2007-08 Champions League Begins ...

It's only been seven weeks since AC Milan were crowned champions of Europe with a 2-1 win against Liverpool in Athens, but the road to the 2008 season's UEFA Champions League final begins on Tuesday.

Of course, in all likelihood NONE of the 28 sides are involved in the the first qualifying round, will even make it to the group stages, but the money in being invovled in this stage means a lot to the little clubs.

(see our Champion League section for the blog post.)

For the first time the champions of Andorra, San Marino and Montenegro will be invoved in the competition and the inflow of money is an important step in raiing the standards of football for the small nations.

Kaunas likely to progress
FK Zeta will represent Montenegro, lining up against FBK Kaunas who are veterans of this stage as they prepare for their seventh first qualifying round fixture in eight seasons. Only twice have Kaunas failed to reach the second stage and though they have never progressed beyond that, Angel Cervenkov's team approach the tie in high spirits after claiming a maiden Lithuanian Super Cup triumph last month.

Sheriff a tough task for Andorran side
Andorran champions FC Ranger's travel to FC Sheriff for the right to meet Besiktas JK in the next round.

Sheriff saw their UEFA Champions League hopes ended by FC Spartak Moskva 12 months ago but pushed the Russian team all the way before missing out on goal difference and have been busy strengthening ahead of this campaign.

Striker Sasa Kajkut and midfielder George Daniel Negrut have both arrived in Tiraspol, raising hopes the Moldovan champions can go further this term.

Top sides await the winners
Red Star Belgrade who were European champions in 1991 will meet either FK Pobeda or FC Levadia Tallinn while Scottish side Glasgow Rangers FC will face the victors of the Zeta tie.

RELATED LINKS :
UEFA Champions League Live Scores
UEFA Champions League Betting Previews

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English Transfer Round-up : Babel, Bellamy, Tevez

So the transfer merry-go-round continues to spin, and Liverpool are certainly flexing their newly acquired financial muscles.

LIVERPOOL
Liverpool are very intersted in Dutch U21 star Ryan Babel - but after acquiring Torres for £25m the size of their American bankroll is no secret now and the Reds have been told by Ajax it's going to cost them a further £13m (€20m).

There does seem to be some question about how much Babel will play at Liverpool - with strikers seeming to be joining from everywhere - and his agent Ms Winnie Haatrecht muttered words about ensuring playing time which will go down like a lead ballon with Rafa Benitez.

Liverpool have sold Craig Bellamy to West Ham for £7.5m, and Djibril Cisse to Marseille for £6m, but to balance the books a bit.

They have also gone for a couple of squad level players in acquiring a couple of makeweights in Yossi Benayoun (£4m from West Ham) and Ukraine striker Andriy Voronin on a free transfer from Beyer Leverkusen.

They look like Carling Cup material to me.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Up at Old Trafford, it appears that Sir Alex Ferguson reads the blog as there are now calls for the FA and even FIFA to step in and try and sort out the tangled mess that is the Carlos Tevez financial dealings.

He's a real "ugly bug" in this latest picture - but a potential match winner. I know why Man United want him - but if he does play then I think the whole Sheffield United / West Ham debate is gonig to blow up again.

21-team Premier League anyone?

CHELSEA
Over at Chelsea - Arjen Robben does what he does best - mouths off a bit and plays the primadona - as he complains that he's not getting a 5-year deal for squillions of dollars.

One day soon Jose Mourinho is goingg to cut him loose but in the meantime the Blues have been busy getting French international Florent Malouda from Lyon for a £13.5m price tag.

That's the only spending Chelsea have done so far this season with Claudio Pizarro, Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben Haim all arriving on free transfers.

ARSENAL
No sorry - it's just a bit of a runing joke for Gooners - Arsenal have not gone out and bought anyone to fill the gapping experience hole that they have. Sorry.

On the selling side there are rumours of Freddie Ljundberg being sold to Fiorentina (we'd be so lucky), and the new Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster praises Cesc Fabregas as a player he admires, saying: "He is one of the few players in his position that can carry a team."

Look but don't touch Bernd

REAL MADRID
Speaking of Schuster, I give him about 6 months in the role - as they'll surely finish well behind Barcelona next season - and that's enough to get the chop at the Bernabeu - they've gone through EIGHT coaches in 4 years now.

Schuster has got Argentine striker Javier Saviola on a free transfer after he was released by Barcelona - but the fact that Barca were happy to let him go to Madrid speaks volumes for their appraisal of the player.

OK that it. We'll there are plenty of minor transfers going on around - but you'll need to check out BBC Sport or SportingLife if you want all the details.

(I'll try and do a beer blog everyday over the summer)

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WSOP Main Event Begins - A real test of stamina

The 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event has started ... and we are stuck in the middle of "Day One" as the organisers take a "ground-hog day" approach to handling the 6,000+ players who have entered this year.

They will be hosting FOUR separate "Day Ones" each with over 1,500 entrants beginning and expect to whittle the field down to a more manageable 2,400 to 2,500 for "Day Two"

The effect of which is to have the "main event" tournament last over 12 days duration (including a rest day before the final table) - with 11 different playing days - and the last nine players expected to compete in 8 days of cards.

Event 55 - $10,000 World Championship No Limit Holdem
- The Schedule
Day 1a - Fri 6 Jul, 12:00 pm /$10,000 ($10,000+$0)
Day 1b - Sat 7 Jul, 12:00 pm /$10,000 ($10,000+$0)
Day 1c - Sun 8 Jul, 12:00 pm /$10,000 ($10,000+$0)
Day 1d - Mon 9 Jul, 12:00 pm /$10,000 ($10,000+$0)
Day 2 -- Tue 10 Jul, 12:00 pm / -
Day 3 -- Wed 11 Jul, 12:00 pm / -
Day 4 -- Thu 12 Jul, 12:00 pm / -
Day 5 -- Fri 13 Jul, 12:00 pm / -
Day 6 -- Sat 14 Jul, 12:00 pm / -
Day 7 -- Sun 15 Jul, 12:00 pm / -
Day 8 -- Tue 17 Jul, 12:00 pm / -

Casino/Location: Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas

RELATED LINK :
You can get the latest news on your favourits players at the WSOP
over that the WSOP stream on the Poker Labrat blog.

