Italian referee taken out of 2006 World Cup

Italian referee withdrawn from the 2006 World Cup

News came out a few weeks back about the Italian referee Massimo de Santis and assistant referees Alessandro Griselli and Marco Ivaldi. They have been taken off the official list of referees for the 2006 World Cup.

All three officials are being investigated in the match fixing scandal going on in Italy.

Regards,
Michael Kralj
Travel to the Fifa World Cup. Its not too late to get flights!

World Cup 2006 Preview - England

World Cup 2006 Preview - England by David Walker

Outright Odds: 13/2
Group B Winners: 8/13

We've seen it all before and do the tabloids genuinely believe this is "England's best chance of success"? What, again? Another year, another major tournament England are expected to win, yet they always bow out with a whimper. Why should this World Cup be any different? It's not 1966 any more, after all.

For all the media playing up England's chances, the bookmakers are far more conservative. The favourite stage of elimination odds-wise is the second round at 12/5, with quarter final elimination at 4/1 and the semi-finals at 9/2.

This is because England under Sven Goran Eriksson are just far too predictable. They may be able to qualify with ease through mediocre qualifying groups in which they are almost always top seeds, but the plain fact is they cannot perform on the big stage.

England will breeze through the group stage with comfortable victories over Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago before an inevitable draw against Sweden in the final game. However, should they come up against Germany in the second round that may be the end of their World Cup adventure.

When it matters the most, England follow the same pattern time and time again. They always go a goal ahead but then lose their bottle and put everybody behind the ball for the remainder of the game in hope of clinging on to what they have got. Sometimes it works, such as against Argentina in the last World Cup, but more often it doesn't, namely the defeat to Brazil in the next round and later France and Portugal in Euro 2004.

England are the best in the world at flattering to deceive, well, apart from Spain. On paper they have perhaps the best squad they have ever had at the manager's disposal but for all the individual talent, the players often fail to gel effectively as a team. Arguably two of the best central midfielders in the world in Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard don't appear to be able to play together while there is also the timeless problem of the absence of a natural left-sided player to deal with.

England have been dealt a further blow with the news that Wayne Rooney may also miss the finals. The side could do with his genius play and sheer brute force and give the faithful supporters something to cheer about in what could now be a short stint in the Finals.

Recommended Bet:
Don't believe what you read in the papers and get swept up in patriotic bets. While this could be the best squad of players England have ever had they cannot be trusted with your betting money. You could try some handicap bets for the matches against Paraguay and Trindad & Tobago while a second round elimination bet could also be a wise, if not painful, investment.

England to be eliminated in the second round @ 12/5
About the Author

David Walker runs free World Cup bets and World Cup previews websites. A free 45-page World Cup guide is available from the website and features a "free World Cup football shirt for every reader" offer.

Buy Soccer Jerseys from the 2006 World Cup Source!

World Cup 2006 Preview - Argentina

World Cup 2006 Preview - Argentina by David Walker

Outright Odds: 9/1
Group C Winners: 5/4

Following a dismal World Cup four years ago which saw first round elimination, Argentina will look to make a serious impact at this year's finals. Again, they enter as one of the favourites to win the tournament but there are still doubts as to whether they can compete with great rivals Brazil when it really matters.

Argentina were the first side to qualify from the pool of South American teams vying for a place in Germany, although a defeat to Uruguay in the final match saw them finish second on goal difference to Brazil. Argentina managed to beat Brazil 3-1 at home but lost by the same score earlier on in qualifying.

However, a single win against the Brazilians does not cover up the fact they were beaten in consecutive summers in the Copa America and were soundly thrashed 4-1 in last year's Confederations Cup. They are a side with plenty to prove if they are to emerge from the shadow of their more successful South America neighbours.

Manager Jose Pekerman, a former taxi-driver after his own playing career finished, has made plenty of changes following old boss Marcelo Bielsa's departure and has slowly introduced new faces to replace the dismal failures of 2002.

Argentina, while they do not possess a Ronaldo or Ronaldinho, have an extraordinary strength in depth to make most opposition sick with envy. In attack there is an abundance of talent with Hernan Crespo, Carlos Tevez, Luciano Figueroa, Javier Saviola and teen sensation Lionel Messi all fighting for a place.

