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Maradona Not Getting Carried Away
Argentina manager Diego Maradona has admitted that there is still a long way to go in this World Cup after his side became the first country so far to make it through to the next round with a 100 per cent record in the group stage.
Argentina qualified for the next round in swashbuckling style by defeating Nigeria 1-0 and hammering South Korea 4-1 before finishing their three group matches last night by defeating Otto Rehagel’s Greek side by two goals with Martin Demichelis and veteran Martin Palermo scoring the goals.
Despite the impressive way in which the Albiceleste despatched their Group B oppponents, Maradona has brought their players and fans back down to earth by reminding them that there are still four rounds to play, if Argentina do make the final.
“Now the road gets more difficult, and the hierarchy of each team comes into play,” Maradona said.
“You always talk about Germany, Italy, Brazil, that they’re playing bad, but they are always in the semi-finals, in the final, in the second round, in the quarters.”
Maradona orchestrated last night’s victory on the 24th anniversary of one of the defining moments of his career, the match in the 1986 World Cup against England when he infamously scored with the “hand of God” and then, later in the game, scored one of the greatest goals ever seen, running past virtually the whole England side to score.
Despite such legendary feats like this, Maradona has had his doubters as manager of the national team, not least after a difficult qualifying campaign, but the former Napoli and Barcelona player believes that the team’s performances so far,they have been most pundit’s pick for team of the tournament so far, have gone some way to prove these doubters wrong.
“They (the critics) should apologise to the players, who are 100 per cent professional,” said Maradona.
“We are doing our duty, which is to defend the Argentina shirt. Sometimes they are wrong, but those who have also criticised are wrong and should apologise.”
Argentina are 9/2 with bet365 to win the World Cup for the first time since Maradona’s World Cup in 1986, with totesport and Ladbrokes offering 4/1.
Betting on the World Cup
The World Cup in South Africa 2010 has been promised to be ‘the greatest World Cup ever’. The country’s remarkable landscapes and stadia do indeed provide a fascinating backdrop for the global sporting spectacle. With all the major football nations successfully qualifying, the tournament is sure to as tense as ever. Brazil, the favourites with many bookmakers, have in recent years undergone a transitional period within their squad, many experts are having difficulty predicting how their talented set of youngsters will get on. It is questions such as this that enhance the excitement of World Cup betting, and we’re on hand to provide an in depth account as to the best bets available.
Firstly, we offer a history of the World Cup – a look back on its earliest winners, and indeed its contemporary stalwarts. We assess Italy’s triumph in 2006, and question their chances of winning successive tournaments. As the group stage draw for the 2010 World Cup was drawn recently, we analyse the selections, group by group, and provide detailed guides and information on the tricky games, the easy groups, and the infamous, ‘Group of Death’.
Next, we pick out some of the best value for money World Cup bets – as the competition is still some months away, bookmakers are offering some excellent odds; gamblers should place their bets early to get the best price. And after assessing the standard odds, we then offer a selection of the most intriguing ‘special’ bets currently on offer to the World Cup gambler. These unusual bets are available now, and depending on the bookmakers, a whole host of odds are being offered on everything from David Beckham’s England inclusion, to England’s elimination!
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