AFC Asian Cup Betting Analysis from PinnacleSports.com
60% Better AFC Asian Cup Betting Odds at PinnacleSports.com - Starts July 7
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup starts on July 7th bringing together the 16 best footballing nations from across the region. In a format common to international soccer tournaments, the teams are divided into four groups, with each featuring just one of the quartet of hosts – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. There will be some familiar faces to European soccer fans in action, but many of the sides will be off the radar of mainstream soccer. For bettors to stand a chance of profiting from the tournament they must start doing their homework on the lesser known nations, then take advantage of the 60% better AFC Asian Cup odds available at PinnacleSports.com.
Improving Bahrain Face Group of Death
Bahrain finished fourth in the last AFC Asian Cup, only the second time they had ever reached the finals. They were rewarded with FIFA’s 2004 most improved team award which they justified in the efforts to reach the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany. The Reds were thwarted at the final hurdle narrowly losing a play-off with Trinidad & Tobago, but showed they aren’t far off the standard required to participate in the world’s biggest international football tournament. PinnacleSports.com rate them 101.00 to lift the title.
Luck was on the side of Bahrain during their qualification for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, as their four team group was reduced to three after the withdrawal of the Lebanon. Australia were comfortable group winners but Bahrain finished on the same number of points as Kuwait, but were placed second given their improved record against Middle Eastern neighbour. Bahrain lost both encounters with the Socceroos - who are on the tournament favourites - by an aggregate of 5-1, suggesting that would need to show significant improvement, to emerge from a difficult group that also includes strong contenders in South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Korea Weakened by Key Injuries
As the only Asian team to reach the last four of the World Cup, Korea are considered to be the most successful team on the continent. The Tigers have been listed as high as 17 on FIFA World rankings, and have gained invaluable experience from appearing in six consecutive World Cups. Given this pedigree it is rather surprising that they last won the Asian Cup in 1960, and haven’t reached the final since 1988. Football is still enjoying the positive impact of the 2002 World Cup, jointly hosted in Korea, though Pim Verbeek, the Dutch coach, has concentrated on blooding young talent.
The core of the Korean side consists of their three Premiership stars Seol Ki-Hyeon (Reading), Park Ji-Sung (Man Utd) and Lee Young-Pyo (Spurs), but Park and Lee have been dogged by injury, and the United midfielder definitely won’t participate while the Tottenham left-back will have little time to reach full fitness. Korea finished second behind Iran in qualifying Group B, against whom they gained just one point from two meetings, questioning their position at the top of the Asian soccer pecking order. PinnacleSports.com has them as third favourites to win the tournament at 5.740.
Hosts Will Need Luck to Progress
Despite Indonesia being the fourth most populace nation on Earth, their football team has made no impact on the international stage and ranks 149 on current FIFA world ratings. The side has never got passed the first hurdle of the AFC Asian Cup, and given that Indonesia qualifies automatically as hosts, they may lack the sharpness that the preliminaries provide. Bulgarian coach, Ivan Kolev, is in his second spell in charge of the side, taking over from Peter With after Indonesia were eliminated at the first stage of the 2007 Tiger Cup (ASEAN Championships).
Along with their three co-hosts Indonesia are rightfully considered 151.00 rank outsiders by PinnacleSports.com. They will receive fervent support but by the same token will bear a burden of expectation. Their confidence will be dented by a 1-0 defeat by a 10 man Singapore side on June 3rd and the broken ankle to star striker Boaz Solossa which rules him out of the event.
Saudi Arabia Looking for Fourth Asian Cup Win
Saudi Arabia boast one of the most impressive recent records in both the World Cup – qualifying for four successive events – and the AFC Asian Cup winning on three occasions, including their debut, and reaching the final in six of the seven Asian Cup’s they have entered. The only blot on their record is the failure in first round of the 2004 event in China, gaining just one point from three games.
The Green Falcons displayed their usual dominance during qualification for the 2007 Asian Cup, with the defeat in Sapporo against Japan the only dropped points. Nevertheless, Helio Anjos was appointed as a replacement coach for the man that guided them to the finals, Marcus Paqueta. Despite a very successful spell in charge of the side Paqueta was dismissed following the Gulf Cup. The Sons of the Desert were unlucky to lose out in the semi’s thanks to injury time goal by the UAE, but the reaction of the Saudi Football Federation illustrates the levels of expectation. PinnacleSports.com price Saudi Arabia 8.980.
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