World Cup?s Sweet Sixteen
So long, Saudi Arabia. Toodles, Tunisia. Pax vobiscum, Paraguay.
Sixteen teams have been bounced out of the first round of the 2006 World Cup. Sixteen teams will stay in Germany for the knockout stage, which was slated to begin Saturday with the host country versus Sweden and Argentina versus Mexico. Here?s a look at four of the later games in the knockout stage.
Sunday: England vs. Ecuador
The Three Lions are ?225 favorites to upend Ecuador (+700), with a draw after stoppage time priced at +275. English fans have already developed a love-hate relationship with their side. England won Group B with two wins and a draw, but their efforts against Paraguay and Sweden were less than spectacular. The 2-2 draw with the Swedes was marked by defensive lapses and the Cup-ending injury suffered by striker Michael Owen. Defender Rio Ferdinand may also miss this game after injuring his groin against Sweden.
Not that Ecuador can capitalize easily. La Tricolor is in the knockout stage for the first time in team history. There are far better teams coming out of South America that can beat the English in the later rounds. For example, a potential semifinal match with Argentina looms should the Three Lions make it that far.
Sunday: Portugal vs. the Netherlands
This ought to be a cracker. Holland is a slim +140 favorite; Portugal is priced at +200 to win, and a draw pays out +200 as well. Holland should eke out a win here, but it?s hardly in the bag. Portugal has had the Netherlands? number: five wins and just one loss to the Dutch in nine previous meetings. One of those victories was at the Euro 2004 semifinals. The current Portuguese team remains largely intact from that year, while the Dutch have wisely infused their side with some youthful vitality.
The handicapper?s mantra about value points directly at Portugal +200. The Selec??o das Quinas haven?t lost an international game since falling 1-0 to Greece at the Euro 2004 final. That?s a stretch of 18 matches; keep in mind, however, the quality of opposition we?re dealing with here. Teams like Cape Verde and Luxembourg don?t pack quite the same punch as the Netherlands.
Monday: Italy vs. Australia
The Socceroos have already impressed by making it to the second round. This is almost certainly where the ride ends. Australia is +650 to beat Italy (-200), with a draw at +275. Against a more formidable opponent, Italy might be worth fading. Midfielder Daniele De Rossi has been suspended for four games after elbowing Team USA?s Brian McBride in the face, and 13 of the Italians have learned their Serie A clubs back home could be demoted to Serie B as part of the match-fixing scandal that has engulfed Italian soccer. That?s a serious distraction.
Australia does have one ace up its sleeve. Coach Guus Hiddink, who has only been on the job since July but already has exerted his considerable influence over the Aussies, led the South Korean team to fourth place at the 2002 World Cup. The Koreans beat Italy and Spain to reach the semis that year. Can Hiddink sink the Azzurri once again? We shall see.
Tuesday: Brazil vs. Ghana
Watching Brazil score three times Thursday against a competent Japanese side ? in the second half ? was mesmerizing. Kudos to Japan for scoring the only goal against Brazil in the opening round. Ghana will deserve even more praise if the Black Stars can find the back of the onion bag during the knockout stage. This Brazilian team, when it plays like it did during that second half Thursday, is superhuman.
Having said that, is any team worth ?350 to win? That?s the chalk Brazil will drag behind it during this matchup. Ghana, meanwhile, is +900 to pull off what would have to be considered a monumental upset. A draw before penalty kicks would pay +400. Ghana certainly can?t be dismissed offhand. Their surprise 2-1 victory over the highly skilled Czech Republic side paid a handsome +250. The Black Stars were even slim +110 underdogs against disappointing Team USA; Ghana?s 2-1 win bounced both the Czechs and the Americans from the World Cup. Betting against them with that much chalk, even with Brazil supplying the opposition, gives me the willies.
The other two games in the knockout stage feature Switzerland against the Ukraine on Monday and Spain taking on France the following day. Official odds were still pending at the time of this writing, but it looks like Switzerland will be a slight favorite, while France will definitely play the underdog role to Spain. Watch out for Ukraine in this situation. They haven?t given up a goal since their unusually poor 4-0 loss to the Spaniards.
