Good bet Spains domination of mens football continues

Spain represents the value betting option in the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s football competition that kicks off on Thursday 26 July with eight matches across Great Britain.

The tournament market is dominated by Brazil, which is 6-4 pretty much across the board to win Olympic men`s football gold for the first time. The Brazilians have taken part in 11 Olympic Games men`s football competitions, picking up just two silver medals and two bronze medals. To say that the country yearns for football gold would be a massive understatement. It has become a national obsession.

Brazil coach Mano Menezes has picked a strong squad, with his roster`s three over-age players being central defender Thiago Silva, left back Marcelo and Hulk, the forward with quite possibly the best name in international football.

Unquestionably the Brazilians have the skills to go all the way. But do they have the temperament to handle the weight of expectation? They are sufficiently short in the betting at 6-4 to swerve given the pressure that they are under.

Another team that is trading below its true price is Team GB. Of the numerous Team GB betting options available in the London 2012 Olympic Games, none represents worse value than backing the host nation`s men`s football team to win gold.

At 12-1, Team GB is the general fourth favourite behind Brazil, Spain and Uruguay despite being comprehensively outplayed in its pre-London 2012 Olympic Games friendly match versus the Brazilians in Middlesbrough last week.

Brazil won 2-0, with Team GB, whose starting side featured Craig Bellamy, Ryan Giggs and Micah Richards, managing just one shot on target. The Brazilians racked up a dozen.

Team GB has no pedigree in Under 23s football and team boss Stuart Pearce, his hands already tied behind his back by the English Football Association`s decision to now allow any of its Euro 2012 outfield squad members to take part in the London 2012 Olympic Games, made major errors by selecting Bellamy, Giggs and Richards as its three over-age players.

Bereft of stars, Team GB may not even get out of the group phase and into the quarter-finals. Avoid the team like the plague and look to oppose it in its three Group A games versus Senegal, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.

Now back to the Spaniards, who are only as high as 13-5 to win the London 2012 Olympic Games men`s football gold medal because bookmakers have gone overboard about the chances of the Brazilians and the English-heavy team of Britons.

Spain`s squad contains three members of its triumphant Euro 2012 set-up - Jordi Alba, Javi Martinez and Juan Mata - and the country`s pedigree in youth football is superb. The Spaniards won last year`s UEFA Under-21 Championship in Denmark. Also, they have taken out the last two editions of the UEFA Under-19 Championship, winning in Romania in 2011 and defending the title successfully in Estonia in 2012.

The draw could have been kinder to Spain - it is seeded to face the third favourite, Uruguay, in the semi-finals - but the Spaniards and the Brazilians do look head and shoulders above their London 2012 Olympic Games men`s football rivals and, if they cross paths in the final, the early 13-5 about Spain will look much better than the early 6-4 about Brazil.

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27/07/2012     © Frixo 2024