Back Brazil @
5/2 to win the
World Cup.....2/7
to win
Group F......
bet with
BLUESQUARE
Back Croatia @
66/1 to win the
World Cup.....11/2
to win
Group F......
bet with
BLUESQUARE
The Brazilian
23-man squad contained 11 players who played in Asia four years ago, but
with a different coach in Carlos Alberto Parreira plus a new style of
play this time. A new crop of talented stars like Adriano and Robinho,
making what was already a very strong side potentially even stronger.
They topped the South American World Cup qualifying group with 34 points
from 18 games, ahead of Argentina on goal difference. Brazil have no
injuries or suspensions as they bid for a record sixth world title.
Croatia based
their team with a good mixture of youth and experience, both are equally
adept in both attack and defence. Igor Tudor in defence, striker Dado
Prso up front while both Kovac brothers (Robert and Niko) and midfielder
Darijo Srna add further quality to the team. They topped Group 8 of the
European Zone, relegating much fancied Sweden team to the play-offs in
the process. They are without injured striker Ivica Olic(thigh strain).
Brazil are spoiled
for choices not only having so much talents in their squad but players
who have hit form at the right moment. Should justify their favourite
tag to lift this edition of the world cup. But @ a 1 1/4 ball handicap
to a decent team like Croatia makes this encounter a much closer affair.
Gone were those days when they as well as the Argentineans used to
overwhelm their opponents.
Back Croatia on
a + 1 1/4 ball in Asian Handicap @ 2.10 with
Bet365
Brazil :
coach Carlos Alberto Parreira
Goalkeepers: 1 DIDA(AC
Milan, ITA), 12 ROGERIO CENI(Sao
Paulo, BRA), 22 JULIO CESAR(Inter,
ITA)
Defenders: 2 CAFU(AC
Milan, ITA), 3 LUCIO(Bayern
Munich, GER), 4 JUAN(Bayer
Leverkusen, GER, 6 ROBERTO CARLOS(Real
Madrid, ESP), 13 CICINHO(Real
Madrid, ESP),
14 LUISAO(Benfica,
POR), 15 CRIS(Lyon,
FRA), 16 GILBERTO(Hertha
Berlin, GER)
Midfielders: 5 EMERSON(Juventus,
ITA), 8 KAKA(AC
Milan, ITA), 10 RONALDINHO(Barcelona,
ESP), 11 ZE ROBERTO(Bayern
Munich, GER), 17
GILBERTO SILVA(Arsenal,
ENG), 18 EDMILSON(Barcelona,
ESP), 19 JUNINHO PERNAMBUCANO(Lyon,
FRA), 20 RICARDINHO(Corinthians,
BRA)
Forwards: 7 ADRIANO(Inter,
ITA), 9 RONALDO(Real
Madrid, ESP), 21 FRED(Lyon,
FRA), 23 ROBINHO(Real
Madrid, ESP)
Croatia :
coach Zlatko ‘Cico’ Kranjcar
Goalkeepers:
1 PLETIKOSA Stipe(Hajduk
Split, CRO), 12 DIDULICA Joe(Austria
Vienna, AUT), 23 BUTINA Tomislav(Club
Bruges, BEL)
Defenders: 3 SIMUNIC Josip(Hertha
Berlin, GER), 4 KOVAC Robert,(Juventus,
ITA) 5 TUDOR Igor(Siena,
ITA), 7 SIMIC
Dario(AC
Milan, ITA), 11 TOKIC Mario(Austria
Vienna, AUT), 13 TOMAS Stjepan(Galatasaray,
TUR)
Midfielders: 2 SRNA Darijo(Shakhtar
Donetsk, UKR), 6 VRANJES Jurica(Werder
Bremen, GER), 8 BABIC Marko(Bayer
Leverkusen, GER), 10 KOVAC Niko(Hertha
Berlin, GER), 14 MODRIC Luka(Dinamo
Zagreb, CRO), 15 LEKO Ivan(Club
Bruges, BEL), 16 LEKO Jerko(Dynamo
Kyiv, UKR), 19 KRANJCAR
Niko(Hajduk
Split, CRO), 20 SERIC Anthony(Panathinaikos,
GRE)
Forwards: 9 PRSO Dado(Rangers,
SCO), 17 KLASNIC Ivan(Werder
Bremen, GER), 18 OLIC Ivica(CSKA
Moscow, RUS), 21 BALABAN
Bosko(Club
Bruges, BEL), 22 BOSNJAK Ivan(Dinamo
Zagreb, CRO)
Probable
lineups:
Brazil (4-4-2)
1-Dida (86-0); 2-Cafu (145-0), 3-Lucio (50-2), 4-Juan (38-2), 6-Roberto
Carlos (127-10); 5-Emerson (72-1), 11-Ze Roberto (79-5), 8-Kaka (34-9),
10-Ronaldinho (66-30); 9-Ronaldo (98-62), 7-Adriano (34-22)
Croatia (3-4-1-2)
1-Stipe Pletikosa; 7-Dario Simic, 4-Robert Kovac, 3-Josep Simunic;
2-Darijo Srna, 5-Igor Tudor, 10-Niko Kovac, 8-Marko Babic; 19-Niko
Kranjcar; 17-Ivan Klasnic, 9-Dado Prso.
Referee:
Benito Archundia (Mexico)
Linesmen: Jose Ramirez (Mexico), Hector Vergara (Canada)
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