View Full Version : Flanders Soccer Cup
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Happy new year!
My belgium bets will start from this week-end, and we already have the possibility to start this year with some winners
What is Flanders Soccer Cup? http://www.flanderssoccercup.be/fsc_movie.wmv
This is the 4th edition of the tournament. Gent participates for the 2nd time, Dender for the first time. Last year Cercle Brugge won the tournament. 2 years ago Zulte-Waregem (as 2nd division team) and 3 years ago Beveren
It’s a bit like mini-football, but on artificial pitch. We play 6 against 6 (one of them is keeper) and 2 x 15 minutes. No offsides, 3x corner = shoot-out. Brefly = samba football.
There are 6 teams who will fight for the victory:
KAA Gent
Zulte Waregem
Cercle Brugge
KSV Roeselare
KSK Beveren
FC Dender
The winner gets 10 000 euro, runner-up gets 5000 euro
The favourites are Gent, Zulte-Waregem and Beveren
This is the schedule: http://www.flanderssoccercup.be/~fsoccercup/7januari.htm
Of course, the motivation is the dececive factor here. It was Christmas, New year, everybody had holidays, and after first week of training teams shouldn’t give their 100% for this tournament.
I’m sure that Roeselare won’t win this one: Players are more workers, good group that fight for each other but:
-No individual action
-They don’t play good away
-Little bench
Furthermore they went to a stage to Oostende where they trained whole week and they play today a friendly game. Will players be able to recover quickly after hard week?
Dender will participate for the first time in this tournament. Zulte-Waregem won once as 2nd division team. They have no ambitions in this cup: this is a honour for them to participate there, but nope, they don’t count a win there as possible thing. With semi-finals they’ll be very happy. But they have very good squad, Thiebaut is a scoring machine (last year one of the best players of Zulte-Waregem), Franck (ex-Real Madrid), defender Gerets (son of ..Eric Gerets)
Zulte Waregem has a hard schedule, it will be difficult month for them. There is cup, uefa-cup competition. This are more important matches. They’ll probably play with mix of youth (some of them are good!!) and some from the main squad. Means: this tournament is a kind of training
Conclusion: motivation? Strenght of the squad??
Beveren should be one of the favourites. They won the tournament 3 years ago with their Ivory Coast players. Last year crazy coach left main squad in Beveren for a training and took his reserves to the tournament. Beveren was eliminated in first round
This year Meeuws will take all available players and of course they’ll fight for money, because they have difficulties, and they even won’t be able to make transfers (no money for it). But Beveren 2 years ago was much better. Now it’s a mix between African players and Belgium players (pretty old ones..) Meeuws brought to the Afrikans European discipline and he let them work but euhm… this squad is not that technickal (except maybe Gervinho)
They also have good keeper… Semi-Finals they’ll reach for sure.. otherwise don’t know
Then we have Cercle, who defends their title. Last year they surprisingly won this tournament with superb Pivaljevic who scored a lot of goals. They prepare this one seriously, also for them money and media attention is important but I doubt they win it again. Keeper Vandendrissche is awful (in my eyes), Pivaljevic was injured for long time, the others are a bit old, not really technical players… They won’t surprise us again
And then my favourite: KAA Gent!
This is my big big favourite to win the tournament! First of all we play in Gent.
Gent plays at home, for many fans. They have very skillfull players, maybe the best in Belgium.
line-up is like: Herpoel, Smoje,Gillet, De Beule, Grégoire, Olufadé is just too good. Herpoel as keeper is very good in man-on-man situations, strong in little spaces.. good saves.
Smoje is king of defence, the way he played last month was… nobody can pass him. Gillet, De Beule, Grégoire are very technical players, who are fast and can score goals. Olufadé is fast man in attack, powerfull, ambitious and he has birthday sunday J
The godfather of tournament is Gent trainer Leekens: he says that his team will win every game, even a dart game BUT it’s still preparation and games against Roeselare and Brugge are much important. But ok, he can motivate the guys to give their best during the tournament
Gent is also obligated to do their best for the fans, organisators and sponsors. Gent president, who saved Gent from big depts (with his commercial knowledge) don’t want to miss the chance to get media attention and to show that Gent is able to take prices. 10 000 will be welcome anyway.
Last year we were favourites, but in the end of the day players became a bit tired and where like: “we”ll win it anyway” . Mentality changed and now no underestemation from Gent side
I’m just confident in this one: who can beat technical Gent ??
Gent to win professional tournament @ 2.75 (Unibet) 8/10
GL
ItaliaWC2006
05-01-07, 15:11
Then I think there is more value for AA Gent to win Group A @ 2.00
Roeselare is crap away from home and Zulte playing with reserves.
So Gent should easily win this group. I rate them to win group A at 70-75% so there is big value in this.
Gent to win tournament hasnt got value in my opinion
Then I think there is more value for AA Gent to win Group A @ 2.00
Roeselare is crap away from home and Zulte playing with reserves.
So Gent should easily win this group. I rate them to win group A at 70-75% so there is big value in this.
Gent to win tournament hasnt got value in my opinion
Hmm dunno, it's not that Zulte-Waregem will play with reserves but probably with a mix of youth and expirienced players. Last year Zulte-Waregem was favourite against Gent in this tournament groups but lost easily against Gent. Gent might be 2nd too ...
Forgot to say about the bench of Gent. As the tournament will be whole day, everybody will have the chance to play. Gent bench with players like Stoica, Ruiz, Azofeifa, Foley is just one of the best of the tournament and that could also make the DIFFERENCE. Other teams has weaker bench so if the best players are tired...
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There is also a tournament for the 2/3/4 division teams
Only the winner of the group qualifies to the semi-finals
The favourites are the 2nd division teams Deinze and OH Leuven
More info later..
Need to go now, but Aalst to win the group @ 2.30 is a very good bet
Also Olympic Charleroi to win the group @ 2.35 is value for me
Hope I will manage to write a preview tonight
A bit late, and I must leave in 5 mins. Still:
Aalst to win their group @ 2.30
Aalst is a solid leader in 4th division. They have a good squad with skullful and fast players. There will be many fans of Aalst. Their opponents Maldegem & Londerzeel have less quality in my eyes. Londerzeel promoted to 3rd division but struggling there. Maldegem is years in low divisions, and now they have financial problems and team in not in form... Brefly odds on Aalst were @2.80 but dropped to 2.30.. I expekt them to win the group, 2 matches won't be a problem I hope
Other thing for me is Oh Leuven to win the group. Solid 2nd division team with ambitions to take play-off place, won't have problems against struggling teams from low division. Oh Leuven is big favourite to win this tournament, so this won't be a problem to get into semis...
And other value bet is Olympic Charleroi to win their group @ 2.35 or to win the tournament @ 7.50. They are last years runner-up and this year they are way too strong in third division. Last year they lost play-offs final for the promotion very surprisingly but this year they have better squad. The thing is that the squad has 7 players from Ivory Coast and people call them Beveren - B. The only dissadvantage is that they have a very far trip and probably there won't be many fans... Gent-Zeehaven won't be a problem to beat but Deinze will be difficult. Deinze really hasn't good technical teams.. so 1.67 has no value at all..
GL
Aalst won the group !!
Oh Leuven LOST!!
Olympic Charleroi won the group !!!
Olympic Charleroi won the tournament! @ 7.50 ..
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