Such is the abundance of available players in midfield, Pekerman can even afford to drop Juan Sebastian Veron without any serious ramifications. Juan Roman Riquelme, at his peak at 28 years old in Germany, looks set to take over Veron's mantle after a sensational qualifying campaign. Supported by Juan Pablo Sorin and veteran Javier Zanetti down the flanks, Argentina could be devastating in attack if they are in the mood.

However, that could be their downfall. Despite a rich selection of midfield and attacking talent, the side is still over-reliant on Riquelme who has a tendency to blow hot and cold. It can also be argued whether or not Pekerman has found an ideal starting line-up.

Pekerman has a magnificent record at developing young players and has enjoyed success with Argentina by winning World Youth Cups in 1995, 1997 and 2001. He has made progress with the senior side but can he take it one step further and win Argentina's first trophy in 12 years?

Recommended Bet:

Despite an obvious abundance of attacking talent and strength in depth, Argentina are like to fall short again when it really matters. They should improve on their last World Cup campaign and qualify from the group stage.

Holland vs Argentina draw @ 2/1
About the Author

David Walker runs a free World Cup bets website and has written extensive World Cup previews. A free 45-page World Cup guide is available from the website and features a "free World Cup football shirt for every reader" offer.

2006 World Cup sites can be hosted at Domains at Retail providing lowcost web hosting php mysql.

World Cup 2006 Preview - Holland

World Cup 2006 Preview - Holland by David Walker

Outright Odds: 12/1
Group C Winners: 13/8

New coach Marco van Basten has proven to be a revelation off the pitch as much as he was on it since taking over the Dutch national team. Plucked from an obscure youth coaching role at Ajax where he kept his head down and had low responsibilities when Dick Advocaat quit after Euro 2004, van Basten has made this new-look Dutch team his own.

Out with the old and in with the new seems to be van Basten's philosophy so while former well known favourites such as Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert have been given the chop, some of the best players the Dutch Eredivisie has to offer have come in to replace them.

Players such as AZ Alkmaar's Denny Landzaat, Feyenoord's Dirk Kuyt and Ajax's Ryan Babel may not be household names yet but have all won the backing of the manager. Ajax have a strong representation in the squad, with John Heitinga, Nigel de Jong, Hedwiges Maduro and Wesley Sneijder, all under the age of 23, vying for a place in the starting line-up.

The faith shown in locally-based players along with more recognisable faces such as evergreen trio Edwin van der Sar, Edgar Davids and Philip Cocu and the likes of Arjen Robben and Ruud van Nistelrooy has paid off.

The team are showing true team spirit and togetherness, unlike the inconsistent squads of the past and in qualifying notched up 32 points, the highest of any European side. Holland finished five points clear at the top of their group that also included bogey side Czech Republic and Romania, both of whom they beat twice. Surprisingly, the only country they didn't beat was Macedonia who they drew with twice.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was in scintillating form during qualifying with seven goals in 10 matches and now back in favour at Manchester United, could be a good investment for the top goalscorer market.

The Dutch are always one of the favourites for the tournament but never quite manage it. They have reached the final twice, the semi finals and quarter final stages but never have enough to win it outright.

The team entering this year have little World Cup experience and it would be a big ask of this team to go all the way in Germany.

BetBonus.co.uk Recommendation:
Holland offer better value to win Group C than Argentina but a lack of experience throughout the squad means they cannot be backed to win the tournament outright. Ruud van Nistelrooy could be a good each-way investment for the top goal scorer berth on his debut at the finals.

Holland to win Group C @ 13/8
E/W Ruud van Nistelrooy as top goalscorer @ 16/1
About the Author

David Walker runs a free World Cup bets website and written World Cup previews. A free 45-page World Cup guide is available from the website and features a "free World Cup football shirt" offer.

Domain Name Registration available for your World Cup 2006 website.

World Cup Preview - Poland

World Cup Preview - Poland by David Walker

Outright Odds: 125/1
Group A Winners: 4/1

Following a disastrous 2002 World Cup campaign in which coach Jerzy Engel talked up his side's prospects only for them to be beaten 2-0 by South Korea and hammered 4-0 by Portugal, Poland will be keen to recreate their former World Cup glories.

