We have settled into the swing of the World Cup now ... re-learned how to program the DVD recorder so that we don't have to get up at 4am, and learned to mute the insane buzzing noise of the vuvuzela and re-familiarised ourselves with the competition format and progression rules. We've had a few surprises, upsets and controversial results in the second week of the World Cup's group stage - here's an overview of what's happened, and what is to come.

 Punters' Cup

There have been a couple of subtle changes in World Cup betting odds based on the outcomes of the Group Stage matches so far ... subtle, but telling! Here's how the only numbers that matter are currently looking:

• Spain are no longer clear favourites - they are currently placed pretty evenly along with Argentina and Brazil at around 5.50 - 6.0
• North Korea is now the only team with odds above 1501.0 ... some places are offering 2001.0 to 1
• Australia's odds have lengthened to around 750 at most betting centres, although some sports books are still offering 101.0
• Two of the biggest teams that are actually seen to be living up to expectations are Argentina and Holland ... hint, hint!

 Reporter's Cup

Wooo ... people are getting angry at some of the controversial and disappointing occurrences in the World Cup! Here's what they're reporting:

• Many Tweeters are reporting the vuvuzela has been banned. Not yet ... they are just trying to get you to click their links. Don't fall for it!
• The referee in the recent US-Slovenia match that failed to award a goal to the US where many feel it was due is likely to be dropped by FIFA for the remainder of the tournament ... although there is no recourse for the US.
• Patrice Evra,  the captain of the French team, described their 2-0 loss to Mexico as a 'punch that we never saw coming'. Nicolas Anelka has been discharged from the French team after making, and then refusing to apologise for, a massive verbal rant at the Mexican captain.
• The final round of World Cup group stage matches is considered at highest risk of match fixing, and will be scrutinised by FIFA.

 

Tweeter's Cup

Since I don't speak Spanish, Italian, French or Japanese, I can't guarantee that these are the funniest, most relevant and thought-provoking World Cup tweets available. But they would have to come close...

~~~ patsch06 RT @Rove1974: Why can't we just win? Now I have to use maths to work out if we can make it or not. Maths! This is sport for crying out loud! #worldcup

~~~  _ abeer61aj RT @theunlikelyfan: I am the guy at the barbecue/party forcing you to talk about the #WorldCup. Three more weeks is all I ask. Shhhhhh. Just give me this.

~~~ ScoreHints #WorldCup #Sweden Only want to watch the delayed telecast if your team wins? WWW.SCOREHINTS.COM

~~~ serenosaur Will probably miss #worldcup tomorrow due to #warriordash! I can't wait to get my viking hat! >:D

 

 

 

 

Despite having slightly longer odds at most betting agencies, the LA Lakers have taken out the 2010 NBA finals crown ... woo hoo! It was an ultra-close final 7, and an ultra-close final game to top it all off. For those that like the feeling of sitting on the edge of the seat, the NBA playoffs finals provided plenty more excitement than those disappointing conference semifinals. Here's how it went down!

 

Game recap

Final score:

Boston Celtics 79

LA Lakers 83

 

Point scorers:

• Kobe Bryant, 23 points
• Paul Pierce, 18 points
• Pau Gasol, 18 rebounds
• Paul Pierce, 10 rebounds

 

The Lakers were constantly struggling to get ahead in the game ... but in the end Artest, Gasol and Bryant hit a dream run of points and free throws to clinch the match and the NBA finals.

 

Odds On, Odds Off…

The Lakers odd were around 1.87 - 2.16 when they won their final match ... so congrats to all that cleaned up on the team with the longer odds!

 

Cheers and Jeers

• Apparently the Lakers aren't content with their two wins in two years ... everybody, the team included, is talking abut a 'three-peat' already! Sit back and enjoy for a bit, people!
• Apparently many business owners in blocks surrounding the arena where the Lakers played the winning game woke to mornings of smashed windows, minor arson and motor vehicle damage ... sigh.
• Much of the talk around the Lakers now surrounds the upcoming draft, who'll be staying and who'll be going. Derek Fisher may leave the Lakers (although the pundits don't think that's wise), while Andrew Bynum's injury run may spell seeing his backside from the Laker's office door.
• The Celtic's performance is still being lauded - they had a surprisingly good run through the playoffs, and many are reporting it as 'just one win short'.

 

The Tweet-Offs

Twitter hasn't run as hot with NBA news since the World Cup matches started (which is a bit of a pity for the Lakers and the Celtics!). But people have been pretty quick to jump on the Lakers bandwagon ... Celtics fans are strangely quiet on the micro-blogging platform!