Today's entry is Day 1D and Phil Hellmuths grand entrance.

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I think that I've got some way to go before having the discipline to enter these vast real-world multi-table events.

For most of us "internet only" players the idea of sitting down at a multi-table tournament online and playing means putting aside a short chunk of time of a few hours.

We can regularly get though 8,000+ players in a Microgaming Prima poker event at Bet365 Poker or 32Red Poker in about 3.5 hours. Many players last less than 10 minutes.
;-)

(oops - I just busted out to aces - while writing this blog post)

And if you've got an hour or less then you can play a 200 person TURBO tournament at Canbet Poker with a fast rising blind structure and often you'll get done in under 60 minutes.

Check out our World Poker Room Guide for online poker site reviews covering three licensing jurisdictions

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Copa America - Quarter Final Results

The preliminaries are over - and the big guns bared their teeth over the weekend in the Copa America Quarter-Finals.

On Saturday :

Uruguay 4-1 Venezuela (HT 1-1)
Uruguay were too strong for hosts Venezuela, taking an early lead in the first half although the home side did peg it back just before halftime.

However, in the second half Uruguay showed their class with a well taken second goal and then a pair of goals late on inflated the score to a lopsided 4-1 margin.

Brazil 6-1 Chile (HT 3-0)
In the second game Brazil demonstrated some great power and precision to defeat Chile for the second time in the tournament - but more than that they managed to send a warning that the "Samba Swagger" was back.

Brazil took the lead after 14 minutes when Bayer Leverkusen defender Juan took advantage of a static Chilean defence to head home Maicon's corner.

Six minutes later, Maicon won the ball in the midfield and fed Vagner Love, who in turn found Julio Batista and the forward made no mistake from inside the box.

Robinho then made it 3-0 after some good individual work resulted in a measured finish from the edge of area.

Robinho grabbed his second of the game on 51 minutes as the Real Madrid forward applied the finish to Gilberto Silva's cross after the Chilean defence had once again gone missing.

It was 5-0 after 68 minutes when Chile keeper Claudio Bravo parried Afonso's shot but was powerless to stop Josue converting the rebound.

Chile did bag a consolation goal eight minutes later when striker Humberto Suazo cleverly lobbed the ball over but Vagner Love completed the rout right at the death after good approach work from Elano.

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On Sunday :

Mexico 6-0 Paraguay (HT 3-0)
Mexico made a huge impact on the Copa America with this 6-0 thrashing of Paraguay, although their task was made easier by the 2nd minute dismissal of Paraguayian keeper Aldo Bobadilla when a woeful back-pass from Julio Cesar Caceres allowed Nery Castillo to get a clear run on goal which was crudely halted by Bobadilla.

Bobadilla was shown the red card and Castillo slotted home the spot-kick past replacement custodian Joel Zayas.

The second goal came in the 26th minute when Juan Carlos Cacho burst through midfield without a challenge before laying the ball off to Gerardo Torrado and his rising drive flew past the helpless Zayas.

Twelve minutes later, Castillo proved why he has been one of the Copa America's outstanding performers with his fourth goal of the tournament - a fine volley from the edge of the area.

A late flurry of goals in the final 11 minutes blew out the score - but this match was dead and buried by halftime.

Argentina 4-0 Peru (HT 0-0)
Argentina showed some real steel in the second half of the final Copa America quarter-final with their big players getting on the scoreboard.

Goals from Riquelme (47, 85), Messi (62) and Mascherano (75) meant that the Argentine side fired back their own warning message - as they completed the set of four big victories.

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Semi-final matches :

Brazil now face Uruguay in Maracaibo on Tuesday for a place in the Copa America final while Argentina will play Mexico.

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Betting Action Coming up This Week

This week is going to be full of sports excitement: you just need to pick your event from The Wimbledon Final, Copa America, Wonders of the World!

WIMBLEDON
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From this Friday onwards, the grass courts will be on fire at Wimbledon as players edge towards the final. You could be a winner if you tick the right boxes with Paddy Power betting on the hottest clashes - and get automatic insurance againt a 5-set loss.

COPA AMERICA
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Also this week the Copa America Quarter and Semi Finals. South America is hotting up with the action So are we! The Quarter Finals are on 7 and 8 July and the Semi Finals are on 10 and 11 July.

Check out our daily Copa America betting previews on the main site.

WONDERS OF THE WORLD
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You still have the chance to bet on the New Wonders of the World - and European bookmaker Globet have set up a special book for this event.

Millions of voters will select the New 7 Wonders of the World. The winners will be announced in Lisbon, Portugal on 7 July - surely there are some easy winners !!

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Wimbledon : One Williams Out - One Williams through

The ladies took centre stage on Wednesday at Wimbledon with the Williams sisters featuring in two clashes.

Younger sister Serena Willams showed little sign of the calf injury she sustained on Monday but in the end had to bow to top seed Justine Henin, who won an exciting quarter-final 6-4 3-6 6-3.

Serena was graceless in post match interviews however - claiming to be only 40-50% fit and saying that she definately would have won if not injured - a total lack of class demonstrated once again.

However, her older sister Venus did her talking on the court thrashing Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-3 with an impressive performance in the last 16.

