PUTY’S WORLD CUP REVIEW & PREVIEW – Round of 16 (Day 1 of 4)
Sam’s Safe Space for Soccer Stoolies
Hi haters™,
Maybe it is because the US didn’t qualify so we are more acutely aware of all the other drama going on this time around, or perhaps it is simply because the games have been extra entertaining and the storylines have been unusually compelling – whatever the reason, Puty’s World Cup has been bringing the heat these last couple weeks.
I sat down yesterday with Big Cat and Pat McAfee to shoot the shit about the tournament, touching on what’s gone down and what to look for coming up, so if you have a moment and haven’t checked it out, don’t be shy.
After you do that though be sure to pop back over here and read the rest of the post, wherein you’ll find a brief preview of the first two win-of-go-home R16 matchups slated for Saturday…
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PREVIEW – June 30
So this is what how the two sides of the bracket shook out:
Newsflash: The next four days of our lives are going to be AWESOME. The schedule looks like this:
I have been prettayyyyyyyyyyyy outspoken about some of the teams involved so a few of you can probably guess who I like in these games, especially the two coming up tomorrow, but let’s go ahead and make it official so everybody knows for damn sure who to fade…
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France (+140)
Argentina (+230)
Draw (+205)
Interesting matchup or traditional powerhouses, one of which (Argentina) struggled mightily just to get out of the group and the other (France) has cruised without ever seeming as though they had gotten out of second gear. This will inevitably be billed as “Messi vs Pogba” by FOX but a comparison of the supporting casts – highlighted by the ghost of Javier Mascherano patrolling the midfield on one side and a roster so deep Anthony Martial was left home on the other – is so heavily weighted in favor of the Frogeaters that even on his best day Messi would struggle to make up the difference. Add in the turmoil surrounding the Argentina team and the massive, massssssssive relief it was just to avoid imploding at the group stage, and this to me (an avowed Messi stan) has big win for the Ribbits written all over it. France to win 3-1.
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Uruguay (+200)
Portugal (+190)
Draw (+195)
These are some of the most even odds you’ll ever see heading into a game, which likely reflects the fact that both teams probably have similar mindsets and game plans going into this one: “defend, defend, defend and hope that our superstar striker is the one who does something special and wins the game”… but the South Americans’ defense has looked stronger (albeit in a much weaker group) and they have two world class goal-poachers compared to Portugal’s once (or perhaps we can count Ronny as 1.5 – that’s fair). But two is still more than 1.5 last time I checked. Either way, this game could turn out to be U-G-L-Y with neither team wanting to push too far forward and leave themselves exposed at the back. Fingers crossed I’m wrong, but my expectations going in are low-to-very low. The incredible drama and sphincter-clenching excitement that comes with knowing a game-changing set piece or bicycle kick could be around every corner (slash counter attack) may very well make up for a lack of free-flowing soccer though. Uruguay to win 1-0.
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So there we have it. Check out the latest episode of PUTY’S WORLD CUP PODCAST if you haven’t – Subscribe! Download! Listen! Review! (and all that jazz) – and let’s have ourselves a nice little Saturday… back tomorrow with a highly hungover preview of the Spain/Russkis and Croatia/Denmark games. Oh boy!
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Holler,
Samuel Army