World Cup Betting
World Cup Top Goalscorer Daily Preview
This World Cup has been something of a bonfire of reputations. Looking at the pre-tournament top goalscorer betting, it’s staggering how many of the favourites have had a tournament to forget. Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Milito, Didier Drogba, Kaka; the list goes on.
However, the man who headed the betting market before the tournament began also heads it as we head into match 64 of the tournament.
David Villa was an 8/1 chance to sop score in South Africa before a ball was kicked. The Valencia striker (as he was then) had won the Golden Shoe at the 2008 European Championships with four goals, and with his country the ante-post favourites to lift the World Cup, he was the obvious choice to top score. It has been a great summer for the 28 year old as since then, he has netted five goals and secured a big money move to Barcelona.
David Villa has been "in form" for years
Every time I have heard a commentator describe Villa as a man ‘in great form’, I have wanted to punch my television. This is not a man in form – this is the David Villa that has been banging in goals for Valencia and Spain for years. Statistics (based on goal importance and the tournament they were scored in) showed that Villa was the most prolific goalscorer in the world between 2005–2009, seeing the back of the net over 156 times.
The IFFHS listed him 4th in the World’s Top Goal Scorer 2009 rankings while in 2010, he came first in their 2010’s World Top Goalscorer at International Level rankings. He has scored an astonishing 43 goals in 64 appearances from Spain and is just one goal away from equalling Raul’s all-time Spanish goalscoring record.
Villa has five goals in South Africa and is now just 4/5 to lift the award. A solitary goal in Sunday’s final should be enough.
Whilst Villa has enhanced his reputation further in South Africa, his strike partner Fernando Torres has had a tournament to forget. The 26 year old striker has yet to find the net and has been substituted early and dropped on more than one occasion. Quite what’s prompted the Liverpool striker’s loss of form is unclear, although it doesn’t look likely to deter Chelsea from making a big money move for the Liverpool striker this summer.
As the tournament drew closer, Netherlands striker Robin van Persie was the subject of one of the biggest gambles. Backed in to just 11/1 (from 25/1) to win the Golden Shoe, the Arsenal frontman looked in imperious form in pre-tournament friendly wins. However, despite the Netherlands’ run to the final, van Persie has yet to really spark into life, scoring just one goal. He is 200/1 to top score in the tournament, and with four goals in the final needed, that is one heck of a tall order.
The Oranje’s goals have come from an unlikely source and their tournament top scorer is midfield creator Wesley Sneijder. The Inter player has five goals, although quite how he was awarded the Netherlands’ first goal against Brazil, no-one is quite sure. Sneijder is the 11/4 second favourite to lift the Golden Shoe and become the first Dutchman to ever win that award. For anyone who backed the 26 year old each-way at 66/1 before the tournament began, a tidy payout looks to be on its way.
It promises to be an intriguing final and, whatever the outcome, we get a new name on the trophy when the final whistle blows. I actually fancy the Netherlands to cause something of an upset and to make it third time lucky in the biggest match of them all. Back Robin van Persie to finally come up with something special and win the Cup for the Dutch.
