International friendlies 31st May-8th june

[traeth]

thought I'd start a new thread for international friendlies as the date on the previous one was annoying me , the 31st of May will annoy a few though!
International Match odds from bet365, sorry can't do those yellow odds comparison boxes

31 May 19:30 South Africa v Guatemala 1.33 5.00 8.50

01 Jun 13:00 Australia v Denmark 3.00 3.25 2.20
01 Jun 19:15 Switzerland v Costa Rica 1.57 3.60 5.50
01 Jun 19:30 Holland v Ghana 1.33 4.50 9.00
01 Jun 19:30 Portugal v Cameroon 1.61 3.60 5.00

02 Jun 11:00 Albania v Andorra 1.16 6.00 15.00
02 Jun 13:00 Azerbaijan v Honduras 4.33 3.50 1.72
02 Jun 14:30 Zimbabwe v Brazil 15.00 7.00 1.12
02 Jun 17:30 Greece v Paraguay 2.87 3.25 2.30
02 Jun 18:00 Norway v Ukraine 2.10 3.25 3.25
02 Jun 18:00 Romania v FYR Macedonia 1.72 3.40 4.50
02 Jun 18:30 Belarus v Sweden 3.25 3.25 2.10
02 Jun 19:30 Poland v Serbia 4.50 3.40 1.72

03 Jun 17:00 Spain v South Korea 1.20 5.50 13.00
03 Jun 18:15 Italy v Mexico 1.53 3.80 5.50
03 Jun 19:30 Germany v Bosnia-Herzegovina 1.30 4.50 10.00

I'm interested in South Africa - 1.5 A.H. , but more investigation is required , any thoughts?

[slick]

Sorry for Hi jacking the thread Traeth but I've moved all the Int Friendlies into one thread.

[traeth]

no problem slick

[Betfly]

Australia V Denmark kicks off @ 1pm

Australia v Denmark | Friendlies 2010 - Yahoo Eurosport UK

No info up on this yet.

[HastGill1]

Unless I have misunderstood there are the usual inconsistencies in the Hills markets for the Zimbabwe v Brazil game..they have on so many goal markets there are often screw ups, in that they offer essentially the same bets at different odds..

Was browsing the markets for the game, this is a strange game to be arranged and is fair to say has been set up as a morale booster for a v.solid Brazil team to get a few goals against a hugely inferior side..

Both teams to score (Option no) is 1.8 which is still a good price, Brazil to win to nil is 1.67 and there are a few other Zimbabwe not to score markets priced up at that same 1.67..then you have Brazil to be the only team to score which looks to me to be a massive 1.91 considering who they are playing..

This Brazil side, perhaps unusually, has a very good back line and defensive midfield base, its prob not the best going forward that we have seen but they should have far too much for a team ranked 113 in the world (and it appears they will be playing a strong side in this game), Brazil have not conceded in the last 4 games 3 of which were friendlies..this is obviously an error on Hill's part but imo it is one we should be taking advantage of, and I will certainly be putting a fair amount on it..

[HastGill1]

Originally Posted by HastGill1

Unless I have misunderstood there are the usual inconsistencies in the Hills markets for the Zimbabwe v Brazil game..they have on so many goal markets there are often screw ups, in that they offer essentially the same bets at different odds..

Was browsing the markets for the game, this is a strange game to be arranged and is fair to say has been set up as a morale booster for a v.solid Brazil team to get a few goals against a hugely inferior side..

Both teams to score (Option no) is 1.8 which is still a good price, Brazil to win to nil is 1.67 and there are a few other Zimbabwe not to score markets priced up at that same 1.67..then you have Brazil to be the only team to score which looks to me to be a massive 1.91 considering who they are playing..

This Brazil side, perhaps unusually, has a very good back line and defensive midfield base, its prob not the best going forward that we have seen but they should have far too much for a team ranked 113 in the world (and it appears they will be playing a strong side in this game), Brazil have not conceded in the last 4 games 3 of which were friendlies..this is obviously an error on Hill's part but imo it is one we should be taking advantage of, and I will certainly be putting a fair amount on it..

Price now down to 1.53 from the 1.91 I got yesterday..all the prices have dived this morning, managed to get the -1EH @ 1.4 now 1.28, and the -2EH @ 2.05 which is now 1.66! The bookies woke up..pleased with the prices I got though..

[MickeyPaul]

Anyone seen South Africa lately? I missed their 1-1 draw with Bulgaria but I read yesterday (I think) that they've been playing well and are unbeaten in 10-11 games?

I also read Denmark complaining about the World Cup ball in their 1-0 defeat against Australia. Apparently they can't control the pesky thing.

South Africa a bit big @ 2.60? Or will they be experimenting? I dunno.

