Empoli - Frosinone, Italy Serie B

Empoli lies on 7th place with 50 points, the same as 6th (2-6 play-off zone) Sassuolo. This season looks very disappointing for the hosts. After the relegation from Serie A, president Corsi held the best players, even bought some fresh faces to achieve express return to the crew of the best. From this distance, eleven rounds before the end, it's clear that Bari and Parma will win direct promotion, so Empoli can only fight for the place of best play-off team. Otherwise, Corsi will sell the best players to cover the financial deficit in club's budget and Serie A will be a dream at least few years. The biggest problem is defence line-conceded at home, for Serie B huge 23 goals (only second worst league team Treviso conceded so much). Good side is very solid attack line. In last two rounds they have two wins (mentioned Sassuolo, 3-2 at home and Ancona 2-1, away) and it seems they found the balance between good attack and bad defence. Win tonight is more than important, can decide between the main scene and stucking in second league for a long time.

On the other side, Frosinone has different ambitions, bravely fighting to avoid relegation. They're 17th with the same points as 18th Mantova (18th and 19th will go in play-out). In the last round, without a dozen (precise-seven) players, they played 2-2 against very good Triestina, two times coming from behind and at the end, had a chance for whole 3 points. Talented Brazilian striker Edgar shows a great potential. They're weaker than the last season, best player, midfielder Lodi went to tonight's opponent, Empoli and that player decided their first season match (Frosinone-Empoli 0-1). Frosinone is one of the efficient away teams in Serie B, but same as Empoli, defence is the weaker side. Importance of tonight's match isn't less than for the home side.

Two teams desperately need the three points, both sides have very good attacks and disasters in defence and both must attack tonight. Only conclusion that I can get is open game with goals. Maybe I'm under the impression of all those internationals and see regular friday as a big thing, but this bet seems very good, with very high odds (surprisingly Bwin is currently on the top with offer 2.20). No doubt for me. Over!

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has agreed a two-year extension to his current contract at Anfield. The England ace's deal on Merseyside still had two years before it expired, but the Reds have moved to secure their star asset. (Skysports)

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has admitted he wants to sign Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, with the fee for the 21-year-old reported to be £45m. (Various) 
Tottenham will attempt to sign Manchester City's Martin Petrov as the Bulgarian left winger has dropped down the pecking order at Eastlands. (The Sun) 
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is also keeping an eye on 29-year-old Paraguay defender Paulo Cesar da Silva, who will be available on a free transfer in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Gelson Fernandes has said he needs to quit Man City, but admitted it will be difficult to leave "the richest club in the world." (The Sun) 
Fulham are lining up a move for 17-year-old Algerian goalkeeper Abendour Merzoukim, who would be available on a free transfer. (The Sun) 
Birmingham are favourites to sign Charlton midfielder Nicky Bailey, who is valued at £1.3m. (Daily Mirror) 
Crystal Palace, Ipswich and MK Dons are all eyeing a £1m move for Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert. (Daily Star)  

OTHER GOSSIP 

Alan Shearer's first task as Newcastle manager was to lay down the law to his players by banning them from pubs and nightclubs in the city. (Various) 
Arsene Wenger says he will not leave Arsenal before his contract expires in 2011. (Various) 
Sven-Goran Eriksson is eyeing a return to Premier League management after the Swede was sacked as manager of Mexico. (The Sun) 
Man City manager Mark Hughes has hinted that he could leave star forward Robinho on the bench for this weekend's trip to Arsenal because he is struggling to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League. (Various) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has revealed that he was hit in the face by Germany team-mate Lukas Podolski after a disagreement on the pitch during their World Cup qualifying win in Wales. (The Sun) 
George Burley named Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor on the bench against Iceland despite their breach of team discipline to avoid mutiny in the dressing room. (The Herald) 
Scottish FA president George Peat is demanding a full report into the breach of team discipline - paving the way for further sanctions against the Rangers pair. (various) 
And Tartan Army spokesman Hamish Husband believes the duo will find it difficult to win the hearts of the Scotland supporters again. (The Sun) 
George Burley will ban alcohol from future Scotland squads following the controversy. (Various) 
Meanwhile, Barcelona and Iceland striker Eidur Gudjohnsen says Scotland are stronger without Ferguson and McGregor. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY 

Peter Crouch says Rio Ferdinand was the reason behind his robotic goal celebration during England's 2-1 win over Ukraine at Wembley. The Portsmouth striker vowed never to perform the dance at Wembley again, but did when Ferdinand shouted at him "to pull the rope". (The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk  www.skysports.com

Blog's partners - Pinnacle

Another boring day for all bettors. This time I won't waste my money on silly bets, young national teams, unknown leagues, or other sports than football. In fact, I still have some bets alive for tonight (c'mon Navarro!). Instead of that, I'll dedicate some space to blog partners, 'cause I think it can be useful (more than interesting). So, if You feel disgust about these things, please don't take offense, just overlook this post.