Under coach Pawel Janas, Poland made short work of their qualifying group, enjoying home and away victories against Austria, Azerbaijan, Northern Ireland and Wales. Two narrow 2-1 defeats to England prevented a clean sweep but eight wins out of 10 matches was more than enough to cement their place in the finals.

In qualifying they proved their ability to beat average teams convincingly and they will need to repeat this on the grand stage if they are to repeat their glorious campaigns of 1974 and 1982 in which they finished third. However, they also need to prove they have what it takes to beat the stronger sides as they did in 1974, when Argentina, Italy, Sweden and Yugoslavia were dispatched before beating Brazil to claim third place.

They certainly have the firepower to do so and Poland's main strength lies in attack. During qualifying they cracked in 27 goals, notably the 8-0 thrashing of Azerbaijan and scored at least once in all 10 of their qualifying matches. More importantly, they scored 10 more than group winners England managed for all their multi-million pound's worth of strikers and only three sides scored more goals than the Poles during the European qualifying campaign.

Elche striker Tomasz Frankowski, nicknamed "The Goals Hunter" and Celtic forward Maciej Zurawski fired in 14 goals between them during qualifying while Southampton's Grzegorz Rasiak is also in contention.

Poland are also a side that is not short of experience. The expected starting line-up has an average age of over 30 while Jacek Krzynowek, Jamil Kosowski and Radolsaw Kaluzny have all played in the German Bundesliga. Four years ago the team struggled to cope with the climate in Korea and Japan but will have no such issues this time when making the short trip over the border into Germany.

Their only real weakness is at the back where they have developed a habit of conceding soft goals which will not go unpunished when they face a team in clinical mood.

Recommended Bet:
Poland have received a favourable draw in which they should arguably beat both Ecuador and Costa Rica with the local "derby" fixture against Germany sandwiched in between. The dismal failure of four years ago means the Poles cannot be backed confidently to win Group A, although they are strong enough to qualify from it.

Poland to qualify from Group A @ 8/15
Poland to beat Costa Rica @ 4/5
About the Author

David Walker runs a popular free World Cup bets website. A free 45-page World Cup preview guide is available from the website and features a "free World Cup football shirt for every reader" offer.

Electronic Arts: 2006 FIFA World Cup

Electronic Arts: 2006 FIFA World Cup



Electronic Arts has their 2006 version of FIFA World Cup out for you to play along with in this coming World Cup.

Play along match by match in your Gaming version to add even more excitement to the World Cup.

Regards,

Michael Kralj

Also, take interest in the 2010 Winter olympics in Vancouver!

Adidas 2006 FIFA Official World Cup Game Ball

Adidas 2006 FIFA Official World Cup Game Ball

The official Game Ball is on sale for you soccer fans wanting to be encompassed in the spirit of the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany.

Order it now and on the off days of cheering for your team, you can go and have your mini World Cup soccer tournaments in your own City!

Regards,
Michael Kralj
Web Design provided by Emenki Web Solutions

Germany winning the 2006 World Cup?

Germany winning the 2006 World Cup?

As the World Cup in Germany approaches, many will cheer their favorite team on and begin to tell others how their team will win.

Many observers are looking at Germany, the home team, having a great chance and being a big threat in this 2006 Fifa world cup. Germany usually fairs well in past world cup tournaments, and boast an outstanding record. Being on home soil with their loyal fans should help improve their chances, and they will definately look to rise to the occasion to prove their worth.

Will they be able to rise enough to overcome all the other teams? Only time will tell, and that time is only a few short weeks away.

