Week 15 Cagliari v Lazio 24th February 2008

Balance
Profit €72.75

Inter Milan 2 (Suazo 14,18) Livorno 0
Juventus 1 (Del Piero 45) Roma 0

Last Saturday after 18 minutes in the San Siro my overs bet was looking home and hosed but with a combination of Inter with one eye on Anfield and a resilient Livorno display in the second half my third goal just didn't appear and with bated breath I waited for the result to come through in Turin later that evening.Thankfully only one Del Piero goal separated the sides and I was quids in on my unders.A great free kick from the Italian dead ball specialist.


The width of a post denied me maximum profit last week as Livorno hit the left stick in the second half with a free kick.So despite the best efforts of Honduran international David Suazo it was not to be.This week I am visiting Suazo's previous club Cagliari who find themselves rooted to the bottom of Serie A.They play Lazio at the Stadio Sant'Elia and I am predicting a draw here.Since the islanders came back up to Serie A in 2004 four of the seven games played between the two teams have ended in draws.There has been six league matches played in Sardinia between the two sides since 1997 and five of them have ended as a stalemate.On league form Lazio would be favourites but they have only won away once so far this season and look set to finish mid table.With all their European eggs in a Copa Italia basket they are probably wishing away the rest of a disappointing league season.So with Cagliari rock bottom and hungry for points and with Lazio going through the motions in the league my advice is €50 on the draw which is a popular result in this fixture at 3.2(betfair).Whether this point will save the red and blues is doubtful as Cagliari have struggled since selling the Honduran goalscoring machine.
David Suazo may be one of Honduras' most famous football sons but Caribeen country is more known for a 'football war' rather than the players it has produced.The truth be told that it is a myth that the war was caused by rioting at a World Cup qualifier between Honduras and El Salvador.The match was merely a spark that contributed to the six day war in 1969.The background of the war was caused by immigration problems between the two countries.Honduras had economic problems which the Honduran government blamed on Salvadorian immigrants in Honduras ;thought to be in the region of over 300,000.The government began to associate the Salvadoran immigrants with illegal land invasions and in 1969 the Honduran government refused to renew the 1967 Bilateral Treaty on Immigration with El Salvador and a land law reform was passed that took away land from Salvadoran immigrants and redistributed this land to Honduran born citizens.Just before the qualifiers Salvadorans began to stream out of Honduras back to an overpopulated El Salvador after attacks on immigratnts.The first game was in Tegucigalpa,Honduras on the sixth of June in which disturbances broke out during a game in which the home side won 1-0 but tensions got worse during the second game in San Salvador.Before the game the Honduran players were kept awake all night by disturbances outside the hotel.The Honduran anthem was insulted and the flag was burnt and replaced by a rag by the hosts.Emotions began to run high for both nations and after a 3-0 win for El Salvador, Honduran fans were attacked on the streets.In retaliation actions against Salvadorans in Honduras became increasingly violent resulting in tens of thousands fleeing the country.In an atmosphere of hysteria created by the media and governments of both countries Honduras broke diplomatic relations with El Salvador.
Two weeks later on the 14th July 1969,a couple of weeks after El Salvador won the playoff game in Mexico 3-2 after extra time the real war began as El Salvador invaded Honduras.Six days later after pressure from the Organisation of American States the war ended after a cease fire was enforced.Some 2,000 people were killed during the conflict known as the football war which ended in a stalemate, a draw but really both sides effectively lost.
On a football note El Salvador went to Mexico and lost their three games to Belgium,Mexico and the USSR conceding nine goals and scoring none.

STATS
Cagliari Serie A at home W2 D3 L6
Lazio Serie A away W1 D6 L4

TRIVIA
Ireland have played one game at the Stadio Sant'Elia.What year,against who and what was the result?
Last weeks answer Abédi Pelé

Week 13 and 14 Double week Inter Milan v Livorno/Juventus v Roma 16th February 2008 WINNER!

Balance
Profit €75.25

Result Juventus 2(Del Piero 14,Iaquinta 31) Inter Milan 3(Balotelli 10,54,Cruz p39)

One thing you can be guaranteed when you are running a blog is the odd time you will get a bout of laziness and last week I got the dreaded lazyitis but now I'm back rejuvenated and hoping to tip up some winners after a dismal January.My last game didn't go to plan although it did have a bit of everything,five goals,a Del Piero freekick,a penalthy,a sending off and a couple of goals from Inters new star in waiting.AC Milan may have Alexandre Pato whom I had the pleasure of seeing make his debut but Inter have 17 year old Mario Balotelli Barwuah.Watch this kid.
Today I am going to make up for last week and tip a double punt on Juve and Inter again ,one an overs bet and the other an unders bet.Inter play Livorno and I will tip €50 on overs at 1.9 with Bet365.Juventus play Roma and i'll have a go at unders at 1.95.
Back to Balotelli,he has so far been used sparingly for Inter and has only played four games,three in the cup and a substitute appearance in the league.In those four games he has scored four goals,two in the cup game against Juventus.Mario has ambitions to play for Italy but his international career is currently in limbo as he has to wait until he is 18 before he can turn out for the Azzurri due to Italian citizenship law.
Mario was born in Italy of Ghanian immigrants and at a young age he was taken in by the Balotelli family but was not legally adopted therefore he has to wait until he is eighteen before he can obtain Italian citizenship.Ghana could have done with him in the recent African Cup of Nations but he turned them down when offered to join the squad in a friendly last year.Next April and October Balotelli could be a name we'll be very familiar with when Il Trap leads Ireland to play Italy in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.Check out Balotellis handful of goals on his website below.A complete striker,tall,fast,strong and skillful he is definetly one to keep an eye on and Inter can be very happy that they have this young star on their books.
http://www.mariobalotelli.it/en/

STATS
Inter Milan have gone 28 games unbeaten since 19th September 2007 when Fenerbache beat them in a Champions league group game.

TRIVIA
It looks as though Ghana have missed out on striker Mario Balotelli Barwuah but whi is their all time leading goal scorer with 33 goals?Last trivia answer,Roma beat Inter Milan to win the Copa Italia in 2007.