--- kikibby562 Q:LA LAKERS! A:NBA Champions<3.

--- DavidLMcConnell Lakers beat all the haters and Boston bean-loving Celtics. (Truthfully they were worthy adversaries.) But we now expect a "three-peat"!

--- gastonia2695 Waking up with disgust, Lakers won - how unhappy it makes me

--- traditionalbill So La celebrates Lakers victory with rampaging violence and burning taxi's. In other words, like a typical liberal protest march...   (Party pooper!)

 

 

 

We're certainly in the thick of Cup fever now ... holed up under blankets on the couch, awake at all hours of the night, and with a massive fever ... a fever which comes from getting hot under the collar yelling at the television, anyway! Today we check out some of the highlights of the next 3 days matches, and make some bold (and some not very bold!) predictions.

 

Match of the Day June 20^th: Italy vs New Zealand

These two teams have met only once before and it was actually a pretty close match ... Italy scored 4 goals, but New Zealand scored 3. Barrack for them today - it may well make a difference!

 

Top match comment:

"I think Italy will come on to the pitch overly confident and be struck by an amazing kiwi team out of nowhere 2-1 to kiwis!"

 

Betting odds:

Italy: 12.0 - 19.0

New Zealand: 1001.0 - 2001.0

 

Match of the Day June 21^st: Portugal vs North Korea

In a match with similar history to the Italy-New Zealand lineup above, these two team have met before in a relatively close matchup - but have a massive disparity in odds. Ronaldo's telling everyone not to count Portugal out ... but we feel betting on this World Cup match could just be a great investment!

 

Top match comment:

" The return of 1966 World Cup."

 

Betting odds:

Portugal: 26.0 - 29.0

North Korea: 1001.0 - 2001.0

 

Match of the Day June 22^nd : France vs South Africa

France has won two of the matchups for this pair, with one left over as a draw. However, South Africa has that home court advantage, have won 3 of their last games and are riding on adrenaline...

 

Top match comment:

"Watch S. Africa win this one... I expect S. Africa to advance to the round of 16. France... WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!?"

 

Betting odds:

France: 15.0 - 29.0

South Africa: 126.0 - 151.0

 

 

 

 

We're only a few days into the World Cup ... and for those that pay no attention to any country apart from Australia, we're about 72 hours into it!  The Group Stage really is action-packed, with 3 games per day for the first two busy weeks. Today we check out some of the interesting upcoming matches from June 16^th onwards.

 

Match of the Day June 16^th: Spain vs Switzerland

A 15 to nil record in favour of France makes this a pretty certain sort of match.  These teams have drawn three times though, and Switzerland has scored 15 goals to Spain's 45 - so should at least be interesting to watch.

 

Top match comment:

" The Swiss will not be happy to have to play such a great team in their first game and will lose my a large margin. They may also find the nice hot weather a bit hard to handle."

 

Betting odds:

Spain: 4.50 - 5.50

Switzerland: 151.0 - 301.0

 

Match of the Day June 17^th: France vs Mexico

Their head to head record is again pretty one-sided - France has recorded 5 wins in men's A series over Mexico and one draw, with a total of 15 French goals to 4 Mexican. Youch! However, Mexico is coming off the back of 2 wins and a draw, while France's last two matches have been a loss and a draw. What do the punters think?

 

Top match comment:

" France really need to get the tactics right this time. If we can take our chances more in this game, a bit more clinical finishing, and do not start with Govou, then we can definitely win the game."

 

Betting odds:

France: 15.0 - 29.0

Mexico: 67.0 - 101.0

 

Match of the Day June 18^th: England vs Algeria

England is coming off the back of two wins and a draw, with Algeria coming off the back of 3 losses. England are confident ... perhaps too confident?

 

Top match comment:

" England WILL win provided our strikers do not go on an 86 minute fag- break again. Rob Green will not concede."

 

Betting odds:

England: 6.50 - 10.0

Algeria: 301.0 - 2001.0

 

Match of the Day June 19^th: Ghana vs Australia

The Aussies are a lot more hopeful than they were against Germany, but there are plenty of voices out there warning not to underestimate Ghana...

 

Top match comment:

"Angry, yes. Determined, yes. But Aus had never been much of a goalscorer and with only two strikers that won't change."