I've already wrote about Moneybookers (which I am proudly member :)) as the number one service for money transfers around the world (including to, or from the bookies). That post with detail "how to use it" explanation, you can find in blog archive. 

Today the word be about the bookies. One of the most respectable names is Pinnacle. The theme of their last campaign is 60% higher odds. I'm not sure it's so higher, but can confirm that they very often have the highest odds (some others are always on the bottom, but won't write about them). And, that's the reason for Pinnacle space on "Football Betting (and More), (although they have the worst affiliate program,ever:)). So, let's see what they have to say...

ABOUT PINNACLESPORTS

PinnacleSports.com is the Internet's largest sports betting site with an industry-leading reputation for providing consistent value to the player with odds that are up to 60% better value than other bookmakers.
With low minimum bet requirements and the highest maximum limits on the Web, Pinnacle Sports gives punters the assurance of fixed odds betting with exchange like pricing but unlike an exchange, Pinnacle Sports has guaranteed liquidity and never charges commission on winning bets.
Find a smarter way to bet at www.PinnacleSports.com 
* Founded in 1998 * Up to 60% better odds
* Fully licensed & regulated * Low minimum bet requirements
* Simple, safe & secure * The highest maximum limits online
* 0.3% Casino Cash Back – Paid Daily * 30% Poker Rake back – Paid Daily
Customer Service
24 hours per day/ 7 days a week. E-mail Only. Responses are generally provided within 15 minutes.
Location
Pinnacle Sports Worldwide, Second Floor, c/o Holiday Beach Hotel & Casino, Pater Euwensweg # 31, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles

BETTING INFORMATION

Methods
PinnacleSports accepts wagers over the internet, Pinnacle Sports does not offer phone wagering. 
Limits
Minimum Bets
USD$1
Maximum Bets
The maximum limit per bet may vary depending on the particular sport, type of bet offered and the time relative to the start of the event. In general, the limits will typically increase closer to the start of the event with the highest maximum limits available on the day of the event.
Maximum Win
Limits apply to soccer accumulator.
Odds Formats 
Decimal and American Pricing. The client may choose either display.
Sports Coverage: 
Football, American Football, Basketball, Baseball, Boxing, Chess, Cycling, Hockey Golf, Mixed Martial Arts, Motor sports, Politics, Rugby, Tennis, Badminton, Futsal, Floorball, Handball, Snooker, Volleyball. 
Minimum Deposit: There is no minimum deposit amount required, however, some payment solutions do have minimum deposit limits. 
Methods of Deposit / Transfer / Withdrawal: 
Deposit Methods:
- Bank Wire
- Cashier's Cheque (For CAD and USD only)
- Credit and Debit Card 
- NETELLER, and NETELLER (1-Pay)
- INSTADEBIT (For CAD only)
- WebMoney (For USD and EURO only)
- Moneybookers
- Maestro/Switch Debit Card (For GBP only)
- Visa Electron Debit Card (For GBP only)
- Delta Debit Card (GBP only)
- Przelewy24 (For PLN only)
- Moneta (For EURO and USD only for selected countries in Europe)
- myCitadel and myCitadel Express Pay (For selected countries using the EURO, GBP, RMB and SEK only)
- Sofort (For Euro accounts only for selected countries in Europe)
- POLi (For AUD accounts from Australia)
 Minimum Initial Deposit: There is no minimum deposit amount required to open an online account with Pinnacle Sports or to receive a 10% Cash Bonus when you make your first deposit. However, some payment solutions do have minimum deposit limits.
 Maximum Deposit: $5,000 per 30 day period, using credit card on line.  
  $2,500 CAD per day up to a maximum of $6,000 CAD in any 30 day period.
  Maestro/Switch Debit Card, VISA Electron Debit Card and Delta Debit Cards, £2,500 GBP per transaction and no more than £5,000 in any given 24 hour period. The maximum aggregate deposit in any 30 day period is £20,000 GBP.
 Deposit Transfer fees: 
- Bank Wire: $1000 or more None
- Cashiers Check: $1000 or more None
- Credit or Debit Card: None
- NETELLER and NETELLER (1-Pay): None
- INSTADEBIT: None
- WebMoney: None
- Moneybookers: None
- Solo/Switch Debit Card: None
- Visa Electron Debit Card: None
- Przelewy24: None
- Moneta: None
- myCitadel: None
 Withdrawal Methods & processing time: 
- Bank Wires; sent the next day  
- NETELLER; within minutes
- INSTADEBIT, within minutes
- WebMoney; within minutes
- Moneybookers; within minutes
- myCitadel; within minutes
 Withdrawal Limit: WebMoney maximum withdrawal of $25,000 per month and $12,000 CAD per transaction per day.
  INSTADEBIT maximum withdrawal of $12,000 CAD per transaction per day.
 Withdrawal Transfer fees:
- Bank Wire: One free payout per month. $25 (or the equivalent) flat fee for additional withdrawals using any method.
- Neteller: One free payout per month; $15 fee (or the equivalent) flat fee for additional withdrawals using any method.
- INSTADEBIT: One free payout per month; $18CAD flat fee for any additional withdrawals, using any method. 
- WebMoney: There is one free withdrawal per month: $15 USD, (or the equivalent) for additional withdrawals using any method. 
- Moneybookers: One free payout per month; $15USD (or the equivalent) for additional withdrawals using any method. 
 Commission or Tax Charges: No tax or commission is charged directly by Pinnacle Sportsbook.
Currency & Language Information
PinnacleSports currently handles the following currencies:
Aus $; Can $; Danish Kroner; Euro; HK $; Japanese Yen; Malaysian Ringgit; NZ $; Norwegian Krone; GB£; Sing$; Swedish Krona; Thailand Baht: Taiw$; US $; Chinese Yuan Renmimbi, Polish Zloty, Czech Republic Koruna
PinnacleSports.com is currently available in the following languages:
English; Chinese (simplified and Traditional); Finnish; German; Hebrew; Italian; Norwegian; Portuguese; Spanish; Russian; Swedish; Thai.

