They might be odds-on to win this third place play-off in Port Elizabeth, although Germany still look a cracking bet to finish with a flourish after missing out on the final on Wednesday. It has been a valiant effort from Joachim Low’s team, who were expected to struggle at the World Cup after Michael Ballack was ruled out with an...Read More >>

It's the 2010 World Cup final on Sunday and the last chance to make some money on the action from South Africa. Many of us have profited from backing both teams in this tournament, although it's Spain who should be supported at Soccer City, especially after the way they beat Germany.

The Germans had previously embarrassed England and Argentina to reach...Read More >>

Both of these teams came from a goal down to book their place in the World Cup semi-finals, but which team will be featuring at Soccer City on 11^th July?

The answer is probably the Netherlands, who finally demonstrated their true potential with a second-half performance against Brazil full of attacking intent and tough tackling. They will once again approach this...Read More >>

Die Mannschaft have slotted four goals past England and Argentina during the 2010 World Cup, although the bookmakers continue to make them the outsiders for Wednesday’s semi-final against Spain. Germany look like a team on a mission to win this World Cup and should avoid defeat in what will be a repeat of the Euro 2008 final.

Although Thomas Muller will be...Read More >>

Once again, we will witness the world’s best passing team try to break down stubborn opposition and it might take a while for Spain to achieve the breakthrough. After all, you can’t fault a Paraguay team that have only conceded one goal in the entire tournament, although their opposition has been questionable.

Slovakia, Italy, New Zealand and Japan have all shown themselves to...Read More >>

For just the third time in World Cup history, an African team has made it to the quarter finals of the competition, with Ghana following in the footsteps of Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002). This has been achieved by having a resolute defence that has conceded just three goals in the four games played in South Africa.

Therefore, while Kevin Prince-Boateng...Read More >>

It’s impossible to predict anything other than a Brazilian win in Port Elizabeth on Friday afternoon. They comfortably came through the so-called ‘Group of Death’ and made short work of a vibrant Chile team on Monday night, thanks to some solid defending and quick attacking play.

As England might care to learn, the five-time winners are stronger as a unit than when...Read More >>

Are the Argentines being overrated by the media and the bookmakers? They came through Group B with flying colours, although Nigeria, South Korea and Greece were not great teams and La Albiceleste were also fortunate that Carlos Tevez’s offside goal was allowed to stand against Mexico.

Perhaps Diego Maradona’s team will get their first real test on Saturday when they meet...Read More >>

It’s an all-Iberian clash at the Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town and it could be a lot closer than the odds suggest. While Spain recovered from a Group H defeat against Switzerland to top the section, they still look vulnerable defensively, with Chile creating plenty of first-half chances against them on Friday before being reduced to ten men.

There’s also a big question mark over the form...Read More >>

Japan’s Keisuke Honda had a field day against Denmark on Thursday, helping his team to score three goals, despite only needing a draw to go through from Group E. However, the Blue Samurai might have bigger problems when it comes to breaking down Paraguay.

Gerardo Martino’s team only conceded one goal during their Group F matches and that was an uncharacteristic mistake from goalkeeper Justo Villar. Aside...Read More >>

The Dutch are now unbeaten in over 20 games and they have a 100% record in the World Cup at the moment. Bert van Marwijk’s team have not been specialising in spectacular performances, although it’s all about being effective in this tournament, with Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong protecting the defence superbly.

While the Slovaks slotted three goals home against Italy, they should have a...Read More >>

It’s a shame that the match in Johannesburg might be spoilt by suspensions. While Kaka is back for Brazil after that red card against the Ivory Coast, Chile will have to cope without Gary Medel, Waldo Ponce and Marco Estrada, whose foul play against Spain causes them to miss one of the biggest games in the country’s history.

While manager Marcelo Bielsa will still encourage his team...Read More >>

Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted that Brazil were a class apart from the Ivory Coast on Sunday, although perhaps we should avoid backing Dunga’s team to win this final Group G game. They need only a draw to finish top of the section and second place might be preferable depending on what happens in Group H later that day.

