Fantastic game US women v Sweden, in the World Cup
I love following the US women in the World Cup. But they played so poorly in their first three games, and Sweden (ranked #3 in the world) played so well, that when the oddsmakers came out favoring the US to win today, I knew the smart bet was on Sweden. The odds were really lopsided. The US was a clear favorite: For very dollar you bet, you would get $2.50 back if Sweden won. This was despite the facts that: The US was missing five starters to injuries; the US was missing its best midfielder due to two yellow cards; the US front was playing really lousy, uninspired soccer for all of its first 3 games in the Cup; and I thought "everybody knew" how great a team Sweden is. So I placed a big bet on Sweden to win. The game was at 2am today. SURPRISE! The US played the best soccer I've seen in maybe their last 10 games. Inspired, hard-working, driven. But they could not score against Sweden. Similarly, Sweden was outplayed on the field by the US today, but they did have some ...