World Cup - are the english gullible?

Is it just me or does the competition seem weaker somehow at this world cup?
At the previous world cups you could see teams beating Brazil. This time it feels like Brazil have almost got it sewn up already, its more a case of them doing something incredibly stupid or losing many players somehow to injury.
What annoys me even more, is that even if somehow a team manages a draw with Brazil, I would bet on them always winning the penalty shootout against any team outside possibly another south american team.
 
Blitzkrieg said:
Is it just me or does the competition seem weaker somehow at this world cup?
At the previous world cups you could see teams beating Brazil. This time it feels like Brazil have almost got it sewn up already, its more a case of them doing something incredibly stupid or losing many players somehow to injury.
What annoys me even more, is that even if somehow a team manages a draw with Brazil, I would bet on them always winning the penalty shootout against any team outside possibly another south american team.
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I agree that Brazil are huge favourites, I'd say with a 30% chance of winning it. But I think quite a number of teams are strong:
Argentina
France
Italy
Holland
Germany
England

All have an outside chance (10% chance of winning). I'd like to rank Spain in the above list based on player material, but their WC track record is abysmal.

Cheers
 
Spain were awesome at the last world cup, they got shafted by bullshit referees. Still the gap seems wider than the last 2 cups.
 
Gubbi said:
Bookies don't decide odds, the market does. Betfair in particular don't even set initial odds, punters play against punters.

Bookies (Ladbrokes etc) have to follow suit (otherwise it's surebetting galore).

Laying (betting against) on England at odds 9.4 is a bleeding bargain! So bookies are actually making a killing on the WC.

Cheers
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Hmmm... Placing some nice bets against the UK and France seems to be a good opportunity to make a decent buck!

But then again, I would lose ten times what I would win, looking at both sides of the coin. That's why it's also a sucker bet. But I agree, that it would be a pretty reliable way to make some decent money.
 
Gubbi said:
I agree that Brazil are huge favourites, I'd say with a 30% chance of winning it. But I think quite a number of teams are strong:
Argentina
France
Italy
Holland
Germany
England

All have an outside chance (10% chance of winning). I'd like to rank Spain in the above list based on player material, but their WC track record is abysmal.

Cheers
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But then again, odds of a hundred to one are extremely sweet if you make them. Only betting on the probable losers can make you much better bucks.
 
A researcher in Aus' has calculated that Brazil have a 29% chance of winning followed by England with 10%.

Australia were given a 0.6% chance :( .... still that's better than those who aren't in it at all, I suppose :smile:
 
Simon F said:
A researcher in Aus' has calculated that Brazil have a 29% chance of winning followed by England with 10%.

Australia were given a 0.6% chance :( .... still that's better than those who aren't in it at all, I suppose :smile:
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Does the calculation of his take into account the fact that some of the brailian stars seem to love go dancing and boozing all night long these days? :D
 
Crisidelm said:
Does the calculation of his take into account the fact that some of the brailian stars seem to love go dancing and boozing all night long these days? :D
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You mean... they are footballers?:rolleyes:
 
Simon F said:
A researcher in Aus' has calculated that Brazil have a 29% chance of winning followed by England with 10%.

Australia were given a 0.6% chance :( .... still that's better than those who aren't in it at all, I suppose :smile:
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As we use to say here, football is a game full of surprises (we never know for sure) :)
 
Strange how the Czechs are not given a chance even though they are ranked 2nd in the world. Should be them and the Italians through in their group, US have not done well in their warm up games.
 
Blitzkrieg said:
Strange how the Czechs are not given a chance even though they are ranked 2nd in the world. Should be them and the Italians through in their group, US have not done well in their warm up games.
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The Dutch also has a high quality side if you look at them player for player. And Van Basten really seems to have rallied them together, they went through qualification with ease).

I think that if they can make it past the group stage (they are in the group of death) then they'll go far.

Cheers
 
Gubbi said:
The Dutch also has a high quality side if you look at them player for player. And Van Basten really seems to have rallied them together, they went through qualification with ease).
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It's been quite a long time since Netherlands actually have had a team not just individual world class players. Van Basten seems to really have created a team. They could go quite far.
 
The Netherlands were the far better team in the match vs Brazil when the cup was held in France. As soon as it went to penalties though, pointless watching it as I knew Brazil would win. :(
 
Seems to me there are a number of teams who could go either way (well, or badly!), depending on whether the prima donna players can be bothered to play as a team, or insist on poncing about the field worrying about their hair-style and their fragile egos. Italy, France, Netherlands, Spain, ... England, ... It's something which seems to afflict a lot of the Big Name international teams these days, the Big Name players can't be arsed.
 
Call me crazy but I have a feeling that Sweden will go long in this tournament. They'll achieve silver, trailing only Brazil. Czech will lose the bronze medal game to England.
 
nutball said:
It's something which seems to afflict a lot of the Big Name international teams these days, the Big Name players can't be arsed.
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Too busy counting all their money. I don't begrudge them being well-paid but things are getting ridiculous!
 
You know something. :) B3D should sponcer a world cup torney, everyone picks their winner from beggining to end. Person with the highest score, gets some interesting prize. :cool:
 
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