12bet euro predictions 2012

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EURO 2012 MATCH 1 - GROUP A

As a co-host of EURO 2012, Poland is an automatic qualifier and is set to begin its campaign on June 9, 2012 in Warsaw, facing Greece as its first opponent.

EURO 2012 MATCH 3 - GROUP B

Netherlands and Denmark are facing each other again for the 31st time, this time at the EURO 2012 this June 10, 2012.

EURO 2012 MATCH 5 - GROUP C

EURO 2012’s Group C teams will start their respective campaigns on June 11, 2012 with the national teams of Spain and Italy on the front line.

EURO 2012 MATCH 7 - GROUP D

Group D of EURO 2012 is set to begin its opening round on June 12, 2012 with a much-awaited clash between France and England.

Tuesday

Asian football shenanigans

SINGAPORE: The small man in the baseball cap looks like any other customer as he watches Euro 2012 in the busy coffee shop. It’s not until he turns and offers a wager that his real intention is revealed.
He is a “runner” for an illegal bookmaker, one of hundreds in Singapore, a foot-soldier in a loose criminal network which rakes in millions of dollars a day across Asia – and is at the root of a global epidemic of match-fixing.
“We just sit there and pretend like we’re watching the match. But actually we’re taking bets,” the runner, who does not want to be identified, tells AFP at a quiet, undisclosed location.
For him, big football events like Euro 2012 are lucrative enough to risk Singapore’s strict penalties of jail and the dreaded cane, which flays flesh from the buttocks, and leaves prisoners unable to sit down.
He says there are hundreds of illegal betting operations across Singapore, each employing several runners who persuade punters to place bets and then pay out winnings and chase up debts.
“Many (illegal bookmakers) fly by the night. So they open for a week, after that they close, take a break and then come back again,” he says. “Because it’s really illegal here – you get caught, it’s caning and jail.”
These are the small-time hustlers. But from them, the money trail does not travel far before it is funding match-fixing in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America and Europe – including Italy’s “Calcioscommesse” scandal – which has all been linked to Singapore.
When Singapore’s Wilson Raj Perumal, a virtuoso fixer whose schemes extended to organising, and then rigging, international friendlies, was arrested last year in Finland, it exposed a web which is still being untangled.
On the eve of Euro 2012, Lazio captain Stefano Mauri was arrested and defender Domenico Criscito was axed from Italy’s squad over “Calcioscommesse” (football betting), which has been tied to Perumal’s alleged boss in Singapore. Former Italy striker Giuseppe Signori was among those arrested last year. More arrests have been made in Hungary, where Perumal is now being held after his jail term for match-fixing in Finland.
Last year Chris Eaton, then FIFA’s head of security, said Perumal had graduated from an “academy” of match-fixing in Singapore where criminals closely linked to the illegal bookmakers learn their trade locally before spreading further afield.
“Wilson Raj Perumal is not alone. There are others like him (in Singapore). Singapore seems to feature a great deal in these (match-fixing) allegations,” the former Interpol officer told Singapore’s New Paper.
Fuelled by a boom in online gambling, which means customers anywhere can bet on obscure games all over the world, football match-fixing has now been uncovered in dozens of countries.
For bookmakers, it’s clear when a match is fixed, because of its unusual odds. These games are usually in smaller leagues, where low-paid players and referees are susceptible to bribes.
“The most important thing is to buy the referee. Once you get the referee on your side, you can instruct him what to do, for example with penalties and free-kicks,” the Singaporean runner explains.
Match-fixing in Italy is at the top of the illegal betting tree. At its base are Singapore’s runners, who work in groups of two or three, report by phone to a shadowy bookmaker they never meet.
Every week, after collecting their debts, runners destroy their papers, books and all other evidence, get a new temporary mobile phone number, and start afresh.
“I don’t know who my boss is. I only know his voice, that’s it. The numbers change every day,” says AFP’s source.
Each bookmaker employs five or six runners and reports to a “ringleader”, who controls several bookies and their winnings, and has connections to big-time organised crime across Southeast Asia and China.
In one well-known cafe in the city’s west, up to six groups of runners can be working at any one time, taking S$12,000-S$13,000 (US$9,400-US$10,200) per head, for a personal cut of S$2,000-S$3,000 a day.
But this face-to-face operation is nothing compared to the business done by phone and the Internet, favoured by a younger, more technologically adept clientele, which is thriving in clandestine call-centres across Asia.
In Singapore these betting sweatshops, featuring computers and people taking calls, are small and temporary, employing only about four people at a time – to make it “easy to run”. Elsewhere, the operations are more brazen.
Across the border in Malaysia, police in April raided a group of five luxury bungalows guarded by closed-circuit security cameras and arrested more than 100 people. Just days into Euro 2012, three smaller operations were busted.
Scott Ferguson, author of the “Sport is made for betting” blog and former head of education at Betfair, says stories abound of betting kingpins in Indonesia who occupy entire fortified islands complete with girls to entertain guests and accessible only by private boat.
With their mobility and flexibility the betting networks are hard to contain and, without extensive cross-border cooperation and witness protection schemes, they’re almost impossible to stamp out, Ferguson says.
“It’s like drugs. They might have taken a couple of kingpins, but I don’t think it’s going to be a huge deterrent,” he says, referring to the demise of Perumal and his associates.
Singapore has stiff penalties for illegal bookmaking and has introduced its own state-run football betting. “But the odds are terrible,” says the runner, who laughs when asked if authorities are getting a grip on the problem.
He can bear the thought of the cane and prison, and the weekly risk of being punched by a reluctant debtor. Of greater concern is getting on the wrong side of the betting underworld.
“If they find out I’m a snitch, I’m putting my family at risk. You won’t see killings or anything, but it’s more like threats,” he says.
“If you’re living in a house and every day you’re being threatened by phone, they’re calling you and saying your son, your whole family’s going to die, it’s psychologically scary.”
And although he is happy to talk, even boastful about his activities, any discussion of Perumal’s alleged Singapore boss is strictly off-limits.
“We can’t talk much about that. Because we know one way or another, there’s definitely a link,” he says. — AFP

