World Cup Betting
Since taking over as England manager in 2008, Fabio Capello has selected fifty five players in his various World Cup squads. From Gabriel Agbonlahor to Luke Young the Italian has had a chance to examine the credentials of over four dozen potential internationals, and with the World Cup just six months away Capello’s job is to now whittle that list down to the twenty-two he will take to South Africa in June.
According to the markets, there are nine players who can start booking their tickets already. Captain John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney are all 1/100 to travel with Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole at 1/50. Glen Johnson appears to have won the race to be England’s right full back and is 1/25 to be included in the twenty-two. Gareth Barry is a favourite of Capello’s and can be backed at 1/20 and Jermain Defoe and Rio Ferdinand are 1/16 and 1/12 respectively.
After these nine shoe-ins, it is easy to make a strong case for the remaining core of Capello’s recent squads. Robert Green has yet to make the number One jersey his own, but with doubts over the fitness of David James and the form of Ben Foster the West Ham keeper looks safe at 1/6.
David Beckham is almost certain to make the trip and bid to score in a fourth consecutive World Cup finals and the former captain is 4/11. Matthew Upson is 2/5 and I fancy the West Ham defender to make the squad, and the starting line-up if there are question marks over Rio Ferdinand. Aaron Lennon brings much needed pace to the right side of midfield and is also available at 2/5 to make the World Cup squad.
So, with fourteen places taken, where might the other eight come from?
Henry Winter once likened taking three goalkeepers to a World Cup to taking an extra large packet of condoms on holiday. I doubt Capello will break with tradition, however, and the favourites to vie with Robert Green for the number One jersey will be Ben Foster at 1/3 and David James at 1/4. The one hopeful who might get the nod is Birmingham’s Joe Hart, a 6/4 chance to make the squad.
In defence, the versatility of both Wes Brown and Joleon Lescott is likely to be crucial, and with Brown likely to play a lot of games for Manchester United this season his 10/11 odds look very appealing. Lescott is 2/5 to be selected, and his previous experience at left-back might mean disappointment for Manchester City team mate Wayne Bridge.
Midfield is more difficult, with Michael Carrick the bookie’s favourite at 1/5 to be selected. I wonder whether Barry, Beckham and Carrick would all bring something too similar to the squad to be included, however, and whether Capello is more likely to pick the attacking flair of James Milner (available at 8/13) or Theo Walcott (a 4/9 chance).
I also think there is a spot in the squad for the retuning Joe Cole who, at 8/13 to make the World Cup squad can bring that little bit of magic to an England midfield that looked one-dimensional against Brazil recently.
Up front it looks like a straight battle between Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey for the ‘big man’ berth. Neither has been featuring regularly for their club sides and although Crouch’s England goalscoring record is superb, I fancy Heskey’s additional strength and power might get the Villa frontman the nod at 1/2.
Whilst his inclusion looks as far away as it has done for a year, and it would be harsh on the likes of Crouch, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Darren Bent, I’d like Fabio Capello to use the not insignificant experience of Michael Owen in South Africa. Owen, lest we forget, is just twenty nine years old and whilst he may not play all ninety minutes of a match, he has shown with Manchester United that he can make an impact as a late substitute, and he is also a cool head during a penalty competition.
With three World Cups behind him, Owen has vital qualities he can bring to the England squad and at 10/3 I’d be picking the diminutive striker as my outside bet.
Remember, however, that these odds are to be named in the squad when England play their first match in South Africa. Whilst some of these prices might look like a nailed-on win, there is still plenty of time for the dreaded broken metatarsal to put paid to some of these player’s World Cup hopes….
England World Cup Squad 2010 (odds are to be named in England squad at the time of the first match at World Cup 2010)
GK: James (1/4), Foster (1/3), Green (1/6)
D: Brown (10/11), Johnson (1/25), Ferdinand (1/12), Terry (1/100), Cole (1/50), Lescott (2/5), Upson (2/5)
M: Barry (1/20), Gerrard (1/100), Lampard (1/50), Lennon (2/5), Beckham (4/11), Milner (8/13), Walcott (4/9), Cole (8/13)
S: Rooney (1/100), Defoe (1/16), Heskey (1/2), Owen (10/3)
Football Betting - World Cup Betting
