Facts And History – Football World Cup

As far as popular sporting events go, the FIFA World Cup has got to be up there, if not, one of the most popular in the World. All types of countries get together their best group of male footballers to enter a national team. All countries that are assigned to the Fedration Internationale de Football Association are eligible to enter, bringing some of the best players of the world together for some of the best football ever. Where else is better to catch up on all the latest gossip, than a World Cup 2010 Forum?

The one thing that bugs a lot of football fans is the fact that it is not very often a tournament is played. The first tournament was in 1930, which was a huge focal point at the time. Since this point, a tournament has been played every four years. Of course, this is with the exception of 1942 and 1946, as the World War was taking place at the time.

The competition starts with something called the World Cup finals, which is where 32 teams battle it out in groups, with the top runners from each group qualifying and the rest going home. Generally, this part of the competition will last somewhere in the region of 3-5 weeks.

1930 was not the first international football event. In fact, in 1872, Scotland and England played a game in Glasgow, which sparked a lot of interest. This eventually led to the British Home Championship in 1884, which is when other countries began to show their interest.

Since 1930, the first ever tournament of its kind, 18 have been played in total. It has been a mixed bag as far as the winners are concerned, although some do stand out from the crowd. Take Brazil for instance, they have managed to get five titles behind them, with Italy holding four and Germany holding three.

Of course, all of the above teams are the most dominant forces in the Football World Cup. Other teams that have showed some hope include Uruguay and Argentina, both of which have won twice, with England and France with just one win each. Members at a World Cup 2010 Forum are hoping that this could be the year for one of many underdogs.

Get this for a fact; in 2006 the World Cup was held in Germany. According to Statistics, around 750 million people viewed the final, and this year is likely to be so much bigger than this. June is just around the corner – so get ready!

Keep in tune with exactly what is going on and get yourself on a World Cup 2010 Forum.

Keep up to date with all the latest gossip by joining a World Cup 2010 Forum. www.footballforums.com

World Cup History – Top Goal Scorers

There are always the players that are remembered for one reason or another. Just log onto a World Cup 2010 Forum and you will soon see people talking about past and present legends. The question is; who do people really remember? Unfortunately, it is not always the best players, but usually just the players that have managed to score the most goals for their country.

#10 Teofilo Cubillas

Originally from Peru, Cubillas took part in the 1970, 1978 and 1982 World Cups. He was an inspiration to his team and one of the reasons why they made the final in 1970. He scored 10 goals.

#9 Gary Lineker

Gary Linekar is possibly one of the most well remembered players of the England team, participating in the 1986 and 1990 events, scoring 10 goals, 6 of which were in 1986.

#8 Gabriel Batistuta

Gabriel Batistuta is the flying Argentinean, and certainly made some great and questionable plays throughout his career. 1994-2002 were his glory days, where he managed to get a total of 10 goals in a very exciting way.

#7 Helmut Rahn

As far as Argentineans go, none will be remembered more than Batistuta, but Helmut Rahn comes very close. He participated in 1954 and 1958, getting 10 shots in the back of the net in just 9 matches – very impressive.

#6 Jurgen Klinsmann

Jurgen Klinsmann was certainly someone that everyone will remember for years to come – a popular German player. Throughout 1990, 1994 and 1998, he managed to score 11 goals.

#5 Sandor Kocsis

Hungary is not necessarily a country that is associated with fame. That being said, Sandor Kocsis did a great job, when he managed 11 goals.

#4 Pele

The Brazilian is probably one of the most well known historic players of all time. Starting in 1958 at the age of just 17 and finishing in 1970, he managed to achieve 12 goals. Check out a World Cup 2010 Forum to see just how very popular he is.

#3 Just Fontaine

1958 was set to be an epic year for France, with Just Fontaine on board. He proved his dominance with 13 goals in one tournament.

#2 Gerd Muller

In 1970 and 1974, the German set out what he does best, scoring as many goals as possible. He did a good job, managing to 14 goals, helping to crush Holland in the final in 1974.

#1 Ronaldo

Let us face it; who does not know Ronaldo? He played straight from 94-06 and managed to score 15 goals. Of these 15, he scored 8 of them in 2006. Checking a World Cup 2010 forum will show how popular he still is.

