World Cup Final Free Bet and that idiot Xavi

Home

Written by Dave Allan Saturday, 10 July 2010 09:46

Spain's best game of football this World Cup was when they lost to Switzerland. Their bloody ticcy-takky play is infuriating if vaguely enjoyable to watch but it won't win them the World Cup and my free bet will be going on Holland.

Click the links below for some free bets. Watch the terms and conditions though. Rarely is anything free these days. Betfair is my recommendation, if you want better prices and straightforwardness. Xavi passes sidewards

Spain however are not straightforward. They are sideways. And that idiot Xavi is at the heart of it.

I hear (imagine) these people trotting out their facts for their betting pieces about how Xavi has completed 460-odd passes. However most of these passes are two metre sidefoots to the nearest available player - forward, sidewards but generally back to a defender!

Spain have won most of their games by 1-0. On the surface that looks cynical. Score a goal and sit back. However, Spain have not been sitting back but rather generally trying to score...but they couldn't. The reason being their wishy-washy crab passing meant the ball never got forward enough. Although there is no denying Fernando Torres looked out of form during the early stages of the tournament - one reason was he was given poor service by this proclaimed midfield.

It is Spain's lack of goalscoring which means a bet on Holland at a shade under 3/1 looks the best bet. Especially considering it is the first decent team the Spaniards have faced -Germany were poor in the semi-final.

Holland have a great recent record. Unbeaten in qualifying - winning all their games and unbeaten at this World Cup- winning all their games.

One Sunday, I think they will still be unbeaten.

| More...

Comments (7) add comment

joseph said:

...
you clearly have little footballing knowledge. You said, "Xavi has completed 460-odd passes. However most of these passes are two metre sidefoots to the nearest available player - forward, sidewards but generally back to a defender!".
anybody with a vague footballing knowledge knows that Xavi's simpleness is absolutely deadly and extremely effective.
if you actually took time to watch a Spain match, i recommend you go on to iplayer and watch the Spain v Germany game and just watch what Xavi does. He runs the midfield with his simple pass and move and always finds the space between the defence and opposing midfield. When Xavi gets into the final third he is deadly, constantly finding gaps and picking out runs from the strikers.
Maybe you should write another article about and England 'idiot' who tends to just lump a football forward to heskey and chase it.
You idiot.

July 10, 2010

Dave said:

...
Whatever the arguements, the fact remains that Spain have scored fewer goals in this tournament than they should have done. Their style of play is not good to watch. It is generally keep ball with little end product. That midfield needs a risk taker at times and I'm sorry, they are all too busy giving these short passses to each other and seem scared to lose the ball.

Only Spain can, from a promising move forward on the right, pass the ball between themselves back to the goalkeeper. I've seen them do this a few times.

It reminds me of watching Arsenal....all very pretty at times but shoot for God sake!! Stop trying to pass the ball in.

July 10, 2010

joseph said:

...
I totally see where you are coming from but disagree, you say that the constant passing and moving has little end product but clearly the end product is the world cup final?
Who cares if Spain aren't good to watch, they're trying to win a world cup so if it means they endlessly pass the ball around the back then so be it. I understand your point that maybe there passing is one to many but they are in the world cup final and obviously the ticcy-takky style of football is working.

As a footballer player myself I strongly appreciate the simpleness and movement of Xavi as his technique and awareness is simply second to none. I strongly recommend that you take a look at this 'ticcy-takky' video as it is very similar to the way Spain play and appreciate the beauty of the Spanish team.

July 10, 2010

Dave said:

...
Thanks for replying Joseph. I can also see your point of view and perhaps I was being a bit controversial for the sake of it.

I do admire the way Spain pass the ball BUT they do need to create more chances. It seems such a waste sometimes. I have studied their play this tournament and have backed them to score goals in each game but each match has left me frustrated. It was not simply the case of through balls narrowly missing their target -they simply did not create enough real chances.

I'm looking forward to a good final. I will have a couple of quid on them scoring a few goals but won't hold my breath but really hope the Dutch beat them..and if they do they have only got themselves to blame for not expressing themselves enough.

July 10, 2010

Sara (the Spaniard) said:

...
Dear Dave,
Might your comments against Spain be influenced, by any chance, by the fact that England has been eliminated from the World Cup?? Ignorant guess... but any jealousy? I too wish England plays better games...oops... in the next World Cup!!!!

July 10, 2010

Dave said:

...
I am jealous of Spain, Sara, but that was not the reason for my comments. If you have a look around this blog, you will find us wanting England to do well but we don't believe we have a great team. Spain and Germany, for example do well because they play as a 'team' England do not.

Best of luck tomorrow. I have a new fondness for Spain having met a few good people on a German language course I'm currently doing.

July 10, 2010

joseph said:

...
understood, being controversial is part of your job as if you sat on the fence your articles wouldn't be worth reading, i do enjoy your articles and thank you.

July 10, 2010

Write comment

< Prev		Next >