We are now only ONE week away from greatest show on earth (and it is despite what the Americans think!).   The 2010 World Cup kicks off when the hosts play Mexico in Johannesburg - Soccer City Fri 11 June 15:00 and I for one can't wait.

One of the reasons the blog entries have been quiet recently is because I have been doing some pretty detailed research on the last 3 word cups (times of goals, number of goals, correct scores, corners, bookings etc.) and what I am planning to do is a daily entry each day during the world cup identifying what I think will be key stats for the upcoming games!  Hopefully, this will assist us in our betting, boost our profits and make the world cup an even more enjoyable experience!

In the week before it all starts and to give you a "heads up" on the tournament,  I am happy to give you my World Cup Goals analysis spreadsheet.  I have looked at the last three word cups and analysed the goals which those tournaments have produced.  I have put up two versions of the file the (Excel 2003) World Cup Goals.xls (275.50 kb) & (Excel 2007) World Cup Goals1.xlsx (105.93 kb)

I have not personally used the 2003 version and some of the features / formats available in 2007 may not work but it should be fine (any problems please let me know).  I hope you enjoy and get something from this data...any problems let me know and I will do my best to solve them.

In the meantime, I have a problem and maybe someone can help me.....

I am confused as to WHY England are being quoted at 7/1 to win the World Cup and Holland(Netherlands) are quoted at 11/1.  Surely the bookmakers have got these odds the wrong way around or maybe they just think that they can't afford to put England up any higher as all us patriotic punters will smash into them.

Holland: 11/1

Ranked 4 in the World Fifa Rankings were the first European team to qualify winning all 8 games and only conceded 2 goals. 

Recently, smashed Ghana 4-1 (apparently it could have been many more).

Key players : Arjen Robben, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Rafael van der Vaart, Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder.

England: 7/1

Ranked 8 in the World Fifa Rankings done brilliantly in qualifying winning 9 out of their 10 games scoring 34 goals and only conceding 6. 

Recently, beat Japan 2-1 (two own goals and as we are coming into a major tournament warmed up with missing a penalty).

Key Players : Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe.

The only valid reason I can see for the price difference is because Holland are due to meet current World Cup favourites Brazil in the Quarter Finals but I for one can't leave it and have backed Holland at 11/1 as well as laying England at 7.6, 7.8, 8.0!

My next comment should be "I hope I am completely wrong and England win the whole thing" but I just can't bring myself to say that looking at the "Profit and Loss figures in Betfairs win market! 

Whatever happens let's hope it is a great World Cup and hopefully we can pinch a few quid from every game!