Dansportzblog

It’s been a while so here are some Tips

Daniel Azzopardi — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:10:33 +0000

Hello all, we’re back online after ages being offline. But we are now back online and looking to get back in to the swing of things. Just to get you all warmed up again, I’ve got a few little flutters on tomorrow mornings soccer, the Capital One Cup match between Chelsea and Manchester United and believe it or not 3 games from the Belgian Juplier League! First off, the Chelsea v Man Utd match. These two teams meet again just days after that infamous match that was marred/remembered mainly for the refereeing! Damn you Cluttenburg! Anyway even though the teams on the field this time round will probably be a lot different to the ones that took part over the weekend, I still expect there to be goals a plenty in this one! Looking back at these two’s recent matches, The last 4 Chelsea matches have been over 2.5 with 19 goals over those 4 games, and as for Man Utd, all their matches barr the 1st one against Everton have been over 2.5 goals this season. So my tip for this match is Over 2.5 goals. Now for my tips in the Belgian Juplier League: The first one is KRC Genk to win and game score over 2.5. Racing Genk are undefeated in their last 12 games as well as scoring at least 1 goal in each of those matches. Their last 4 home matches have resulted in 3 Over2.5 goals, with 1 only seeing 2 goals. Standard Liege have conceded at least one goal in each of their last 10 matches with 83% of Standard Liege’s matches seeing over 2.5 goals scored in total. All their last 4 Away matches have resulted in Over2.5 goals total, with Standard Liege losing 67% of their away matches. Second tip is Lokeren V Beveren to also go over 2.5 goals in total. 75% of Lokeren’s matches have had over 2.5 goals scored in total with Lokeren conceding at least one goal in all of their home matches. Lokeren’s last 4 home matches have resulted in 12 goals, with 3 of the 4 going over 2.5. Beveren’s last 4 away matches have also seen 12 goals scored, with 2 of the 4 going over 2.5 goals. Beveren have also conceded at least one goal in all of their away matches but have also scored at least one goal in 83% of their away matches. Final Tip is for Oud-Heverlee V KV Mechelen over 2.5 goals. This should be a closely contested match with teams sitting 6th and 9th respectively. Their last 4 games have resulted in over 2.5 goals in 2 and 3 of the games … Read On

Why the A-League is still a 3rd rate competition

Mickaa — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:00:18 +0000

The A-League and its administration would have everyone believe that the competition has been steadily growing in popularity and quality, and that it can only be called a success. Not so, in my view. There are numerous reasons why the A-League should still be considered a second or even third rate league. Don’t get me wrong; I strongly support a successful national league for football in Australia. I have also welcomed the recent successes of Australian clubs in the Asian Champions League. But despite this, if I look purely at the A-League itself, I shake my head in frustration. There are a fair few current issues faced by the A-League, one fundamental one being that the various teams have been set up as franchises rather than clubs. Although I recognise that you cannot expect to see a beginning club evolve to a professional club overnight – something that took decades to happen in European countries – and this being a result of the situation football in Australia was in when the A-League was set up, this still presents a big disadvantage for all A-League clubs, even before they start out. European clubs have had the benefit of a long history where football has been the dominant sport. As such, they have had the luxury of seeing a club from humble beginnings – founded perhaps by a handful of locals wanting to have a kick – gain support and success, and slowly but steadily grow into the professional organisations with large numbers of supporters they are today. The fundamental differences are obviously that in Europe, clubs grew from their own home ground, through the club culture they developed over time and of course through their on-field success. Compare that to Australian clubs, where clubs came from corporate bids and as such were lacking a home, a culture and a history. Clubs have had to ‘buy’ their fans, only taking advantage of the fact each club was from a different city to garner local support. These circumstances may be hard to overcome through anything but time; the damage was already done before clubs started out through no fault of their own. The fact remains however, that this has made it harder for people to identify with a club. The corporate nature of Australian clubs has also given them an air of putting big money before on-field success. The most obvious fact of this is the broadcasting agreement of the A-League – which in my view is the biggest mistake made in setting up the competition. In my point of view, the first thing you need to set up a professional sports competition, is an audience – … Read On