----Perry
BetWWTS.com
So long, Saudi Arabia. Toodles, Tunisia. Pax vobiscum, Paraguay.
Sixteen teams have been bounced out of the first round of the 2006 World Cup. Sixteen teams will stay in Germany for the knockout stage, which was slated to begin Saturday with the host country versus Sweden and Argentina versus Mexico. Here?s a look at four of the later games in the knockout stage.
Sunday: England vs. Ecuador
The Three Lions are ?225 favorites to upend Ecuador (+700), with a draw after stoppage time priced at +275. English fans have already developed a love-hate relationship with their side. England won Group B with two wins and a draw, but their efforts against Paraguay and Sweden were less than spectacular. The 2-2 draw with the Swedes was marked by defensive lapses and the Cup-ending injury suffered by striker Michael Owen. Defender Rio Ferdinand may also miss this game after injuring his groin against Sweden.
Not that Ecuador can capitalize easily. La Tricolor is in the knockout stage for the first time in team history. There are far better teams coming out of South America that can beat the English in the later rounds. For example, a potential semifinal match with Argentina looms should the Three Lions make it that far.
Sunday: Portugal vs. the Netherlands
This ought to be a cracker. Holland is a slim +140 favorite; Portugal is priced at +200 to win, and a draw pays out +200 as well. Holland should eke out a win here, but it?s hardly in the bag. Portugal has had the Netherlands? number: five wins and just one loss to the Dutch in nine previous meetings. One of those victories was at the Euro 2004 semifinals. The current Portuguese team remains largely intact from that year, while the Dutch have wisely infused their side with some youthful vitality.
The handicapper?s mantra about value points directly at Portugal +200. The Selec??o das Quinas haven?t lost an international game since falling 1-0 to Greece at the Euro 2004 final. That?s a stretch of 18 matches; keep in mind, however, the quality of opposition we?re dealing with here. Teams like Cape Verde and Luxembourg don?t pack quite the same punch as the Netherlands.
Monday: Italy vs. Australia
The Socceroos have already impressed by making it to the second round. This is almost certainly where the ride ends. Australia is +650 to beat Italy (-200), with a draw at +275. Against a more formidable opponent, Italy might be worth fading. Midfielder Daniele De Rossi has been suspended for four games after elbowing Team USA?s Brian McBride in the face, and 13 of the Italians have learned their Serie A clubs back home could be demoted to Serie B as part of the match-fixing scandal that has engulfed Italian soccer. That?s a serious distraction.
Australia does have one ace up its sleeve. Coach Guus Hiddink, who has only been on the job since July but already has exerted his considerable influence over the Aussies, led the South Korean team to fourth place at the 2002 World Cup. The Koreans beat Italy and Spain to reach the semis that year. Can Hiddink sink the Azzurri once again? We shall see.
Tuesday: Brazil vs. Ghana
Watching Brazil score three times Thursday against a competent Japanese side ? in the second half ? was mesmerizing. Kudos to Japan for scoring the only goal against Brazil in the opening round. Ghana will deserve even more praise if the Black Stars can find the back of the onion bag during the knockout stage. This Brazilian team, when it plays like it did during that second half Thursday, is superhuman.
Having said that, is any team worth ?350 to win? That?s the chalk Brazil will drag behind it during this matchup. Ghana, meanwhile, is +900 to pull off what would have to be considered a monumental upset. A draw before penalty kicks would pay +400. Ghana certainly can?t be dismissed offhand. Their surprise 2-1 victory over the highly skilled Czech Republic side paid a handsome +250. The Black Stars were even slim +110 underdogs against disappointing Team USA; Ghana?s 2-1 win bounced both the Czechs and the Americans from the World Cup. Betting against them with that much chalk, even with Brazil supplying the opposition, gives me the willies.
The other two games in the knockout stage feature Switzerland against the Ukraine on Monday and Spain taking on France the following day. Official odds were still pending at the time of this writing, but it looks like Switzerland will be a slight favorite, while France will definitely play the underdog role to Spain. Watch out for Ukraine in this situation. They haven?t given up a goal since their unusually poor 4-0 loss to the Spaniards.
----Perry
BetWWTS.com
