Introduction—“Wir stehen auf eure Seite”
(Deutschland, The Ukraine, Poland, Northern Ireland)
Germans are known for avoiding their patriotism. We eschew
flags and only sing the final stanza of our national anthem. During the WM in
2006, we borrowed the tune from “Scotland the Brave” and whistled along to a
re-fashioned “Wir fahren nach Berlin”. The tune “ ’54, ’74, ’90” contains
self-deprecating lines like “Wir haben nicht die höchste Spielkultur, sind nich
besonders filigran” and “Beim ersten Mal war’s ‘n Wunder, Beim zweiten mal
war’s Gluck.” The 2014 WM song that swept the nation—“Ein Hoch auf uns” by
Andreas Bourani—perfectly encompassed the contemporary German soul: We’re just
a bunch of nice, humble, bashful, and unpretentious people happy to have something
to be optimistic about for a change. Give us a chance, world!
Watch that video carefully. How many references to gay
multicultural couples do you see? In the end, many Germans disowned that song
because it turned out to be too serious. We’re goofballs at heart, or at least
aspire to be so.
After attaining our fourth star, the quest to recapture our
“professional silliness” commenced. We eventually hit paydirt in an old “dusty”
recording. You’ll hear the Germans sing this year’s comically offbeat song
after every goal. Somehow a nearly ten-year-old piece from television
personality Oliver Pocher worked its way into our Zeitgeist. The Yong Spinner
was initially called in to rescue German David-Letterman-Copycat Harold Schmidt
from late-night cancelation. Pocher eventually turned into a pseudo
Stephen-Colbert-Copycat. More power to him. Well done. Long before completing
that transformation, he filmed “Schwarz und Weiß”.
“Schwarz und Weiß” works. It just does. Dated Jerseys. Wigs.
Fake Moustaches. A slightly awkward reference to blackface. Cute Girls. More
cute girls. Even more cute girls. Old recordings of football broadcasts
Irrelevant naked dudes running around waving towels for no reason. It’s German
screwball ridiculousness. May it carry us home. May it forever keep us humble,
silly, and frivolously puerile.
Wir stehen auf eure Seite, Jungs!
Und wir holen den Sieg mit euch!
Deutschland—“Die Nationalmannschaft
Much has changed over the past two years. Your friendly
bookie was recently rifling through Raphael Honigstein’s expertly-written “Das
Reboot: How German Soccer Reinvented Itself and Conquered the World.” Fabulous
read…though it leaves open the question of whether or not Löw can adequately
rebuild after the retirement of Phillip Lahm. The vertically challenged captain
brought a very special flair to the squad after unexpectedly taking over for
Michael Ballack. Don’t we need a roving fullback to compensate for our lack of
a true “number 9”? Can we do it without heir-apparent Erik Durm?
Unsurprisingly, I believe that we CAN: Emre CAN. The
Liverpool Midfielder has the ability to slip into Lahm’s role if necessary. Mario
Götze can function as a “false 9” or “true 9”. Podolski, Kroos, Schürrle, and
Müller have what it takes to make it happen. I may be unsure about Gomez,
Khedira, and Mustafi…but we’ll leave that aside.
Manuel Neuer remains the best keeper in the world. Tall,
strong, athletic, and timeless. He’ll stray outside his area gallantly until
he’s in his 40s. Gianluigi Buffon wishes he had “Neuer Skills”.
That’s all your friendly bookie has to say…except for the
fact that it really must suck to be Marco Reus right now. Verdammt!!
Projecting My Kraut Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Thomas Müller
|
Mesut Özil Toni Kroos Andre Schürrle
|
B. Schweinsteiger Sami Khedira
|
Benedict Höwedes Jerome Boateng
|
Mats Hummels S. Mustafi
|
Manuel Neuer
|
The Talisman—Bastian Schweinsteiger
Went back and forth on this one. Should it be Müller? Should
it be Gomez? Should it be Podolski or Khedira? Schweine carries the weight of
the world upon his shoulders. It’s his turn. The oft-injured mid-field “flight
director” must find a way to bounce back from his completely meaningless season
at LVG’s Manchester United. His move to Old Trafford just plain sucked. He
flopped like a Wop. Redemption is at hand and in his hands. Make it happen,
Schweine.
“A Syndicate Classic—Deutschland”
From FWM 2015—Goodbyes and Championship Pick:
It’s a most wonderful feeling when the
Flag of your Father captures the Title and, by extension, the world. It’s
almost indescribable. All the exhaustion and pettiness of one’s otherwise
perfunctory life melts away. A surge of rhapsodic fervor springs forth from
deep inside. The ecstasy of victory certainly proves ephemeral, but it’s an
experience that will remain unforgettable. A few dozen Syndicate members now
have the privilege of having kids. Though they may be a certifiable pain in the
ass, watch this match with your progeny. Chant and cheer with them. Even if
they’re far too young to form lasting memories, a World Cup Victory belongs to
ALL LIVING GENERATIONS! Do your best.