Here was the quote from the Danish coach anyway:

Denmark's coach Morten Olsen has described the new World Cup football as "an impossible ball".
Speaking after losing a friendly to Australia he said: "This is not an excuse but a cause. We had difficulty in controlling the ball."

[Toadface]

Zimbabwe v Brazil: Preview


Robinho believes Brazil are ready for the World Cup and believes tomorrow's friendly against Zimbabwe will be good preparation for the finals in neighbouring South Africa.


The match will take place at the National Sports Stadium in the Zimbabwean capital Harare and Manchester City forward Robinho, who joined Brazilian side Santos on loan in January, believes the Selecao is well prepared because they have been playing with the same system and same group of players for a long time.
"Our team has been ready since quite a long time ago,'' Robinho said.
"This group have been together in the qualifiers, in the Confederations Cup. We are hopeful we can have a great World Cup.''

Asked about tomorrow's opponents, Robinho added: "We don't know much about them, but we will respect them.
"We want to play with plenty of movement and to build the plays we are used to. The result is the least important thing. We want to train well.
"However, even though the result is not important, we don't want to lose in any game. We will prepare well to get to the World Cup in good form.''

Striker Luis Fabiano, meanwhile, warned to take precautions in the friendly in order to avoid injuries.
"Friendlies are important, but I will face them calmly,'' the Sevilla star said.
"(Coach) Dunga has asked us to train hard, with dedication. It is a hard championship that demands a lot from players. He wants us to be well prepared.''

According to reports, Kaka is not expected to start the match on Wednesday as he is recovering from a groin strain.
Zimbabwe defender Thomas Svesve said: "It is a wonderful opportunity for us to test ourselves against the best players in the world. We need no motivation in this game and we going all out to win against the former world champions.''


My Thoughts:

Brazil will be at full strength with the exception of Kaka, meanwhile Zimbabwe called there players up late for this game and the coach is unsure of the fitness of some of his team.

By the sounds of things brazil wont be going all out in this game for fear of injuries which puts a few doubts in my mind but saying that it seems as though the zimbabwe team will try to cause some problems for brazil and give them a game by coming out to attack.

I can only see this falling into Brazils hands, if zimbabwe come out and attack it will leave alot of space for the fast attack of brazil and allow them to exploit the spaces down the wings.

I am hoping for a few goals in this game and can see Brazil exploiting the space left by Zimbabwe all over the park.

They will want to put in a good performance ready for the start of the world cup and notch up a few goals along the way!

Therefore I'm going for:

Over 3.5 goals @ 1.65

[Betfly]

Originally Posted by HastGill1

Unless I have misunderstood there are the usual inconsistencies in the Hills markets for the Zimbabwe v Brazil game..they have on so many goal markets there are often screw ups, in that they offer essentially the same bets at different odds..

Was browsing the markets for the game, this is a strange game to be arranged and is fair to say has been set up as a morale booster for a v.solid Brazil team to get a few goals against a hugely inferior side..

Both teams to score (Option no) is 1.8 which is still a good price, Brazil to win to nil is 1.67 and there are a few other Zimbabwe not to score markets priced up at that same 1.67..then you have Brazil to be the only team to score which looks to me to be a massive 1.91 considering who they are playing..

This Brazil side, perhaps unusually, has a very good back line and defensive midfield base, its prob not the best going forward that we have seen but they should have far too much for a team ranked 113 in the world (and it appears they will be playing a strong side in this game), Brazil have not conceded in the last 4 games 3 of which were friendlies..this is obviously an error on Hill's part but imo it is one we should be taking advantage of, and I will certainly be putting a fair amount on it..

Looks like you nailed it Hast !

[MickeyPaul]

Excellent stuff there Hast.

[HastGill1]

Cheers betfly and Mickey, yep made a packet! Brazil only team to score, -1EH, -2EH, and had correct scores 3-0, 4-0 and 5-0 which I didnt post here but did before ko..Zimbabwe were actually pretty good to be fair and certainly could have scored but the 2 goals just before HT did them, Kaka looks a shadow of the player he was, and how Baptista gets in the squad ahead of Pato and Ronaldinho I dont understand..

[Betfly]

Quite a few games today.
Any idea where to find info?

USA v Aussies

USA @ 6/4 appeals!

Any team news out there?

[Gavster]

Previews from Breaking Football News

Netherlands vs Hungary

Van Marwijk will give winger Arjen Robben a start against Hungary with the player supporting Robin van Persie in attack. Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart will again feature for the Oranje with the players all claiming none of them feel tired despite having long seasons with their clubs.

Over 2.5 could be nice

USA vz OZ

Based on performances, the Socceroos will probably be more likely to avoid defeat. The USA need a bit more time and match practise to get their rhythm back but Australia appear to be getting tighter again as the World Cup continues to draw nearer. There is a sense that the Australians may struggle to score but don't forget what Tim Cahill can still do from midfield despite getting on with age.

