Here is the final part to our 2nd World Cup article, this time breaking down each group in much more detail, going through the final stage of qualification by team, breaking down their last ten games on the pitch overall followed by some qualitative analysis on recent form & perhaps what we can expect from a gambling angle.
Next week we will post one final article examining each team from a pure odds & gambling perspective - giving out some future plays we favor. Remember, the only way to get our game by game selections is purchasing a package on our website - the cost averages out to about $4/game according to the volume of plays we expect over the entire tournament - so hop on-board as we dominated World Cup 2010, and will do so again this summer!
Format of this article so as to flow nicely is we will go group by group - this article will breakdown Groups E, F, G, H. Each group will have 3 pieces: (1) Final stage of qualification results (2) Last ten match results (3) Analysis. I will also put the footnotes right here so the references below are easier to follow.
|
1 QUALIFIED AUTOMATICALLY
AS HOST NATION
|
|
2 CAF'S FINAL STAGE OF
QUALIFICATION IS A HOME & HOME VS. ONE OPPONENT
|
|
3 PLAYOFF VS. ICELAND FOR
BID. 0-0 DRAW AT ICELAND, 2-0 WIN AT
HOME (AGGREGATE 2-0)
|
|
4 PLAYOFF VS. ROMANIA FOR
BID. 3-1 WIN AT HOME, 1-1 DRAW AT
ROMANIA (AGGREGATE 4-2)
|
|
5 PLAYOFF VS. UKRAINE FOR
BID. 2-0 LOSS AT UKRAINE, 3-0 WIN AT
HOME (AGGREGATE 3-2)
|
|
6 PLAYOFF VS. SWEDEN FOR
BID. 1-0 WIN AT HOME, 3-2 WIN AT
SWEDEN (AGGREGATE 4-2)
|
|
7 INTER-CONTINENTAL
PLAYOFF VS. NEW ZEALAND FOR BID. 5-1
WIN AT HOME, 4-2 WIN AT NEW ZEALAND (AGGREGATE 9-3)
|
|
8 INTER-CONTINENTAL
PLAYOFF VS. JORDAN FOR BID. 5-0 WIN AT
JORDAN, 0-0 DRAW AT HOME (AGGREGATE 5-0)
|
|
|
FINAL STAGE OF
QUALIFICATION
|
GROUP W/O TM
|
|||||||
|
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
GF
|
+
|
-
|
+/-
|
AVG
|
RANK
|
|
GROUP E
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
SWITZERLAND
|
7
|
0
|
3
|
17
|
1.70
|
0.60
|
1.10
|
68.00
|
18
|
|
ECUADOR
|
7
|
5
|
4
|
20
|
1.25
|
1.00
|
0.25
|
29.50
|
1
|
|
FRANCE 5
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
15
|
1.88
|
0.75
|
1.13
|
60.00
|
14
|
|
HONDURAS
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
13
|
1.30
|
1.20
|
0.10
|
34.60
|
6
|
|
|
JUNE 6TH
|
|
|
RECENT FORM LAST TEN
GAMES (THRU 6/4)
|
|||||
|
|
FIFA RANK
|
REGION
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
+
|
-
|
+/-
|
|
|
GROUP E
|
|
||||||||
|
SWITZERLAND
|
6
|
UEFA
|
|
7
|
1
|
2
|
17
|
9
|
8
|
|
ECUADOR
|
26
|
CONMEBOL
|
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
13
|
15
|
(2)
|
|
FRANCE 5
|
17
|
UEFA
|
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
23
|
5
|
18
|
|
HONDURAS
|
33
|
CONCACAF
|
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
14
|
22
|
(8)
|
|
|
|
|
|
ANALYSIS
|
|
GROUP E
|
|
|
SWITZERLAND
|
ENTER COMPETITION WITH
JUST ONE LOSS OVER THEIR L10 GMS, BUT THEY HAVE JUST FACED 3 FELLOW WORLD CUP
TMS GOING 1-1-1 BEATING BRAZIL, TYING CROATIA & LOSING AT SOUTH KOREA.