If you don’t have any munchkins running
around, watch the American Women hoist the trophy with your girl/wife. Should
you not have one of those, get together with your best mates and some random
girls to “take it out for a spin”. Unsure what I mean by “take it out for a
spin”? Let’s review some Syndicate Terminology:
From WM 2014—Day Five Recap
Are
Americans really “taking her out for a spin”? Really? Thus far Syndicate
Members have reported in that they intend to “take her out for a spin”. A
couple of others have filed as of yet unconfirmed reports that a few “rogues n’
rubes” in larger U.S. Metropolitan Areas are, in fact, “taking her out for a
spin”. Perhaps I should take a moment to explain what I mean by “taking her out
for a spin”.
It’s
a global tradition. When your country wins you grab the car keys, a few cute
girls (if you happen to have some handy), and the biggest flags you can find.
You drive all around your city’s main thoroughfares honking you horns and
screaming the name of your country. The girls (again, if you’re lucky enough to
have them) blow kisses and wave flags. It’s a little more than an impromptu
parade. Mardi Gras happens every year, but you only get to “take her out for a
spin” every 2 to 4 years if your fortunate.
I
“took her out for a spin” last night after my country demolished Portugal. For
the first time in two years I got to release all that Patriotic Fervor. This is
especially important for Germans. We don’t exactly…er…have the right kind of
legacy. Sorry mates, but your friendly bookie has to spend international
football tournaments in the Fatherland. No way in hell I could get away with
“taking her out for a spin” in Peoria or Des Moines. That doesn’t compute.
If
Americans are really doing this, you’ve finally arrived. Welcome. We want you
here. We always have. If these reports more accurately reflect exaggeration or
wishful thinking….GET ON IT, SYNDICATE MEMBERS. Your bookie demands that you
“take her out for a spin”. Drink O’Douls during the match if you must. You’ve
got more important obligations to take care of should your team win. So you may
scare the shit out of some old ladies. So what. I inadvertently did that this
morning while taking a piss and I don’t feel the least bit bad about it.
You’re going to win. Grab the fucking
car keys!
Buy some flags!
YOU’RE FRIENDLY BOOKIE DEMANDS THAT YOU
“TAKE HER OUT FOR A SPIN!!
Get ready.
The Ukraine—“The Shevchenko Heirs”
It’s been a long journey back since the humiliation on home
soil back in 2012. After cyclcing through a few caretaker managers, the FFU
settled on former Dynamo Kiev captain Michail Fomenko. The old Soviet Star has
done an admirable job rebuilding after the retirement of the legendary Andrei Shevchenko.
After narrowly missing out on Brazil, the Eastern “Blaugults” turned a terrible
start to the Euro 2016 Qualifying campaign around and snuck in with an inspired
playoff victory against the Slovenians. They may very well sneak through this
group too, by virtue of the fact that the Northern Ireland match could boost
their goal differential.
As predicted in this column four years ago, young Andriy
Yarmolenko continued to blossom, eventually inheriting Shevchenko’s status as
the go-to-outfielder. The captain’s armband now belongs to 37-year-old Anatoliy
Tymoshuck. Though his Bayern Glory Days are far behind him—last time I checked
he was playing in Kazakhstan—he appears to have contined in the “Shevchenko
Spirit”, demonstrating leadership with pure hustle and heart on the pitch.
In all three thirds, this incarnation of the national team
looks solid. They’ve got two quality keepers in Denys Boyko and Andriy Pyatov.
The Shakhtar Donestk players anchor the back line. Winger Yevhen Konoplyanka
never signed the much-discussed contract with AC Milan, but did get snatched up
by Sevilla, where he’s made some valuable contributions in the European
tournaments.
I rather like striker Yevhen Seleznyov; a “late bloomer”
finally hitting his stride in his early thirties. They’ll give my Krauts some
trouble. Expect a competitive match. They won’t lay down against the Poles
either. Discount them at your peril.
