Mes: enero 2022

Tottenham travel to the Hawthorns this Saturday, for an afternoon kick off against West Brom.

The Baggies have just one goal to show, in their three matches, this season. That came in their home match against Sunderland, thans to a late strike by Nigerian import, P Odemwingie.

The Baggies lost their away match at Anfield 1-0, revealing a fairly defensive mindset, in the process. That game came after a 6-0 thrashing from defending champions Chelsea.

Spurs on the other hand have been aggressive, and despite their loss to Wigan, the signs are there that the White Hart Lane squad want a repeat of their 4th place finish of last year, and the Champions League qualification that goes with it.

But Spurs are beset by injury woes, going into Saturday’s match against West Brom. Dawson, Bentley, Crouch and Modric are all likely to sit out, even as there’s good news in the form of the return from injury of ‘keeper Gomes, along with defender Corluka.

Redknapp’s squad could rely on Defoe and Pavlyucenko to lead the attack, although theres a question mark over Defoe’s fitness, in which case Keane could start in Defoe’s place.

The real weakness is in central defence, where Dawson’s absence is sure to hurt Spurs. An out-of-form King is a poor replacement, while Bassong is not certain to start.

After their accidental loss to Wigan, Tottenham will look to set things right against the Hawthorn’s squad, in what could be a one-sided encounter.

That said, West Brom have done reasonably well against a much stronger Tottenham. Since 2002, in ten matches West Brom have won two against Spurs’ five matches won.

De Matteo’s squad have won their last two home matches against Redknapp’s side. Spurs fans could blame it on the chilly winter weather, they encountered in their last visit in December.

So it will be left to spurs to break the ice  in what is likely to be a watchful defensive game by West Brom.

The probable starting eleven for West Brom are: Kiely, Jara, Olsson, Shorey, Tamas, Mulumbu, Brent, Dorrans, Morrisson, Odimwingie and Scharner.

The starting eleven for Spurs are likely to be: Gomes, Kaboul, Corluka, King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Palacios, Bale, Keane, and Pavlyuchenko.

The Football Betting World

The sports football which is better known as soccer in America is one of the most popular sports in the world. Covering from South America, Africa, Asia to Europe, football is a game loved by everyone ranging from kids to adults. The game brings huge and deep influence to a person’s life. It makes the fans become silly and crazy especially in World Cup tournament.

The popularity of football had created various commercial values. Among of them, football betting is one of the most prosperous industrial seeded from the football game. Winning a bet is not easy at all. Since the very beginning, bookies are always the ultimate winners. However, some minority punters were able to shine in their football betting career. The secrets behind them are self-control in first place and a simple team performance analysis method.

The Secrets

In order to reign a football betting, punters must self-control. Punters must not be addicted towards betting whenever they lose several matches they bet. Bet only on matches that meet your analyzed criteria. Each and every punter will has his match analysis methods and will evolved from time to time. The final decision will always be influenced by latest news, odds movement and comments from others. In fact, there are no proven formula that will really works. A working formula means it will never change and can be applied to all matches as generic guidelines. Nothing will be able to turn the decision table around when this formula is applied.

One of the most effective but simple formula to win in football betting is team performance analysis method. Firstly, punters will need to focus on top teams in every domestic league. For example Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Lyon and Bordeaux. Those teams are most probably rank on top at the end of each season. It means to say, betting on highly rank teams surely increases your winning chances. Base on statistics over the last 5 years, the top teams shall continue to win and clear handicap when they are on form or during bounce back. In contrast, the top teams shall keep losing when they are in a losing streaks. Base on this, punter is advised to put his bet only when the top teams on form or when they would just bounce back on track. The biggest mistake in football betting is chasing a team in streak loses to bounce back.

In retrospect, try to avoid match between giants. Bet only when your favorable top teams are playing against smaller teams. The secret of winning is just as simple as it is. You can beat the bookies right now if you can do all above.

Recent news in the UK has featured two knights of the realm. The death was announced of Sir Roger Bannister, the athlete who ran the first four-minute mile in Oxford in 1954 and was later knighted for his contributions to medicine. Bannister competed in the amateur era and was said to have derived no financial benefit from sport. On the other hand, Sir Bradley Wiggins, performed in the modern era in which all elite sport is professional and richly rewarded. He was in the news because a Parliamentary committee had found that though he had done nothing illegal, he had nevertheless acted unethically in taking prescribed medication not for treating an affliction but purely to enhance his performance in winning the Tour de France cycle race in 2012. This latest in a long series of stories of drug abuse in professional sport raises the question of whether it is still sport in the traditional sense, and whether ethical behaviour can survive in an era ruled by big business.

International cycling competition had gained a bad reputation for drug abuse when a former seven-times winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong, was stripped of all his achievements on the revelation of his abuses in 2012. The United States Anti-Doping Agency described him as the ringleader of «the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen.» The Sky cycling team, of which Wiggins was a member, was launched on the claim of being a champion of clean sport. It has now been revealed as acting in a way that was technically legal but unethical, behaviour that can be considered as characteristic of much of modern business.