Kaka will be missing through suspension and Elano might also...Read More >>

A draw will be enough to see the Netherlands claim top spot in Group E and that’s why the bookmakers are prepared to offer bigger odds about the Dutch triumphing in Cape Town. However, manager Bert van Marwijk will want his team to keep the momentum going and they have the attacking weaponry to make life difficult for their African opponents.

While it’s not clear as...Read More >>

It’s something of a surprise to see Ghana as marginal outsiders for this match with most bookmakers, especially as they should have finished top of Group D after missing two glorious chances to score against Germany on Wednesday night.

Milovan Rajevac’s team will be flying the flag for Africa on Saturday night and they seem like a powerful and energetic team that are hard...Read More >>

Forget Brazil, Spain, Argentina or Italy. It’s Uruguay who have kept the most clean sheets in the World Cup to date, with La Celeste shutting out France, South Africa and Mexico to finish top of Group A. While they were only defensive against the French, Diego Lugano and Diego Godin are making sure that goalkeeper Fernando Muslera has little do in between the sticks.

There’s a...Read More >>

Chile manager Marcelo Bielsa has claimed that his team will adopt a typically attacking formation for this final Group H match in Pretoria, although it remains to be seen whether their customary 3-3-1-3 line-up will be in operation. Star striker Humberto Suazo was withdrawn at half-time against Switzerland and he might be on the bench as the south Americans look to try and get a draw.

Spain...Read More >>

Incredibly, Italy will probably go through to the last sixteen with three draws, although they will be desperate to win this match and have an outside chance of avoiding Holland in the last sixteen. The Azzurri have been disappointing in both of their other Group F matches, especially in defence where they have been slack with set pieces.

While it’s tempting to argue that the Italians are...Read More >>

New Zealand proved against Italy that their previous 1-1 draw against Slovakia was not a fluke. The All Whites were expected to be the whipping boys in Group F, although they go into this match in Polokwane with a genuine chance of going through to the last sixteen.

However, manager Ricki Herbert admits that the team are short on quality and this might be in evidence against...Read More >>

Despite scoring against Brazil on Sunday, it appears that Didier Drogba is not fully fit after his fractured arm, although that shouldn’t stop the Cote d’Ivoire from comfortably winning this match the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

An opening game against Portugal looked as though it would give the Elephants a chance of qualifying, irrespective of what happened against Brazil, although the Iberians’ 7-0 rout of the People’s...Read More >>

How do you turn a defensively-minded team into one that wants to score lots of goals? Especially with record scorer Alexander Frei missing injured and Valon Behrami out suspended? That’s the problem that’s affecting Ottmar Hitzfeld as he looks for a way to score at least two goals against Honduras without conceding.

After all, the central American side kept things tight against Chile to the extent where...Read More >>

Will England come to life after a selection of poor performances during the group stage? While the nation seems to think that Fabio Capello’s team can go all the way after beating Slovenia 1-0, they have not played particularly well in South Africa and big improvement is needed if they are to win in Bloemfontein.

Indeed, it’s puzzling to see the bookmakers quoting Germany at a bigger...Read More >>

While we can’t be sure who will win this game, it’s logical to assume the match at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium will be a low-scoring affair. Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson has already spoken about how the team will need to be patient as they search for a way to break down a spirited and defensive Japan side.

The Blue Samurai achieved a 1-0 victory against Cameroon...Read More >>

Sunday’s second last sixteen match takes place at Soccer City and Mexico will be looking for revenge after being beaten by Argentina at this stage four years ago. While Javier Aguirre’s team deserved to qualify from Group A, they have a couple of flaws which might result in them being second best against Diego Maradona’s team.

Defensively, they are prone to making silly errors, as they demonstrated...Read More >>

There's an exciting 'winner takes all' match taking place at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Wednesday night and it's surprising to see Ghana available at such a big price. After all, the Black Stars have managed four points from their opening two games and their physical style should mean that the Germans are in for a battle.