 

Betting odds:

Ghana: 67.0 - 81.0

Australia: 101.0 - 401.0

 

 

 

 

 

There have been a lot of people in one the Indo-Pacific side of the globe waving the flag for the World Cup at all hours of the night this week. The first days of the World Cup are always a little messy, always filled with emotion across the globe as early exists are made to the tune of the zuzuvela. Here's a quick rundown of World Cup basics for the first week.  

 

 

'Cotelindae Africanus'

 

Punters' Cup

Finally, the only part of the World Cup that most of us can actually get physically involved in! The bookies opinions are precious in themselves ... not least because they show at least five teams placed well below Australia in the rankings. Phew! You can check out the entire World Cup betting odds listing for a more comprehensive view - here are the highlights:

• Spain, Holland, England, Brazil and Argentina are all placed below the 10.0 mark
• Spain are the current favourites, with odds of 4.75 at most World Cup betting centres
• Algeria, New Zealand and North Korea are the worst-placed teams (or perhaps the best, in the event of a mass fireball that takes out all European and South American teams...), with odds of over 2000 to 1.
• Australia's odds are around 401 at most betting centres. That puts us higher than the teams listed above, as well as Greece and Honduras. But that's about all...

 

Reporter's Cup

At this busy stage of the World Cup there's a lot to report! Here are some of the highlights:

• People are loving the official World Cup 2010 theme song ... 'so much better than Shakira' and 'much more inspirational than that horrible, nightmarish 'Tubthumping' have been some comments observed on Youtube. Just sayin...
• The vuvuzelas, those deafening, horrible plastic horns that have dominated this World Cup, have been tested at 127 decibels. Exposure to noise levels over 100 decibels foor more than 15 minutes causes hearing damage. You can also download a less noisy iPhone app mimicking the sound though.
• Tin Cahill was reported as being 'a mask of raw emotion and his eyes welling with anguish' after learning that he'll possibly be suspended for the rest of the Group D stage.
• The media has been just as harsh on the Australian team's performance in general. Won’t stop millions of us watching or betting on the World Cup, though!
• Jong Tae Se, a North Korean soccer star known as 'The People's Rooney', is being touted as making North Korea an outside chance to advance in the World Cup. So, a bet on one of the 2001.0 odds teams may end up paying off ... ?

 

Tweeter's Cup

Wow ... the World Cup is a truly global effort, not just in terms of football, but also in terms of Tweeting! Just type #worldcup into Twitter, wait a few minutes and watch the 'Tweets since you started searching' build up. Here's a very recent selection!

 

~~~ phetched Maybe these goalies would be better at catching the ball if they weren't wearing Hamburger Helper hands. Just sayin'. #worldcup #noodles

~~~  _witt Even I can score more than Aus #worldcup

~~~ NielsDC I only just now realized that a soccer ball magically appears next to the #worldcup hashtag  (Small things...)

~~~ manny_miles #WorldCup Hack: A Simple Fix to Eliminate That Annoying Vuvuzela Horn - http://is.gd/cPs69 via @Alyssa_Milano, others..

Given the record in the conference finals, it looks as if tonight's game will be the last one of the NBA Playoffs ... and it also looks very much like Boston will probably create a repeat version of the conference finals history. However, the Lakers have the home court advantage for this match, and that's made a difference in the past ... it'll be a nail biter, and today we check in to see which way it might go!

 

 

 

 

 

Will this face start to become a familiar sight?

 

 

NBA Finals Games So Far

There was a lot of nastiness in the reporting over the conference semifinals - it seems that a bit of bad luck in basketball can break whole careers. Then we saw what desperation to avoid that situation could do for a team in the conference finals. Will that spill over into the Lakers' performance tonight? Hmmm...

 

Current standings:

NAB Finals

Boston Celtics: 3

LA Lakers: 2

 

Odds On, Odds Off…

There's certainly a range of opinions expressed in payout terms over what tonight's outcome will be.

 

Boston Celtics vs LA Lakers

Lakers: 1.87 - 2.16

Celtics: 1.74 - 1.97

 

Cheers and Jeers

• Okay ... perhaps we can concede to the wisdom of the Associated Press, who last time we met were predicting a Lakers-Celtics final. Perhaps they should just let the journalists decide who's going to win the NBA Finals, and skip the games altogether?  
• If you haven't yet seen it, check out the video of Paul Pierce accidentally punching the referee in the face during game 4, instead of punching the air in celebration. As Mastercard would say ... Priceless!
• It seems that massive advertising airplay time during the NBA Finals does not always a box office hit maketh ... Grown Ups with Adam Sandler and Co has been drilled during the Finals ads, but Brandfreak reminds us what was in the same position last year - it was Year One.  What? Exactly.