Keep up to date with all the latest gossip by joining a World Cup 2010 Forum. www.footballforums.com

Dallas Survives Overtime Battle With Kansas City

The Dallas Cowboys entered Sundays game with the Kansas City Chiefs with a 2-2 record, and may have expected an easy afternoon. The winless Chiefs, however, hung around throughout the contest and forced overtime before a Tony Romo touchdown pass to Miles Austin secured the victory for Dallas by a final score of 26-20. Austin was the Cowboys offensive star, catching two touchdown passes as part of a 250 yard receiving day. Tony Romo played better than he has all year, finishing with two touchdown passes and 351 yards with no interceptions. The Cowboys improved to 3-2 with the victory, while the Chiefs remain winless at 0-5.

NFL betting enthusiasts who took Kansas City as +7 home underdogs enjoyed a profitable day as the Chiefs got the money for the first time in the 2009 season. Kansas City is now 1-4 against the spread, while Dallas dropped to 2-3 against the number. The 46 points went OVER the posted total of 43. The Cowboys have gone OVER in 3 of 5 games this season, while Kansas City now has 3 OVER verdicts in five games with 1 UNDER and a push. 3 of the last 5 meetings between the two teams have gone UNDER the total.

Austin started in place of Dallas superstar receiver Roy Williams, and definitely made the best of the opportunity. His 250 yards on 10 catches broke the franchise record held by Cowboys legend Bob Hayes, who had 246 yards receiving against the Washington Redskins in 1966. Austin could have had an even bigger day, had Tony Romo not overthrown him several times on wide open plays. Romo hasn’t looked sharp all season, but at least he didn’t serve up any interceptions in this game.

Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel had decent numbers in a losing cause, finishing with 253 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Still, the setback just added to the growing sense of futility in the Chiefs camp. Kansas City hasnt won a game in nearly a year (315 days) and is a horrible 2-28 in their past 30 games. There are signs of improvement under first year coach Todd Haley, but theyve yet to translate into victories.

Dallas will be off next weekend and will return to action on October 25th at home against the Atlanta Falcons. Theyll host the Seattle Seahawks at Cowboys Stadium the following weekend. The Chiefs will travel to Washington, DC next Sunday to take on the Redskins before returning home for a game the following week against the San Diego Chargers.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Panthers Top Redskins For First Win Of 2009 NFL Season

The Carolina Panthers finally got one in the win column on Sunday afternoon, using a furious second half comeback to defeat the slumping Washington Redskins 20-17. Washington led 17-2 early in the third quarter before Carolina scored the final 18 points of the game to earn the victory. Jonathan Stewart’s eight yard fourth quarter run for a touchdown with a successful two point conversion completed the Panthers comeback. Carolina improved to 1-3 on the season while Washington dropped to 2-3.

NFL betting devotees who backed Washington as +5 road underdogs were finally rewarded for their faith as the Redskins covered for the first time this season. The Redskins are now 1-4 against the spread while the Panthers remain winless against the money at 0-4.

Redskins coach Jim Zorn is now on the hotseat after another defeat. The Redskins started the 2008 season 6-2, but are only 4-9 since then. The biggest problem this year has been offensive productivity”heading into this game the Redskins were averaging a mere 14 points per game. By that metric, the 17 points they put up in the first contest under new offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis has to seen as a marginal improvement. Of bigger concern, however, is the fact that the team blew a 15 point second half lead.

The victory, meanwhile, may have taken at least some of the pressure off of Panthers QB Jake Delhomme who is suffering through an awful season. Delhomme threw for 181 yards against Washington with one touchdown and one interception. Delhomme now has eight interceptions in four games this season, contributing greatly to the -8 turnover margin that the Panthers took into Sundays encounter. After the game, he expressed relief at getting a win under his belt:

“Anything that could have gone wrong the first month or so has gone wrong. We’ll take it any way we can get it.”

His Washington counterpart Jason Campbell was efficient, if not spectacular, with 145 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions. In another bright spot for the Redskins, Clinton Portis scored his first rushing touchdown of the season early in the fourth quarter. He had caught a pass for a touchdown to open the Washington scoring in the first quarter.