Saturday Night Multi

Daniel Azzopardi — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 08:00:46 +0000

After coming so close last night, only missing out on 1 leg with Borrusia Monchengladbach drawing at home, I’ve decided to have another go for tonight’s (sunday morning) games. Here is my Multi for tonight. Second Half – Highest Scoring Half @ 1.96 - Premier League, MANCHESTER CITY vs BLACKBURN ROVERS – 26 Feb 2012 04:30 First Half Result – Draw @ 2.18 - Premier League, ARSENAL vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR – 27 Feb 2012 00:30 CHELSEA @ 1.30 - Premier League, CHELSEA vs BOLTON WANDERERS – 26 Feb 2012 02:00 NEWCASTLE UNITED @ 1.57 - Premier League, NEWCASTLE UNITED vs WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS – 26 Feb 2012 02:00 Under (3.5) @ 1.27 - Premier League, WEST BROMWICH ALBION vs SUNDERLAND – 26 Feb 2012 02:00 Under (3.5) @ 1.28 - Premier League, WIGAN ATHLETIC vs ASTON VILLA – 26 Feb 2012 02:00 Over (1.5) @ 1.3 - Serie A, GENOA vs PARMA – 26 Feb 2012 04:00 Combined Dividend: 18.571 All the best of Luck with your best over the weekend! Let us know if you get any winnings!

Friday Night Multi

Daniel Azzopardi — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:27:48 +0000

Been a while since I’ve posted a multi on here, so I’ve decided to give this one a go. It’s just matches that taken place tomorrow morning (Saturday 25 Feb 2011). Bundesliga, BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH vs HAMBURGER SV- 25 Feb 2012 06:30 - BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH @ 1.71 Gouden Gids Divisie, FC DORDRECHT vs ALMERE CITY – 25 Feb 2012 06:00 - Over (2.5) @ 1.47 Gouden Gids Divisie, GO AHEAD EAGLES vs FC OSS – 25 Feb 2012 06:00 - Over (2.5) @ 1.48 Gouden Gids Divisie, STORMVOGELS TELSTAR vs FC ZWOLLE – 25 Feb 2012 06:00 - Over (2.5) @ 1.52 Primera Division Argentina, BELGRANO vs UNIÓN DE SANTA FE – 25 Feb 2012 09:10 - Under (2.5) @ 1.47 Eredivisie, RKC WAALWIJK vs VITESSE – 25 Feb 2012 06:00 - Under (3.5) @ 1.34 Combined Dividend: 11.139 All the best of luck and would love to hear if you have any tips for this weekend!

Wenger to be ‘promoted’

Shamim Hossain — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:01:48 +0000

Like most industries, the face of football has also changed. Has Wenger? Given his recently demostrated business sense, it certainly appears so. But as a Footabll Manager? He certainly knew what he was doing back in the day. Does he know about the game as much as he did back then? Does he know in which direction it is heading? Read On

A letter to Clive Palmer

PompeY2J — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:31:51 +0000

16 February 2012 Dear Mr C. Palmer, Mr C. Mensink and Mr G. Smith My name is Jay Stewart and I am a member of Gold Coast United Football Club. I have been a member of this club since foundation. However, it is unreasonable the way that the club has chosen to treat their fans, the people of the Gold Coast and the footballing community at large. Seemingly time and again, the club has chosen to alienate the very lifeblood of their club, the fans. While we may all be few in number, we continue to attend games, rain, hail or shine, almost regardless of what the club has chosen to do. This seemed to become irrelevant, involving not only myself but a large number of my fellow supporters, roughly six weeks ago. It was at this point that your club chose to question the intelligence of your supporters, closing the home end due to ‘unsavoury events’. Since this point in time, some of the most ardent supporters of the club have either stopped coming or found it very difficult to come and support the team. Furthermore, it has become increasingly difficult to put up with the rapidly dwindling crowd figure at Gold Coast United games. Our most recent game saw an official attendance of less than 2,000 people. What does the club intend to do about this problem? There has been little to no advertising or marketing of our upcoming games or our club. I have lost track of the number of times club members, fans and members of the general population have asked me when our next match is on. Put simply, nobody seems to know when we are playing. Repeating my earlier question, what is the club planning to do to address this issue? Just yesterday, it was revealed that Mitch Cooper, at the behest of Clive Palmer, would be captaining the side for our game against Melbourne Heart tomorrow. My question to the club is why? In one action, the club has managed to devalue the honour of being the captain of the club. This is one of the greatest honours a player can wish to achieve in their career, and it is being handed to a player, at the whim of the boss, just for a news story. I ask you one final question – in what direction do you want this club to head? Do you want to see this club die a slow death, playing in front of a handful of people before eventually just fading off, never to be remembered again, or do you want a club that we can all come watch, as we defeat … Read On

