Roy Hodgson, England national team manager, remarked that he and his side are assured of a World Cup appearance in 2014, despite a display of flaws while playign against tough oponnent Ukraine that led to a 1-1 draw.

Hodgson's side suffered from a lack of key players. The team needed a late-game penalty from Frank Lampard to get past through losing to Ukraine. Disappointing performances from Tom Cleverley aggravated the team's situation at home on Tuesday.

Important players like Andy Carroll, Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott and John Terry were all absent during the Ukraine fixture. Hodgson deemed the call-ups of Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling and Jake Livermore as necessary, even though none of them played for the seniors before.

Hodgson remained confident that his side will be competing strongly for the World Cup. Saying that many features of the Ukraine game impressed him, he noted the abilities of the youngsters in the game. He added that the team has a strong winning chance especially if all the sidelined players are present.

Expectations were high for England when they thrashed an ailing Moldova side 5-0 prior to last Tuesday's match. Ukraine proved to be a tougher team, given their international potential as seen in EURO 2012.

With the match showing England having a difficult time superseding the Ukrainians, the rescue goal provided by Lampard provided consolation to the team's numerous wasted chances. Cleverley's double wide shots is a far cry from his performance in Moldova that led Hodgson to immediately compare him to Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

A 25-yard goal from Yevgeni Konoplianka, followed by near-goal attempts from Oleg Gusev and Ruslan Rotan, highlighted the strength of Ukraine. Captain Steven Gerrard's send-off and five other bookings, greatly hampered the progress of England. Jermain Defoe's invalidated 20-yard goal due to an illegal hand-off further drew the ire of Hodgson on referee Cuneyt Cakir.

Gerrard joined Hodgson in agreeing that England has a fighting chance for the World Cup. He commended his side's determined attitude and the satisfactory performance of the youngsters, as shown against Ukraine which could have easily earned them a loss.

England will face San Marino and Poland in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers in October.

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Photo credits:

Roy Hodgson [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved 13 September 2012, from < http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/165/8071022/hodgson-aware-of-slim-pickings >

Best and worst NFL preseason Week 4 bets

Week 3 of the preseason gave football bettors a glimpse at what life will be like in Week 1 of the NFL season. As for Week 4, well, let’s just say the final game on the preseason slate will test your mettle as well as patience. Teams rarely play their starters and are ironing

read here: 

What bettors need to know: Sunday’s NFL action

There are two games this Sunday in NFL preseason action as teams prepare to cut their rosters to 75 players Monday. We give you the essential tidbits to make your wagers. Carolina Panthers at New York Jets (-2.5, 41) The first team offense is clicking early for the Panthers and they scored a [...]

What bettors need to know: Sunday’s NFL action

There are two games this Sunday in NFL preseason action as teams prepare to cut their rosters to 75 players Monday. We give you the essential tidbits to make your wagers. Carolina Panthers at New York Jets (-2.5, 41) The first team offense is clicking early for the Panthers and they scored a [...]

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Liverpool 2-2 Man City

64:40 Steven Gerrard takes a shot. Jack Rodwell is penalised for handball and concedes a free kick. 82:49 Substitution Substitution (Liverpool) makes a substitution, with Andy Carroll coming on for Fabio Borini. 82:40 Edin Dzeko produces a left-footed shot from just outside the box that goes wide right of the goal. 81:56 Shot by Jonjo [...]

Stoke 0-0 Arsenal

75:23 The ball is crossed by Kieran Gibbs, save by Asmir Begovic. 73:48 Carl Jenkinson sends in a cross, Effort on goal by Vassiriki Diaby from deep inside the penalty area misses to the right of the target. 72:21 Mikel Arteta produces a right-footed shot from just outside the box that misses to the right [...]

Roma have confirmed Liverpool have a "real interest" in signing Italy striker Fabio Borini - and are "evaluating the situation".Reds manager Brendan Rodgers hinted on Monday that they were close to acquiring the 21-year-old striker, who worked under him at both the Chelsea academy and Swansea.