It could be the last games of the conference finals coming up very soon … yikes! There's one thing to be thankful for, though, and that is the fact that the conference finals weren't as much a clean sweep as the semi-finals were for most teams. Heads rolled after those performances - and I for one felt terrible that a couple of piece of bad luck out of quite good playoff performances could have such harsh repercussions for so many!

 

Conference Finals Games So Far

Thank Dog the conference finals have turned out to be more interesting than the pundits expected! Jameer Nelson scored 24 of Orlando's 113 points in the last Eastern conference game, and Dwight Howard got 32 for the Magic in the previous matchup. Westside, Amar'e Stoudamire took the Suns to their first wins of the Conference finals, but in the last matchup Kobe Bryant's points and assists proved too much for the Suns.

 

Current standings:

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics: 3

Orlando Magic: 2

 

Western Conference

LA Lakers: 3

Phoenix Suns: 2

 

Odds On, Odds Off…

Nobody wants to call the Lakers and Suns game! There's a bit more of variance in odds for the Magic/Celtics game … does your gut feeling match up with the bookies'?

 

Orlando Magic v Boston Celtics

Magic: 1.90 - 1.97

Celtics: 1.87 - 1.92

Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns

Lakers: 1.91 - 1.91

Suns: 1.91 - 1.91

 

Cheers and Jeers

• So, despite the fact that even the Associated Press were anticipating a Lakers-Celtics final last time we posted, there have been some interesting developments. Told you it wouldn't be that straightforward!
• Apparently Tom Thibodeau's future rests on a game six win for the Celtics. Gosh, basketball writers can be drama queens!
• People may not like the Cavaliers, but they love Lebron James… Bleacher Report published 10 reasons that Lebron James should becomes a New Orleans Hornet (rather than heading to New York or Chicago), including 'Most loyal and jubilant fans in sports', 'Chilling with Dwayne Carter', and because the next playoffs would then echo this years Saints win at the Superbowl :-)

 

 

The Tweet-offs

The Phoenix Suns have a lotta love in the Twittersphere … 'Suns lost' even made it into the Trending Topics list for today. Here's what the rabble thought…

 

--- OT3PLUT RT @flymrwhite: The Suns played hard but the #LAKERS won...Period. Get Over It and stop hatin. You look dumb if your makin excuses

--- jacemck @RealGranthill33 LA's gotta be terrified of a game 7 after that one. Go Suns

--- lanova33 Gonna get a 60 minute full body massage RIGHT NOW!! Need it after that Suns game...\

--- hydro88wr The score for the lakers-suns game is tickin me off

 

 

 

I don't think anybody (even the Bayern Munich players ;-)) could begrudge Inter Milan this UEFA Champions League Cup. It's their first UEFA Champions League Cup in 45 years, and also special because they achieved a continental treble (winning their domestic league competition, domestic cup competition, and also the UEFA cup). Inter Milan will go on to challenge Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup soon enough, and have guaranteed themselves a spot in the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Lets check out how it all went down!

 

The High Points

• There was no clear favourite before kickoff time … despite a slight shift in the odds in favour of Inter.
• The first goal was scored by Diego Milito, with help from Julio Cesar (Inter's unusually active goalie) and Wesley Sneijder.
• Hamit Altintop's near goal attempt was stopped by Julio Cesar early in the second half
• Milito again scored a goal, this time assisted by Samuel Eto'o.
• Bayern visibly lost their drive after the second goal

 

The Gossip

• Diego Milito is being widely reported as a 'Rocky lookalike'! I'm not sure if he'd consider that a compliment… but am guessing that since he just won Inter their first cup in 45 years, he doesn’t really care :-)
• Next year's UEFA Champions League will have 2 extra assistant referees, just as the Europa League did this year.
• Jose Mourinho threatened to cry if the journalists made him talk too much about leaving Inter … I'm surprised nobody took up the challenge!

 

 

The League of Tweeters

At least some people are taking a bit of time to rejoice, instead of rushing ahead to the next title…

--- keletsomayisa Inter milan has won the uefa champions league yeeeeaaaahhhhh!!!......

--- Kareem1993 Milito owned bayern munich's ass last night inter milan won the italian cup, uefa champions league and italian league :)

--- nkashokbharan Inter Milan have won the UEFA Champions League after beating Bayern Munich 2-0 in the finals. It's the Jose effect! - great manager, he is!