In the day's other ladies' singles match, French 18th seed Marion Bartoli came from a set down against Michaella Krajicek to set up a semi-final meeting with Henin. The surprise package of the ladies' draw followed up her victory over third seed Jelena Jankovic with a 3-6 6-3 6-2 win on Court Two.

LATEST WINNER ODDS:
Justine Henin .... 1.44 @ PinnacleSports
Venus Williams ... 5.09 @ PinnacleSports
Nicole Vaidisova . 17.00 @ SportingOdds
Svetlana Kuznetsova 24.95 @ PinnacleSports
Ana Ivanovic ... 25.45 @ PinnacleSports
Marion Bartoli ... 67.00 @ Gamebookers

Check out the latest Ladies Open odds for outrights and match betting at Bookielabrat.com

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Copa America : Argentina 4-2 Columbia

Argentina thrashed Colombia 4-2 and Paraguay overcame the United States 3-1 to claim berths in their Copa America quarterfinals on Monday.

The results were also good news for host Venezuela, who advanced to the last eight for the first time ever as, at worst, one of the two best third-place finishers.

Argentina were led by Juan Roman Riquelme’s two first-half goals — one off a header in the 33rd minute and then a curving free kick over a Colombian wall just before halftime — Argentina resumed the dominant offensive play that allowed it to breeze past the United States in their opening match.

For Colombia, Edixon Perea scored the game’s opening goal off a penalty, and Jaime Castrillon closed the gap to 2-3 but Argentina looked in control throughout.

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In the other Group C game - the United States played far better than their first match and competed well - but Paraguay were sharper in and around the box and took their chances well.

Oscar Cardozo set up Edgar Barreto’s goal in the 30th with a sharp pass between two defenders, before US equalised with their first goal from open play in the tournament when Taylor Twellman knocked down a deep ball to Ricardo Clark, who buried a shot past a diving Justo Villar just inside the near post.

With the Americans threatening, Cardozo then put Paraguay ahead at the start of the second-half and substitute Salvador Cabanas scored off the bench with a free kick in injury time.

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Paddy Power Wimbldedon Sets Appeal - Pays Out 17 times so far ..

Remember when we told you about the latest cashback offer from the mad Irish bookmaker PaddyPower ?

Sure you do !! Well it turns out that it's already paid out on 17 seperate occassions already including refunds on Henman, Gonzalez and Moya.

17 times already! And as the tournament progress the games should get even closer! You'd be mad to be betting anywhere else.

Here's a reminder of what you can get simply by using PaddyPower for your Wimbledon betting.



Men's Wimbledon 2007 - Free Bet Special - Exclusively at Paddy Power

If you place a losing match bet on any match that is decided over 5 sets then Paddy Power will give you a Free Bet to the same stake on any other Wimbledon match.

Here's the full list of conditions :
* Applies to singles placed before match starts only (not in running bets).
* Applies to match betting only.
* Applies to Singles matches only.
* Only applies to bets placed online or by phone.
* Max Free Bet €300/£200 per customer.
* Free Bets can only be used on Wimbledon matches.
* Does not apply to the 2007 Mens Wimbledon Final.

So don't be a 5-set loser - bet on Wimbledon with Paddy Power

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Copa America Results : Brazil and Mexico win

Brazil beat Chile 3-0 at the unfinished Monumental stadium on Sunday with Robinho scoring a hat-trick.

Despite the scoreline, Brazil were far from convincing for most of the game and spared by poor Chilean finishing in the second half.

Brazil struggled to find a way through Chile's packed defence early on and Robinho, apart from a couple of trademark stepovers, saw little of the ball.

But they were gifted a chance in the 36th minute when Gilberto's cross from the left was comfortably held by goalkeeper Claudio Bravo but the referee gave a penalty, apparently for pushing.

Robinho calmly scored with a low shot which just eluded Bravo's outstretched hand.

Chile came out fighting after halftime and striker Humberto Suazo was close from a free kick. Shortly afterwards, the shaven-headed Suazo was put clean through but delayed and, by the time he shot, there were three Brazilian defenders on the line to clear the ball.

Jorge Valdivia wasted another chance when he shot straight at a defender from close range. Robinho finished the Chileans off in the 84th minute when he latched onto Vanger Love's pass and chipped over Bravo.

Three minutes later, he collected the ball 40 metres from goal, dribbled past two defenders and scored with a shot into the corner.

Group B : Brazil 3-0 Chile
Scorers :
- Brazil - Robinho 36 (p), 84, 87;

Haltime 1-0

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In other Group B news, Mexico reached the quarter-finals of the Copa America with a 2-1 victory over Ecuador. The result leaves the Mexicans on top of the group with the maximum six points. Rivals Brazil and Chile have three points each.

Group B : Mexico 2-1 Ecuador
Scorers :
- Mexico - N.A.Castillo 22, O.Bravo 80;
- Ecuador - E.Mendez 85;

Haltime 1-0

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Copa America : Venezuela and Uruguay win

San Cristobal, Venezuela :


Copa America hosts Venezuela beat Peru, 2-0, on Saturday to win for just the second time in the tournament's history and move into first place in Group A.

Defender Alejandro Cichero and substitute Daniel Arismendi scored in the second half for Venezuela, which had a man advantage for nearly the entire game.

Peru's Pedro Garcia was given a red card in the 14th minute, giving Venezuela an advantage until the 77th minute when Ricardo Paez was sent off for getting a second yellow card.

The heated game included scuffles near the end. Venezuela moved ahead of Peru into the top spot in the group. Venezuela has four points and Peru three.

Venezuela's only other Copa America win was against Bolivia in 1967.

Group A : Venezuela 2-0 Peru
Scorers :
- Venezuela - A.Cichero 49, D. Arismendi 79;

Halftime 0-0

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In Saturday's other Group A game, Vicente Sanchez scored the lone goal to give Uruguay a 1-0 win over Bolivia.

