Soccer and Match-fixing
Dec 11, 2009 20:31:33 GMT -5
Post by roke on Dec 11, 2009 20:31:33 GMT -5
Normally I make a point not to post too much on soccer, but I think this is newsworthy enough since it involves Canada.
Canadian Match Fixed
My first reaction was, "I'm glad I did not get up to watch that match". I was considering it, but not being guaranteed that there would be an internet stream from Macedonia meant I decided to sleep in on Saturday. It doesn't seem like any Canadian personnel were involved at first glance, and they wouldn't have to be if the ref decided to call 4 penalties.
Last year Bob McCown had the authour of a book called The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime, and that's when I started thinking about it. Even though I'm a big soccer fan, much bigger than hockey (I consider myself a Habs fan, not a hockey fan), I do believe that there is match-fixing in soccer, maybe even at the highest levels. There's just too much money, and too many shady characters involved worldwide for it not to be a potential problem, and it's not like FIFA is an organization on top of things. The way soccer is structured, especially outside North America, lends itself to those shady characters getting involved in it, if only just for money laundering purposes.
That's not to say that match-fixing can't be going on in North American soccer as well. A Canadian soccer podcast I listen to mentioned that they have known in the past of people calling, play-by-play, of Canadian Soccer League matches to pubs overseas. With so little money actually in the CSL, and the big money that can be made in betting/fixing, the hosts said it would not surprise them if there wasn't fixing involved; probably not at the level of say, the MLS, but those lower leagues with very little money, it's certainly possible.
I'm not sure if anyone has anything to say on the subject, but I hope you do.
Canadian Match Fixed
The news that a Canadian match was allegedly fixed as begun to leak out as UEFA has suspended Bulgarin referee Anton Genov after some irregular betting was discovered stemming from the Canadian Macedonian friendly earlier this year.
The big bets were being placed on the Over of 2.5 goals and for those that remember that game (no less than four penalties) there were some, let's say, strange calls.
The big bets were being placed on the Over of 2.5 goals and for those that remember that game (no less than four penalties) there were some, let's say, strange calls.
My first reaction was, "I'm glad I did not get up to watch that match". I was considering it, but not being guaranteed that there would be an internet stream from Macedonia meant I decided to sleep in on Saturday. It doesn't seem like any Canadian personnel were involved at first glance, and they wouldn't have to be if the ref decided to call 4 penalties.
Last year Bob McCown had the authour of a book called The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime, and that's when I started thinking about it. Even though I'm a big soccer fan, much bigger than hockey (I consider myself a Habs fan, not a hockey fan), I do believe that there is match-fixing in soccer, maybe even at the highest levels. There's just too much money, and too many shady characters involved worldwide for it not to be a potential problem, and it's not like FIFA is an organization on top of things. The way soccer is structured, especially outside North America, lends itself to those shady characters getting involved in it, if only just for money laundering purposes.
That's not to say that match-fixing can't be going on in North American soccer as well. A Canadian soccer podcast I listen to mentioned that they have known in the past of people calling, play-by-play, of Canadian Soccer League matches to pubs overseas. With so little money actually in the CSL, and the big money that can be made in betting/fixing, the hosts said it would not surprise them if there wasn't fixing involved; probably not at the level of say, the MLS, but those lower leagues with very little money, it's certainly possible.
I'm not sure if anyone has anything to say on the subject, but I hope you do.