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Friday

Germany vs. Greece

GDANSK, Poland -- Germany's most prominent fan will be in the stands for the quarterfinal against Greece at the European Championship.

Chancellor Angela Merkel, however, wins no popularity contests among the Greek contingent. So the political dimension of Friday's game only heightens what is already an intriguing match in strictly soccer terms.
Germany is a three-time champion. Greece is the surprise winner of the 2004, and the Greeks are still standing again, with an unexpected place in the knockout stages.

It was always our main aim to reach the quarterfinals. So now we have nothing to lose," said defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos, one of the many Greece players with Bundesliga experience. "We are playing against one of the best teams here. All I can say is that we'll fight. If we get the win, that would be a huge result."
Greece has plenty of reason to be thankful to Germany - the 2004 championship team was coached by a German, Otto Rehhagel.
German and Greek officials are trying to play down the politics. Germany, Europe's biggest economy, has been a major contributor to international bailouts for Greece and was instrumental in demanding structural reforms and hugely unpopular spending cuts in return. Greek fans are unlikely to take kindly to Merkel's presence at Gdansk Arena.
"We are playing for our shirt, our flag and for the people back home," midfielder Costas Katsouranis said.
Added Greek forward Dimitris Salpigidis: "I don't think anyone on the team believes this will be our last game at this tournament. People have so many problems in their everyday lives. We're really hoping that we can put a smile on their face."
Gdansk also was also the scene of the first battle of World War II, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. A German soccer federation delegation laid a wreath Wednesday at a memorial for Poles at the Westerplatte peninsula on the outskirts of the Baltic city.
Germany has two Poland-born players in its squad, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, and Polish fans could throw their support behind the Germans. By winning its group, Germany got to stay in Gdansk and was spared having to travel.
Merkel attended Germany's 4-0 rout of Argentina at the 2010 World Cup and saw Germany beat Turkey in Berlin in the most important Euro 2012 qualifier for her team. She has visited the German locker room and briefly spent time with the team in Gdansk before the tournament.
"She seems to bring us luck," midfielder Sami Khedira said.
Germany is the only team to have won all three group games and goes into the quarterfinal as the overwhelming favorite. But the Germans understand the ability of the Greeks.
"They are a very good team, underestimated by many. They create few chances but score from them. Technically, they are strong and play well one-on-one," Khedira said.
"It will be tough to crack their defense, but we have the means. We have to be patient, but we also have to be constantly on the move. They will try to disrupt our game and beat us, but they will not succeed."
Added midfielder Thomas Mueller: "We know what we have to do, but it's not going to be a piece of cake."
Greece will be missing playmaker and captain Giorgos Karagounis because of suspension.
There is speculation Germany coach Joachim Loew will return Klose to the starting lineup, although Mario Gomez scored three goals that won matches against Portugal and the Netherlands. Klose, a 34-year-old striker, scored the last time these teams played each other, a World Cup qualifier in 2001.
Six Greece players have either played or still play in the Bundesliga. Greece has five defeats and three draws in the eight games it has played Germany or the former West Germany.
"We are not too bothered about statistics. ... That doesn't really matter," Salpigidis said.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/06/21/2151638/politics-meets-soccer-in-germany.html#storylink=cpy
souce: newsobserver.com/2012/06/21/2151638/politics-meets-soccer-in-germany.html