THEY HAVE SCORED IN EACH OF THEIR L10GMS WHILE SUBSEQUENTLY KEEPING 6 CLEAN
SHEETS. DECENT TRACK RECORD AT WORLD
CUP, WILL BE IN THE MIX FOR CERTAIN - WHO WOULDN'T BE BEATING BRAZIL RECENTLY?
|
|
ECUADOR
|
LA TRI IS ONE OF 6 WORLD
CUP TEAMS WHO HAVE A NEGATIVE GOAL DIFFERENTIAL OVER THEIR LAST 10 GMS (THE
2ND IN THEIR GROUP). OVER THEIR LAST
FIVE THEY HAVE GONE 1-1-3 VS. 5 WORLD CUP TEAMS BEATING AUSTRALIA, LOSING TO
MEXICO WHILE TYING ENGLAND, NETHERLANDS & HONDURAS - HARD TO GET A SOLID
FEEL ON THIS TEAM OBVIOUSLY. GOALS ARE
PLENTIFUL IN THEIR GAMES AS THEY HAVE PLAYED JUST ONE 0-0 DRAW SINCE 7/3/11! EXPECT WIDE OPEN PLAY & A LIVELY
UNDERDOG HERE - IN THIS QUESTIONABLE GROUP ECUADOR, ESPECIALLY PLAYING ON
THEIR HOME CONTINENT HAS A LEGITIMATE CHANCE TO REACH THE KNOCKOUT STAGE FOR
THE 1ST TIME SINCE 2006.
|
|
FRANCE 5
|
FRANCE REMAINS A
DEFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT HOLDING CLEAN SHEETS IN 7 OF THEIR LAST 10 OUTINGS ALTHOUGH
JUST 3 OF THOSE HAVE COME AGAINST WORLD CUP TEAMS, ONE OF WHICH WAS A 6-0 WIN
OVER AUSTRALIA. IN THEIR LAST 6 HOME
GAMES THEY WENT 5-0-1, OUTSCORING OPPONENTS 18-1; IN 6 ROAD GAMES THEY ARE
JUST 1-3-2 GETTING OUTSCORED 4-8 (ALL 4 OF THEIR GOALS SCORED CAME IN A WIN
AT BELARUS ON 9/10/13). GOAL SCORING
WILL BE A CONCERN, DEFENSE WILL NOT SO UNDER PLAYS SEEM TO HOLD VALUE WITH
THE FRENCH.
|
|
HONDURAS
|
JUST 3 WINS OVER THEIR
LAST 10 ALL BY 1 GOAL OVER VENEZUELA, COSTA RICA & MEXICO. HAVE ALLOWED 2 OR MORE GOALS IN 7 OF LAST
10 GAMES WHILE SCORING 2 GOALS IN 6 OF LAST 10. NO QUESTION THE BIGGEST LONGSHOT OF GROUP,
DIFFICULT TO ENVISION MANY SCENARIOS WHERE THEY REACH KNOCKOUT STAGE.
|
|
|
FINAL STAGE OF
QUALIFICATION
|
GROUP W/O TM
|
|||||||
|
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
GF
|
+
|
-
|
+/-
|
AVG
|
RANK
|
|
GROUP F
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
ARGENTINA
|
9
|
2
|
5
|
35
|
2.19
|
0.94
|
1.25
|
32.13
|
5
|
|
BOS & HERZ
|
8
|
1
|
1
|
30
|
3.00
|
0.60
|
2.40
|
87.60
|
27
|
|
IRAN
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
8
|
1.00
|
0.25
|
0.75
|
85.25
|
26
|
|
NIGERIA 2
|
VS. ETHIOPIA
|
2.00
|
0.50
|
1.50
|
107.00
|
31
|
|||
|
|
JUNE 6TH
|
|
|
RECENT FORM LAST TEN
GAMES (THRU 6/4)
|
|||||
|
|
FIFA RANK
|
REGION
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
+
|
-
|
+/-
|
|
|
GROUP F
|
|
||||||||
|
ARGENTINA
|
5
|
CONMEBOL
|
|
5
|
1
|
4
|
19
|
8
|
11
|
|
BOS & HERZ
|
21
|
UEFA
|
|
6
|
4
|
0
|
18
|
12
|
6
|
|
IRAN
|
43
|
AFC
|
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
19
|
7
|
12
|
|
NIGERIA 2
|
44
|
CAF
|
|
5
|
1
|
4
|
17
|
11
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
|
ANALYSIS
|
|
GROUP F
|
|
|
ARGENTINA
|
LONE LOSS OVER LAST 10
CAME AT URUGUAY 2-3 ON 10/15/13. SIX
OF LAST 10 HAVE COME AGAINST FELLOW WORLD CUP SQUADS INCLUDING A 2-1 WIN AT
ITALY LAST SUMMER. STRUGGLED SOME
OVER THEIR LAST 3 GOING JUST 1-0-2 WITH SCORING MARGIN 2-0. STILL CLEAR FAVORITE IN RELATIVELY WEAK
GROUP.
