Special Edition: The Golden Nuggets - World Cup Special "Golazo, Golazo, Golazo!"

By Sports Magician

The World Cup is inching closer and closer, I for one; cannot wait. I also love a good montage, so sit back and enjoy this recap of Germany 2006 before we delve further into the 2010 markets…


ARGENTINA TOP SCORER

BWIN must have lost their minds as they are demanding that value be taken on their selections for Argentina’s top scorer in the World Cup. Lionel Messi is the obvious favourite and we will back him, but Argentina’s next two biggest goal threats range from being too big to downright astronomical. Gonzalo Higuain is likely to partner Messi upfront with Angel Di Maria providing an attacking threat from the left. Higuain is a surprising 6/1 to be Argentina’s top scorer, behind both Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez in the betting despite the fact Higuain is the likely starter of the three. BWIN have out done themselves by offering Di Maria at the same price as Javier Mascherano. Occasionally I like to offer some work colleagues 100/1 on certain selections just for the sake of departmental banter and bragging rights, I’ve yet to lose. However, I won’t be offering them 100/1 on Di Maria being Argentina’s top scorer, but I will be taking it. Dead-heat rules apply.

PICK: 4*LIONEL MESSI TO BE TOP ARGENTINA SCORER @ 2.75 (BWIN)

PICK: 3*GONZALO HIGUAIN TO BE TOP ARGENTINA SCORER @ 7.00 (BWIN)

PICK: 1*ANGEL DI MARIA TO BE TOP ARGENTINA SCORER @ 101.00 (BWIN)

CHILE TOP SCORER

Matias Fernandez; or Matigol as he is affectionately known in Chile is too big to lead the scoring charts for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in South Africa. Fernandez plays the free role for Chile and will be expected to cause a lot of damage to opposition defences along with Humberto Suazo and Alexis Sanchez. Matigol is a threat from set pieces and he can also do things like this…


PICK: 1*MATIAS FERNANDEZ TO BE TOP CHILE SCORER @ 11.00 (CORAL)

SERBIA TOP SCORER

The Golden Nuggets have already backed Serbia to win their group and qualify for the knock-out stages and now we focus on the value on offer in their top scorer market. Milos Krasic had an excellent Champions League campaign for CSKA Moscow and may well find himself with plenty of offers from Europe’s big guns after the World Cup. Krasic is a winger/forward who has a blistering shot and excellent dribbling skills. He is definitely worth a point to top score for the Serbians.

PICK: 1*MILOS KRASIC TO BE TOP SERBIA SCORER @ 15.00 (BWIN)

CORAL GOALSCORER MATCH BETS

Coral are offering a number of goalscorer match bets in which the tie can be backed and each player must play some part in the World Cup for bets to stand.

GONZALO HIGUAIN v JERMAIN DEFOE

A simple equation here, Gonzalo Higuain is likely to be Argentina’s number nine, while Jermain Defoe is likely to be sitting on the England bench for the majority of the World Cup texting Imogen Thomas (or whoever it is he happens to be going out with these days). Odds against on Higuain is an outstanding price given this scenario, he may only need to score one goal to win this match bet. Bet is a loser if the players are tied.

PICK: 5*GONZALO HIGUAIN TO SCORE MORE GOALS THAN JERMAIN DEFOE @ 2.10 (CORAL)

ROBINHO v CARLOS TEVEZ

Similar to the above scenario, as the South Americans from Manchester City are pitted against each other. Robinho plays his best football for Brazil and that is why Dunga continues to have faith in him where Mark Hughes didn’t. Robinho was disinterested and largely awful for City but with Santos he is playing football with a smile again and he never ceases to smile when joining up with Brazil. At present he is a likely starter for Dunga, providing he puts in the work off the ball which Dunga demands of his players. Carlos Tevez, on the other hand, is expected to play a super-sub role at the World Cup, replacing Gonzalo Higuain with 20-30 minutes to go in most matches. There is a chance that by the end of the World Cup Robinho will be the super-sub and Tevez will be a starter, but that’s a chance we have to be willing to take. Bet is a loser if the players are tied.

PICK: 2.5*ROBINHO TO SCORE MORE GOALS THAN CARLOS TEVEZ @ 2.50 (CORAL)

ARJEN ROBBEN v FRANCK RIBERY

The Bayern Munich duo have had contrasting seasons. Arjen Robben has been the catalyst for Bayern’s treble push while Franck Ribery has constantly been surrounded by speculation over his long term future, and now, the subject of a sex scandal involving an underage prostitute. When the story initially broke about Ribery, he followed it up with a red card in the Champions League semi-final first leg. How will he deal with the continued scrutiny while on World Cup duty? It’s hard to say. What we do know is that Robben plays in a lightening quick Dutch attack that look a goal threat every time they cross the half-way line. And that France are a side with no fluidity in attack who rely on the odd flash of individual brilliance to get them by. Holland also have the capability to go as far as France in the tournament, if not further, which will benefit Robben even more so in this duel. Bet is a loser if the players are tied.

PICK: 2*ARJEN ROBBEN TO SCORE MORE GOALS THAN FRANCK RIBERY @ 2.20 (CORAL)

NEW ZEALAND WORLD CUP GOALS

It can’t be too encouraging to know that you go into a World Cup group with the Italians (defending champions), the stingy Paraguayans and the underrated Slovakians with Rory Fallon (Plymouth) as your biggest goal threat. It’s unlikely New Zealand will garner a point from their World Cup group and they won’t be troubling opposition goalkeepers much, either.

PICK: 2*NEW ZEALAND TO SCORE ZERO GOALS AT THE WORLD CUP @ 3.75 (CORAL)

ALGERIA WORLD CUP GROUP POINTS

Algeria deserve their place at the World Cup but Africa would surely have had a stronger representation had Egypt won their bitter play-off. The Algerians were poor at the African Cup of Nations, where Egypt extracted a small dose of revenge by hammering them and going on to win the tournament. Expekt have set the Algerian group points line at 2.5, and given that they are almost certainly going to suffer defeats at the hands of England, and most likely the Americans, it means they would need all three points against Slovenia to cover it. Slovenia are nothing special, a durable side that lacks quality, but were good enough to oust a far more talented Russian side in the play-offs to reach South Africa. Being offered odds-against on Algeria failing to find a win in the group is quite appealing.

PICK: 4*ALGERIA WORLD CUP GROUP POINTS UNDER 2.5 @ 2.05 (EXPEKT)

Sports Magician