Choice World Cup 2006 Bets

Putting the actual football to the side for the moment, here are some of the best World Cup bets we've found now that the Groups have been decided.

Germany to lose at semi-finals : 7-1 with VipSports. Click To Visit VipSports

A South American team to win the World Cup: 8-5 also with VipSports. Click to visit VipSports

Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine) to be Top Goalscorer: 20-1 with Bet365 (each way). Visit Bet365

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USA Taking It Seriously

It's pleasing to see the USA taking their soccer seriously. They currently have a training camp in session until Jan 30th for their MLS based senior players and have also finally called teenage whizzkid Freddy Adu to the squad.

Adu, for those not in the know, is a player of comparable potential to Wayne Rooney. He's by far the best player in the MLS and - should he play in the World Cup in Germany - will be an absolute star.

With the likes of McBride at Fulham and Convey at Reading both having great seasons, the USA are shaping up to be a potent force in the World Cup Finals this summer. And, unlike England, they are going to be playing proper friendlies against proper teams - Germany, for example.

Bet on USA in the World Cup at VipSports

England's Friendlies Announced....I Weep With Laughter

OK, so England are due to play the following teams in the lead up to the 2006 World Cup : Uruguay and Jamaica.

According to Sven,

"Jamaica will have a similar style to Trinidad and Tobago....They have a lot of players playing in this country, like Ricardo Gardner at Bolton and Jason Euell at Charlton."

"Uruguay are a very well-organised team, are very difficult to play against and came very close to qualifying for Germany. ..They will be tough and a similar challenge to our group opponents Paraguay."

Um...just because 'Uruguay' and 'Paraguay' end with '...guay' doesn't actually mean they play the same style of football. Similarly, because Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago are both Caribbean islands it doesn't follow that they play in the same way.

By Sven's logic, a team in the same group as France should consider playing Germany in a friendly as the countries are next door to each other. Or maybe a team in the same group as England should be play Holland in a friendly as both England and Holland end with '...land'.

A cynic would suggest that Jamaica and Uruguay have been chosen because England know they will beat them and that will make everyone feel lovely and wonderful about themselves before the real football starts in Germany later this year. I am a cynic.