Bonuses and Rebates:
Initial Deposit Cash Bonus: 10% Initial Cash Bonus (up to $500USD) for all accounts. 
Casino: Pinnacle Sportsbook is known for outstanding value on sports and our casino is no different - they offer 0.3% cash back - on every bet, meaning our payout levels are amongst the best in the industry. Pinnacle Sportsbooks Cash Rebate program settles at the end of every day putting 0.3% of your bets win or lose back into your Pinnacle account. This is an absolute "Unbeatable Value". 
Poker: Pinnacle Sports is known for outstanding value on sports and our online multi-player poker room is no different. Whenever you play poker at Pinnacle Sports Poker, you can earn 30% rakeback on every hand played where you have directly contributed to the rake.  
Soccer: Enhanced odds on these leagues and competitions available every Friday from 2:00 am throughout the weekend;
· English Premier League 
· Italian Serie A 
· Spanish La Liga 
· German Bundesliga 1 
· UEFA Champions League  
· -102/-103 (1.97/1.98) style Asian Handicaps - that's just 101.23% 
· -104/-104 (1.96/1.96) style Total goals markets - only 101.96% 
· Three-way Moneylines (1X2) priced to just 102% 
This promotion is also applied 8 hours before kick-off on any midweek fixtures from the above leagues.
 Minimum Wager: The minimum wager or bet amount for all events is $1 USD or the equivalent in the account currency. 

Do You have Your favorite (or the most hate) bookmaker. Share Your experience with the rest. Feel free to write Your opinion. Dule

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o is on Rafael Benitez's transfer target list at Liverpool. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are putting together a list of English transfer targets, with Aston Villa's Ashley Young near the top of it. (Daily Mirror) 
They are also interested in Juventus striker David Trezeguet, who has recently fallen out with Juve's ex-Blues coach Claudio Ranieri. (Daily Express) 
Manchester City target Fabio Cannavaro has said it would "not be a huge drama" if he left Real Madrid when his contract expires in the summer. (Daily Mirror)  