Group A : Uruguay 1-0 Bolivia
Scorers :
- Uruguay - Y.M.Sanchez 58;

Halftime 0-0

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Wimbledon : Federer rolls on - Hingis falls

Defending Wimbledon Mens open champion Roger Federer reached the fourth round at Wimbledon with a straight-sets victory over Marat Safin.

Safin finally began to match Federer in the third set, which went with serve, but by that stage it was already too late and some erratic shots in the tie-break allowed Federer to close out a 6-1 6-4 7-6 win.

Next up for Federer is a meeting with Tommy Haas, the 13th seed, who came from a set down to win in four against Dmitry Tursunov.

BEST ODDS :
Roger Federer 1.40 @ BetFred
Rafael Nadal 9.20 at Betfair (be quick)
Andy Roddick 15.00 @ BetFred
Lleyton Hewitt 21.00 @ SportingOdds

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In the upset of the day, former champion Martina Hingis crashed out at the third-round stage, losing in straight sets to Laura Granville.

Hingis had not played for a month before coming to SW19 because of injury but after having had to fend off match points against UK player Naomi Cavaday in her opening match, she seemed to regain some of her sharpness in her second-round win over Aiko Nakamura.

However, Granville never looked back after securing an early break of serve as she recorded a 6-4 6-2 victory. The unseeded American needed to fend off three break points early in the second set as Hingis briefly rallied but once that was achieved she cruised to victory.

BEST ODDS :
Justine Henin-Hardine 2.50 @ SportingOdds
Serena Williams 5.00 @ SportingOdds
Amelie Mauresmo 7.00 @ Ladbrokes
Maria Sharapova 9.20 at Betfair (be quick)

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RELATED LINKS :
Live Odds - Wimbledon Mens Open
Live Odds - Wimbledon Ladies Open

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Copa America : Paraguay and Argentina score big wins

Group C : Paraguay 5-0 Colombia
Scorers :
- Paraguay - R.S.Cruz 30, 46, 81; S.Cabanas 85, 88;

Halftime 1-0

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Group C : Argentina 4-1 United States
Scorers :
- Argentina - Hernan Crespo 11, 64; P.C.Aimar 78, C.A.Tevez 85;
- United States - E.Johnson (pen) 9

Halftime 1-1

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Tiger Tim bows out of Wimbledon

Tim Henman's latest agonising exit from Wimbledon proved a rollercoaster ride for punters as over £16million was traded on Betfair.

The British number two lost his second-round clash against Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (3-7) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-2 1-6 to the dismay of the Centre Court crowd.

Henman was the clear favourite on Betfair at the outset at 1.68 while Lopez was trading at 2.46. But with the Spaniard taking the first two sets those odds quickly changed, Lopez being backed in to 1.07 while Henman drifted out to 13.

However just before Henman started his recovery he was matched at as high and 23 and those who backed him at that price were on good terms with themselves when he levelled the match at 2-2.

Heading into the deciding set the odds had flip-flopped yet again but this time Henman didn't have the necessary reserves as Lopez raced to victory. A massive £16.3million was traded on the game at the betting exchange and around £900,000 of that was matched on Henman at odds of 1.5 and lower.

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And Henman has been expensive for punters over the years with Ladbrokes reckoning that Henman has cost British punters an estimated £50 million during his 14 years of Wimbledon failure and near-misses.

David Williams of Ladbrokes said: "The Tiger is now extinct and deep down we're a bit gutted. We hoped he'd make it to the second week if only to keep the dream alive.

"Where there's Henman there's always been hope but we'd be astonished if punters were willing to give him any more chances.

"He now joins the likes of snooker's Jimmy White and golf's Colin Montgomerie as an incredibly expensive nearly-man.

"He's given us countless sleepless nights down the years but ultimately we've kept the cash. We might just send him some bubbly to help ease the pain of defeat."

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There should be one final hurrah for Henman who is 1/3 (1.33) with Eurobet to play at Wimbledon at least once more and 2-1 (3.00) not to return to SW19.

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Copa America Results - Mexico stun Brazil

Football : Mexico and Chile grab vital wins

PUERTO ORDAZ, Venezuela, June 27, 2007
Mexico upset Brazil for the second straight time at a major tournament, beating the five-time world champions 2-0 Wednesday night in the first round of the Copa America.

Nery Castillo scored on a spectacular solo effort in the 23rd minute when he took a pass from Juan Carlos Cacho, flicked the ball over defender Maicon, collected it again and beat goalkeeper Doni.

Ramon Morales doubled the lead with a 25-yard free kick in the 29th that froze Doni so much that the goalkeeper didn't even attempt to stop it.

Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa made a half-dozen excellent saves in the second half to keep a clean sheet for El Tri, including several stops on Robinho and a diving save on Afonso in the 62nd.

Robinho, who put the ball over the crossbar on a first-half bicycle kick, saw an angled shot pushed off the crossbar by Ochoa in the second half. Ochoa took over in goal from Oswaldo Sanchez, who has been Mexico's No. 1 keeper in recent years.

Group B : Brazil 0 Mexico 2
Scorers :
Mexico - Nery Castillo 23, Ramon Morales 29

Halftime: 0-2.

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In the opener of the Group B doubleheader, Chile rallied twice to beat Ecuador 3-2.

Carlos Villaneuva bent a free kick over a defensive wall and into the upper corner of the net for the winning goal in the 87th minute.

Ecuador, knocked out of last year's World Cup in the second round by England, got goals from Antonio Valencia in the 16th minute and Segundo Castillo in the 23rd. Humberto Suazo scored in the 21st and 80th minutes for Chile.

Group B : Chile 3 Ecuador 2
Scorers :
Chile - Humberto Suazo 21, 80, Carlos Villaneuva 87
Ecuador - Antonio Valencia 16, Segundo Castillo 23

Halftime: 1-2.