|
|
BOS & HERZ
|
HEAD INTO THIS ONE
WINNING THEIR LAST 2 VS. FELLOW WORLD CUP SQUADS BEATING IVORY COAST 2-1
& MEXICO 1-0. THEY HAVE VIRTUALLY
NO HISTORY IN THE WORLD CUP & NOT MANY TRENDS TO FOLLOW BASED ON RECENT
COMPETITION LEAVES THEM SQUARELY IN THE MIX TO GRAB THAT 2ND SPOT TO THE
KNOCKOUT ROUND.
|
|
IRAN
|
DESPITE RECORD TO LEFT
& GD THEY HEAD INTO THIS COMPETITION IN VERY POOR FORM DRAWING 3 STRAIGHT
VS. ANGOLA, MONTENEGRO & BELARUS (1-1 AGGREGATE) WHICH FOLLOWED A HOME
LOSS TO GUINEA 2-1. IRAN HAS ONLY
FACED ONE WORLD CUP TEAM, SOUTH KOREA, WHO THEY BEAT 1-0 WAY BACK ON
6/18/13. THIS COUNTRY IS THE CLEAR
LONGSHOT IN THE GROUP, AND FRANKLY DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE MUCH OF A CHANCE.
|
|
NIGERIA 2
|
HAS PLAYED 4 DRAWS OVER
THEIR LAST 5, THREE OF WHICH WERE 0-0.
ALL THREE OF THOSE 0-0 DRAWS CAME AGAINST FELLOW WORLD CUP TEAMS
(GHANA, MEXICO, GREECE), WHICH WERE THE ONLY THREE WC TEAMS THEY FACED. NIGERIA WILL BE COMPETITIVE IN THIS GROUP,
BATTLING B&H FOR THAT 2ND BID TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGE.
|
|
|
FINAL STAGE OF
QUALIFICATION
|
GROUP W/O TM
|
|||||||
|
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
GF
|
+
|
-
|
+/-
|
AVG
|
RANK
|
|
GROUP G
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
GERMANY
|
9
|
0
|
1
|
36
|
3.60
|
1.00
|
2.60
|
87.80
|
28
|
|
PORTUGAL 6
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
20
|
2.00
|
0.90
|
1.10
|
77.20
|
23
|
|
GHANA 2
|
VS. EGYPT
|
3.50
|
1.50
|
2.00
|
36.00
|
8
|
|||
|
USA
|
7
|
2
|
1
|
15
|
1.50
|
0.80
|
0.70
|
38.60
|
11
|
|
|
JUNE 6TH
|
|
|
RECENT FORM LAST TEN
GAMES (THRU 6/4)
|
|||||
|
|
FIFA RANK
|
REGION
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
+
|
-
|
+/-
|
|
|
GROUP G
|
|
||||||||
|
GERMANY
|
2
|
UEFA
|
|
6
|
0
|
4
|
22
|
9
|
13
|
|
PORTUGAL 6
|
4
|
UEFA
|
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
20
|
10
|
10
|
|
GHANA 2
|
37
|
CAF
|
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
6
|
5
|
1
|
|
USA
|
13
|
CONCACAF
|
|
6
|
2
|
2
|
15
|
8
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
|
ANALYSIS
|
|
GROUP G
|
|
|
GERMANY
|
THE GERMANS HEAD INTO THE
WORLD CUP AS THE ONLY UNBEATEN TEAM OVER THEIR LAST 10 MATCHES. FOUR OF THEIR LAST FIVE HAVE COME AGAINST FELLOW
WORLD CUP SQUADS & THEY HAVE GONE 2-0-2 BEATING ENGLAND & CHILE 1-0,
WHILE TYING ITALY & CAMEROON. WITH
GERMANY HAVING REACHED AT LEAST THE SEMIFINALS IN THE LAST THREE WORLD CUPS,
BUT HAVING NOT WON THE TITLE SINCE 1990 THEY ENTER IN TOP FORM & ARE
AMONGST THE SHORT LIST OF FAVORITES.
|
|
PORTUGAL 6
|
PORTUGAL HAS FACED VERY
STRONG COMPETITION OVER THEIR LAST TEN WITH FIVE COMING AGAINST FELLOW WORLD
CUP TEAMS INCLUDING BRAZIL & NETHERLANDS & ANOTHER TWO VS. SWEDEN IN
A UEFA HOME & HOME PLAYOFF FOR A BID.