OTHER GOSSIP 

Alan Shearer will earn around £1m for his eight games in charge of Newcastle, with an additional £1m to come if he keeps them in the Premier League. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has admitted he seriously considered walking out on the club before signing his new contract last month. (Daily Mirror) 
Robinho says he is benefitting from playing for Manchester City as he is getting more regular games than he did at Real Madrid. (Daily Telegraph) 
Wigan duo Mido and Amr Zaki have fallen out while away on international duty with Egypt. (Daily Mirror) 
The Football Association says any possible 10-point penalty on Southampton if they go into administration will not come into effect until next season. (Daily Mail) 
Cash-strapped Charlton are considering selling off their training ground and other facilities and laying off staff to try and tackle their £20m debt. (The Sun) 
Promotion-chasing Wycombe will be without defender Leon Johnson for the rest of the season after knee surgery. (Daily Star) 
Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith refused to back team boss George Burley after he dropped Allan McGregor and Barry Ferguson for the World Cup qualifier with Iceland on disciplinary grounds. (The Times) 
Burley will today be grilled by Scottish FA bosses on his decision to allow players to drink three days before the crucial World Cup qualifier against Iceland. (Various) 
 
AND FINALLY 

John Terry's goal celebration for England against Ukraine was based on Wayne Rooney having given him a hair cut earlier in the week, and Peter Crouch's was inspired by comedian James Corden's Comic Relief sketch. (Daily Mail) 
BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson said he thought it was an April Fool's joke when he received a phone call telling him about Alan Shearer's return to Newcastle. (Daily Mirrror) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov says he feels left out in the dressing room as he is the only one without a Premier League or Champions League medal. (Daily Express) 

Gordon Brown is to give the president of Brazil an England shirt signed by David Beckham during his visit as part of the G20 summit. (The Guardian)

www.bbc.co.uk  www.skysports.co.uk

Wales 0-2 Germany

Germany took another ominous step towards the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ but at least Wales' youngsters were not humiliated at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. 
Wales boss John Toshack can at least be thankful for that small mercy after the soul-searching which followed Saturday's embarrassing home defeat to Finland, but the points in World Cup Group 4 were always heading to a Germany side which was never stretched.
Germany took the lead after just 11 minutes when Ballack unleashed a swerving drive from 30 yards that crashed into the top corner past Wayne Hennessey. 
To their credit Wales side were running and fighting for every ball as the Germans' passing game threatened to overrun them.

After an encouraging first half Wales did not need a stroke of bad luck just three minutes into the second period. Collins had held up Gomez on the right and looked to have run the ball out but the Stuttgart striker kept the ball in. His low cross to the near post was then stabbed past Hennessey by Williams' out-stretched boot for Germany's second.

www.fifa.com

Wales - Germany

In the previous round Wales lost at home against Finland (hope I won't offence anybody, but too old and limited squad) 0-2. It was the end WC dreams. In one moment it seems Wales has young and talented players, they were good in defeats against in group (Russia 1-2 and Germany 0-1, both away) but two wins (both at home against weak Azerbaijan 1-0 and weaker Liechtenstein 2-0) from five games show their lack of quality. Just one well known player Craig Bellamy isn't enough for WC. John Toshack has given up, said that they're not competent to play even with middle class European teams. I don't know too much about their starting eleven, but does it matter?!

Visitors are in very good shape and it seems they return on the "old roads of glory". From five games they lost only two points, Finland 3-3 away, but there are no space for relaxing, Russia breaths on the neck and German lads still have to travel to Moscow. Mario Gomez started Liechtenstein game along Podolsky, but fans were frustrating by his performance, he didn't score in 13 games in a row! Low announced that he will get the last chance tonight.

This game looks like the pick of the day. Odds are not too big, most of the bookies offer 1.40-1.45, at Expekt is 1.42, but it look like a gift. Use it!

I'm thinking about some other games. Scotland,Ecuador and Serbia to win, N.Ireland,Spain and BiH over. Will decide about my bets. And maybe one more analyze,later. Stay tuned.

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Alan Shearer is to take over as Newcastle United manager for the remaining eight games of the season as the club battle to avoid Premier League relegation.(Various)