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2007 Copa America Results - 26th June

Football: Peru thumps Uruguay in Copa America opener

MERIDA, Venezuela, June 26, 2007
Peru kicked off its Copa America campaign by beating Uruguay 3-0 in a group A match here on Tuesday.

Miguel Villanta, Juan Carlos Marino and Paolo Guerrero were on target in the Metropolitano Stadium as Peru shocked their opponents, as Uruguay were considered by many as dark horses for the prestigious tournament.

The Uruguayans, missing Alvaro Recoba after the Internazionale forward was ruled out with a muscle problem, came out with more spark but it was the Incas who struck first as defender Miguel Villanta powered home a header from Juan Carlos Marino's corner after 26 minutes to give the Peruvians a narrow 1-0 half-time lead.

Manager Oscar Tabarez brought on Diego Rodriguez and Sebastian Abreu during the interval in a bid to make Uruguay more of an attacking threat and the duo combined after 66 minutes to give Rodriguez a great chance to level but it was wasted.

Marino doubled the lead three minutes later with a beautiful long-range strike. And two minutes from the end, Uruguay were hit on the counter as they desperately searched for a way back into the contest.

Julio Cesar Uribe led the breakaway before setting up Hamburg forward Paolo Guerrero to put the result beyond any doubt.

Group A : Uruguay 0 Peru 3
Scorers:
Peru - Miguel Villalta 27, Juan Carlos Marino 69, Paolo Guerrero 89.

Halftime: 0-1.

---------------------------------

Group A : Venezuela 2 Bolivia 2
Scorers:
Venezuela - Giancarlo Maldonado 21, Ricardo Paez 56
Bolivia - Alejandro Cichero 39 own goal, Jean Carlos Arce 84

Halftime: 1-1

RELATED LINKS :
Copa America Betting Previews

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Is Wimbledon Over? Paddy Power pays out !!

We told you that our favourite Irish bookie (rated at 93%) was a little bit Crazy - and Paddy Power has shown it again by paying out on Roger Federer as this year's Wimbledon champion, believing the SW19 contest is over before a ball is served.

The rain delayed Roger Federer from getting his defence under way today, but Paddy Power believe only bad luck can prevent him equalling Bjorn Borg's Wimbledon record of five in a row.

The payout looks set to cost the Irish layers close to a six-figure sum whilst they are also refunding all bets on Brit Andy Murray following his 11th hour withdrawal yesterday.

Paddy Power, spokesman for the self named bookmaking firm, said: "No matter what the odds punters only wanted to back Federer. Wimbledon trophies are as regular as Swiss clockwork for the ace and once again it looks as much a certainty this year as rain stopping play."

Paddy Power is already offering just Evens that Federer goes on to break Borg's record with six in a row by winning the title this year and again in 2008.

RELATED LINK :
Our full page review of Paddy Power bookmakers.

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Argentina start as Copa America favourites.

Argentina beginning the 2007 Copa America as favourites to win the event which starts on Tuesday 26th June.

The Argentines, who lost in a penalty shootout to great rivals Brazil in the 2004 tournament, are a best priced 2.60 at VC Bet to regain the trophy.

Holders Brazil, who have won three of the last four Copa Americas, are general second favourites at 3.00 while Mexico who looked out of sorts at the CONCACAF Gold Cup are 11.00 third best at SportingOdds.

Uruguay are priced at 13.00 at Betfred for an upset while hosts Venezuela are a longshot at 21.00 at Bet365.

If you fancy picking the top scorer then the favourite is Argentina's Hernan Crespo who is 7.00 at bet365 while West Ham striker Carlos Tevez is 11.00 at bet365 and ex-Man United man Diego Forlan is 13.00 at bet365

RELATED LINK :
A Copa America preview from our insider at BetFred.
Betting Preview - 26 June 2007 - Peru v Uruguay

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Theirry Henry moves on - so should we.

It's been 48 hours now - and I probably should comment on the departure of Thierry Henry from Arsenal to Barcelona.

There have been all sorts of reactions on the net - but with the benefit of a wee break before posting perhaps I'll be able to get it into perspective.

Thierry Henry is/was Arsenal's greatest ever scorer, he was probably the most exciting player that I've ever seen in the famous red and white shirt, and in the last 8 years he has been a great servant for the club.

Over the last year he has struggled with fitness with a raft of injuries affecting his 6 ft 2 in frame, and he will turn 30 on the 17th August this year.

I think that it would be fair to say that we probably saw the best of Henry at Highbury, and that in his last year while at the Emirates he looked increasing frustrated resulting in increasingly whiny press releases about what the club must do to keep him happy.

I suspect that Henry left because he knows that he has just 1-2 years left at the top and that he'd like to win something big (league title / champions league) immediately - and does not think that Arsenal can challenge in England without the funds that Man United, Chelsea and even Liverpool now have at their disposal.

He is probably right. Arsenal continue to be a work in progress - and do not have the balance and mix of experienced and young players needed to win major trophies. Hopefully this departure will galvanise Mr Wenger and the boardroom into realising what is needed to compete at the very top.

I think that Gooners everywhere should pause and reflect on the pleasure that Henry's appearances for Arsenal have given us - and also realise that in 1-2 years time it may have been Arsenal that were selling off Henry as being past his use-by date.

We've seen it with nearly all of our former heroes with Patrick Vieria, Emmanuel Petit, Marc Overmars, Robert Pires, Anders Limpar and even Nigel Winterburn all being sold once they couldn't reach the required standard - football is a business too - and is very mercenary.

There are exceptions with Dennis Bergkamp coming to mind, and of course there was "Mr Arsenal" Tony "Donkey" Adams but these one-club men come once a decade and it's a measure of the man as much as it is a measure of the actual playing skill. These men are exceptions - not the norm.