The Panthers will now try to string together a short winning streak as they head to Florida next Sunday to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Redskins will play their next two games at home and then enjoy a bye week. Theyll welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to FedEx Field next Sunday, followed by the Philadelphia Eagles the following week. Theyll return to action after the bye week on November 8th, taking on the Atlanta Falcons at The Georgia Dome.

Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Cassel’s Week #2 Status Uncertain As Game Day Nears

Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel missed the first game of the NFL regular season, and his status remains questionable for the teams second game of the year against the Oakland Raiders. Although he appeared to be running more briskly and favoring his knee less in practice this week, Chiefs coach Todd Haley maintains that hes still a game time decision. The Chiefs offense has looked pitiful ever since preseason and their ineptitude cost coordinator Chan Gailey his job.

The bright spot in all of his misery was the play of Brodie Croyle in the opening week loss to Baltimore. Croyle completed 16 of 24 passes for 177 yards and two TDs. Still, Haley is anxious to get his #1 quarterback in the lineup and says that Cassel is working hard to make that a reality:

“Matt is doing everything he can to be ready. I would hope I would know a little sooner this week, although right now I can’t give a definitive answer. But the player’s doing everything he can to be ready, which generally helps speed the healing process.”

Haley also spoke of the teams struggles at the wide receiver position:

“We’re looking and digging all the time. If there’s somebody out there we think makes us better, we’re going to do what’s necessary to get that done. I’m looking for guys that do it the way we want it done. Talent is the great separator. There may be some guys who are doing everything the way we want it done, but maybe they’re just not good enough. Then there’s some guys who potentially can be really good, but they’re not doing it the way we want it done.

“I want physical receivers just like I want physical players at every other position and guys that help block in the run game and are football players, not just pass-catchers.”

That comment was a thinly veiled reference to the teams top receiver, Dwayne Bowe, who was demoted to third string in the preseason after demonstrating questionable work habits.

Cassel, who has improved from limping slightly to looking relatively steady on his injured knee over the course of the week, commended his backup on his performance:

“I think Brodie played the type of game he had to play to give us a chance to win.

After facing the Raiders on Sunday, the Chiefs face a pair of tough NFC East opponents as they take on the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in successive weeks. Several reports suggest that Haley is now weighing his options and trying to decide whether Cassel would benefit more from an extra week of rehab or getting a game under his belt.

Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer specializing in travel, poker and NFL football handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Broncos Defense Dominates Browns

After a horrible NFL preseason, the Denver Broncos have actually looked pretty good since starting the 2009 regular season campaign. On Sunday, the Broncos used a tough defense and QB Kyle Ortons efficient and mistake free play to top the Cleveland Browns 27-6. The Broncos also had a productive running game, and outgained the Browns by a margin of 449 yards to 200.

Individuals with an interest in playing a bet on NFL football were rewarded by backing Denver as -3 home favorites, and the Broncos easily covered the pointspread. The Broncos are now 2-0 both straight up and to the number, while the Browns dropped to 0-2 straight up and against the spread.

Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil led the effort with four sacks in one half, tying a Denver franchise record. Veteran linebacker Andrea Davis marveled at his teammates performance:

“Man, that was amazing. You don’t see a guy get four sacks in one half. He really turned it on.”

Dumervil maintained that hes still not 100% comfortable in the Broncos new 3-4 defensive set:

“Yeah, I guess I’m a linebacker now. It’s fun, though. I get to play linebacker and I still get to do what I love — rush the passer. I’ve found my niche. … It makes me a complete player.”

Denver coach Josh McDaniels added his praise for Dumervil:

“You are reaching for him but he can get his hands on you first and he’s got leverage and he can get underneath you and just push you back to the quarterback. His skills set is pretty much alone in this league.”

Browns coach Eric Mangini dismissed suggestions that hed consider benching QB Brady Quinn, saying that he was looking for improvement throughout the entire team:

What I’m looking to do is play better across the board. The offense had nothing to do with the two long defensive plays. That’s a risk you take when you blitz.”

The Browns have scored only one touchdown in their last 33 quarters of football, while Denver has allowed only one touchdown so far this season.

