English ref, Howard Webb, will officiate the Final. Perhaps, this might be the last final of the World Cup that is played without using technology.

Around the country, world cup betting will go into a frenzy tomorrow, so don’t miss out on the abundant amount of free bets and offers that the bookies have in store to celebrate the Spain Holland betting bonanza. An expected £50 million will be bet on Sunday’s final between Spain and Holland.

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Holland go into this match unbeaten in their previous 25 competitive games. Holland have a very balanced team compared to previous years, however the Dutch will need to be at their sharpest to quell Spain’s passing game. Holland have reported no injuries ahead of the Spanish match although their is a slight concern over their keeper’s ribs.

Spain are bookie favourites, and with Paul the Psychic Octopus also selecting Spain over Holland (the Octopus has chosen correctly every time) then it looks done and dusted and come tomorrow night the Spanish will be World Champions. Of course, football can very unpredictable at times and the World Cup Final can throw up some amazing results – remember France – Brazil 98?

I did predict Holland would win the World Cup when I wrote the World Cup Group Betting article, at the beginning of the tournament, and having watched every game that Spain and Holland have played in this World Cup – do I still feel Holland can be winners? Perhaps, it is because that Holland think more on the result than the performance (this Dutch team doesn’t do “Total Football”) rather than Spain’s psyche of ‘pretty football’ that I think Holland will become Dutch masters on Sunday night and Holland will be crowned the FIFA World Cup 2010 winners.

For Germany, this could be their year, having not won the World Cup since 1990 although they were losing finalists back in 2002. Spain, on the other hand, have nowhere near Germany’s World Cup pedigree, they may be current Euro Champions but they have never made an appearance in the final itself, their best place ever was 4th back in 1950.

Fifa World Cup betting fans will be weighing up the current form between these two European footballing super-powers.

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Germany have lost just once in their last 14 competitive games, that was a 1-0 loss to Serbia during their group qualifying match just over 3 weeks ago. Germany’s star players have all reported fit for the match and with Ozil, Mueller and Klose all in decent goalscoring form backed up by the influential playmaker Schweinsteiger it’s easy to say the Germans will score in this semi-final but the question must be, will they score one more than the Spanish?

Spain must be wondering when Fernando Torres is going to show-up for this World Cup. It is just as well for Spain that dynamic yet diminutive David Villa has been in excellent form. In fact Spain’s biggest stars at this World Cup have been their smallest players such as Villa, Iniesta and Xavi. The creative and intuitive threesome have been in blistering form that has seen them tear apart defences with their short passing game also known as “tiqui-taqua”. Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque could throw a curve ball and play Cesc Fabregas instead of Fernando Torres although it is clear that neither stiker is playing to their 100% potential but instead Del Bosque must ask himself which striker could hurt the Germans the most and propel Spain in to their first ever World Cup Final.

Will it end in a draw? There’s a good possibility it could and looking at the Germany Spain betting you can get 32/10 for the draw from Ladbrokes. Of couse if you want more inside scoop on the Germany vs Spain game plus a host of information on the best Free Bets around then you should sign-up to the Free Betting Online newsletter.

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The newspapers are defining Holland as having been chosen to merit out some World Cup justice on behalf of the Ghanians and fair play fans everywhere. Everyone likes a good guys vs bad guys story and the majority of neutrals will be rooting for the mighty Dutch to come up trumps.

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However, you can get some lovable villians from time-to-time and I have no hard feelings towards ‘The Celeste’, despite Suarez’s handball. Uruguay have had a decent World Cup betting run, playing some good, clean football with both Suarez and Forlan in some excellent goalscoring form. With Suarez suspended, Forlan will be seen as the main goalscoring threat against a very solid Dutch defence.

Holland, seem on course for their first ever World Cup Final since 1978, and the possibility of lifting the trophy for the first time in their history. Their is an air of confidence in this Dutch side, well, I suppose if you had been unbeaten in 24 games you would have a bit of a swagger as well. However, that’s where Uruguay can be dangerous. The Dutch can be viewed as being arrogant after their famous victory over Brazil – however, beating Brazil doesn’t make you World Champions, especially when you have a team such as Uruguay waiting in the Semis with their win at all costs mentality.

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I guess most world cup betting punters will be placing some cash on the prospect of this game finishing a draw.

The England team are still in an upbeat mood following their victory over Slovenia assured them of a last 16 place. However, with the USA scoring in the 93rd minute England qualified from the group as runners-up, hence their meeting with Germany was sealed. Perhaps, things could have worked out better for England but if you are serious about winning the World Cup then you have to face the best teams at sometime in the competition.