"There is a real interest shown by Liverpool for Borini," Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini said during today's press conference in Roma's pre-training camp in Riscone. "We are evaluating the situation with (Roma general manager) Franco (Baldini)."

Roma only bought Borini outright last month after paying Serie A side Parma £3.95million for the remaining 50% of the player's rights.

Borini, who was a member of Italy's Euro 2012 squad, scored nine goals in 24 Serie A appearances for Roma last season.

Reports in Italy claim that Roma could sell Borini and use the funds to buy coveted Siena striker Mattia Destro, who is also a target of Inter Milan and Juventus.

"We have been monitoring Destro's situation," Sabatini said. "We are on alert.
"We are neither in nor out."

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (QUALIFYING ROUND)
 07/11 01:00AM
 B36 Torshavn vs. Linfield FC

http://go.12bet.com/92033555/sportsbook/en/index.html 

WARSAW: Italy coach Cesare Prandelli will be looking for his side to extend their proud record of never losing to Germany in a major finals when they meet in Thursday’s Euro 2012 semi-final in Warsaw. Germany – who are seeking their first trophy since lifting the Euro ‘96 title – will be by contrast hoping to end that run in what is their eighth meeting at either a World Cup or a European championship finals. “There is no such thing as an invincible side,” said Prandelli. “Germany has that sense of knowing what they need to do. “They are also physically strong and have players who have tasted international success at club level, so they are a side with the ingredients to go all the way. “But we will study them closely and work on the few weak points they have.”

Italy needed a penalty shoot-out to beat England 4-2 in Sunday’s quarter-final in Kiev with the Azzurri failing to hit the net in normal play despite 68 percent ball possession and 35 shots compared to England’s nine. Prandelli has said the Italians will have to be daring in order to beat Germany, who are on a 15-match winning run in competitive matches since losing to Spain at the last World Cup. Germany’s forwards shone in Friday’s 4-2 quarter-final win over Greece and Prandelli is mindful of the risk of pushing too far forward against a German side with the pace to punish on the counter-attack. Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli is one player the Germans have admitted they will pay close attention to after he spearheaded an Italian attack which had periods of impressive form against the Three Lions.

With only a three-day turn-around between the quarter and semi, Prandelli has injury concerns over midfielder Daniele De Rossi and right-back Ignazio Abate, while Italy’s other right-back Christian Maggio is suspended. Aside from a 1-1 draw in a friendly in February 2011, the last time the teams met in competition was the 2006 World Cup semi-final when the Italians won 2-0 after extra time as they went on to win the title. But Germany coach Joachim Loew was defiant when asked about the lack of German success against the Azzurri over the years. “We can’t turn back time, forget about about it, the past doesn’t play a role in our planning,” said the 52-year-old. “Another stat is that Germany has never won against Italy in a major tournament, but so what? “The situation is entirely different now and this is not an issue for us.”

But Italian playmaker Andrea Pirlo believes the Germans are running scared and the 33-year-old believes that history will give Italy the edge. “Germany are definitely scared of us, they know we can create difficulties for them given what’s happened in the past and they will have to be careful to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2006,” said the Juventus midfielder. Loew has developed a habit for pulling surprises at this tournament highlighted by changing three of Germany’s six-man attack against Greece in axing striker Mario Gomez, plus forwards Lukas Podolski and Thomas Mueller. It means competition is fierce for places in the starting line-up and Borussia Dortmund-bound Marco Reus looked sharp against the Greeks on his tournament debut before scoring Germany’s fourth goal. Loew has only concerns over pivotal midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger who is still feeling the effects of tearing ankle ligaments in February, but the 27-year-old took full part in training this week. Having won the so-called “Group of Death” by beating Holland, Portugal and Denmark en route to the knock-out phase, the Germans have made no secret of their desire to lift the Henri Delaunay Cup. “We knew before the tournament that we have a strong team,” said Real Madrid star Mesut Ozil. “If we play as we know we can, I am convinced we will beat Italy.” afp

UEFA EURO 2012 | ITALY VS. IRELAND WHO WILL ADVANCE? Match starts at 2:45 AM GMT +8:00

Ireland’s 7 losses against Italy are enough to fuel the Irish fire and reclaim their lost honour and glory. Drawing inspiration from Jack Charlton, Ireland is set to grab victory. As a matter of fact, Ireland got the upper-hand during their last three (3) matches. These wins foretell that Ireland shall not be kind to Italy during its EURO matchup this June 19.