Tottenham will try to bring former Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze back to England from Real Madrid in the summer. (Daily Express) 
Ade Akinbiyi could be playing for Houston Dynamo in the Major League Soccer in the US as soon as this weekend if he agrees a pay-off at Burnley. (Daily Mail) 
Derby goalkeeper Roy Carroll wants to quit the club in the summer after losing his place in the team to Stephen Bywater. (The Sun) 
Sheffield Wednesday have beaten local rivals Sheffield United to the signature of veteran striker Dele Adebola. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Robert Lee is in line to work as Alan Shearer's assistant when his return to Newcastle as manager is confirmed. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham striker Carlton Cole could be out for the rest of the season after injuring his groin on England duty. (The Sun) 
David Beckham has been named the world's richest footballer for the fifth time, according to a survey by France Football. His total income for last year was £32.4m, putting him ahead of Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho. (Daily Express) 
The Football Association has delayed plans to launch a women's super league for 12 months because of the financial crisis. (Daily Mail) 
Wolves striker Michael Kightly could be out for up to three months with a suspected broken foot. (The Times) 
Darlington's administrators have set a deadline of 20 April for potential buyers of the club to come forward. (The Sun) 
Clyde are on the brink of being closed down after North Lanarkshire Council began trying to evict them from Broadwood Stadium. (Daily Record) 

AND FINALLY  

England coach Fabio Capello says Sir Alex Ferguson told him he felt "crazy" after paying £27m for Wayne Rooney from Everton in 2004. (Daily Express) 
Capello also requested that the badge on the new England shirt be put higher than usual to avoid rubbing on players' nipples. (Daily Star) 
Tottenham will keep the fans close to the pitch at their proposed new 58,000-seater stadium to replicate the atmosphere of White Hart Lane. (The Sun) 
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger, a trained tattoo artist, says he will tattoo the whole team if they win the Premier League title. (The Sun) 
Sir Alan Sugar says he hopes England open up a commanding lead in the first half against Ukraine - so fans watching the game on television will turn over to The Apprentice on BBC1 at half-time. (Daily Mirror) 
US President Barack Obama will travel to Eastbourne Borough's Blue Square Premier game against Ebbsfleet on Saturday, in order to watch his cousin Achtog Laprifolo play for Borough. (Eastbourne official website) 
Port Vale are to change their name to Burslem Port Vale next season, and have unveiled a new badge suspiciously similar in outline to rivals Stoke's. (Port Vale official website) 
Several clubs have revealed new shirts today - such as York's one-off purple shirt to be worn at the FA Trophy final, Lewes's one-off green and black shirt to mark the announcement of the South Downs as a National Park, and Wigan's switch to red and white halves next season to reflect a kit worn in 1932. (Various) 
Bury are to raise some much-needed revenue by staging a Monster Truck racing weekend on their Gigg Lane pitch, where the trucks will go head-to-head with the groundsman's tractor. (Bury official website) 
Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey is in talks to star in the next series of Strictly Come Dancing, alongside Hungarian sensation Lora Pliof. (Wolves official website) 
Barnsley will pioneer a Football League initiative whereby their players and managers will wear microphones wired up to the Oakwell PA system as part of an anti-swearing campaign. (Barnsley official website) 
Accrington Stanley have offered former Premier League referee Jeff Winter the role of stadium development manager, after he recently criticised the facilities at their ground. (Accrington official website) 
Plymouth have unveiled a new club badge paying homage to their Scottish manager Paul Sturrock and their Japanese investors, as designed by French typographer Una Avrille. (Plymouth official website) 
And finally... injuries, suspensions and illness are causing several managers and coaches to come out of retirement for this weekend's games - including Swansea manager Roberto Martinez, Walsall assistant manager Martin O'Connor and Barnsley coach Kelham O'Hanlon. (Various)
www.bbc.co.uk  www.thesun.co.uk  www.skysports.com

Millwall 0-1 Colchester

Clive Platt scored the only goal as Colchester dented Millwall's hopes of winning automatic promotion. 
Platt headed home a Mark Yeates cross with seven minutes remaining. 
Gary Alexander, who later went off with a head injury, went close to a first-half opener for the Lions but his header was saved by Mark Cousins. 
The Colchester keeper saved from David Martin after the break while Millwall stopper David Forde denied David Perkins before Platt struck. 

Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Craig, Whitbread, Frampton, Martin, Bolder, Laird, Henry (Grabban 88), Alexander (Grimes 43), Price. 
Subs Not Used: Pidgeley, Barron, Abdou. 
Booked: Whitbread, Grimes. 
Colchester: Cousins, Maybury, Trotman, Baldwin, Tierney, Perkins, Hammond, Izzet, Yeates (White 89), Platt, Hawley (Wasiu 90). 
Subs Not Used: Gerken, Hackney, Corcoran. 
Booked: Baldwin, Trotman, Maybury, Tierney. 
Goals: Platt 84. 
Att: 8,071 

Ref: Paul Taylor (Hertfordshire).

www.bbc.co.uk