--- YowH final uefa champions league next moring!.bayern v inter.hope inter lost :P

 

Hopefully you've all called in sick to work … cancelled your dinner plans … and arranged at least a couple of mates to stay up until 4am, watching the UEFA Champpions League finals cup! For the Inter Milan fans, it's going to be a big one - they'll need everybody they can get cheering them on (LIVE!) as they head to the possibility of their first UEFA Champions League cup in around 45 years. And I suppose Bayern might like to feel some friendly vibes too! You'll also want to see where your punting dollar is going … so here's where you can watch the UEFA Champions League Cup live, as well as the official lineup for the match.

 

Where to watch

On television

If you’re in Australia, the most comfortable place to watch (and also the cheapest), will be live on SBS, the official channel of the world game here. In fact, no matter where you are in the world, there's bound to be at least a little bit of live coverage of the finals. At 4am on the morning of Sunday the 23^rd, the finals match will be broadcast. The only dilemma then is how to avoid falling asleep on the comfy couch!

 

On the official UEFA site

This is pay-per-view, but if you won't have access to a television or they aren't broadcasting locally on television, it's also a good option. At least you get the whole match, the official commentary, and guaranteed live action.

 

http://www.livesoccertv.com

The servers are a bit slow, but the site's pretty good!

 

The lineups

Lineups are one of the most tightly guarded secrets in soccer, it seems … I think I'd have an easier time trying to find out the 11 secret herbs and spices in KFC chicken! It is only 11 hours until the game, and the official lineups are yet to be published. So, here are some of the players we are fairly certain will be playing tonight:

 

For Bayern

• Mark van Bommel
• Bastian Schweinsteiger
• Arjen Robben

 

For Inter Milan

• Javier Zanetti
• Estaban Cambiasso
• Wesley Sneijder

 

These are the players that have been speaking about their upcoming match, anyway. Guess we'll get a couple of surprises in a row!

 

We'll be back in a couple of days with a wrap up of the final match, shirts over our faces either way!

 

 

 

 

We could be as far as halfway into the best-of-7 matches of the Conference Finals … possibly only a couple of games away from finding out which teams have made it all the way! There have been a few clean sweeps and concurrent upsets in this year's NBA Playoffs, and it's entirely possible that there'll be just as much (entertaining!) vitriole once the Conference Finals are over. Today we check out what might just happen next week!

 

Conference Finals Games So Far

In the Conference semifinals we saw every single one of the matchups finishing at 4 games for the winning team … and all but one of the four matchups were clean sweeps! Perhaps the 'luck' of those games is weighing on the minds of the Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns, both of whom are currently sitting at nil to 2.

 

Current standings:

Eastern Conference

Boston Celtics: 2

Orlando Magic: 0

 

Western Conference

LA Lakers: 2

Phoenix Suns: 0

 

Odds On, Odds Off…

Despite being two games into the Conference Finals round, the numbers haven’t changed much form the start! The bookie's estimation of the Lakers and Suns has switched, but they won’t be budged from their Boston/Orlando opinion.  Here's how rich you'll be when your hunch pays off…

 

Orlando Magic v Boston Celtics

Magic: 1.91 - 1.97

Celtics: 1.87 - 1.95

Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns

Lakers: 1.85 - 1.92

Suns: 1.91 - 2.02

 

Cheers and Jeers

• Referee Joe de Rosa lost his entire game's pay for throwing the ball to a fan during the last Celtics/Magic match. He must not have known …
• Much ado is being made of Paul Pierce's performances against the Magic … talk is that the low scoring totals by Pierce against Cleveland meant that Orlando seriously underestimated Pierce.
• There isn't much confidence in either a Suns or Magic comeback in the press generally … even the Associated Press are reporting that the wait is on for a Lakers-Celtics final. Where's your imagination?!

 

 

The Tweet-offs

You get the most honest opinions in 140 characters … here's this week's!

--- germangirlatl3 Na Na Na Na...Hey Hey Hey...goodbye #Cavs. Great job during the season guys but the playoffs? Not so much. The NBA, where buh-bye happens.

--- kato3000 Q:Who do you think is gonna go all the way in the nba playoffs?... A:the celtics http://formspring.me/kato3000/q/575792136

--- NBAMVP RT @Taal73: I think the NBA playoffs shouldnt be so spaced out!

--- BigDipAFB #TRUESTORY I'M MORE HYPE ABOUT THE NBA OFF SEASON THEN THE REST OF THE PLAYOFFS (Note: Spoilsport!!)