Miroslav Klose will be suspended for Germany and a failure...Read More >>

It's hard to see beyond a Serbia victory, especially after that win over Germany will have filled Radomir Antic's team with confidence. The White Eagles were transformed from the team that had laboured for long periods against Ghana, with Dejan Stankovic driving them forward and illustrating why he was part of Inter's Champions League winning team.

Milan Jovanovic and Milos Krasic were also superb during the game and...Read More >>

The States were seething with a sense of injustice after a perfectly good goal was scrubbed out by the Malian referee against Slovenia, although Bob Bradley will also be a) disappointed that his team went 2-0 down and b) delighted with the character shown to draw 2-2. Therefore, they will carry some momentum into this match and Michael Bradley illustrated in the last match that America...Read More >>

As Billy Ocean once sang "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" and so it might prove for England on Wednesday afternoon. It's hard to explain how world class players such as Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard performed so badly on Friday night, although a change of personnel and formation could help change fortunes. John Terry has shaken things up by insisting...Read More >>

Despite losing both of their Group B matches, Nigeria have actually played well during the World Cup and that 1-0 defeat against Argentina in Johannesburg might be as close as anyone gets to the Albiceleste this summer. While the Super Eagles deserved to lose that particular match, they were firmly in control against Greece before a moment of stupidity led to Sani Kaita being sent off.

The midfielder...Read More >>

Perhaps we should be careful when it comes to lumping on Argentina to win this final Group B match in Polokwane. Diego Maradona's team are now the favourites to win the World Cup, although we should note that a) they have only beaten Nigeria and South Korea thus far and b) we might see many star names rested for this game. Not that Diego Milito and...Read More >>

Kagisho Dikgacoi and Itumeleng Khune will be missing for the hosts in this final group match, something that must be especially galling for the midfielder as his home town is Bloemfontein. It gives Carlos Alberto Parreira a problem in that South Africa aren't blessed with quality in their starting XI and any squad depth is limited. Nevertheless, the team spirit harnessed by captain Aaron Mokoena is...Read More >>

Mexico have a decision to make on Tuesday night when they line up for their final group game in Rustenburg. Do they go for the three points which would ensure they finish top of Group A, or do Javier Aguirre's team bite the bullet and accept that a draw will see them through to the last sixteen and a match-up with Argentina. It's possible that...Read More >>

Spain have received a lot of criticism for their performance against the Swiss, although there wasn't a lot wrong with La Furia Roja apart from their inability to put the ball into the net. This should change when they take to the field at Ellis Park on Monday night, with the Euro 2008 champions likely to produce an attacking display of football which will surely prove...Read More >>

This match at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein might not be one for the purists, with both teams eyeing second place in Group F behind Italy. Both sides took their lead in their respective opening matches, although were undone by corners.

Aside from that, Paraguay were pretty successful at keeping Italy at bay throughout the match and they could well stave off the threat of...Read More >>

We are accustomed to seeing Italy prosper from set pieces, although they were undone by a free-kick against Paraguay and it required a goalkeeping error for them to level matters in the opening Group F match.

However, we should expect them to keep a clean sheet against New Zealand, with the All Whites having lots of possession but offering little going forward against Slovakia until a late...Read More >>

North Korea made Brazil look like a very ordinary team at Ellis Park on Tuesday, although that hasn’t stopped the bookies from making Dunga’s team strong favourites to land another maximum haul against the Elephants.

The south Americans boast an excellent defence, although the midfield pairing of Felipe Melo and Gilberto Silva are primarily responsible for protecting the defence rather than foraging forward and that puts...Read More >>

It was mission accomplished for both of these teams in the first match, with Holland managing a relatively comfortable victory against Denmark on Monday. While everyone is talking about the return of Arjen Robben to the starting line-up, it was Eljero Elia who caught the eye as a second half substitute and manager Bert Van Marwijk might turn to the Hamburg player and decide to give...Read More >>

Confidence is a huge thing in football and that’s why we should expect the Black Stars to land another victory at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. Ghana played very well against Serbia, with the African team controlling the match and getting their rewards when Asamoah Gyan slotted home a late penalty.