THEY HAVE NOT LOST A GAME SINCE 9/10/13 VS. BRAZIL IN MASSACHUSETTS
WHILE ALLOWING MORE THAN 1 GOAL JUST ONCE SINCE THAT GAME (3-2 WIN AT SWEDEN
11/19/13). RONALDO HAS BEEN PLAYING
VERY WELL IN QUALIFICATION & CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, THUS PORTUGAL WILL BE SEEKING
JUST THEIR 2ND APPEARANCE PAST THE ROUND OF 16 SINCE 1994 - BUT IT HAS A
TOUGH GROUP TO OVERCOME.
|
|
GHANA 2
|
AS EVIDENCED BY RECENT
FORM GHANA REALLY STRUGGLES TO SCORE GOALS, BUT DOES PLAY SOLID DEFENSE. THEIR SCHEDULE IN QUALFICATION & OF
LATE IS NOT TOP NOTCH AS THEY HAVE ONLY FACED TWO FELLOW WORLD CUP TEAMS OVER
THEIR LAST 10 (0-0 VS. NIGERIA, 0-1 LOSS TO NETHERLANDS), BUT THEIR DEFENSE
HELD UP WELL AGAINST THE HIGH POWERED DUTCH ON THE ROAD. GHANA HAS NOT SCORED MORE THAN 1 GOAL SINCE
A 6-1 WIN OVER EGYPT ON 10/15/13 WHICH COULD BE A BIG CONCERN ESPECIALLY IN
THIS GROUP. EXPECT LOW SCORING GAMES
WHEN GHANA IS INVOLVED, BUT ITS UNLIKELY THEY WILL SCORE ENOUGH TO REACH
KNOCKOUT STAGE.
|
|
USA
|
THIS MAY BE THE BEST USA
SQUAD TO EVER ENTER THE WORLD CUP, BUT RECENT COMMENTS BY HEAD COACH KLINSMAN
LEAVE MANY SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE RED, WHITE
& BLUE THIS TIME AROUND. OUTSIDE
MEXICO, WHOM THEY HAVE DOMINATED OVER THE LAST DECADE PLUS, THEY FACED JUST
ONE WORLD CUP TEAM OVER THEIR LAST 10, A 2-0 WIN OVER LOWER TIER SOUTH
KOREA. OFFENSE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE AN
ISSUE, BUT THEY HAVE STRUGGLED DEFENSIVELY AGAINST TEAMS THAT ARE LEGITIMATE
CHALLENGERS ESPECIALLY FROM UEFA. MOST
LIKELY OVER BETS WILL BE SOLID & GETTING 3 POINTS FROM GHANA/PORTUGAL
GAMES WILL BE CRITICAL TO REACH THE KNOCKOUT STAGE FOR THE 3RD TIME IN 4
WORLD CUPS.
|
|
|
FINAL STAGE OF
QUALIFICATION
|
GROUP W/O TM
|
|||||||
|
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
GF
|
+
|
-
|
+/-
|
AVG
|
RANK
|
|
GROUP H
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
BELGIUM
|
8
|
0
|
2
|
18
|
1.80
|
0.40
|
1.40
|
39.20
|
12
|
|
ALGERIA 2
|
VS. BURKINA FASO
|
1.50
|
1.50
|
0.00
|
60.00
|
14
|
|||
|
RUSSIA
|
7
|
2
|
1
|
20
|
2.00
|
0.50
|
1.50
|
74.20
|
21
|
|
SOUTH KOREA
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
13
|
1.63
|
0.88
|
0.75
|
81.75
|
24
|
|
|
JUNE 6TH
|
|
|
RECENT FORM LAST TEN
GAMES (THRU 6/4)
|
|||||
|
|
FIFA RANK
|
REGION
|
W
|
L
|
D
|
+
|
-
|
+/-
|
|
|
GROUP H
|
|
||||||||
|
BELGIUM
|
11
|
UEFA
|
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
16
|
11
|
5
|
|
ALGERIA 2
|
22
|
CAF
|
|
8
|
1
|
1
|
19
|
8
|
11
|
|
RUSSIA
|
19
|
UEFA
|
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
19
|
7
|
12
|
|
SOUTH KOREA
|
57
|
AFC
|
|
4
|
6
|
0
|
10
|
15
|
(5)
|
|
|
|
|
|
ANALYSIS
|
|
GROUP H
|
|
|
BELGIUM
|
BELGIUM IS A POPULAR
SLEEPER SELECTION THIS YEAR BUT THE NUMBERS DON'T REALY SUPPORT THAT. OF THEIR LAST 10 GAMES 5 HAVE COME AGAINST
FELLOW WORLD CUP TEAMS & THEY HAVE GONE 1-2-2 BEATING CROATIA 2-1 ON
ROAD, LOSING TO COLOMBIA & JAPAN WHILE TYING FRANCE & IVORY
COAST. OUTSIDE A 5-1 WIN OVER
LUXEMBOURG ON 5/26/14 THEY HAVE JUST A +1 GD OVER THEIR LAST 10. THEY ONLY HELD ONE CLEAN SHEET IN THE 5 VS.