Projecting the Ukrainian Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Yevhen Seleznyov
|
Denys Hermash
|
Y. Konoplyanka A. Yarmolenko
|
A. Tymoshchuk S. Sydorchuk
|
V. Shevchuk Y. Rakitskiy Y. Khacheridi O. Kucker
|
Andriy Pyatov
|
The Talisman—Anatoliy Tymoshchuk 
With all of the political tumult taking place over the past
three years in this country, the weary football fans of Zhovto-Nlakytni needed
a steady leader worse than they needed to go a week without an embarrassingly
bad Youtube Video showcasing a uni-browed wannabee Russian General. Anatoliy
Tymoschuk has proven himself such a leader. He’s now been capped 142 times for
his country and did a great job defying his age in the most recent qualifying
campaign. A prototypical “stay-at-home centerback”, he’s not much one for
goal-scoring. Watch him play, however, and you’ll see why Uli Hoeneß and Jupp
Heynckes continually gushed over him. “A Syndicate Classic—The Ukraine”
From EM 2012—Group D Preview:
Ukrainian Fans
Think you can drink? Awww…that’s so
cute. You’re not a drinker until you spend some time with Ukrainians. I lived
with three of them in Berlin. Drink with them and you’ll discover just how deep
their Slavic soul descends. Ukrainians are fascinating friends in that they’re
like a well that one can’t see the bottom of. Layer after layer, you’ll never
finish peeling that onion. I miss my Ukrainian friends the way one mourns for a
dead brother. What genuinely sweet motherfuckers. After a hard day’s work it’s
time for a few beers, a hearty bowl of soup, a competitive game of chess, ten
or so cigarettes, and a nice discussion. Sob. I really miss Berlin.
The Ukraine
Don’t ask me why this country requires
a definite article. It just feels right. Oh man does this team suck. Terrible
way to debut on the European stage. Every playmaker is on his last legs. Team
captain, 35-year-old Andrei Shevchencko has been in semi-retirement for Dynamo
Kiev for over three years. Midfielder Anatoli Tymoshuk still features for
Bayern, but the thirty-three-year-old’s glory days have long since passed.
Thirty-two year old Andrei Voronin still lights it up for Dynamo Moskow, but
can’t be in his best form if BOTH Liverpool AND Herta dumped him.
Poland—“Bialo Czerwoni”
Not forseeing any heartbreak this time around. Syndicate
Member 74-M regularly jokes about scheduling a meeting with his beloved Eagles
at the Warsaw airport ten days after the opening ceremonies of every Summer
tournament. It won’t happen this time! Mark your friendly bookie’s words.
Robert Lewandowski is in perfect form. He’s in the form of his life! He may
very well the greatest striker in world at this particular moment! Enjoy it,
Poles. ; ) You’ve finally got your chance to enjoy a bit of Schadenfreude ; )
We may have stolen Poldi and Klose, but Lewandowski far excels what we have in
terms of a “true number 9”. Fear extends down my spine ; )
Lewandowski is fresh off a 42-goal-season. He’s backed by
Ajax’s Phenom Arkadiusz Milik, who kicked in 24 of his own. Jakub Blazcykowski
spent the season on loan, but still looked every bit the midfield general that
Schweine is. The back four features a few greenhorns, but veterans like
Piszczech and Fabianski can easily rally them.
I’m interested to have a look at Bartosz Kapustka. He’s
burst on the scene with two spectacular goals in only four caps. This Artur
Jedrzejczk cat piques my interest as well. After languishing in the lower
leagues for most of his twenties, he finally decided to leave it all on the
pitch like some kind of feral rat-like creature.
Bottom Line: The Poles finish second in the group and attain
the Quarterfinals. This bookie guarantees it…Paul Prudhome style ; )
Enjoy your moment, Kumpels.
Projecting the Pollack Lineup (4-2-3-1)
Robert Lewandowski
|
Arkadiusz Milik
|
J. Blaszscykowski P. Zielinski
|
K. Grosicki G. Krychowiak
|
M. Rybus. K. Glik J. Wawrzyniak L. Piszczek
|
Lukasz Fabianski
|
The Talisman—Robert Lewandowski
He’s the most phenomenal “True Number 9” since Cristiano
Ronaldo. There’s no other way to put it. He burst onto the Bundesliga Scene in
2010 with Borussia Dortmund, leaving nothing but flame skids in his path ever
since. No other Bundesliga player has scored 100 League Goals so quickly. No
one has come even close. The Big-Target forward has a way of anticipating every
angle and weighting every strike. He can score FIVE goals in under NINE
minutes! Man, oh man. Mensch uns Kind! I
wish he were ours ; )
“A Syndicate Classic—Poland”
From WM 2006—Round Two
Deutschland vs. Poland
Sixty years ago this wouldn’t have been debatable. In
contemporary times….it remains a topic unfit for debate. How does one conceive of a joke relating to a
squad that happens to be a walking joke? Ugh. One feels for the “White Eagles”.
Four years after the South Koreas shocked the optimistic Polish contenders with
a 2-0 opening win, Ecuador has done exactly the same thing. Just like four
years ago, the coach must make drastic changes to his demoralized squad or
watch them become the first team to be embarrassingly punted out of the
tournament. Now they must face their historical rivals, the Western neighbor
that continues to pirate their best players for its national team. My two
polish acquaintances have already made plans to welcome the team back to the
Warsaw airport next Monday. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
What, if anything, can the Poles do as they head into
Dortmund? Wanchope clearly illustrated how weak the Krauts can be at the back.
