Will it be 1-0 to the Brazil at Arsenal tonight?

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Whisper it quietly but the mesmerising, seatbeltless Brazil who stylishly strutted their way to five World Cups by brushing aside anyone who dared to challenge them are fast becoming the masters of doing just enough.

Six of the Confederations Cup winners’ last 11 victories have come by a solitary goal, including their semi-final and final victories in that

Posted: March 2nd, 2010 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Will this be the year when England finally deliver?

We’re not convinced. Farewell 44 years of hurt, roll on 48!

This could well prove England’s best chance to win the World Cup in 20 years (we’re too scarred to wonder “what if” about the collapse against Brazil in 2002) but it still looks like they will come up short.

There’s no doubt that the Three Lions have the might coach in Fabio Capello, and for a second it looked like the team wasn’t too shabby either, but events so far this season haven’t been great preparation.

In goal, first-choice David James has been permanently crocked, second-choice Robert Green has endured a blip - his first since joining West Ham in 2006 - and third-choice Ben Foster has been awful.

Birmingham loanee Joe Hart has been the star performer but has just one cap, and if he took the number one jersey would be heading for the World

Posted: January 7th, 2010 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Five stats to help you bet on the Confederations Cup Final

USA/Brazil, Sunday 7.30pm, BBC Three, Best Odds, Free Bets

The reaction of the American media to their national side ending Spain’s 35-game unbeaten streak may have been unbearable but it would have been just as bad - if not worse - over here if England had done it. The USA have brought excitement to this pretty meaningless tournament over the past week and after watching Brazil stumble past South Africa last night in the other semi-final, they will fancy their chances of winning it. The bookies don’t though and some of the trends make it easy to see why:

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1. Brazil have won 14 of their 15 matches against USA (one after extra-time). The USA’s one win over the holders came in the 1998 Gold Cup Final, with former Everton winger Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic scoring the winner.

2. USA haven’t scored against Brazil in three previous Confederations Cup meetings, with Dunga’s side beating them 1-0 in 1999 and 2003 and winning 3-0 against them last Thursday.

Posted: June 26th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

USA are 7/2 to win the Confederations Cup after beating Spain’s invincibles

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chickendinner might not understand the purpose of the Confederations Cup but there’s no doubt that the USA have made sure it’s worth watching.

Four days ago they pulled off the six-goal swing needed to qualify from Group B having looking dead and buried and last night T-Ho, JdeM, C-Demp and the gang denied Spain the chance to extend their unbeaten run to 36 games, which would have set a new record in international football.

With Spain applying a lot of pressure, the Americans were still available at evens right before their second goal but memories of the European

Posted: June 25th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

USA may cause Italy problems as Group B gets underway

USA have a chance to prove they can challenge the “Big Three”

The standard of Group A - barring Spain of course - was perhaps even worse than we anticipated, so much so that there’s a possibility that no team other than the European champions will win a game there or potentially even score a goal. The opening Group B fixtures take place today and it should be more competitive, with both Brazil and Italy involved and Egypt and USA attempting to show that they are capable of springing a surprise:

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Brazil v Egypt
Holders Brazil have played in the last five tournaments and their aggregate score in opening fixtures over that time is 12-1. They have won their opener to nil on four occasions (3-0, 4-0, 2-0 and 3-0) with the one exception coming when they last kicked off against African opposition in 2003, losing 1-0 to Cameroon before going out in the group stage. Four of the last five

Posted: June 15th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment

Spain are favourites to win the Confederations Cup

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Arguably the least prestigious tournament in international football gets going in South Africa this weekend and we still don’t really understand what’s at stake. All the continental champions and the World Cup holders are there but they aren’t fighting to be crowned the best team in the world. In fact, the only country who really stand to benefit are South Africa, who didn’t have to earn their place in the Con Cup and will gain experience of hosting an international tournament ahead of one that actually matters next summer.

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» The Con Cup participants are supposed to be eight of the best teams in the world but the bookmakers clearly don’t see it that way. There is a huge gap between the challengers and the also-rans in the winner’s market betting, with Spain, Brazil and Italy all 7/2 or less while the other five teams - South Africa, Egypt, USA, Iraq and New Zealand - are 20/1 or more.

» The chances of South Africa, Egypt, Iraq and New Zealand are dealt a further blow by the fact that no team from Africa, Asia or Oceania have ever won the tournament. USA won’t be too confident either because the only CONCACAF winners have been Mexico, when they hosted it a decade ago.

Posted: June 12th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn | Add Comment