World Cup Betting – US vs Portugal
By Charles Jay
Hopes for the United States team in the World Cup finals is at an all-time high. But it appears as if the Americans are going to have to make do without forward Jozy Altidore for the rest of the group phase. And that may change the landscape for VietBet customers who are wagering on World Cup betting.
The 24-year-old Altidore got injured rather early in the opening victory over Ghana and is going to miss a critical game with Portugal, in which the U.S. will probably have to achieve at least a tie in order to move on to the elimination phase. Altidore, who plays for Sunderland, is somewhat irreplaceable, but the U.S. will try, with the like of Chris Wondolowski (probably the better goal-scorer) and/or Aron Johannsson (the better passer and assist man).
One of these players is going to have to work with Clint Dempsey, who scored that goal in the first minute that helped set the tone in the game against Ghana. The two-striker is, in the opinion of most World Cup bettors, as well as soccer observers who favor the U.S. side, the much preferable option. Otherwise, there would not be as much pressure brought to bear on Portugal’s defense, though they will catch a break with the absence of Pepe, who caught a red card against Germany.
The game with Portugal is on Sunday, while the final contest in Group G is slated for June 26 (Thursday) against Germany, a game that will hit very close to home for coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who right now is not catching very much heat anymore for the ouster of veteran Landon Donovan. That’s the kind of thing one victory will do.
In the World Cup betting odds that have been placed on this game by the people at VietBet, Portugal is the favored side:
The World Cup Championship
USA vs. Portugal
Sunday, June 22 – 6 PM ET
Arena de Amazonia, Manaus
Betting Odds – Handicap Line:
Portugal -1/2, -129
United States +1/2, +114
Betting Odds – Moneyline:
Portugal -125
United States +379
Draw +293
Total:
Over 2.5 (-113)
Under 2.5 (-102)
Klinsmann, as many soccer bettors customers know, was the coach of Germany’s national team as well, with a tenure that stretched from 2004 to the 2006 World Cup. he was also the coach at Bayern Munich, where he once met up with Portugal’s coach, Paulo Bento, in the UEFA Champions League.
With the double-revenge win over Ghana, optimism seem to be high on the part of the United States team, but then, that happens whenever the Americans make any kind of advance. Is it likely that they will topple Germany and its team full of world-class players? Not likely. So that makes Portugal an even more critical opponent. And it adds much more importance to the injury situation surrounding Christiano Ronaldo, who has tendinitis in his knee and has had to wear an ice pack on it.
Ronaldo is nonetheless said to be 100% ready to play against the U.S, (or at least that is what VietBet customers have heard) and that isn’t very good news, although there are other injury concerns for the team. Portugal is going to be missing two of its big guys. Hugo Almeida and Fabio Coentrao, who, according to the team doctor, will both be out for at least ten days, which takes them out of this group phase. Even though Coentrao was quoted by reporters as saying “I’m afraid that my World Cup has come to an end. I think it’s a serious injury, though I hope it’s not.” Bento says that he still hopes these players could be available in the elimination round, provided they get to that point.
Of course, that would require a win over the United States, after the rough 4-0 loss to the Germans in the opening game of Group G. Ghana has lost to the U.S. and Germany, so there is second place up for grabs on Sunday.
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