Cleveland will face another tough defense on the road this weekend, heading to Baltimore for a game against the Ravens. The Browns are a +13 road underdog in that contest, with the total set at 38. Theyll return home to play in-state rival Cincinnati the following Sunday before traveling to upstate New York to face the Buffalo Bills on October 11th.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Burnley Shocks English Premier League Champion Manchester United

The English Premier League season is only a couple of weeks old, but newly promoted Burnley has already pulled off what may be the biggest upset of the season in all of European soccer. In their first home game at the top level of English soccer in 33 years, Robbie Blake scored early in the game and Burnley held on to upset reigning league champions Manchester United before 20,000 jubilant fans at their Turf Moor home pitch.

The Clarets were putting good pressure on Man U goaltender Ben Foster early in the game, and Blake made their effort pay at the 18 minute mark when he scored on a near post volley. Man U would hold a 19-9 shots on goal advantage for the game, and hold a lopsided 67%/33% time of possession edge.

Still, Burnley would hold the advantage on the big scoreboard at the end of the game thanks to the steady play of their netminder Brian Jensen who withstood the Man U onslaught to preserve the historic victory. Afterwards, Burnley manager Owen Coyle commended Man U general Sir Alex Ferguson with his graciousness in defeat:

“Sir Alex dealt with defeat in the gracious manner I would expect of someone like that. He is the best manager in world football and I still expect Manchester United to be champions.”

Burnley has been the favorite to be relegated back to the Champions League, and they looked like they didnt belong after a 2-0 opening game loss to Stoke City. Coyle spoke of the teams naysayers in his postgame comments:

“One or two have already written us off. I am not surprised about that. When you look at the financial side, we will have to produce every week. Outside this club, everybody looked at our first five games and expected we would be on zero points. We were disappointed on Saturday and we needed to be brave this time. Now we have a massive game on Sunday against Everton, although whatever happens we are three points better off than we were at this stage in the Championship last season.”

Sir Alex Ferguson conceded that his team didnt play well, but wasnt about to minimize Burnleys victory:

“It was a bad performance considering the chances and possession we had. Maybe if we had got the penalty just before half time it would have made a difference but in saying that we were too frivolous with the chances we had. It has been a long time out of the top flight for them and you cannot deny them their victory.”

Burnley will host Everton this weekend and Manchester United will hit the road to face Wigan at DW Stadium.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Jets’ Sanchez Hopes To Play Despite Knee Pain

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has been a crucial factor in the teams 2-0 start, showing a poise and head for the game very rare for NFL newcomers. Still, there wasn’t much worry at the revelation that hes suffering from tendinitis in his right knee. The Jets announced Sanchez’s injury on Thursday, and hes listed as probable on the official NFL injury report.

Sanchez practiced on Thursday, and though he was seen stopping to stretch and rub his right knee on a few occasions didn’t seem to suffer any impairment in his mobility. He participated in the entire practice, and there didn’t appear to be any sort of effort to prepare Kellen Clemens to assume the starting role.

After practice, Jets head coach Rex Ryan confirmed the injury while downplaying its significance:

“It’s not that big a deal. He has something. I don’t know how to describe it than just to say its a little tendinitis. But, he’s fine. I mean, he fully participated and moved around great, I thought.”

New York offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was even more emphatic in his statement:

“Mark’s totally fine.”

Ryan then added a sarcastic note that brought laughs from the assembled media: “Make sure he’s on that list. I don’t mean anything by that.”

Ryan was referring to the Jets receiving a fine from the NFL for not properly disclosing injuries to then-QB Brett Favre late last season. Favre was suffering from a torn biceps tendon, though the team didnt list him on the official NFL injury report. The team was fined $75,000 while GM Mike Tannenbaum and former coach Eric Mangini were each fined $25,000 each.

The Jets are less optimistic about the condition of cornerback Donald Strickland, who is suffering from a sprained right ankle. Ryan didnt offer much positive indication that hed be able to see action on Sunday:

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to play this week. I’m not declaring him out right now, but I don’t think there’s any way he’s playing this week.”

