Ok, so the 2006 FIFA World Cup is just hours away but you still have time to put in those last minute wagers for group winners. Looking at the eight groups, it's pretty clear who the top two teams will be to advance from each group, except in Group A. Germany should win this group quite easily and, barring any upsets, they will.
The Germans have been highly criticized leading up to the World Cup, experts saying their defense is too weak and they're too inexperienced to go deep into the tournament. Let's face it, when your captain comes out and says don't expect us to make it past the quarters, you probably don't stand a chance of winning, but never the less Germany will win Group A.
Now comes the hard part, picking the runner-up. Poland is the odds-on favorite to advance, sitting at -175 odds to go onto the second round (Canbet.com) , but Costa Rica and Ecuador shouldn't be taken lightly in this group.
Costa Rica narrowly missed the second round last World Cup, tying Turkey for second place but was sent packing because of goal differential, while Turkey would make a run all the way to the semifinals. If the Ticos can keep the ball out from back of their net, the second round is a reachable goal and sitting at 400 odds (Canbet.com) to advance to the next round, they make a great temptation. Ecuador finished bottom of their group in their first World Cup appearance back in 2002, but to their defense, they were placed in an extremely hard group with Mexico, Italy and Croatia. Once again they aren't expected to make it past the group stage, but never underestimate a team coming out of South America. The biggest problem the Ecuadorians face is they aren't playing at home. In World Cup qualifying they only won once in nine attempts on the road, while they have seven wins and two draws at home. Like they did in 2002 against Croatia, Ecuador will need to score an upset win over Poland or Germany to have any shot of making it out of the group.
A lot of people are asking how good is Poland? And should they be considered a threat? Well we probably won't know the answer to these questions until their June 14th match with Germany. But for now we know they are an experienced side and work very well as a team. We also know they have great success against weaker teams but struggle against quality opponents, which is why their match with Germany will be an important one to watch. The biggest advantage the Poles should have is their geographical location, because they neighbors to Germany, Poland will have many supporters in the stands and that should give them the obvious advantage over Costa Rica and Ecuador. Canbet.com odds to advance out of Group A:
Tottenham v Blackburn - Match Preview - 19 November 2006
Two sides looking for something to spark their seasons clash at Ewood Park on Sunday as 15th-place Blackburn hosts 12th-place Tottenham.
Rovers are favored to win at home at 2.50, and Spurs are set at 3.00. A draw is rated at 3.30.
Blackburn fought hard, but were shut out 1-0 at home by Manchester United last weekend. Blackburn were outshot 16-10, and were booked four times in the fixture.
Robbie Keane's 24th-minute penalty was not enough as Spurs were beaten 3-1 at Reading in their last league match. Spurs led in both shots and possession, but their defence could not hold firm.
Tottenham have won five and drawn twice of their past ten matches with Rovers, who hold a 10-9 lead in goals scored.
The Germans have been highly criticized leading up to the World Cup, experts saying their defense is too weak and they're too inexperienced to go deep into the tournament. Let's face it, when your captain comes out and says don't expect us to make it past the quarters, you probably don't stand a chance of winning, but never the less Germany will win Group A.