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Wednesday

Guangzhou Evergrande claims it has reached an agreement with South Korea international Lee Jung-Soo


The ambitious Chinese champions continue to build ahead of their AFC Champions League quarter-final with Al Ittihad, with reports they'll sign the 2011 winner

Ambitious Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande have claimed they have reached an agreement for Al Sadd's South Korea international Lee Jung-Soo.

The 31-year-old central defender, who helped Al Sadd win the 2011 Asian Champions League, recently declined a contract renewal from Al Sadd.

Shandong Luneng had previously been linked with Lee, however Guangzhou appear to have moved in with president Liu Yongzhuo not denying an agreement had been reached.

"An agent recommended Lee Jung-Soo to us, but it depends on the number of foreign players," he said according to Jinghua Times.

Guangzhou, who are coached by former World Cup winning boss Marcello Lippi, are understood to have made a move for his services ahead of their 2012 Asian Champions League quarterfinal, with current Asian player Cho Won-Hee injured.

Under competition regulations, teams can only have four foreigners per squad, one of whom must be from the Asian Football Confederation.


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Tuesday

UEFA 2012 | Ukraine vs. England

 This match is going to be intense, and neither of these teams are averse to physical play. That's terribly convenient, considering that the referee for the match isn't averse to yellow cards. Viktor Kassai of Hungary previously officiated the match between Italy and Spain in this tournament, during which he handed out seven bookings. In the Euro 2012 playoff match between Estonia and Ireland, which the Irish won 4-0, he handed out six bookings, including two red cards. Milner, Young, Tymoshchuk and Yevhen Selin are facing a suspension if they pick up a yellow.

Glen Johnson says former team-mate Shevchenko is still one of the best around. “He didn’t have the best part of his career when he was at Chelsea, but you don’t lose your quality overnight," says England defender. Right-back Johnson played with Shevchenko at Stamford Bridge, where the striker scored just nine goals after signing from AC Milan for £30.8million.

Shevchenko left Chelsea after three unhappy years, but has rediscovered some of his old form at Dynamo Kiev and scored twice in Ukraine’s Group D opening victory over Sweden.

England face Ukraine in their final Group D game in Donetsk on Tuesday needing to avoid defeat to qualify for the quarter-finals, with the co-hosts chasing a win to be sure of staying in the tournament after defeat to France.

“Sheva’s a fantastic guy,” said right-back Johnson, who quit Chelsea in 2007 and is now at Liverpool. “He didn’t have the best part of his career when he was at Chelsea, but you don’t lose your quality overnight. He’s still one of the best strikers around. I rate him very highly.

“He was very genuine, although I don’t think he was too confident with his English – but he tried to join in with everything.

“Every player at the European Championship wants to be at his highest level, so I am sure he’ll be up for it against us.“Everyone has ups and downs during their career, but, arguably, Sheva’s one of the best strikers around.

Teams’ Information:
England Squad Possible Lineups
Goalkeepers: Butland, Green, Heart
Strikers: Carroll, Defoe, Rooney, Welbeck
Midfield: Downing, Gerrard, Lampard, Oxlade,-Chamberlain, Milner, Parker, Walcott, Yound
Defense: Baines, Cahill, Cole, Jagielka, Johnson, Jones, Lescott, Terry
Coach: Roy Hodgson

Ukraine Squad Possible Lineups
Goalkeepers: Goryainov, Koval, Pyatov
Strikers: Devic, Milevskiy, Seleznyov, Voronin, Shevchenko
Midfield: Aliyev, Garmash, Gusev, Konoplanka, Nazarenko, Rotan, Tymoschchuk, Yamolenko
Defense: Butko, Khacheridi, Kucher, Mikhalik, Rakitskiy, Delin, Shevchuk
Coach: Oleh Blokhin

