I've been looking for big price bets mostly so far but I'm playing it safe here.
I think Belgium should be a touch odds on so have taken the even money. If they can play more as a unit than they have been they might even win quite comfortably against a team of over-achievers (which reflects very well on them).
I was tempted for a moment to go with Dempsey as first scorer at 8/1 but Hazard is the same price and is the more likely assuming he starts.
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Lovely touch from Lukaku there, mouthing into the camera: Maman, je t'aime!
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Incredibly biased (pro USA) commentary on the BBC.
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At last no more talk of soccer!!!!
Can't agree, AG. Commentary should state what's happening, not distort it, which is what the BBC did.
EG, it was 2-0 Belgium. USA scored (a miss-hit but let's leave that aside for the moment) so it's 2-1. Belgium are still in the lead and still going through and still looking likely to score a third on the break. What's the BBC commentator's view? "USA have changed the entire complexion of this game!" How, exactly? Belgium are still ahead and still looking the more likely to score (unless you're blinded by support for the Americans), so, ahem, the complexion of the game hasn't changed at all. It's more exciting, yes. But Belgium are still going through.
I have family in America. I support America when they play, including tonight, but there was no way they were winning this game at any time.
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Netherlands 1.52 V Costa Rica 8.2
Sometimes the layers get it wrong and at 8.2 Costa Rica look well worth a back to lay.
in 270 minutes of play they have given away only 1 goal and that was a penalty.
It's not like the Dutch are a great team. They routed Spain but they have looked ordinary since and have struggled to score with all their goals in their last 2 games coming late in the day.
If both teams play in the same fashion as before then extra time could be on the cards and that 8.2 will be more like 3.5.........Green up 188pts profit to 100pts stake very possible
Last edited by Tanlic; 2nd July 2014 at 7:19 AM.
Formely Fist of Fury
If you can't see how that goal changed the entire complexion of the game, you don't understand football...
Think people are overrating Costa Rica, Dutch aren't great but Greece were better than Costa Rica, would people be fancying them? Dutch win by 2.
Yeah. I'm with Ali. Holland aren't great, but way better than CR.
Last edited by Desert Orchid; 2nd July 2014 at 12:04 PM.
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Holland took it easy in the first half due to the heat..not a bad tactic..looked awful..but then they went behind and had to really play instead of steadily building up in the 2nd half...if they really play they aren't bad.
they should win really..depends on how they play in the first half again i suppose...it looks crap when they do that though
I think Holland are bogus myself.
Schneider hasn't kicked the ball (one critical goal apart), RVP looks out-of-sorts, and refs will surely be wise to Robben's tactics now (besides, I reckon he only contributes when he has the pace of opposing defences, which won't be the case in the Quarter, imo).
Price is everything, and no way are Costa Rica a 7/1 shot in a match with this Dutch side. The abberation against Spain apart, they have looked very ordinary.
Grasshopper, a man of sense (at last).
Must have been, I'm all about people's opinions but this isn't even opinion. USA were much more likely to score after it went to 2-1, and they would have done bar a fantastic save from Courtois from Dempsey and slightly profligate finishing. Of course a little bit of luck involved too which always has a huge bearing on games.
I think you're being serious, Ali.
Here's how the game went from the 2-1 goal on ET16:18:
17:30 - Fellaini shoots just wide from corner of box.
17:59 - Jones hooks wide
18:44 - Belgium attack foiled in box
20:04 - Howard saves with his feet from Lukaku - corner
21:00 - (substitution in meantime) Howard palms corner away for another corner
21:38 - next US attack smothered outside box, leading to the free kick from which Dempsey was closed down by Courtois.
So by the time Courtois made this "fantastic" save (you would hope any decent keeper would have made it) Belgium had three attacks, two shots (Howard's save with the feet was arguably better than Courtois's) and two corners to USA's effort by Jones.
How you can argue that USA were the more likely to score beats me. They didn't have another dangerous attack till the final whistle. Belgium allowed them possession and closed them down outside the box, countering when they got the chance. They were never in danger of being pegged back apart from the Dempsey chance but by then the USA could have been 3-0 down.
I take it you didn't go and watch it again?
Last edited by Desert Orchid; 2nd July 2014 at 1:57 PM.
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