Meanwhile, Italy’s Azurri is serious in taking the crown back. The Italian squad is hungry for yet another title. It has been years since they won the EURO Championship title in 1968 and after making two (2) semi-final appearances, Italy would never let Ireland get into their way.

Will Italy make it to the finals or will Ireland put a stop into Italy’s quest for victory?

THE NUMBERS

• Total previous matches: 6
• Italy – 7 Wins
• Republic of Ireland – 2 Wins
• 2 Draw
• Previous EURO Head to Head Matches
• None

Italy must tackle three points in their final Group C match cons of Ireland. Series or lose, Gli Azzurri have to return home. In fact, any win, Italy may not be able to qualify for the quarter-finals. Italy has always followed the Euro or World Cup event since 1992, they have never been absent until now. While Ireland's Euro 2012 is the first event they qualify for the EURO group stage since making his debut in 1988. In 1988, Ireland had beaten England, but they did not qualify from group stage after a series against the Soviet Union and the defeat of the Netherlands.

Italy's record of 11 so far is 7x Irish victory, 2x serial, and 2x less.

Of the six official matches of both teams, Italy won 3 games, 2x serial, 1x and losing.

This is the first time for Ireland's success to the group stage since making his debut at EURO 1988. In 1988, Ireland had beaten England, but they did not qualify from group stage after a series against the Soviet Union and the defeat of the Netherlands.

Italy is currently ranked the 12th FIFA World Ranking, while Ireland was ranked the 18th FIFA World Ranking.

PREVIOUS MATCHES

ITALY	IRELAND
June 14, 2012: Italy 1-1 Croatia (EURO 2012)	June 15, 2012: Spain 4-0 Ireland (EURO 2012)
June 10, 2012: Spain 1-1 Italy (EURO 2012)	June 11, 2012: Ireland 1-3 Croatia (EURO 2012)
June 2, 2012: Italy 0-3 Russia (Friendly Match)	June 5, 2012: Hungary 0-0 Ireland (Friendly Match)
March 1, 2012: Italy 0-1 USA (Friendly Match)	May 26, 2012: Ireland 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina (Friendly Match)
November 16, 2011: Italy 0-1 Uruguay (Friendly Match)	March 1, 2012: Ireland 1-1 Czech Rep. (Friendly Match)

POSSIBLE LINEUPS

Buffon

Bonucci - Barzagli - Chiellini

Maggio - Marchisio - Pirlo - De Rossi - Balzaretti

Cassano - Di Natale

Coach: Cesare Prandelli (Italy)

Ireland:

Given

O'Shea - Ledger - Dunne - Ward

Duff - Andrews - Whelan - McGeady

Cox - Keane

Coach: Giovanni Trapattoni (Italy)

UKRAINE	Tournament Statistics (as of June 15, 2012)		FRANCE
2	Goals Scored		1
5	Attempts On Target		15
8	Attempts Off Target		4
3	Corners		11
12	Fouls Committed		9
0	Yellow Cards		0
0	Red Cards		0
PREDICTED STARTING LINEUPS
Ukraine (3-5-2)		Pyatov; Selin, Khacheridi, Mykhalyk; Tymoschuk, Gusev, Yarmolenko, Nazarenko, Konoplyanka; Shevchenko, Voronin
France (4-2-3-1)		Lloris; Evra, Méxes, Rami, Debuchy; Diarra, M’Vila; Ribéry, Nasri, Valbuena; Benzema

Date: June 16, 2012

Time: 12:00 AM (GMT +8:00)

DONETSK: Group D is expected to undergo a tremendous turn of events as France returns to Donbass to face host Ukraine on home advantage. France is stuck in a 1-1 draw versus England, a record that calls for better winning resolve from Les Bleus. Ukraine, on the other hand, currently tops Group D after they trounced Sweden before an energetic home crowd at 2-1.