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Monday

UEFA EURO 2012 Matches | SPAIN VS CROATIA




UEFA EURO 2012 Matches | SPAIN VS CROATIA Time: 2:45 AM GMT +8:00. UEFA has given German referee Wolfgang Stark his second top assignment at the European Championship, working the Spain vs. Croatia match on Tuesday. Some Italian commentators have suggested Spain and Croatia could orchestrate a 2-2 draw in Gdansk to ensure both advance to the quarterfinals and eliminate Italy.

Stark previously won praise for refereeing the tense 1-1 draw between co-host Poland and Russia.
UEFA has picked Cuneyt Cakir of Turkey to referee Italy's match against Ireland in Poznan on Monday.
Viktor Kassai of Hungary will referee England vs. Ukraine in Donetsk on Tuesday when the final group-stage matches are played.
Pedro Proenca of Portugal will handle France vs. Sweden in Kiev.

POSSIBLE LINEUPS

CROTIA
SPAIN
Pletikosa
Casillas
Srna, Corluka, Schildenfeld, Strinic
Arbeloa, Ramos, Pique, Alba
Vukojevic, Rakitic
Busquets, Alonso
Mandzukic, Modric, Perisic
Silva, Xavi, Iniesta
Jelavic
Torres

FACTS ABOUT THE TEAMS:
  • Croatia and Del Bosque's side can both guarantee their place in the quarter-finals with a draw of 2-2 or higher.
  • Bilic's have never faced Spain in a competitive match. All four of the meetings between the two sides have been friendlies, with their only victory coming via a 2-0 triumph back in 1994. Croatia's overall record against Spain is W1, D1, L2.
  • Striker Mario Mandzukic has been clinical at Euro 2012, scoring three times from four attempts on goal.
  • Croatia have not lost any of their last six matches at the European Championship, being ousted only via a penalty shootout by Turkey in 2008.
  • Spain set a new record with 860 passes at the tournament during their 4-0 win over Ireland, beating the previous landmark of 778.
  • Xavi (pictured right) set a new individual record himself in the competition by attempting 136 passes against the Boys in Green, beating Ronald Koeman's total of 117 from a Euro 1992 clash versus Denmark.
  • The champions have only conceded one goal in their last six matches at major international tournaments.
  • Fernando Torres' double in the victory over Ireland took him to 30 international goals, making him the country's third all-time top scorer behind only Raul and David Villa.
SPORTS STATISTICS INFORMATION CENTRE

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Friday

UEFA 2012 | UKRAINE AIMS TO IMPRESS HOME CROWD VERSUS FRANCE




UKRAINE
Tournament Statistics (as of June 15, 2012)
FRANCE
2
Goals Scored
1
5
Attempts On Target
15
8
Attempts Off Target
4
3
Corners
11
12
Fouls Committed
9
0
Yellow Cards
0
0
Red Cards
0
PREDICTED STARTING LINEUPS
Ukraine (3-5-2)
Pyatov; Selin, Khacheridi, Mykhalyk; Tymoschuk, Gusev, Yarmolenko, Nazarenko, Konoplyanka; Shevchenko, Voronin
France (4-2-3-1)
Lloris; Evra, Méxes, Rami, Debuchy; Diarra, M’Vila; Ribéry, Nasri, Valbuena; Benzema

Date: June 16, 2012
Time: 12:00 AM (GMT +8:00)

DONETSK: Group D is expected to undergo a tremendous turn of events as France returns to Donbass to face host Ukraine on home advantage. France is stuck in a 1-1 draw versus England, a record that calls for better winning resolve from Les Bleus. Ukraine, on the other hand, currently tops Group D after they trounced Sweden before an energetic home crowd at 2-1.

Ukraine must repeat their feat against Sweden in order to get past through France – an international favorite to win Group D. If not, their chances of winning the group stage can be ruined, especially when they face England in their final group match.

Previous Matches

France and Ukraine met for 6 times. Ukraine never won against Les Bleus, with a lackluster record of 3 losses and 3 draws.

The teams recently met at a friendly in Donetsk last 2011. France shattered Ukraine at 4-1, with 2 goals coming from midfielder Marvin Martin.