They don’t appear to be missing Michael Essien too much and we shouldn’t forget that...Read More >>

It’s possible that Denmark could have achieved a goalless draw with Holland if Simon Poulsen hadn’t headed the ball into Daniel Agger at the start of the second half. The own goal undid all the good work that had been achieved in the first half, although Morten Olsen will be encouraged by how much his team limited the Netherlands on Monday.

The manager will hope...Read More >>

The bookies make the Americans favourite to win at Ellis Park on Friday night, although there shouldn’t be much between these teams, both of whom will feel they have a chance of making the last sixteen after encouraging first game results.

Slovenia edged matters against Algeria and are likely to employ the same ‘safety-first’ tactics which saw them concede just four goals in World Cup qualifying and...Read More >>

Perhaps we didn’t see the real Serbia in their opening Group D match on Sunday. Despite having classy players in every department, it was a stuttering performance from Raddy Antic’s team, who cannot afford to lose in Port Elizabeth on Friday night.

While the bookmakers have pushed their odds on victory right out, this might be an overreaction to Ghana’s 1-0 win and also Germany’s 4-0 victory...Read More >>

England thought that the appointment of Fabio Capello would help to enhance their chances of winning a second World Cup, although it was a stuttering performance against USA which only saw the Three Lions manage a draw. Therefore, it’s imperative that they take all three points from this contest, especially as Germany are likely to play the runner-up in Group C.

England should be too strong...Read More >>

Although France are the better side player-for-player, it's clear that Raymond Domenech does not have a happy camp at this World Cup, with Florent Malouda being dropped for the opening match against Uruguay despite having an excellent season for Chelsea.

It was also surprising to see Sidney Govou start in attack for Les Bleus, given that the Lyon forward has had...Read More >>

Thursday 's second match of the day takes place at the Free State Stadium and Nigeria look like an excellent bet to win the match. Of all the teams that lost their opening game, perhaps the Super Eagles were the most impressive, especially as they only conceded one goal to a star-studded Argentina side.

Let 's not forget that the African side...Read More >>

It's anyone's guess how Lionel Messi failed to score against Nigeria on Saturday. The Barcelona forward continued the excellent form that he's shown all season in the Primera Liga, although Nigeria keeper Vincent Enyeama did pull off some great saves to prevent the 22-year-old from opening his World Cup account.

Perhaps the Argentina striker will have more joy at Soccer City...Read More >>

If no team wanted to lose their first Group A match, then the same certainly applies for the second round of games. While both teams might publicly state that winning is their primary objective at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, a draw might not be a bad result.

Read More >>

The pre-tournament favourites for the 2010 World Cup finally get the chance to prove their worth on Wednesday and the crowd at the Moses Mabhida Stadium should be treated to a rich brand of attacking football. Anyone who questioned Spain’s credentials only had to witness their recent 6-0 demolition of Poland to see that Vicente Del Bosque’s team will take...Read More >>

The Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit could witness a few goals on Wednesday afternoon, especially with an attack-minded Chile in town. Marcelo Bielsa’s team could be a breath of fresh air in the World Cup due to their unique attacking approach, which sees La Roja play three in defence, three in midfield and three in attack.

It appears as though star Chilean...Read More >>

The pre-tournament favourites for the 2010 World Cup finally get the chance to prove their worth on Wednesday and the crowd at the Moses Mabhida Stadium should be treated to a rich brand of attacking football. Anyone who questioned Spain's credentials only had to witness their recent 6-0 demolition of Poland to see that Vicente Del Bosque's team will take some stopping in South Africa.

While Fernando Torres...Read More >>

The Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit could witness a few goals on Wednesday afternoon, especially with an attack-minded Chile in town. Marcelo Bielsa's team could be a breath of fresh air in the World Cup due to their unique attacking approach, which sees La Roja play three in defence, three in midfield and three in attack.

It appears as though star Chilean striker Humberto Suazo is going...Read More >>

They might not be favourites to win the 2010 World Cup, although the Selecao are ranked number one in the world and should take some stopping in South Africa. Kaka appears to be returning to form at the right time, while Luis Fabiano and Robinho are possibly on a par with Torres and Villa when it comes to a dangerous strike pairing.

