Posts Tagged ‘World Cup 2006’

Outright Odds: five hundred/1Group A Winners: 16/1

Costa Rica live proof that when it comes to football, size will not matter. The Ticos have usually been mainstays in the World Cup finals despite having country forty times smaller than Mexico and a population of just four million. The Ticos eased to third place in their qualifying group and will aim to compete against the “larger” sides during this year’s Finals.

Despite their overall comfortable qualification, Costa Rica nearly fell at the primary hurdle, a qualifying match against Cuba in that they scraped through on away goals. They re-appointed former coach Alexandre Guimaraes who guided them to the last World Cup and he has turned the team around.

Costa Rica sent out a warning, but ultimately revealed their main weakness during a recent friendly against former champions France. They raced into a two goal lead in Martinique but eventually lost the match three-2. Their weak defence will be their main downfall and fourteen goals conceded in ten qualifiers, including 5 against Honduras and 3 at Guatemala will not bode well for a lot of seasoned opposition.

But, where their strengths lie is in attack. Winston Parks, Walter Centeno and veteran striker Paulo Wanchope suggests that the facet will invariably be ready to create and score goals but there’s always the danger they may concede them in greater numbers. Costa Rica skipped over on the knockout stages in the 2002 World Cup to Turkey because of their superior goal difference. Wanchope, his country’s all-time top scorer with forty three goals in 67 international matches will retire when the tournament and is looking for one final hurrah before hanging up his boots for good.
Guimaraes will be keen to repeat the success of the 1990 team which reached the second spherical on their debut following victories over Sweden and Scotland. With Cluster A opposition in Poland and Ecuador, there’s the likelihood of an upset on the cards.

If they’ll nick a result or two like they did back in the 2002 World Cup, a victory over China and draw with Turkey, then qualification is not beyond them. But, wanting back to the serious five-2 cluster stage defeat to Brazil, if the defence will not improve, a gallant however narrow defeat might be on the horizon.

Recommended Bet:You could not bet confidently on Costa Rica winning or maybe qualifying from the group stage to emulate their exploits in the 1990 World Cup. However, there might be some worth within the individual match betting.

If Germany start the tournament slowly, Costa Rica could catch them cold within the gap fixture and snatch a point. There could be a attainable upset in their second match against Ecuador who are themselves no nice success on the big stage.
Germany vs Costa Rica draw @ 4/1

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Outright Odds: 12/1
Group C Winners: 13/8

New coach Marco van Basten has proven to be a revelation off the pitch as much as he was on it since taking over the Dutch national team. Plucked from an obscure youth coaching role at Ajax where he kept his head down and had low responsibilities when Dick Advocaat quit after Euro 2004, van Basten has made this new-look Dutch team his own.

Out with the old and in with the new seems to be van Basten’s philosophy so while former well known favourites such as Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert have been given the chop, some of the best players the Dutch Eredivisie has to offer have come in to replace them.

Players such as AZ Alkmaar’s Denny Landzaat, Feyenoord’s Dirk Kuyt and Ajax’s Ryan Babel may not be household names yet but have all won the backing of the manager. Ajax have a strong representation in the squad, with John Heitinga, Nigel de Jong, Hedwiges Maduro and Wesley Sneijder, all under the age of 23, vying for a place in the starting line-up.

The faith shown in locally-based players along with more recognisable faces such as evergreen trio Edwin van der Sar, Edgar Davids and Philip Cocu and the likes of Arjen Robben and Ruud van Nistelrooy has paid off.

The team are showing true team spirit and togetherness, unlike the inconsistent squads of the past and in qualifying notched up 32 points, the highest of any European side. Holland finished five points clear at the top of their group that also included bogey side Czech Republic and Romania, both of whom they beat twice. Surprisingly, the only country they didn’t beat was Macedonia who they drew with twice.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was in scintillating form during qualifying with seven goals in 10 matches and now back in favour at Manchester United, could be a good investment for the top goalscorer market.

The Dutch are always one of the favourites for the tournament but never quite manage it. They have reached the final twice, the semi finals and quarter final stages but never have enough to win it outright.

The team entering this year have little World Cup experience and it would be a big ask of this team to go all the way in Germany.

BetBonus.co.uk Recommendation:
Holland offer better value to win Group C than Argentina but a lack of experience throughout the squad means they cannot be backed to win the tournament outright. Ruud van Nistelrooy could be a good each-way investment for the top goal scorer berth on his debut at the finals.

Holland to win Group C @ 13/8
E/W Ruud van Nistelrooy as top goalscorer @ 16/1