WORLD CUP TEAMS WE JUST MENTIONED, AND ALLOWED 2+ GOALS IN 4 OF THOSE GAMES. THE GROUP DOES THEM A FAVOR NOT BEING TOO
STRONG.
|
|
ALGERIA 2
|
ALGERIA, WITH 8 WINS OVER
THEIR LAST 10 GMS (2ND TO BRAZIL'S 9), HEADS INTO THIS COMPETITION WITH
CONFIDENCE DESPITE NOT FACING MANY STRONG CLUBS. IN FACT, ALGERIA HAS NOT FACED ANOTHER
WORLD CUP TEAM SINCE A 1/30/13 TIE VS. IVORY COAST! THEY CAN SCORE GOALS AS EVIDENCED BY NOT
BEING SHUTOUT ONCE SINCE 1/26/13 VS. TOGO; COMBINE THAT WITH THE LACK OF
COMPETITION & OVERS ARE PROBABLY STRONG PLAYS IN THEIR GAMES. NO QUESTION ALGERIA IS THE LONGEST SHOT TO
ADVANCE TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGE FROM GROUP H.
|
|
RUSSIA
|
RUSSIA IS A VERY SOLID,
NOT TALKED ABOUT OFTEN CLUB AS THEY HEAD INTO THE WORLD CUP WITH JUST ONE
LOSS OVER THEIR LAST 10 GMS, WHICH WAS 10GMS AGO AT NORTHERN IRELAND
(0-1). SINCE THEN THEY HAVE DOMINATED
THEIR OPPONENTS SCORING IN ALL 9 GAMES, WHILE HOLDING 3 CLEAN SHEETS
DEFENSIVELY & NOT ALLOWING MORE THAN 1 GOAL IN ANY GAME - MATTER OF FACT
THEY HAVE NOT ALLOWED MORE THAN 1 GOAL SINCE 11/14/12 VS. USA. THEIR COMPETITION HAS NOT BEEN TRULY TOP
NOTCH, BUT THIS WILL BE A HUNGRY TEAM SINCE THEY HAVE NEVER ADVANCED PAST THE
GROUP STAGE.
|
|
SOUTH KOREA
|
SURPRISINGLY SOUTH KOREA
HAS ADVANCED TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGE IN 2 OF THE LAST 3 WORLD CUPS; THIS TIME
AROUND, EVEN IN A WEAK GROUP, IT WILL BE A CLEAR UPHILL BATTLE AS THEY, ALONG
WITH ALGERIA, ARE THE TWO LONGEST SHOTS OF GROUP H. THEY ARE 1 OF JUST 3 TEAMS (BRAZIL, BOS
& HER) TO NOT HAVE A DRAW OVER THEIR LAST 10 GAMES - BUT THEY ALSO HAVE 6
LOSSES, THE MOST OF ANY WORLD CUP TEAM.
IN 2014 THEY HAVE BEATEN A PAIR OF WORLD CUP TEAMS IN COSTA RICA &
GREECE (IN ATHENS), AND THEY HAVE NOT HAD A 0-0 DRAW SINCE SUMMER OF 2013 -
LEAN ON OVERS IN THEIR GAMES FOR CERTAIN.
CAN SOUTH KOREA SURPRISE AGAIN?
IT'S LIKELY THEY WILL NEED 3 POINTS AGAINST EITHER BELGIUM OR RUSSIA
TO DO SO - THEY RECENTLY DROPPED A 2-1 DECISION VS. RUSSIA ON 11/19/13
|
That wraps up our 2nd article & 6 installment of World Cup related entries. As mentioned above stay tuned for another article prior to commencement of the competition on June 12th discussing gambling futures & props. But remember, the only way to secure your winning game by game package is from our website - click link below, grab the World Cup package & sit back, get emails daily, and WIN BIG this June on soccer!
Email me directly: boss@thesportsboss.com
Visit my website: www.thesportsboss.com
Follow me on Twitter: @SportsBoss
Follow me on Facebook: The SportsBoss
Leave comments here on the blog
COPYRIGHT: THE SPORTSBOSS, 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment