Spain face Swiss challenge in Euro U21's Final - Betting News with Betfred

versus

Spain have looked virtually unbeatable at times in the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championships, but came within a whisker of elimination in Wednesday's semi-final against Belarus.

Having rescued victory from the jaws of defeat, their last gasp comeback against Belarus has taken them to within 90 minutes of another Under-21 title, but they face an impressive Switzerland team on Saturday evening, playing in their first final, having been semi-finalists in 2002.

The Spanish, European Under-21 champions in 1986 and 1998 have been praised from all sides for their football so far – which is reminiscent of their senior team's brand of play that took them to World Cup glory last summer.

Spain are odds of 4/6 to win in 90 minutes but might not have everything their own way against Switzerland though. The Swiss have emerged victorious from all four matches in Jutland and, perhaps more impressively, the Group A victors have yet to concede a goal.

The football experts believe Spain will lift the trophy, and in Adrián López of Deportivo de La Coruña, Spain have a striker in a rich vein of form, and with five tournament goals to his name already, he will seriously test the so far watertight Swiss defence!

Spain needed an 89th-minute equaliser from Adrián against Belarus to take the match into extra-time, before the same player headed them in front and Barcelona striker Jeffren Suárez clinched the win, as they failed to hit the same heights showed earlier in the tournament.

In the other semi-final the Swiss too needed extra-time to clinch a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic, thanks to a winner from FC Zürich forward Admir Mehmedi.

There is no doubt the two best sides in the tournament have made it into the final of the European under-21 Championships and it promises to be a great meeting between two in-form sides.

Spain have been most people's favourites to win the tournament ever since a ball was kicked, but they showed against England and Belarus they can struggle to break down organised defences, and they looked a little tired in their semi-final.

They will not have everything their own way in the final against a strong Switzerland side that are big outsiders and football odds of 9/2 for a Swiss win in normal time reflect this.

Swiss fans and punters looking for inspiration and a possible upset on Saturday need only to cast their minds back 12 months ago when the senior Swiss side caused a major shock at the World Cup, beating Spain in their opening game group game.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Spain should be too strong for Switzerland but there will not be many goals in the game, with a 1-0 win to the Spaniards looking good at 5/1 with Betfred.
For those of you who feel this final could go beyond the 90 minutes, you can get 5/1 also on the game to be both a draw at half-time and at full-time.

Saturday 25th June: Spain U21's v Switzerland U21's, Aarhus Stadium, Aarhus, kick-off 19.45 BST, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

England's Young Lions Fire Blanks!

The 2011

UEFA Euro

Under-21

Championships

Group B

15/06/2011

Ukraine 0

England 0

A late Danny Welbeck strike last Sunday, earned England a creditable 1-1 draw in their opening UEFA European Under-21 Championship group game, against a strong Spanish outfit.

But England's young lions failed to capitalise on Sunday's performance, as they fluffed their lines and suffered stage fright in Herning tonight at the hands of the Ukraine, and were held to a goalless draw against a team considered the weakest in the 'group of death.'

England lacked imagination throughout a docile encounter, with too many long balls lumped forward towards an isolated Danny Welbeck, who admirably tried to create something out of virtually nothing.

It was Ukraine and their forward Denys Garmash, who had the game's first real attempt. He struck from 20 yards after a strong run, but a deflection took the ball off target. Ukraine's next chance of the match fell to Konoplyanka, whose 25-yard drive was pushed away by keeper Frank Fielding, but only into the path of Maxym Biliy who was denied a shot on goal by a brilliant challenge from Chelsea left-back Ryan Bertrand.

Shakhtar Donetsk defender Yaroslav Rakitskiy was the next to go close for Ukraine, drilling a 25-yard free-kick narrowly wide.

Daniel Sturridge (right) was the pick of the young England players, and came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 32nd minute.
Bringing down a high ball 30 yards out, the Chelsea striker sent a vicious dipping volley over the head of Kanibolotskiy, but with the keeper well beaten, the ball crashed off the cross-bar and bounced away to safety.
England finished the first half on top but went into the break goalless.

After the break Sturridge drilled a fierce free-kick too close to Kanibolotskiy.
Welbeck then wasted the best chance of the second-half courtesy of another moment of magic from Sturridge. His incredible volleyed pass sending Welbeck clean through only for the Manchester United striker to slice his chance horribly wide.

On the hour mark the ineffective Jack Rodwell and Danny Rose were substituted, to be replaced by Henri Lansbury and Scott Sinclair, and the pair made an instant impact, Lansbury pouncing on a loose ball and feeding Sinclair, who's control let him down.

Sturridge then had a shot blocked as England, like on Sunday, committed more men forward late on, but the Ukraine knew a draw was even more damaging for them than for their opponents.

England failed to build on their small amount of pressure, instead allowing Ukraine to come back into the game.
Ukraine threw on Zozulya for Kravets with 20 minutes remaining, and they almost broke the deadlock eight minutes from time when Phil Jones' first error of the match let in Zozulya, but Fielding produced a fine stop.

Lansbury was involved in everything good England were doing and Stuart Pearce's men nearly snatched it late on when Lansbury drilled a shot just wide from 20 yards, and Sturridge's 30-yard blast was tipped round the post by Kanibolotskiy, who then saved Welbeck's header from the resulting corner.

A win tonight would have left England needing only a draw to progress but the reality is now that England are left with a must-win final group game against the Czech Republic at the weekend, if they are to progress to the semi-finals of the Euro 2011 tournament.

Earlier tonight Spain beat the Czech Republic 2-0 in Viborg, and now sit top of the group with 4 points from their opening 2 games, with the Czech Republic lying 2nd on 3 points after defeating the Ukraine in their opening game. England have 2 points from 2 games and the Ukraine 1 point from 2 games.


England's U21 team tonight:

Fielding, Walker, Smalling, Jones, Bertrand, Henderson, Mancienne (Muamba '89), Rodwell (Lansbury '57), Sturridge, Welbeck, Rose (Sinclair '58).

Subs: McCarthy, Muamba, Albrighton, Sinclair, Tomkins, Cork, Cleverley, Lansbury, Delfouneso, Wickham, Steele.

To Play:

19.06.11 - England v. Czech Republic - Viborg Stadium, Viborg - ko 19:45, live on Sky Sports.
19.06.11 - Ukraine v. Spain - Herning Stadium, Herning - ko 19:45, live on Sky Sports.

Psycho's boys kick-off 2011 Euro dream versus Spain - Betting News with Betfred

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The youngsters of England face a formidable challenge in their opening UEFA European under-21 Championship group game, when they face the World Cup holders next generation of starlets, in the shape of Spain.

Stuart Pearce led the England under-21s to the final in 2009, going one step further than their semi-final defeat in the 2007 tournament, and will without doubt be looking to win this competition which begins this weekend in Denmark.

The man known as 'Psycho' has admitted he has used the 2009 campaign in Sweden as the blueprint for this tournament, though much of the build-up was overshadowed by the 'will-he, won't-he' dilemma involving the call-up of Jack Wilshere.

In the end Pearce decided not to call on the Arsenal midfielder, and despite the loss of Kieran Gibbs, Micah Richards and Andrew Carroll through injury, he still has a strong squad at his disposal. Some of his under-21 stars could look to use this tournament to impress in the wake of the England senior teams recent dismal performance against Switzerland.

England face Spain in their opening European under-21 Championship match and their opponents are even money to win the game, something most football experts agree with.

If you look through the Spain under-21 squad it is filled with talented youngsters, some who already have experience of playing on the world stage, and it is no surprise to see them as pre-tournament favourites. They are priced at 7/4 to lift the trophy with Betfred.

Head coach Luis Milla can call upon the likes of the talented Barcelona pair Thiago Alcántara and Bojan Krkic, Valencia's Juan Manuel Mata, Athletic Bilbao's Javi Martínez and goalkeeper and Manchester United target David de Gea - so they are understandably well fancied by many to replicate their senior team, and secure the UEFA European under-21 trophy.

Danny Rose and Daniel Sturridge got the goals to give England a 2-0 win over Denmark in their final warm-up game and those two, along with the likes of Manchester United duo Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley, will be Pearce's danger men as they hunt for the win - priced at football odds of 9/4.

England have a lot of young talent within their squad, and if they can play to their full potential there is a real chances that they could go all the way in Denmark.
They are definitely in the tougher of the two groups, but if they can qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament they are in with a real chance - whatever happens they should certainly go further than the senior team did at last summers World Cup!

My Tip of the Weekend:

No one would be surprised if Spain prove to be too strong for England, but the opening match of any tournament is often a cagey affair and a draw at 9/4 looks a safe bet, with a 1-1 scoreline a 5/1 shot.
Take the 5/1 before a ball is kicked on the Czech Republic to be surprise winners of the tournament. They had an outstanding qualifying campaign, topping their group with 22 points from a possible 24, before thrashing Greece 5-0 in the play-offs.(Greece topped their own qualifying group with England as runners-up).

Sunday 12th June: Spain U21's v England U21's, Herning Stadium, kick-off 19.45, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Battle of the Strikers on the Cards at Anfield - Betting News with Betfred

V.

It is a clash of two teams aiming high and somewhat underachieving when Liverpool take on Manchester City on Monday night at Anfield.

Roberto Mancini's side had Premier League title aspirations, but are looking off the pace although they still look set for a respectable top four finish. They also have a Manchester derby to look forward to on the 16th April - the prize, a place in this seasons FA Cup final.

Both are something Liverpool fans would sell their souls to the devil for this season, but another season of Thursday night Channel Five action in the Europa League seems the best they can hope for.

Kenny Dalglish has been dealt a triple blow this week after defenders Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson were injured at The Hawthorns last weekend.

Centre-back Agger picked up a knee problem that has ended his season, while Johnson injured his hamstring, sidelining the right-back out for at least a month.

To add to Dalglish's woes it has been confirmed that captain Steven Gerrard has been ruled out for the rest of the season after failing to fully recover following a groin operation.

The absence of that trio comes at the worst possible time for 'The Reds' in their chase for a Europa League spot, as they take on the multi-million pound attacking talent City (15/8 to win the game, 11/5 the draw) have at their disposal.

Liverpool (6/4 to win the game with Betfred) have only lost twice at Anfield this season and need to bounce back from that 2-1 defeat at West Brom last weekend.

Their home form has been the backbone of their campaign and will remain key if they are to make up the five-point gap they have to fifth-placed Tottenham and the weekend Premier League betting suggests this will be a massive game.

Last time out in their 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland, Roberto Mancini named Adam Johnson, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez (11/2 to be first goal scorer) in his attacking line-up, and even had the luxury of Edin Dzeko and Shaun Wright-Philips on the bench.

The side now look solid Premier League tips for a top four finish, and if results go their way they could even end up the season as Premier League runners-up.

With Liverpool's new strike force of Andy Carroll (11/2 to score the first goal) and Luis Suarez, along with City's forward prowess, it has all the makings of goalscoring bonanza!

My Tip of the Week:

This should be an action-packed game between two attacking sides, so the 11/10 with Betfred for there to be over 2.5 goals in the game looks like a good option, while the 11/8 for Luis Suarez to score at anytime is also appealing.

Monday 11th April: Liverpool v Manchester City, kick-off 8pm, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Wembley beckons, but who will prevail? - Betting News with Betfred

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It is the first domestic cup final of the English season on Sunday and Birmingham City will be out to upset the strongly fancied Arsenal, and give their fans something to really cheer about.

For Blues fans it has been an indifferent season, but the cup competitions have given them cause for enjoyment. Getting to a Wembley final is a major boost for any side, and provides them with some relief from the weekly rigours of a season long battle to avoid relegation, but the football betting market makes them outsiders at 6/1 to win the trophy in 90 minutes, or 11/4 to lift the trophy.

Arsenal fans will see this Carling Cup final as a great chance to end five long years without a trophy – a fact that Manchester United and Chelsea fans laud over them every season.

The loss of Theo Walcott to injury along with serious concerns over the fitness of skipper Cesc Fabregas, sustained in Arsenal's midweek win over Stoke, is without a doubt a massive blow to the Gunners, but there is no doubting their attacking qualities even without them.

It could be a question of what side Arsene Wenger puts out at Wembley, as in recent seasons he has stuck with youth for the Carling Cup.

With so many games coming thick and fast for the Gunners, Wenger could be tempted to rest one or two of his star players, and thus give the Blues a real fighting chance of lifting their first major trophy since the League Cup in 1963. However, Arsenal remain strong 8/15 favourites to prevail.

For Birmingham, goalscoring has been their problem all season, and they brought in the experienced Obafemi Martins on loan during the January transfer window, in an attempt to solve that problem.

But Alex McLeish's trump card at Wembley could be the giant Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who is 9/1 in the football odds to score the first goal of the game.

It has been well known for years that Arsenal struggle against balls put into the box and with an inexperienced keeper between the sticks then the 6ft 8in striker could pose massive problems.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Birmingham have a real cup pedigree about them this season and they could get one over on an Arsenal side who are facing a hectic schedule. There is a lot of pressure on Wenger and his players to deliver a first trophy since the FA Cup in 2005, and with the Club chasing honours in three other competitions, a combination of fatigue and expectation may well may play a factor on Sunday. A 1-0 win for the Blues priced at 12/1 with Betfred looks a value bet.

Sunday 27th February: Arsenal v Birmingham, kick-off 4pm, live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Babe Of The Month - Jackson is a ' Thriller '

Sky Sports Presenter - Charlotte Jackson

Congratulations to Victor Moses - Winner of the Coca-Cola Football League Young Player of the Month Award

VICTOR MOSES has been named the inaugural winner of the 'Coca-Cola Football League Player of the Month' award for for his performances in December 2009.

The Coca-Cola Football League Young Player of the Month award is given to the player aged 21 or under who, in its words, "has made the most significant contribution and impact in first-team football".

Phil Stant, a youth development monitor for the League, said:

"We looked at stats and performances, and the Crystal Palace striker was chosen out of the 266 players under the age of 21 who ply their trade outside of the Premier League."

Here is Victor and his manager Neil Warnock being interviewed by Sky Sports on his award.

Moses scored four goals throughout the month including an eye catching double at Reading and a spectacular over-head kick at home to Barnsley just before Christmas.

Here is the link to see Victor's cracking goal against Barnsley on the 19th December 2009.

The 19-year-old also scored a fine winner against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday — his sixth league goal in his past eight matches. "That might be his last game for us," Neil Warnock, the Palace manager, said.

Palace’s financial troubles are forcing them to part with their most valuable asset and his fantastic form has drawn attention from the giants of the game, including Barcelona, Real Madrid Arsenal and Liverpool, with a move to the Premier League or abroad almost certain before the end of the transfer window.

Born in Nigeria on 12th December 1990, he was sent to live in England aged eleven, a week after his parents were murdered.

Victor's father Austin Moses was a Christian minister in Kaduna at a time when religious violence between the Muslim majority and Christian minority was rife. Despite this and with the help of his wife, Josephine, he continued with his missionary work.

Austin did not have time for football, but Victor played every day, in the streets or on a dusty concrete pitch surrounded by houses.

But in 2002, there were more religious riots. The family knew that because Victor's father had his own church, he would be a target.