Handshakes and Sportsmanship in Sports

DreddedDeuce — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:09:31 +0000

“HUMILITY is the ABILITY to GIVE UP your PRIDE and still retain your DIGNITY. Don’t let NEGATIVE PEOPLE rent space in your head; RAISE THE RENT & KICK THEM OUT” – Unknown In reading a lot of responses coming from the snubbed handshake incident at Old Trafford, for every 10 people that are arguing about who flinched, what camera angles they saw, and so forth, there are at least 1 or 2 people who actually ask why should handshakes even still be a part of the game? It’s a very good question and has a simplistic answer. It’s all about good sportsmanship. The incident on Saturday between Evra and Suarez of course isn’t the first incident and certainly isn’t the last. However, it must be noted, that regardless of how people feel about players influencing younger minds, players are role models; public figures who are rightly or wrongly held to a higher standard than the ordinary Joe. Most of us try to teach our kids the importance of setting the example and doing things that set a standard for others to look up to and something as simplistic as a handshake is one of those things. Sports are always competitive and with many team rivalries, it’s important to show fans who watch, especially kids, that when all is said and done, it’s still just a game. To a certain degree, it may sound like some Sepp Blatter is being channeled into this but it’s not. There are indeed problems still within associated football that need attention but with what happened Saturday, there was a pivotal point to show that some of these problems were dealt with and move on. Whatever problems you may have with your competitor, it doesn’t need to overshadow the match. Play your A game and leave your issues for off the field, away from the cameras. Why was this handshake so important? Simply because, it would have shown growth and a willingness to move on regardless of what side of the situation one is on. Not to mention it’s all about a team’s image. Even Evra’s celebration at the other end of the match was tactless; it was almost rubbing it in the face which could have incited another incident. And even though Suarez apologised later, that action was more damage control for the benefit of Liverpool’s image as a TEAM than heartfelt. Yes, one is emotional before and after a game when you can win or lose but when you have the cameras on you, that is the time that you have no choice but to hold those emotions in check, and not think of self. Think about your … Read On

Soccer Multi of the week – 4 February 2012

Daniel Azzopardi — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:26:01 +0000

I know it’s been a while since I posted my multis, and even though I can’t write up a whole write up for this multi, here is my selection. Gone a bit conservative here in terms of odds compared to usual. Good Luck! ADO DEN HAAG vs AZ ALKMAAR – Over (1.5) @ 1.19 CAMBUUR LEEUWARDEN vs FC DORDRECHT – Over (2.5) @ 1.45 WIGAN ATHLETIC vs EVERTON – EVERTON (0.0) Asian H’Cap @ 1.54 STOKE CITY vs SUNDERLAND – SUNDERLAND (0.0) Asian H’Cap @ 2.40 WEST BROMWICH ALBION vs SWANSEA CITY – Under (3.5) @ 1.24 FC BARCELONA vs REAL SOCIEDAD – Over (2.5) @ 1.26 ATHLETIC BILBAO vs ESPANYOL – Over (1.5) @ 1.34 BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN vs VFB STUTTGART – Over (1.5) @ 1.21 HAMBURGER SV vs FC BAYERN MÜNCHEN – Over (1.5) @ 1.19 FC SCHALKE 04 vs 1. FSV MAINZ 05 – Over (2.5) @ 1.63 LEVANTE UD vs RACING SANTANDER – Under (3.5) @ 1.21 Combined Dividend: 37.918

Regional round: is it all it can be?