Regards,
Michael Kralj
Lowcost web hosting to this and all soccer sites provided by Domains at Retail

World Cup Soccer: Football that unites the world

World Cup Soccer: Football that unites the world. by Natalie Aranda

In every sporting event one can invariably find a player, a team, a nation, poised to become the next memorable story - a story that will survive the test of time and go down in history. The FIFA World Cup is unique, in that, every country can qualify. It is the only tournament that can unite the world with its common passion for the sport. It is a tournament where everyone celebrates, dances, and rejoices in the streets of their capitals, exulting in the spectacular feats of their players, their teams and their nation. But what makes the World Cup particularly extraordinary is the national pride that it inspires, especially for the first time qualifiers. Since the first tentative World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, World Cup history was not only about the winner or winning the title, but about the stories. World Cup history resonates with the back-stories that echo through time - of players, teams and nations that surprised the world by achieving the unexpected. From the poignant moments of the underdogs and the worlds Cinderella teams, to the birth of legends and the brilliance of the football giants - the World Cup brings joy to every nation. It is about the stories of players, teams and nations taking it to the highest levels; the stories about emotions and pride that unites the world.

At 2006 FIFA World Cup, we welcome the heavy favorites - from the European continent and all the way to the South American continent. For these giants, winning is everything. In their spirit is held the promise of thrilling showdowns, individual feats of brilliance and the majestic harmony in motion of a team united in its quest for the world's most coveted prize in football. Will the European contenders - Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands, France, and England have the firepower to overcome the South American power forces from Brazil and Argentina, or will the world be dancing to the samba beat again this year?

What about the other European contenders, the lesser known South American teams, or the North American and Central American zone teams? Or better yet, the Australians? Let's not overlook the African continent! Will the trophy finally make its first trip south of the Mediterranean Sea? For that matter, even the Asian continent and their desire to bring Asian football to new international acclaim should be considered.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, we hope to see these underdogs, long shots, and Cinderella teams. There is always something special about the underdogs for winning is not everything to them. Simply by qualifying to walk onto the world stage, they have realized their goals and sparked the hopes of their nation. Armed with this impossible hope, win or lose, they are there to defend their national pride, and valiantly defend it they will, sometimes to the very chagrin and amazement of disbelieving onlookers.

As football fans across all continents count down to the opening day of 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, BetUS Sportsbook has launched its 2006 World Cup betting portal for soccer betting enthusiasts around the world. What a day it shall be, June 9th 2006! What a month it shall be, until the truth will set us all free on July 9th 2006! The whole world will be looking to Germany from June to July, watching history in the making. There will be sorrow, there will be joy. There will be dreams crushed, there will be dreams made. There will be silence in the streets, there will be rejoicing and dancing in the streets. After all, this is the World Cup, the tournament of tournaments. So may the best national team win!

About the Author
Natalie Aranda writes about sports and entertainment.

The All Time Greatest Soccer Player

The All Time Greatest Soccer Player by James Hunt

The sport of soccer, known as football to most of the world, has produced some great soccer players over the past years. Perhaps the most famous of all is Pelé, who amazed the world with his incredible ability to maneuver the ball in a way it hadn't been done before. Pelé retired more than twenty five years ago but he is still a household name on the lips of soccer players and fans around the world. His story of rising from poverty in Brazil to soccer superstar is a source of inspiration for young soccer players everywhere.

Another soccer great is Pavel Nedved. Pavel is well known both in his homeland of the Czech Republic and around the world as one of the youngest soccer players of all time to make a lasting impression. Pavel played for Sparta in the 1990's and scored many goals for the team from 1992 to 1995.

The world has seen many players who have been the focus of extreme soccer skills, but none so well known as Zinedine Zidane. Zidane was born in Algeria in 1972 and after struggling in school for several years he decided that soccer was his main interest. He was spotted at the age of sixteen by a soccer scout and very quickly found himself in Cannes. Shortly after that Zidane was playing for the French Division, scoring goal after goal and becoming the star of the team.

Today one of the most popular soccer players is David Beckham, who is the star of Great Britain when it comes to the game. At sixteen Beckham was playing for Manchester United team and was already attracting the attention of soccer scouts around the world. Beckham's incredible talent found him on England's World Cup Team in 1997. His handsome looks and boyish attitude make him one of Britain's favorite celebrities.

The world of soccer continues to give us up and coming stars, but none can ever rival the status that the above players have earned.

About the Author
James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest.
Find out more at www.best-in-soccer.com.com

Also, you may be interested in learning about the 2010 Winter Olympics.