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Capello now faces the descision of sending out an unchanged team to face Germany or consider bring back a fit-again Ledley King or Jamie Carragher who is now free from suspension in place of Matthew Upson. Upson had a decent game against Slovenia – there were a few errors early on but he must be applauded for his tackle very late in the game which kept England in the World Cup.

Germany have concerns over the fitness of their influential playmaker, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Brazilian born striker, Cacau. Defender, Jerome Boateng, is another injury worry. Coach, Joachim Loe, is confident that if any of his star players don’t make the game then they have quality players ready and waiting to fill in and help the German cause.

With many betting the Germany England game will finish in penalty kicks – you have to wonder whether this young, yet talented, German team will cope with the pressure. Then again, perhaps they might not need to, giving England’s woeful history of losing penalty kick deciders at big competitions.

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Come Sunday evening, luck might shine on England. No matters what happens, it is bound to be a nail biting tense affair.

If you think England can finish off the Germans at the Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein on Sunday or perhaps you feel that another England heartache is on the cards then you can sign-up for a host of Free Bets and Offers from Free Betting Online. You could even get a great deal on both England winning at the cricket and knocking out the Germans in the World Cup Last 16.

Capello and co really have wedged themselves against a rock and a hard place. The British media will slaughter this team if they go out at the group stages. The fans just want to see England at last play for the “Three Lions” with a bit of passion and spirit. Then there is the Slovenian side, who in fairness are not that bad a team, and have a couple of decent technically gifted players who could really turn the heat on England’s defence. Rooney has set himself on a pedestal with his remarks about “English fans booing a poor performance against the Algerians” and now, must surely put in a decent shift for England as the only way to atone – forget about FA written apoligies on his behalf.

Of course England have been in this position before, remember Italia 90 and Mark Wright’s winner against Egypt – a sigh of relief was breathed by all back then – and it proved the catalyst point of a very successful run for England during that World Cup.

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England will wear the “All-Red” strip against Slovenia at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, inspiration must be found from somewhere, one feels. I talked about Slovenia and their impetus mentality some time back on a “World Cup Group Betting” article where I described them as “Another team who punch above their weight. Think ‘Scotland’ without the ‘losing mentality’ and your pretty near how Slovenia ticks.” Minnows with big hearts is a better way to describe Slovenia now. Let’s hope their not “Lion Size” or England’s South African adventure will be over just as the World Cup is beginning to look like a fun competition.

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Seriously, England must win this game, Algeria looked no great shakes against Slovenia, neither did the Slovenians if truth be told. The opportunity to wipe away the dismal start against the USA is pertinent. Having witnessed the opening round of games, England have nothing really to fear, apart from themselves, perhaps.

Capello now must show assurance in his players. Green has to step aside for James in goal. Experience is the key to winning against Algeria. Personally, I’d give Defoe his opportunity up front, he is a proven goalscorer even at international level, and offers something different to the long ball tactics of finding Emile Heskey. World Cup betting fans know that Heskey is there to feed Rooney, but if Rooney is not firing on all cylinders, much like he was against the USA, then that partnership is pretty much dead in the water.

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Algeria will be tough to crack open, this team understand that if they lose then their World Cup is over. However, I fully expect an England victory.

Probable England starting Line-up against Algeria if I were in Capello’s shoes (James, Johnson, Carragher, Terry, A Cole, Barry, Lampard, Gerrard, Lennon, Rooney, Defoe. )

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You can get odds of 1/2 on for an England victory with bookmaker Stan James. Best bet if for a USA win ( 13/2 ) with William Hill. I know that would shatter a lot of English hearts but unexpected things happen in the World Cup. Seriously, I don´t expect England to suffer early nerves and lose their opener. Best the USA can hope for is a draw, 3/1 with Boylesports.

Prediction : England 3 USA 1

We have a massive selection of free bets for you to get signed up with, prior to the Fifa World Cup 2010 kick off.

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Granted, Mexico have upped their game as the tournament gets nearer, 2 wind against Italy and Gambia have cleaned the slate a little following 2 previous losses to the Netherlands and England.

Paddy Power are offering 6/4 on Mexico while William Hill have a very healthy 19/10 for South Africa to upset the betting world. Betfred have it at 23/10 for a draw. Which is where I think my money will be heading.