Victor, the couple's only child, was playing football in the streets with a ball made up of sticky tape bound tightly together when his uncle came to find him.

He told him rioters had set upon his parents in their home and murdered them. He said Victor's life was in danger, too. The little boy, an orphan at 11, was hidden at a friend's house.

They got me out as quickly as they could for my safety.

Victor did not know anyone in England. He had never even been outside Kaduna before. He was placed with foster parents in Croydon and classified as an asylum seeker.

Since making his debut in November 2007, he has made 68 first team appearances, scoring 11 goals. Moses has also represented England at various levels and picked up the Golden Boot in the 2007 European Under-17 Championships.

The Football League's Chief Operating Officer Andy Williamson said:
"Victor Moses is an outstanding example of the high calibre young footballers being developed by Football League clubs. His eye-catching performances during the month of December have shown just why he is regarded as one of the finest young talents in English football."

After receiving his award from Palace manager Neil Warnock, Moses said:
"I am delighted to receive this award. This is one of the greatest days of my life to be winning something like this in the Championship."

Neil Warnock presents Victor with his award.

After-Dinner Sports Tales - Chris Kamara

Here is my is my first of 2010 but my sixth installment so far on the subject of light hearted after-dinner sporting tales, as told by current or ex-professional sportsman.

In previous articles on the subject of 'After-Dinner Sports Tales,' I have chosen humorous anecdotes as told by the likes of Rodney Marsh Gareth Southgate and Chris Coleman from the world of football, Phil Tufnell from cricket, and rugby union's Wade Dooley.

Today I have chosen another former footballer, but one who despite having retired from the game in 1998, can still be seen on a Saturday afternoon......but on your TV screens, usually as a Sky Sports TV reporter/analyst - the one and only, the charismatic Chris Kamara.

Chris Kamara was born in Middlesbrough on Christmas Day in 1957. After serving with the British Royal Navy he joined Portsmouth in 1975, beginning a professional footballing career that saw him move between nine clubs, scoring 71 goals in 641 league appearances. He was also manager of Bradford City and Stoke City before retiring from the game.

Here is an amusing excerpt from a speech made by Chris at a sporting dinner.

"I enjoyed a long career as a football player, signing for Portsmouth (twice), Swindon (twice), Brentford, Stoke, Leeds, Luton, Middlesbrough, Sheffield Utd and Bradford. I then made the transition into management, the highlight being taking Bradford into the First Division via a Wembley play-off final.

I became somewhat of an unlucky mascot to several teams during my playing days. In early 1992, I played my last game for Leeds, which took them to the top of the table. Manager Howard Wilkinson wanted to make sure they stayed there - so he sold me to Luton the very next day! Sure enough, Leeds won the Championship, without me.

David Pleat, the Luton boss, signed me to change things. Luton had been in the top division for ten years - the old First Division, now the Premier League. I certainly did help to change things - Luton were relegated!

I then went to my hometown club Middlesbrough, signing for Lennie Lawrence. It was their first season in the Premier League, and even though Lennie had previously saved Charlton from going down for five years in the late 80's and early 90's, without me, I was a part of the Middlesbrough team he managed that were relegated in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93!

Then there was the greatest escapologist since Harry Houdini - Dave 'Harry' Bassett, manager of Sheffield United. He was the boss who could get out of anything. But in the 1993-94 season he signed me, the fateful unlucky mascot - you've probably guessed it by now - Sheffield United went down.

During this period struggling Coventry City were actually paying teams to sign me!"

Sky Sports FanZone - An Absolute Classic!

Here are two of the most memorable minutes in the history of the 'Sky Sports Fan Zone' recorded during the magnificent eight goal drama filled thriller between The Reds and The Gooners at Anfield last night.

You have to watch these guys go through the roller coaster of emotions, (that all fans of the game can appreciate) as they both experience moments during the game when they can almost taste victory and then that feeling of despair, as it is snatched away during this wonderful attacking goal fest!