This article first appeared in the May/Jun 2010 issue of World Gaming magazine.
World Gaming football expert Richard Clow can’t wait for the World Cup. On one hand he is a proud Englishman, but as our number one expert we’ve asked him to put all that aside and give us his expert opinion. He has done his form, tried to hide his loyalties, and come up with a few good bets for the World Cup.
The World Cup is finally here again, and for me there is only really one question that needs to be answered. Who is going to win? Or to put it another way, ‘Is anyone good enough to beat Brazil this time around?’ We need to try and work out if the Cup will be won by a team with attacking flair, or will it be lifted again like last time — by a traditionally defensive team like Italy or Germany who will be relying on boring football and penalty shootouts to lift the Cup. The one thing that is for certain is that we are in for one hell of a ride, and I for one think that attacking positive football will win out this time around.
Pepe Reina
After a long and painful process of elimination, I just can’t go past Spain as my tip to win the Cup. The Spanish are desperate for success and the time might be just right for this under-achieving powerhouse of world football to have their day. Spain has only lost once since 2006. They equalled Brazil’s record of 35 games unbeaten and also surpassed their record of 14 consecutive wins with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in the Concaf Cup. They lost the next game to the USA but have since then picked up exactly where they left off with another nine consecutive wins.
In World Cup qualifying they were simply frightening with ten wins from ten games. They scored a staggering 28 goals and conceded only five. FIFA rank them as number one in the world, and they are the only nation that has never won a World Cup to hold the top ranking. Ivor Casillas is probably the best goalkeeper in the world and his understudy Pepe Reina is arguably the best in the Premiership. Puyol and Arbeloa form the heart of a miserly defence. Fabregas, Xavi and Alonso have guile enough to unlock any defence, and with Torres and Villa they boast the most potent strike force in the competition. Confidence is sky-high and this year the Spanish look irresistible. The bookmakers have them as favourites to win the Cup — I can’t argue with that, and think they still represent incredible value.
Alvaro Arbeloa
The draw has been kind to England, and if Rooney stays fit they look a good bet and are my selection for the runnersup prize (even though I desperately want to tip them to win the Cup). Rooney has been simply awesome for Manchester United this year, and anything he can get his head to in the box is likely to end up in the back of the net. If Peter Crouch partners him upfront then England will be more than dangerous in the air. The old firm of Lampard, Gerrard and Terry form a terrifying midfield that is capable of racking up goals from anywhere. The English are always optimistic but this appears their best chance for many years.
I have put the Brazilians in at third spot because to leave them out totally would just be plain stupid. They have won the Cup five times, which is more than any other nation, and they are ranked second in the world. Brazil has strength in every position and can attack from anywhere with a natural flair, which always creates plenty of goals. Coach Dunga, a former World Cup winner himself, has added steel to the midfield to complement the sublime skills of Kaka and Robinho. Any squad which might not even find space for the likes of Ronaldinho and Adriano is a side that has an embarrassment of riches.
Iker Casillas
Argentina is also impossible to ignore, as any team that has anything to do with Diego Maradona can’t be dismissed. If you were going to look for a long shot then you might have to look at the home continent. Nothing would be better than to see one or more African teams make it deep into the tournament, just like the Asian teams did eight years ago. The Ivory Coast has talent to burn, but I have a sneaky suspicion that Ghana (if they can get through a very tough group) may be the surprise package when it comes to the home teams.
The most important thing is that you spend some time enjoying the World Cup. Let’s face it: any of the top ten teams could easily win the trophy. I like the Spaniards as they have blended discipline and attacking brilliance together better than any team I can ever remember. Look for good value and shop around, and I am sure you will make plenty of dollars betting on the biggest sporting competition of them all.