So it's a parting of the ways for Arsenal and Henry - but we should not forget everything that Henry achieved in Red and White - and personally I wish Mr Thierry Daniel Henry well for his future club - except when he plays against Arsenal.

Adieu Roi Henry

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Henin wins Eastbourne to cement Wimbledon favourtism

Justine Henin made a statement ahead of Wimbledon by beating reigning Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) in the final at Eastbourne.

Mauresmo began the stronger in difficult, blustery conditions and led 4-1 in the opening set but Henin broke twice to take the early initiative.

The Belgian claimed an early break in the second but Mauresmo battled back to force a tie-break which she took 7-4 after opening up a 6-1 lead.

The exciting match swung once more in the decider and Mauresmo seemed well on top as she gave herself the chance to serve for the title.

But world number one Henin upped her game to break back and then ran away with the deciding tie-break.

Henin will now go to Wimbledon as a strong favourite for the title.

BEST ODDS TO WIN 2007 LADIES WIMBLEDON TITLE :
Justine Henin 3.25 @ Bet365
Serena Williams 4.33 @ PremierBet
Kim Clijsters 8.00 @ Canbet
Maria Sharapova 8.00 @ SportingOdds
Amelie Mauresmo 10.00 @ Betsson

RELATED LINKS :
Tennis Live Score and Results
Last 2007 Wimbledon Ladies Open Betting Lines

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Wimbledon Betting Promotions

Are you having a punt on Wimbledon this year?

If so then you may want to check out a couple of cash back promotions that the guys over at BookieLabrat.com found that might appeal.


Paddy Power - SETS APPEAL OFFER
If your Wimbledon bet loses in five sets then PaddyPower will give you a free bet to the same value on any other wimbledon match.

Gamebookers - STAKE BACK PROMOTION
If you bet on a top 5 seed and they lose in the first three rounds then Gamebookers will give you your stake back !!

Those are a couple of reasons to check out their sites and see if you might do some of your tennis betting at this bookmakers over the next fortnight.

RELATED LINKS :
Check out the Wimbledon promotions post at BookieLabrat for details.
Or visit Gamebookers and Paddy Power directly now!

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Wimbledon Draw sees Murray Odds drifting

UK hope Andy Murray has slid out to 25/1 at Ladbrokes for the Wimbledon men's singles following the draw for the tournament.

The British number one has been drawn against unseeded Nicolas Lapentti in the first round. But with major doubts over his recovery from a wrist injury he sustained on May 15th the 20-year-old is friendless in the market.

Ladbrokes spokesman Robin Hutchison said: "We can't lay Murray for love nor money at the moment. I don't think that's anything to do with a lack of patriotism, more a bout of pragmatism. If he was fully fit he'd eat Lapentti for breakfast but it's a whole different ball game if he's hampered by injury."

The two players at the head of the betting - Roger Federer (1.45 at VC Bet) and Rafael Nadal (7.60 at Canbet) remain unchanged, but American Andy Roddick has drifted from out from 10/1 to a best priced 17.00 at Bet365 after being placed into Federer's side of the draw.

Over in the womens event Justine Henin is favourite (3.50 at Bet365) and Serena Williams close behind at 4.33 at PremierBet.

Last year's winner Amelie Mauresmo, who beat Henin in the final, is fifth favourite at 10.00 at Betsson but it hasn't stopped punters getting with her Belgian rival.

Hutchison added: "Following her form at Eastbourne, the world and his wife wants to be on Henin and we have laid several large bets including £6,000 at 9/4."

RELATED LINKS :
2007 Wimbledon Live Scores (from Monday)
Latest 2007 Wimbledon Mens Open Odds
Latest 2007 Wimbledon Womens Open Odds
2007 Wimbledon Mens Preview from Simon

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2007 Wimbledon seeds released - Federer & Henin top

Wimbledon get under way on Monday 25th June and the organising committee have released the top 32 seeds for the mens and womens event.

Defending champion Roger Federer is the top men's seed for Wimbledon, while world number one Justine Henin heads the women's singles.

The men's seedings are based on the current world rankings, but are slightly adjusted to take into account grass-court performances in the last two years.

French Open champion and last year's runner-up Rafael Nadal is seeded second, ahead of Andy Roddick. World number four Nikolay Davydenko is seeded sixth with Novak Djokovic and Fernando Gonzalez moving above him in the list.

Top 16 Men's singles seeds:
1. Roger Federer (Swi)
2. Rafael Nadal (Spa)
3. Andy Roddick (US)
4. Novak Djokovic (Ser)
5. Fernando Gonzalez (Chi)
6. Nikolay Davydenko (Rus)
7. Tomas Berdych (Cze)
8. Andy Murray (GB)
9. James Blake (US)
10. Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp)
11. Tommy Robredo (Spa)
12. Richard Gasquet (Fra)
13. Tommy Haas (Ger)
14. Mikhail Youzhny (Rus)
15. Ivan Ljubicic (Cro)
16. Lleyton Hewitt (Aus)

On the women's side, former champion Venus Williams moves from 31st in the world to number 24 seed and world number 19 Vera Zvonareva has been ruled out with a wrist injury.

Top 16 Women's singles seeds:
1. Justine Henin (Bel)
2. Maria Sharapova (Rus)
3. Jelena Jankovic (Ser)
4. Amelie Mauresmo (Fra)
5. Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus)
6. Ana Ivanovic (Ser)
7. Serena Williams (US)
8. Anna Chakvetadze (Rus)
9. Martina Hingis (Swi)
10. Daniela Hantuchova (Svk)
11. Nadia Petrova (Rus)
12. Elena Dementieva (Rus)
13. Dinara Safina (Rus)
14. Nicole Vaidisova (Cze)
15. Patty Schnyder (Swi)
16. Shahar Peer (Isr)

Related links :
Latest Wimbledon Live Scores (and other tennis events)
Latest Wimbledon Mens Odds at BookieLabrat
Latest Wimbledon Ladies Odds at Bookielabrat.