We have a massive selection of free bets for you to get signed up with, prior to the Fifa World Cup 2010 starting.

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How England qualify from the group stages will determine the path they take and the quality of teams they’ll meet in the knock-out sections. Winning Group C will see them play against the runners-up from Group D (Germany, Australia, Serbia & Ghana). With Germany much fancied to win Group D, England don’t want a potential banana skin in Round 2 if they finish in the runners-up spot.

Yet, when you start talking about who England would like to avoid, that’s when you begin to wonder are they really good enough? Being classed as third favourites out of 32 teams should really mean England should fear no-one. But that’s not the case, is it?

The reason is obvious, too many times have England claimed in the last few decades they were going to win it only to find out, harshly in some cases, they were’nt quite up to the grade. The inevitable frenzy, stirred up by the media, creates a national outpouring of passion and pressure that demands victory. Inevitably, it all ends up as a big bowl of dissapointment and the press looks for a scapegoat to victimize.

So, why has England been favoured ahead of the much more fancied Dutch team or even one of the impressive African teams. Is it because they powered through their qualifying group? Probably! However, England now have a very formidable looking side. World class players in the likes of Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard. But it’s not a side that is littered with class, there are one or two chinks in the armour and Capello understands this.

Teamwork and fighting spirit has never been short in English football and Capello has nourished this well, with Rooney being the prime example of turning a player from a goal threat to a goal scorer. But it is how the full team reacts when things don’t quite go England’s way. It was highlighted against the Dutch in a recent friendly. Capello was lauded for the way his team fought back to earn a respectable draw after being 2-0 down. But if you looked more closely at that game you’ll see England were taught a lesson in the first half on how to retain the ball. The Dutch scored two goals almost at ease then relaxed. Thankfully, Capello got the draw and it helped boost confidence within the team. But it must be at the back of Capello’s mind just how average his team were made to look.

In just over seven months we will find out the answer to our question, “Can England Win the World Cup in 2010?” Yes, there is a lot of work to be done in the meantime but the report card looks decent for England right now. I only hope that penalties doesn’t come into the equation at some point for the English team, because if it does, I know which side I’ll be putting my money on to win.

Holland v Scotland

Scotland head into the Amsterdam arena to face an almighty Dutch team brimming with confidence. Which is more than can be said for Burley’s depleted Scots squad. Last time these two teams met in a World Cup qualifier the Scots were crushed 6-0. Scotland have had a mixed campaign so far and really need to take something from this game, which is asking an awful lot.

Holland v Scotland Betting Odds
Holland To Win	1/3	1/3	1/3	4/11	6/17	1/3	3/10
Scotland To Win	9	8	15/2	9	25/2	7	9
Draw	15/4	7/2	10/3	10/3	41/10	3	15/4

Wales v Finland

Wales can reinforce their position as second-place favourites if they can beat a stubborn Finnish side. With a massive game against Germany again at home on Wednesday night, Wales have a great chance of reaching the play-offs. They need to start converting their chances however, as failure to score at home has cost them in the past.

Wales v Finland Betting Odds
Wales To Win	6/5	5/4	11/10		25/9	10/11	11/10
Finland To Win	9	8	15/2		45/17	5/2	12/5
Draw	9/4	9/4	9/4		40/17	11/5	11/5

Northern Ireland v Poland

Victory over Poland will see Northern Ireland continue their kindred spirit under the experienced leadership of Frank Worthington. This is bound to be a tight game with the Polish side brimming with top individual stars which sees the Polish start this match as favourites but I believe the strength of character in this plucky Irish team should see them seal a passionate home win.

Northern Ireland v Poland Betting Odds
Northern Ireland To Win	12/5	23/10	11/5	5/2	45/17	5/2	12/5
Poland To Win	6/5	11/10	11/10	11/10	23/18	11/5	11/5
Draw	11/5	9/4	9/4	23/10	45/17	11/5	11/5

Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria

Bulgaria are the expert draw masters in this group, with three draws from their opening three games. Rep of Ireland should be too strong for the visitors and the Irish has a great chance to stretch their point difference from the rest of the group, leaving it as a good old head-tohead between the Rep of Ireland and Italy.

Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria Betting Odds
Rep of Ireland To Win	4/5	10/11	4/5	10/11	10/11	5/6	10/11
Bulgaria To Win	15/4	10/3	16/5	10/3	41/10	11/4	3
Draw	12/5	9/4	9/4	9/4	5/2	11/5	9/4