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Germany's odds to win
the 2006 World Cup
The advantage of
playing at home is so strong in the World Cup that
it could help a young German team exceed
expectations next year. At press time Germany
was listed with odds to win the 2006 World Cup at
8.00 at
Sports Interaction.
The advantage of
playing at home is so strong in the World Cup that
it could help a young German team exceed
expectations next year.
Coach Juergen
Klinsmann has set the goal high: His team is going
for the title.
Few experts believe
the host nation has enough quality to beat teams
such as Brazil
(see
Brazil the World Cup
Favorite) or Argentina, despite the fact
that the later team is listed with similar odds of
winning the 2006 World Cup. But playing at home
could provide that extra spark.
"I find it
courageous and correct that Juergen Klinsmann has
such a goal for his team," Franz Beckenbauer said.
"First, we belong to the wider circle of favorites
and we are going in as World Cup runners-up. Second,
the home advantage could play a very decisive role.
You could see this in 2002, as an underdog, South
Korea got as far as the semifinals.
"It helped a
favorite like France win the title in 1998. And we
also profited from it when we were the champions in
1974."
Beckenbauer was captain of the West German team that
won the title at home that year and was coach of the
squad that took the 1990 championship in Italy. He
is now president of the World Cup organizing
committee.
The organizers hope Klinsmann's team gets it right.
Germany might be a soccer-mad nation, but the home
team's early exit could hurt the June 9-July 9
tournament.
"If you are the host, it's very important that your
team goes as far as possible, because the entire
atmosphere of the event is strongly influenced by
it," Beckenbauer said in an interview posted on the
organizers' Web site. "We hope that we'll be able to
organize an excellent World Cup and that the German
team will be successful."
Hosting the World Cup doesn't necessarily translate
into the title. Some teams won at home: England
(See
England's odds to win the 2006
World Cup) in
1966, Germany in 1974, Argentina in 1978, France in
1998. But five-time champion Brazil failed to win
its World Cup at home in 1950.
Of the 17 finals so far, seven have gone to the host
nation.
Germany has an impressive record with three titles
and four runner-up finishes; Argentina has two
titles, Italy three and Uruguay two (although none
since the 1950 upset of Brazil). Uruguay failed to
qualify for the 2006 World Cup event.
2006 World Cup betting odds
are listed as follows:
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Gambling911.com
News Wire
Originally
published December 3, 2005 9:00 pm EST
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