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The BetFred Insider Guide to Royal Ascot 2007

The showpiece event of the flat racing calendar returns this week and all eyes will be on the weather forecast as the ground may be softened by the many predicted showers during the week.

Day One of Royal Ascot sees the two most recent 2000 Guineas winners in action. Most recent winner, Cockney Rebel is a warm order to take the St James's Palace Stakes and it will be interesting to see if he confirms form with Dutch art who finished third against him at Newmarket when drawn on the "wrong side". Earlier in the card last year's 2000 Guineas winner, George Washington, returns to the racecourse following a less than successful stud career. He faces Cesare who boasts a 100% record at Ascot and won't mind any rain, as well as Red Evie who took the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury last month.

On Day Two it looks as though Dylan Thomas will go off favourite in the Prince Of Wales Stakes, although he faces tough competition from the likes of Manduro, Notnowcato and Red Rocks. Notnowcato has already defeated Dylan Thomas once this season and it is hard to knock his chances of confirming that form while Manduro looks like he has grown up over the winter and he has a great chance of scoring a victory for the French.

The Ascot Gold Cup takes place on Day Three and we have an odds-on favourite for the race in the form of last year's winner Yeats. This leaves plenty of room for each way wagers and Sergeant Cecil will be popular amongst the betting public, whilst Baddam is a lively outsider having won twice at last year's festival.

On Day Four Finsceal Beo will take on Darjina, the only horse to beat her in three group one races this season. The Coronation Stakes will be a fascinating rematch and Finsceal Beo should be able to reverse form if she has recovered from her early season exertions. The unbeaten Mi Emma from Germany is another filly who adds interest to this contest.

On the fifth and final day of Royal Ascot the Golden Jubilee is the feature race and it will be interesting to have seen how the Australian quartet got on in the Kings Stand on opening day. It is a very open race and the market is likely to receive a shake up depending on Tuesday's result but it looks as though Miss Andretti is going to be very hard to beat.

BETFRED SPECIAL ROYAL ASCOT OFFER

------------------------------------------------
Betfred are offering a free bet of up to GBP £50 for new customers during Royal Ascot (19th June - 23rd June inclusive).

Betfred also offer a cashback promotion on every Royal Ascot race, terms and conditions are as follows:

-This offer will pay-out each time Frankie Dettori rides the winning horse in a race at Royal Ascot 2007. Betfred will then refund losing, single stakes (win only) on the second place horse in that race.

-Losing stakes will be refunded in the form of a free bet which will be credited to the Betfred accounts bets by 2pm the following day.

- Refunds betwee GBP 1 to GBP 100 (or your currency equivalent) per customer per race and applies only to races at Royal Ascot between 19th and 23rd June 2007.

- Applies to call-centre and web bets only and Betfred Horse Racing rules apply.

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Beckham finishes at Real Madrid with La Liga title.

Real Madrid 3-1 Real Mallorca

I'm not a huge David Beckham fan - but I've been impressed with the way he's handled himself since the last World Cup and I can say that I was pleased to see Real Madrid clinch the La Liga title on the final day.

Beckham didn't actually have much influence on proceedings today, as he was substituted off midway through the second half with Real Madrid still 0-1 down after they fell behind when Fernando Varela broke the offside trap to score on 17 minutes.

His replacement was Arsenal loan player Jose Antonio Reyes who immediately scored with his first touch, to ease the panic that was running through the home side.

Then in the 80th minute Mahamadou Diarra's downward header trickled over the line after a double deflection off goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya and defender Basinas before Reyes curled in a delightful third goal from the edge of the area with about 5 minutes left.

(As a Gooner I can hope that will raise his standing in Spain and lift his value - as Arsenal look for a buyer for the homesick Spaniard)

But in the end today was not about Reyes, it was about Real Madrid finally claiming some silverware after four long seasons, and sending off Beckham and Brazillian left-back Roberto Carlos in style.

The scenes of celebration at the final whistle spoke volumes for the depth of feeling at the club - for both the achievement - and the quality of the departing players.

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UEFA U21 Competition - Nothing worth a punt?

I'm getting a few emails asking why we're not providing previews for the UEFA U21 competition in the opening few rounds ...

I think that the answer is summed up in the first four results, 1-0, 0-0, 0-0 and 0-1.

As I suggested in the background piece before the start of the tourney, these sides change almost completely for every edition aty this level and it really is hard to get a good form line prior to seeing the first few games.

Holland just squeezed past the "weakest looking" side Isreal in the opener, while 5-time winners Italy butchered a number of chances and then lost to Serbia,

England looked incredibly defensive in drawing 0-0 with the Czech Republic (and missed a late penalty) while Belgium and Portgual showed nothing at all.

Inexperienced strikers, hot weather, ultra cautious coaches have all meant a lack of good action early on - but you cannot even have a punt on UNDER 2.5 GOALS because the format means that this second round of group games are turning into "must win" games.

Let's just look on for the moment - and see if we can get a line n the side for use later in the tournament ...

I hope that the Copa America is better later this month or else it's gonig to be a long football-less summer eh?

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Louis Saha Has Knee Op : Out for 5-6 months

Manchester United striker Louis Saha is likely to be out of action until "around November or December" ... according to his agent.

The French forward has undergone a knee operation in America in a bid to repair an injury which contributed to his disappointing season last term.

The Manchester Evening News reports "Louis has had surgery in America and he won't be on the field now for a few months."