Throughout those 6 meetings, France evidently grew stronger, particularly in terms of offense. In contrast, Ukraine has yet to be consistent in their winning form, particularly in improving their shaky defense.

Pre-Match Developments

Significant changes are not likely for both teams. No players from both sides are injured. France’s starting lineup might change a little if Laurent Blanc decides to put midfielder Yann M’Vila in place of Yohan Cabaye.

Oleh Blokhin will likely retain Ukraine’s current starting squad, given their impressive performance last Tuesday.

Ukraine-France Predictions


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A crucial factor in this match is the frail defense of both teams. The absence of injured defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy in Ukraine’s lineup can further cripple their efforts to defend the goal. France’s defense must learn not to rely too much on their team’s attacking power. Otherwise, they might be damaged by Ukraine’s desire to score before their home crowd. Ukraine’s legendary striker Andriy Shevchenko is one player Les Bleus have to watch out.

A repeat of France’s 2011 friendly victory against Ukraine is highly possible in this game. Their offensive stride powered by Karim Benzema, Franck Ribéry, Mathieu Valbuena and Samir Nasri (who scored France’s goal during its match versus England) can make Ukraine’s weak defense useless. The international pedigree of French players reflects more experience. That gives Les Bleus an obvious victory in their second Group D fixture, despite playing against Ukraine in their home field.


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A Stronger Sweden Prepares Versus England+-




SWEDEN
Tournament Statistics (as of June 15, 2012)
ENGLAND
1
Goals Scored
1
6
Attempts On Target
1
6
Attempts Off Target
2
2
Corners
4
20
Fouls Committed
7
2
Yellow Cards
2
0
Red Cards
0
PREDICTED STARTING LINEUPS
Sweden (4-4-2)
Isaksson; Lustig, Mellberg, Granqvist, M. Olsson; Elm, Kallstrom, Larsson, Wilhelmson; Rosenberg, Ibrahimovic
England (4-4-2)
Hart; Johnson, Terry, Lescott, Cole; Parker, Gerrard, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott; Young, Welbeck
Date: June 16, 2012
Time: 2:45 AM (GMT +8:00)       

KIEV: Sweden will attempt to climb out of the bottom of Group D when it faces England this Saturday. After a disturbing loss to Ukraine at 2-1, Sweden has to win against England in order to avoid elimination. Sweden has to work on beating England’s durable defense, which can be a difficult task for them. If the Swedes fail to do so, they will have a tough time reaching even the runner-up spot, especially with France awaiting them in their final group match.

England has to learn lessons from their 1-1 draw versus France. That match has shown their lack of impressive attacks to take advantage of the weak French defense. In this match, England must be more offensive in their approach for them to excel better when they advance to the tournament.

Previous Matches

Surprisingly, Sweden never lost a competitive match against England, recording 2 wins and 5 draws. The last competitive match of both teams was during the 2006 World Cup, ending at a 2-2 draw.

The latest meeting of both teams was during a 2011 friendly match in London. The English team playing home defeated the Swedes, resulting to a 1-0 win.

Pre-Match Developments

Both England and Sweden do not have any injured players.  Team performance will be the basis of any changes in both teams’ lineups.

Following Sweden’s failure against Ukraine, manager Erik Hamren called his team “cowards”, citing Sweden’s insufficient efforts to win. He is likely to change Sweden’s form from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2. Midfielder Christian Wilhelmson is a possible addition to the starting lineup.

Young midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can be retained on England’s starting lineup after manager Roy Hodgson praised his ability to get past through opponents swiftly during their previous game versus France.

Sweden-England Predictions
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The ageing Swedes can encounter challenges from a rather youthful English team. Despite of that, Sweden seeks to improve with the addition of midfielder Christian Wilhelmson on the right wing and the retention of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (who scored for Sweden versus Ukraine). More men manning the Swedish midfield means stronger protection, which can upset England in their attacking attempts.

Regardless of that, an English victory is more favorable in this match. Their solid defense has enabled them to withstand France’s persistent and dangerous attacks. Now, they must focus more on showing their offensive side. In the absence of star striker Wayne Rooney, England’s focus is to destroy Sweden’s defense through Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ashley Young and Danny Welbeck. Legendary Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard’s superior performance last Tuesday is expected to become stronger this time.


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