PompeY2J — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:49:12 +0000

With the completion of the match between the Melbourne Victory and Gold Coast United at Aurora Stadium, the regional round fixtures have been completed. While many have heralded the FFA’s community initiative by taking one round of matches to regional centres, it has to be asked whether the initiative is being utilised properly or whether it is doing all it can to promote possible expansion. It’s no secret that the FFA has had issues with expansion in the past. North Queensland Fury lasted only two seasons before they were folded, Gold Coast United have struggled with their crowd figures and a temperamental owner, while the planned Western Sydney franchise never took the field. It also isn’t too much of a stretch of the imagination to determine that the FFA will use regional fixtures to determine whether other centres warrant an A-League team. As a result, one would expect that the fixtures to be played are at potential future franchise locations, at a suitable time to ascertain whether a team there is viable or not. However, this hasn’t been the case. Of the five regional fixtures, four were played during midweek with the only exception being Melbourne Heart vs Wellington Phoenix in December. These timeslots usually draw poor attendances. In addition, the location of some of the matches is questionable. Both Bathurst and Morwell are unlikely to ever be candidate cities, with populations being below 50,000. Is it not wiser to take the games to larger population centres? While the decision to go to these cities is admirable, surely regions such as Wollongong, Canberra or Geelong would be more fruitful. I do not doubt that the FFA mean well by this community initiative, but it really needed to be more efficient – test out these potential markets before giving them a team. It is not impossible to keep the community engagement aspect, in fact it would work better in larger centres, but it would allow the FFA to expand, knowing that there is the potential for the local community to support the team. As a result of the first set of regional fixtures, I believe the following should happen to ensure the success of the concept. Ensure that the regional centre that the game is taken to is large enough to potentially support an A-League team in the future. More Canberra, less Morwell-sized cities. Ensure that matches are appropriately timed to allow the local community to attend. 5:30pm Wednesday kickoffs, such as the regional match in Campbelltown saw, aren’t suitable. Utilise the time to foster both community relations and to provide the thought in the minds of local residents that they may one day see … Read On

Roaring Back To Power

Neil Lawlor — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:02:56 +0000

22nd of December since my last post and haven’t we had some interesting happenings, both in the Brisbane Roar camp and results wise. We lost our derby match (again) to a controversial penalty. The player was clearly fouled but the location of the foul is to be disputed. Honestly, I have no idea because I have not re-watched that game after our terrible inability to score. Then there were the flares and fights afterwards, which apparently lead to Gold Coast closing 3 of the 4 stands (Sorry guys! We support the fans with this!). Next up was our glorious come back! 3-1 against Melbourne Victory. It always feels great beating them. Maybe because a good friend supports them, maybe because they are called ‘Victory’, I just don’t know but that win was amazing. On top of that though I got to first hand witness a Harry Kewell wonder strike which was amazing, but the greatest thing of all was Ivan Franjic. He is very weary of the supporters and often interacts with us. As soon as he scored the 3rd and final goal of the game he ignored all team mates and went straight to The Den, later announcing on Facebook and Twitter – “That goal was for all the supporters who have stuck with us through the good times and the bad times”. Oh dear. 3-3 with Perth Glory. I love Brisbane Roar and always will but this game was the worst display of football I have seen them play. Ever. It does deminstrait that you can’t turn your back on them, a lesson many teams have learnt, but none the less it was horrible. A great goalfest to end Big Wednesday – A hit if you ask me- but horrible game to be a Roar supporter. The greatest thing to come from this game was the Mitch Nichols wonder strike, luckily that game seemed to be a wake up call… 1-1 with Adelaide was once again a very interesting game and in my opinion Adelaide were lucky to walk away with 1 point. 4 issues stick out for me: 1) Our lack of ability to shoot on target – we seem to only be able to pass the ball to goal sometimes.. 2) Viscontes penalty. Or lack of. Not sure how that wasn’t one but ok sure… 3)Berisha’s “penalty”. I will admit I think it touched -not hit- his hand. The ball was heading off target and did not change direction from hitting his hand and did not lead in with his hand, it was up, out of the way until someone headed the ball that direction. Don’t ask why his hand … Read On