United have already been tipped to bring in reinforcements up front - and with Alan Smith currently looking unsettled and now Saha's long-term absence - the need seems to be more pressing.

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Hellmuth wins 11th WSOP bracelet.

After a week of non-descript winners the drought has been broken for the pros with Allen Cunningham and Phil Hellmuth winning bracelets at the WSOP.

Get the full details at the PokerLabRat.com WSOP section on their blog.

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Greg Raymer talks poker at the WSOP (VIDEO)

Greg Raymer Speaks about the WSOP and the US Internet Poker Ban

Here's a rare thing - after hearing from all the doofus amateur players in the first week someone has actually decided to seek out some quality players - and we finally get an interesting interview with a poker player at the WSOP!!

Greg Raymer gives an interview during an event in this years WSOP and has some pretty interesting things to say about the WSOP level structure, about the internet gambling ban, and other things.

Well worth a look - and I've gotta say I was impressed with the man.

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Real Madrid big favourites to win Spanish League Title

Real Madrid are now a best 1/9 at bet365 to win La Liga after Saturday's dramatic penultimate round of matches.

Trailing twice and with title rivals Barcelona winning against Espanyol, Real's title hopes looked to have been ended for yet another season.

But ex-Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal forced a 2-2 draw and a last-gasp equaliser for Espanyol at the Nou Camp ensured Real Madrid go into the final round of games next Sunday top of the table.

Madrid are level on points with Barca but in front on head-to-heads, so a home win against 12th-placed Real Mallorca will guarantee a title for the first time in four years at Real Madrid.

Barcelona are now considered almost out of the running and are priced at a huge 6/1 (7.00) at Paddy Power. Barcelona are away to bottom club Gimnastic in their final fixture.

Seville's title hopes remain alive but only just after their 0-0 draw goalless draw with Real Mallorca. They go into the final weekend two points off the pace and it's 50/1 that the other two slip up and they sneak through by scoring a home win over Villarreal.

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How MANY Hot Dogs in 12 minutes ?!!

How many Hot Dogs will be eaten in 12 minutes?

America will celebrate it's independence day with an athletic event of truely epic proportions - the annual Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest !!

I can't tell you much more about this - I thought that this was always won by a small Japanese guy who looked like he'd starved for months beforehand ... but apparently the US has found a challenger.

It all takes place on July 4th - so check out this blog post on the Nathan's 2007 Hot Dog eating contest over at BookieLabrat.com where they've checked out the form of two contestants - found a recent video - and even found a good online bookie to bet on it with ...

Yep - only in America ...

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Take a look at a WSOP Bracelet

WSOP Bracelet Less Tacky Than Usual !

I still don't know that these will be actual fashion accessories (except for wanna-be rapsters who don't know when to stop the BLING) but the new WSOP bracelets do look much less gaudy - and are certainly an improvement on previous events.

The bracelets are manufactured by watchmaker Corum and are fairly carefully crafted looking at the detailing and the tiny inserted jewels.

The normal event winners will receive a bracelet with 53 diamonds as shown in the picture.

The $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E event will feature a special version with 91 black diamonds and two rubies.

While the winner of the $10,000 Main Event will get a bracelet with 136 grams of 18-carat white gold set with 120 diamonds in an extravaganza of over-the-top bling that even celebrity jail-bird Paris Hilton or Elton John would not wear.

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French Open - SportingOdds Free Bet Promo.

2007 French Open - SportingOdds Free Bet Promo

I'm not a great tennis fan - but I do like a good free bet offer !!

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UEFA U21 Euro 2007 Betting Analysis

UEFA U21 Euro 2007 - Tournament Starts June 10

The UEFA under 21 Championships kicks off in Holland on Saturday.

This competition has proved a fertile spawning ground for future super-stars, while some of faces on show will already be familiar to bettors.

The future soccer talent of Europe will be show in Holland for the next two weeks as the continent’s eight best under-21 national teams clash. The tournament has existed since 1978 but has undergone regular modification.

For 2007 the competition has been moved to odd years so as not to clash with the major international senior competitions, while for the first time the hosts – Holland – were chosen before qualification began, thereby sidestepping that process.

The Dutch are coincidentally the holders of the trophy, which they lifted in Portugal last year, after beating the Ukraine 3-0 in the final. That was the first time the Jong Oranje had claimed the title, but they have another great chance as hosts.

Holland kick-off two weeks of action against Israel, with PinnacleSports promising to offer top asian handicap odds on every UEFA U21 Euro 2007 game throughout the tournament.

The key issue to keep in mind is that there is little continuity from one competition to the next as players must be under the age of 21 when the qualification process begins. Given that stipulation, few of the winning Dutch side in 2006 will remain, but success in the event is a reflection of the effectiveness of international you acadamies.

Italy have enjoyed the most success in this competition, lifting the trophy on five occasions since their first success in 1992. On that evidence alone the nation that produced the current World Champions will be popular with bettors.

England fielding several high-profile players, warmed up for their opening against the Czech Republic by thrashing Slovakia 5-0, after which coach, Stuart Pearce staged a mock penalty shoot-out. Pearce has first-hand experience of the pain of losing on spot-kicks going back to Italia 90, so hopes the rehearsal will pay dividends. The Czechs were rocked by the withdrawal of their captain, Martin Latka, four days before the off.

Israel take a football team to an major international event for the first time since the 1976 Olympic Games, with several of the squad, including Chelsea's Ben Sahar having already made their debuts in the full senior side. They have a tough Group A opening game against the hosts and holders, while the sections other two sides, Portugal and Belgium, play later in the evening.

The final side making up the eight team event are Serbia, who lifted the event in 1978 when it first appeared in this format. Coach Miroslav Djukic can call on four senior international players who should add invaluable experience.

Check out the UEFA U21 odds at PinnacleSports now

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