USA have the more clinical strikers with Clint Dempsey, Landan Donovan and Altidore providing the edge upfront. The latter is likely to sit out as he nurses an ankle injury. Both side are likely to cancel each other out but despite that Team USA are more likely to score, Australia will continue their progress and prepare for their opening 2010 World Cup match on the back of a good result.


SA vs Denmark

Denmark remain the typically hard to beat side that they have always been throughout their qualifiers in Europe. The Danes did struggle against Australia in their previous warmup friendly but expect their preparations to gather pace with the tournament just a week away. The injury to defender Simon Kjaer was a blow but the players remain largely confident of their chances in South Africa.

There will be two key indicators here when considering the final result. One would be that the South Africans are clearly riding on the momentum generated by their recent results with Parreira bringing the confidence back to the side. The Brazilian clearly knows the local mentality and culture in instituting his methods in training and that is paying off again.
Secondly, one can clearly see the effect on the South African players when they play at home in front of their fans. The stadiums have been packed for their last two games and the players are feeding on the enthusiasm and passion. The vuvuzuelas are also knocking the opposing teams silly and while many are claiming that they are noisy and do nothing for the sport, we feel otherwise. They help to distract the other team.


Ghana vs Latvia

Coach Milovan Rajevac tried to put on a brave front after the 4-1 defeat to Holland but he must be hoping that his players retain their belief and get a good result against Latvia. It might be a perfect fixture on hindsight given that the Black Stars are in real need of a lift before they begin their 2010 World Cup finals campaign against Serbia on June 13 in the opening game.

Despite the defeat coming into the Ghana vs Latvia, the Black Stars will get the win they need very much right now before they head for South Africa. Essien might not be around to keep things tight in the side, but Latvia should be a team they can dispense with comfortably in the end. Lack of playing time could also explain the mess they presented against the Dutch as we saw players getting rattled by the home crowd and pace of Holland.
Latvia do not possess those qualities and expect Rajevac to field what should be close to his strongest possible lineup with no more warmup friendlies left after this. Truth be told, Ghana is a team that first tries to shut down their opponents before relying on their physical strength to sneak in a goal or two. In this situation, they are clearly a much better team than the Latvians.

(Asian Handicap) Ghana -0.5, -1 at 1.95 with Bet365


Slovakia vs Costa Rica

Costa Rica have been one of the more consistent and stronger Central American teams for a long time. Just missing out on the 2010 World Cup finals after a play-off defeat to Uruguay, the Costa Ricans have put up some good performances in warmup friendlies – losing 2-1 to France and then beating Switzerland 1-0. Both matches showed what they are capable of and they will definitely put up another strong display against their third World Cup bound opponent.

The hosts will have the better chance of winning, since it would also be an opportunity to give their fans something to cheer over before they head for South Africa. But given the condition of some of their players, they might not push that hard and try to do just enough. The coach’s son Vladimir Weiss is quite a useful player with pace and there is enough pedigree in that squad to make an impression in the tournament.

Costa Rica have also shown they are no pushovers in the last two matches. Amongst the three teams they are facing including tonight’s, Slovakia is probably the most balanced – France have been awful for quite a while now. Both teams could shut each other out, or with the hosts just shading it in the end in what we feel could be a low scoring affair.

(Total Goals) Under 2.5

[mij0sim]

Serbia should win today.Eventough i dont like betting on frendly games when Serbia is involved,they really should win.Public start to panic after loss and a draw so players will do everything to win.
Lineup should be:
Stojkovic-Ivanovic,Vidic,Lukovic,Kolarov-Krasic,Stankovic,Milijas,JovaGoal-Zigic,Pantelic

That is the best lineup,maybe Vidic will be on the bench and Subotic instead of him on the pitch,but i am not sure.
Etoo should be out for Cameroon due to red card in his last match.
Match will be played in JNA,not Marakana,which recieves around 30000 people.
Odds on Serbia are around evens,which enough for me to take HW.

[Pokoko]

Tanzania - Brazil

Tanzania squad is formed by players, who play in the colca championship (most of them play in Simba SC, Young Africans FC, Azam FC) and 5 other players are from abroad - Nizar Khalfan (Vancouver Whitecaps), Danny Mrwanda (Al Tadamon), Haruna Moshi (Gefle), Henry Shindika (Kongsvinger) and Mike Chuma (Limhamns). So, everyone by himself can judge how far is Tanzania from the class of Brazil.

"Selecao" won in style against Zimbabwe (3:0) and I rate Zimbabwe higher than today's opponent of Brazil. The odds are going down fastly, but Brazil (-3 EH) could be found at prices around @2.00. I think Brazil will do their best just before the World Cup start and will win by 4+:0.