Another interesting reflection on trends in modern sport was provided recently by FIFA’s decision to allow the use of TV monitoring facilities in soccer matches to aid referees’ decisions. Various systems are already in use in cricket and rugby, where spectators are shown replays on a large TV screen. However, replays of action will not be displayed in this way at soccer matches on the grounds that fans would not be prepared to accept marginal decisions that go against their team. This is surely a severe condemnation of a sport by its own ruling body, and shows to what depths sportsmanship and ethics have sunk in this most commercialised of sports.

The lesson from all this would seem to be that the authorities will continue to struggle for legality in sport, as in business, but that little can be done to ensure ethical behaviour, and pure sportsmanship can be expected to survive only in the amateur arena.

A winger is a player that operates from the wings during a football match. There are two classes of wingers which include left winger and right winger.

A football team cannot do without wingers because if the defence is so tight for the strikers to penetrate the wingers can turn things around by either getting the goals or supplying the crosses from the flanks that could result in goals.

The only thing about the crosses from the wingers is that the crosses should be so accurate that the opponents will not make mess of them by being stronger in the air than the team. That is to say that crosses can only help a team to win a match if the team players are good in aerial battle and they can head the ball on target.

A team that has tall players is often at an advantage when it comes to crosses from the wingers. This is why it is good for a team to have tall strikers that can use their head very well. Also, it is good for an opposing team to have tall defenders that can use their head very well.

One unique quality of a good winger is speed. A winger that has speed can send an opposing team to the cleaners with his or her mesmerizing runs with the ball.

Christiano Ronaldo of Portuguese national team and Manchester United of England is one player that I cherish so much as a winger. He runs like a cheetah up and down the flanks.

A winger could be short or tall but he or she cannot afford to lack speed. So, the greatest quality, among other qualities, of a winger is speed. A winger should also be able to cross the ball very well.

The match ended with 4 goals, 8 yellow cards, a red card and lots of controversies. Pretty explosive for an El Clasico with no stakes.

The El Clasico has always been one of the most awaited football matches that features FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, two of the biggest football clubs on the planet. The clash is not just limited to the contrasting football styles of the clubs as it is also seen as a clash between Spain and Catalunia. With such importance attached to the match, it has always lived up to the expectation of football fans. Emotions run high on the field as tempers flare and controversies and fights ensue. This Sunday’s El Clasico had been described as a damp affair even before its start as Barcelona had already won the league while Real Madrid were being cautious in preparation for the Champions League Finals. The fact that this was Iniesta’s last Clasico was the only reason most fans looked forward to the football match. There were others who reminded the fact that Barcelona had remained unbeaten during the league and cup season so far and a defeat would mean they would fail to go the full season unbeaten.

But all of that damp El Clasico talk turned into dust as Barcelona took an early lead through Luis Suarez who perfectly connected with a Sergio Roberto cross. Real Madrid soon equalized as Cristiano Ronaldo connected with Benzema’s headed pass that was set up by Toni Kroos. Both teams continued to threaten each other’s goals as chances were being created left and right. Ronaldo also picked up an injury that saw him hobbling during the rest of the half. By the end of the 40th minute, two of Real Madrid’s defenders were shown yellow cards and so were Barcelona’s Messi and Saurez. But the real controversy started when the referee failed to notice Gareth Bale’s horrible challenge on Samuel Umtiti that should have earned him a straight red card.

Things soon started getting heated up as half-time approached. A Real Madrid attack on the left flank saw a clash between Marcelo and Sergio Roberto. The latter lost as cool and threw his fist into Marcelo’s face. The referee had a clear view of this clash and showed a straight red to Roberto just at the half-time break. This meant that Barcelona had to play the entire second half, one man down.

While Barcelona were down to 10-men, Real Madrid had to substitute Ronaldo due to his first-half injury that caused a swollen ankle. Real Madrid dominated the half but were not able to create many chances. Barcelona once again took the lead as Messi scored from Suarez’s pass. There was a fierce protest from Real Madrid players as Saurez had fouled Varane in the lead up to the goal but got away with it. Real Madrid struggled to find the equalizer against a 10-man Barcelona and it was Gareth Bale who curled it in the 72nd minute to level the scoreline.

Barcelona continued to attack as a super effort from Lionel Messi was beautifully saved by Navas. Messi once again ended up close to scoring as a curling shot from him ended just wide from the post. Real Madrid too were starting to take advantage of 10-man Barcelona. Marcelo was brought down inside Barcelona’s box but the referee once again made a controversial call as Real Madrid were denied a clear penalty. Barcelona, having given a clear lifeline, continued to resist all advances from Real Madrid and hang on to dear life. Nelson Semedo brought on for Coutinho to take up Roberto’s position in defense, impressed with his speed and stamina. Finally, Semedo cleared the ball with a header as the referee blew the final whistle.

Andres Iniesta’s final El Clasico had exploded into life early on and lived up to the billing. There was applause all around has the Maestro took his one last bow.

Despite all the controversies and bad refereeing decisions, everyone was satisfied with the result. Barcelona’s manager Ernesto Valverde later exclaimed that it would have hurt if the unbeaten streak had been broken by Real Madrid, so a draw was a fair and acceptable result. As they say, even a draw means unbeaten. Everyone who saw Sunday’s El Clasico will agree that the players took to field as if everything was at stake, contrary to the belief that nothing was.