We can be fairly confident...Read More >>

The Ivory Coast are trying to put a brave face on it, although Didier Drogba is highly unlikely to play against Portugal after injuring his arm in a friendly against Japan. The Chelsea forward is hugely important to the team, although he will have to watch the Elephants try and get something from the game in Port Elizabeth.

Portugal are also missing a key player in Nani,...Read More >>

During the 2006 World Cup, Italy adopted a typically cautious approach to matches, with all three of their group games yielding two goals or less. Against Ghana and Czech Republic, the team managed 2-0 victories and we could well see something similar at the Greenpoint Stadium on Monday.

Indeed, Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino clearly regards the match against the Azzurri as a 'bonus game', with the south...Read More >>

It's entirely possible that Cameroon might prove too strong for their opponents when the teams meet at Bloemfontein on Monday. It's a worrying sign for Japan that they have hastily arranged a friendly with Zimbabwe just days before this match takes place, with Takeshi Okada still looking for his best starting XI and formation.

While the Indomitable Lions may not have won any of their pre-World Cup friendlies,...Read More >>

The money continues to come for the Netherlands on the outright market, although first matches at the World Cup are often cagey and Ladbrokes' 1.57 offers little in the way of value about Bert van Marwijk's team winning in Johannesburg on Monday. This is especially when you consider that the excellent Arjen Robben has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

Better instead to look at backing a...Read More >>

The Germans go into this tournament without Michael Ballack, a player that has featured for the team in the past five major competitions. It's clear that they are a weaker outfit without the Chelsea midfielder, although Bastian Schweinsteiger's conversion from wide man to a central role has happened at precisely the right time.

The Bayern Munich player stepped up to the plate with a recent brace against Bosnia...Read More >>

Friendly matches leading up to the World Cup can often be misleading, although it certainly appears that Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has been setting up his team not to concede goals or lose matches. The Black Stars' last four competitive games all finished with a 1-0 scoreline and they have also been involved in recent goalless draws with Malawi and Angola.

The Ghanaians will deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation...Read More >>

There are many reasons for thinking that the Slovenians will prove too strong for their opponents at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. For a start, they finished comfortably ahead of Poland and Czech Republic in qualifying, while Matjaz Kek's team also beat Slovakia home and away to finish second in the group. It's worth noting that just four goals were conceded in ten games and...Read More >>

Bet365 might be one of the few firms to offer France at odds-against (2.20) but it 's hard to get excited about Les Bleus in this match. The French finished second behind Serbia in qualifying and were fortunate to beat Republic of Ireland in a play-off to reach the 2010 World Cup.

While Zinedine Zidane was the inspiration behind France 's 2006 World...Read More >>

These two teams get the 2010 World Cup under way on Friday 11^th June and we might see the host nation struggling to contain their opponents. Mexico are the team playing the best football in Group A at the moment, having recently beaten Gambia 5-1 and followed up this match with a 2-1 victory over holders Italy.

Javier Aguirre has his...Read More >>

England have had a few problems going into the World Cup and it’s probably best to avoid backing them at the 1.50 available with Ladbrokes and bwin that they beat the USA in Rustenburg. A draw won’t be a bad result for the Three Lions in this opening match, with both teams looking to avoid defeat ahead of matches against...Read More >>

It appears that bookmakers and punters alike have forgotten how much difficulty Argentina had when it came to qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. The Albiceleste are third favourites on the outright market and this must surely be down to the fact that the squad is studded with brilliant strikers, most of whom will be warming the bench.

Indeed, don’t expect...Read More >>

The Greeks have never won a World Cup finals match, nor have they ever scored a goal in this competition. Their only previous appearance was in 1994, although they have won Euro 2004 since then and have made great strides under manager Otto Rehhagel.

Nevertheless, Greece required a play-off victory against Ukraine to reach South Africa and recent friendly results suggest...Read More >>