The Jets host the Tennessee Titans at the Meadowlands this Sunday afternoon. After that, the Jets will take to the road for their next two games. Theyll play the New Orleans Saints on October 4th before heading to south Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins the following Monday night.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on soccer betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

BC Lions Send Toronto To Ninth Straight Home Loss

The Toronto Argonauts appeared to be on the verge of breaking their eight game home losing streak, entering the fourth quarter with a 25-14 lead over the BC Lions. Unfortunately, they ended up on the wrong end of a 36-28 final score that ran their streak of futility at the Rogers Centre to nine games. It was also Toronto’s ninth consecutive loss to BC. BC improved to 3-4 with the victory, while Toronto’s record slipped to 2-5.

Lions head coach Wally Buono was quick to dismiss suggestions that his team ’stole’ a win:

“I’m not going to apologize for playing well in the second half. If we play any kind of football in the first half maybe we don’t have to do this. That’s football. Nobody asks you at the end of the day whether you stole a win, they ask you how many games did you win? The game is 60 minutes.”

Lions QB Jarious Jackson agreed:

“I don’t feel like we stole one at all. I feel like we went out and played like we should’ve played in the second half. Most of the first half we were trying to manage the game, trying to see what they were doing defensively. Offensively, you definitely want to manage the game until you know what the defence is going to call in some situations. It took us the first half but I think in the second half we kind of were able to predict what they were going to do and I think we did a good job of countering it.”

Toronto was generally pleased with the play of their replacement starting QB Cody Pickett. Pickett was named the starter after a dismal performance by Kerry Joseph the previous week against Montreal. Placekicker Justin Medlock also shined in defeat, tying a team record with 7 field goals. After the game, Pickett was less concerned about his performance than his teams struggles:

“It’s 20/20 that we needed to score another touchdown. Whatever we’re doing right now isn’t getting the job done.”

Argos head coach Bart Andrus was pleased with Picketts play in the losing cause:

“That was an ideal performance. Cody threw it well, was accurate and didn’t turn it over. The bottom line is we didn’t finish that one. When we do get it right for 60 minutes, it’s going to be a great thing.”

BC will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers next Friday night. Toronto has a bye week before theyll return to action against the Calgary Stampeders on August 28th.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer specializing in travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Jets Thump Texans Behind Rookie QB Sanchez

New York Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez tracked down NFL legend Joe Namath before the game looking for a pep talk and some pointers. He didn’t exactly get what he’d bargained for from Broadway Joe, but what the NFL Hall of Famer told him may have had a more beneficial effect. Sanchez looked very decidedly not like a rookie as he threw for 272 yards and a touchdown against one interception. More importantly, the Jets easily beat the host Houston Texans 24-7.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who took the Jets as +4 road underdogs cashed their tickets with the outright win. New York improved to 10-8 ATS as an underdog over the past three NFL seasons. The combined 31 points scored went UNDER the posted total of 44.

After the game, Sanchez recounted what Namath had told him in his ersatz pep talk:

“What a pep talk. That was Joe Namath, just taking all the credit from himself and throwing it back to me and just saying, ‘Good luck.’ To hear that from a legend like that, it just kind of gives you the chills. It was something special to be a part of, an emotional start, an emotional little pep talk.”

For his part, Namath said he wasnt surprised to see Sanchez have such a solid NFL debut:

“No, I was hopeful and I’m satisfied more than I thought I’d be. His offensive line did a hell of a job, but he did a great job of finding time with his feet, just to move subtly … I don’t doubt even a little bit that he doesn’t have poise at this stage.”

The Jets defense also had a great afternoon. New York outgained Houston 462-183, and the Texans made it past midfield only once in the first three quarters. The Jets run defense was particularly stifling, holding Steve Slaton to just 17 yards on the ground. Afterwards, Slaton couldnt believe what had just happened:

“It’s just insane. You work for six months leading up to this first game. You have all offseason to prepare for this game and then to come out and play like that is upsetting.”

Texans coach Gary Kubiak took the blame for his teams substandard showing:

“The offensive football team gave us no chance and that starts with me. There’s nobody that can feel anything good coming out of this football game.”

Houston will start from scratch on Sunday as they travel to Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans. The Texans will return home for games the following two weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders. The Jets will play their next two games at home, beginning this weekend against the New England Patriots. Theyll welcome the Tennessee Titans to the Meadowlands the following week.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.