Ukraine must repeat their feat against Sweden in order to get past through France – an international favorite to win Group D. If not, their chances of winning the group stage can be ruined, especially when they face England in their final group match.

Previous Matches

France and Ukraine met for 6 times. Ukraine never won against Les Bleus, with a lackluster record of 3 losses and 3 draws.

The teams recently met at a friendly in Donetsk last 2011. France shattered Ukraine at 4-1, with 2 goals coming from midfielder Marvin Martin.

Throughout those 6 meetings, France evidently grew stronger, particularly in terms of offense. In contrast, Ukraine has yet to be consistent in their winning form, particularly in improving their shaky defense.

Pre-Match Developments

Significant changes are not likely for both teams. No players from both sides are injured. France’s starting lineup might change a little if Laurent Blanc decides to put midfielder Yann M’Vila in place of Yohan Cabaye.

Oleh Blokhin will likely retain Ukraine’s current starting squad, given their impressive performance last Tuesday.

Ukraine-France Predictions

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A crucial factor in this match is the frail defense of both teams. The absence of injured defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy in Ukraine’s lineup can further cripple their efforts to defend the goal. France’s defense must learn not to rely too much on their team’s attacking power. Otherwise, they might be damaged by Ukraine’s desire to score before their home crowd. Ukraine’s legendary striker Andriy Shevchenko is one player Les Bleus have to watch out.

A repeat of France’s 2011 friendly victory against Ukraine is highly possible in this game. Their offensive stride powered by Karim Benzema, Franck Ribéry, Mathieu Valbuena and Samir Nasri (who scored France’s goal during its match versus England) can make Ukraine’s weak defense useless. The international pedigree of French players reflects more experience. That gives Les Bleus an obvious victory in their second Group D fixture, despite playing against Ukraine in their home field.

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In the build-up to the first activity of this season's European Championships, the betting for the Greece vs. Poland has thrown on a variety of events. When the draw was declared and the accessories were set for each team, Greece were the possibilities on favorites to choose up a win in this fascinating first experience of the tournament.


According to some predictions of sports magazines, the statistics for Poland and Greece are this,

If  you will be noticing the statistics, Poland has a 50% chance in winning the game, and just 16% for Greece,and the draw is 16%.

• Poland is co-hosting this summer's Euros along with Ukraine - the first time either nation has hosted a major soccer tournament.

• Poland has faced Greece on 15 occasions and has dominated its European rival, winning 10, drawing two and losing just three times.

• Greece qualified for Euro 2012 by topping Group F, finishing on 24 points and remaining undefeated ahead of Croatia and Israel.

• Greece has yet to avoid defeat in Poland, and in eight visits it has suffered eight losses, scoring four goals and conceding 22.

12bet sportsbook latest game. "Exact First Half Goals" and "Exact Group Points".


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You may click on "Today" > Soccer > Outright event and place your bets-------------------------------------------------------------1.Exact First Half Goals*"Exact First Half Goals" means betting to predict the total number of goals scored by both teams by the end of the first half. ( first 45 minutes)Note: If an event is abandoned before the end of the first half, all bets are considered void.

2.Exact Group Points*" Exact Group Points " Exact Group Points means betting on a team to get a specific number of total points at the end of the Group round.Example: Predict how many points Poland will get at the end of the Group round.

12bet sportsbook latest game. "Exact First Half Goals" and "Exact Group Points".

How to play this game?

Below is the screenshot where you can find this latest game of 12bet.

You may click on "Today" > Soccer > Outright event and place your bets-------------------------------------------------------------1.Exact First Half Goals*"Exact First Half Goals" means betting to predict the total number of goals scored by both teams by the end of the first half. ( first 45 minutes)Note: If an event is abandoned before the end of the first half, all bets are considered void.

2.Exact Group Points*" Exact Group Points " Exact Group Points means betting on a team to get a specific number of total points at the end of the Group round.Example: Predict how many points Poland will get at the end of the Group round.