Spain and France, arguably the most dominant teams in the tournament, met on Friday to determine the winner of the U19 European Championship.  Going into the final, the hosts (France) had been consistently impressive- beating the Netherlands (4-1) and Austria (5-0) in their first two matches and then Croatia 2-1 in the semifinals.  Only a draw with England in the group stage blemished their winning record.  Spain, who had failed to reach the knock-out stages of this tournament since winning it in 2007, were the only team left to have a 100% winning record.

And at the start of the match, Spain looked likely to hold on to that record for the entire tournament after Rodrigo (forward, Real Madrid) scored in the 18th minute.  Spain continued to dominate the first half – accumulating the best chances and the most possession.  But despite a plethora of opportunities, Spain weren’t able to increase their lead and allowed France to go into the 2nd half with only a single goal deficit.

And in the 2nd half, France made them pay…but only after surviving several close calls as Spain continued to dominate the opening minutes of the 2nd half.

Then, after almost conceding, France was able to equalize through goalkeeper Diallo’s (GK, Rennes) long kick forward to subsitute Tafer (forward, Lyon) who lifted the ball over the Spanish keeper.  The equalizer was arguably the turning point in the match- energizing the crowd and providing France with the momentum to in the final minutes of the match.  France’s Lacazette (forward, Lyon) scored the winning goal at the 85th minute. Despite a series of impressive performances in the tournament, Lacazette had been largely invisible in the finals game and the goal seemed to come from nowhere.  But, despite Lacazette’s impressive finishing- the hard work came from Gael Kakuta (midfield, Chelsea) whose run through the center of Spain’s defense was impossible for Alex (GK, Zaragoza) to defend.

With only a few minutes left, Spain were unable to find a second goal which had eluded them since early in the first half- leaving France to lift the trophy in the end!

The only question left is if these two countries can make it three in a row when they compete next year at the FIFA U20 World Cup.  In addition to this U19 final, these two teams also played each other in the U17 European Championship two years ago (which Spain won).  The two teams have consistently been comprised of the same players- 11 of the 22 starters in the finals match played in the U17 final two years ago.  Any bets on those players making another final appearances in the U20 tournament?

Tags: beats, Championship, Chelsea, Close Calls, Diallo, Dominant Teams, Equalizer, European, Finals, France, Gael Kakuta, Gk, Group Stage, Impressive Performances, Knock Out, Lyon, Match France, Midfield, Momentum, Plethora, Possession, Real Madrid, Rodrigo, Spain, Turning Point, U19 European Championship

Soccer betting, like all forms of sports betting and betting in general requires discipline, self control and knowledge. Like anything else, there are soccer tips you can learn to give you an edge over the game and soccer betting tips you can use to make sure you bet intelligently. Without the proper soccer betting tips, you find yourself without much effort to reward, or that you are probably losing money.

Soccer tips to help you learn the game and make smart use

• Learn the constellations of teams: By learning the constellations of the various teams, you learn who the best players are, what position they play and how they match opponents.

• Follow the news and injury reports: One of the best soccer tips you can give to someone following damage reports. Only one serious injury on a football team can swing the balance sheet, which has more chance to win a game. Moreover, if the exhibits and, you know if the team has a good backup or not.

• Use the past as a guide: The more time that two teams against each other, the more likely a consistent history of games development. When betting on football, consider the history of teams making your choice. Is the home team always wins? There is never a long three or four consecutive game winning streak by one team? Among these tips football, this is invaluable information that you can use to guide your decision process.

• See who has momentum: Sometimes the record of the teams can be misleading. A team with two losses, would have lost both games just for the upcoming game, and on a losing streak. While a team with four losses would have lost those games early in the season and is on a winning streak, playing great soccer. Look in the file for more information before your football bets.

Soccer betting tips you can use

• not bet on leagues or teams you do not know: Your knowledge is a resource and an important tool. One of the best soccer betting tips you can find, has never bet on things you do not know well.

• never bet more money than you have: This is the most important rule in making soccer bets, never be tempted to borrow more money then you can afford to lose that bet.

• Do not count emotional: When you lose a bet, you tend to bet on something else you should not try to make it right. Or you can bet on your favorite team when there is not a good chance that they will win. Normally follow football betting tip betting with your brains, not your heart.

Follow this football betting tips and guidelines and get a high degree of success, while minimizing your losses and enjoy the games even more.

Tags: Balance Sheet, Bet Soccer, Betting, Betting Soccer, Consecutive Game, Constellations, Disciplines, Exhibits, Football Bets, Football Team, Game Winning Streak, Games Development, History Of Games, Losing Streak, Losses, Momentum, Opponents, Required, Self Control, Soccer, Soccer Betting Tips, Soccer Tips, Sports Betting