a winner of their own. The joy on the face of the young American defender John Brooks who headed an 88th minute winner was genuine and beautiful and just what this World Cup should be about and in the end I was happy to see the US win (Even though it broke my double draw tip for the day) as they had showed far more courage and resolve than the Ghanaians who were unimpressive and frankly a big disappointment. Sully Muntari in particular was awful all night long and they played like a team who barely knew each other with little spark or inspiration in their play. The Ghanaian’s really angered me with their approach as time after time Muntari failed to beat the first man with his crosses while his shooting and passing was also verging on the diabolical summed up by has 93rd minute ballooner over the bar. Silly Sully will be sullen this morn. The US meanwhile are nothing more than a solid group of pro’s but with a team ethic and fighting spirit, they showed what can be done at this tournament and this was embodied in the performance of young Brookes who looked shaky when he entered the field of play at half time but within 45 minutes had written his name into US Footballing history with a header and subsequent celebration that he nor the people who witnessed it, will ever forget. Indeed now you would have to fancy this US side have enough about them to give Portugal and even the Germans some trouble in their subsequent matches and they have a great chance to qualify, especially if they take a point from Portugal in their next match. It was however a good day despite the dud draw between Iran and Nigeria and the performance of Germany has certainly brought their outstanding abilities to the general public conscience, with their pre-tournament price of 13/2 dropping to 9/2 and I believe they will take some stopping on their way to a potential semi-final with the hosts. On a side-note, the US team were to a man absolutely plastered in tattoo’s and one has to wonder about this modern day phenomenon. Too much money and time on their hands and the result is a team of grafittied/spray painted posers. I’m only 31 myself and I already feel like an old man looking at these idiots with their obsession for ink who seemingly cannot express themselves you know with words or personality. No, it seems that in today's 21st century you need to look like the inside of a Parisian railway tunnel in order to qualify as a real man with character. Anyways, my rant is done and I will post a preview of today’s action shortly and it should be a good night with hosts Brazil back in action. |
Categories |