World Cup
2009-06-06 - Argentina vs Colombia
A Sports Betting Pick by Gooner
Football: FIFA World Cup 2010 South America (Conmebol) Qualifiers
Saturday 6th June 2009 - Kickoff 22:00)
Argentina manager Diego Maradona will be telling his side to forget the heavy defeat to Bolivia and win back fans with a comprehensive victory over the Colombians.
Argentina (4th 5-4-3 18:13)
Argentina's humiliating 1-6 loss in Bolivia last time out should mean a 100% focus as there is a lot of pressure on Argentina to deliver a good performance and a comfortable win.
Qualification for the World Cup is not is doubt yet for Argentina as a nation, as 4th place will be goodewnough for direct entry to the finals in South Africa - but another bad performance could see significant changes in playing personel.
There were no real surprises in the squad, although perhaps Estudiantes captain Juan Sebastian Veron return to the side to provide a bit of stability to the midfield - shows that the lesson in La Paz was learned.
Home form has been good for Argentina, with four wins and two draws so far and without the altitude to worry about this should be a routine evening in Buenos Aires.
Colombia (6th 3-5-4 6:10)
Colombia started the competition well with a draw with Brazil and wins against Venzuela and Argentina (2-1), but these were all achieved at home.
When travelling Colombia have looked quite suspect, scoring just one goal in six games, and drawing four games while losing the other two matches.
So Colombia have only scored six goals in twelve matches overall and are the lowest scoring team of the competition along with Peru.
With three nil-nil results, including one in Brazil there seems to be little doubt that Colombia's initial tactics will be to pack their defence in order to claim another point at the Monumental stadium.
THe Betting Verdict
With six games to go - both sides are still in need of points, although neither side are too desperate yet that this is a must win game from that point of view..
Colombia will not travel with much confidence and should start defensively, and Argentina will be seeking a more positive effort in front of their passionate fans.
Argentina's midfield looks too good to keep out for 90 minutes, and I feel that Argentina will prove too strong for Colombia.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Argentina 2-0 Colombia
BEST BETTING TIP :
I expect ARGENTINA to win