Lahm may now be a household name, but a halfback pouring forward so often
entails its own risks. The other halfback, Friedrich, also moves up the pitch
entirely too often to be considered a sterling defender. This leaves Metzelder
and Mertesacker are the stationary last line of defense and they incontestably
have communication problems. Pawel Janas will have to ditch the 4-5-1,
sacrificing perhaps Krzynowek for an extra striker. I’d advocate for Rasiak to
join Kurwaski up front. Should he wish to keep all his midfielders and play a
5-3-2, the appallingly bad Job would be the logical choice to drop. Such an
audacious move seems doubtful, given the Fatherland’s plethora of attacking
options.
Apropos the German attack, the only change for Klinsi’s
Mannschaft will be the return of Michael Ballack, back after giving “The
Country’s Calf” a few extra days to heal. In light of the fact that he cannot
be completely fit and Schweinsteiger is on fire, one doesn’t anticipate he’ll
be on the pitch for the full 90 minutes. His Pollack stand-in Tim Borowski will
in all likelihood relieve him after the hour mark. It may be unreasonable to expect
a repeat of Friday’s extravagant goalfest, but I still look forward to a
convincing victory. The forecast picks Schweine to continue his amazing run
with a brace.
THE LINE: Deutschland +2 Goals
Editor’s
retroactive notes:
RESULT:
Germany 1, Poland 0. Before getting to one of the spine-tingling last minute
victories in the history of the Bundesrepublik, let me just state for the
record that Janas chose Ireneusz Jelen as his second striker in one of the most
boneheaded moves of all time. Had he implemented my recommendations fully, the
result might have been different. The glorious storybook finish shifted the
entire paradigm of the country in one fell swoop. The national mood prior was
reflected in my primer section. Everyone seriously doubted Klinsi knew what the
hell he was doing. His selections of David Odonkor and Oliver Neuville were
thought to be insane. When those two combined for the most dramatic goal in six
decades of Mannschaft Football, it became apparent that this team was fated to
reach the semi-finals in defiance of everyone’s expectations.
Brimming
with confidence, Lahm tore down the left flank to set up Klose with a perfect
cross inside of ten minutes. The header left something to be desired but still
came within centimeters of the right goal post. Lahm replicated the exact same
move a quarter of hour later, this time sending in a low pass for Podolski who
after one touch forced Boruc to make an acrobatic save. After body-checking
Bernd Schneider in the 30th, Polish midfielder Radoslaw Sobelewski
was sent of on double yellows. One man up with an hour to play, it seemed
certain that the Mannschaft would find some way of tallying.
Yet
neither the goal nor sustained offensive pressure followed. The Poles astutely
ascertained that Lahm was the predominant threat and did an admirable job of
shutting him down before he could even speculate about moving forward. In
principle this freed up both Friedrich and Schweinsteiger to a certain extent,
but both played a horrible match. Friedrich appears out of ideas as how to
evade challenges and Schweine’s touch was so poor, he could do nothing more
than turn the ball over in midfield what felt like hundreds of times. With
Friedrich clearly in the midst of a creative crisis, Klinsi swapped him for
true midfielder Odonkor in the 64th as the Krauts switched to a
3-5-2. This had the immediate effect of allowing Ballack enough space to get a
shot on goal and generating two quality crosses for Klose. The assault was
repaired. All that was needed was a fresh striker and a new factor in the
midfield. Podolski made way for Neuville. Five minutes later, the out-of-form
Schweinsteiger was relieved by Borowski. Thirteen minutes and one question
remained. Could the Poles hold-off the sustained blitz? Any hopes of winning
the game were out of the question. They would simply have to endure. Ten
minutes remaining. Lahm from distance! Boruc saves to his right. Eight minutes
remaining. Ballack has time in the box! Didn’t miss by much. Five minutes
remaining. Klose back to Neuville! Boruc stands tall. The onslaught wouldn’t
cease. Two minutes remaining. Klose with a dipping header! Off the Bar! Ballack
laces the rebound! Off the bar AGAIN! Odonkor collects and drills it into the
back of the net!! Oh, no! He’s Ruled offside!
Two
minutes of added time were announced as we rolled into the 90th
minute. It just looked like one of those cursed days. Surely that
heart-stopping flurry in front of goal was the last chance we would have to get
forward. As the 91st minute began, Janas readied a substitute on the
sideline. Had play stopped for any reason the substitution would have eaten up
the remaining clock. This was positively the final chance. Metzelder for
Odonkor down the right flank. Odonkor controls briefly and crosses. Neuville
diving to reach it with the tip of his boot…..again out of all the play-by-play
announcers to describe this sensational last-second miracle, only the Japanese
captured it like no one else could.
“Grrrrrrrrooooooooooooooollll.
Grol! Grol! Grol! Grol!!!!!”
A
sea of German flags soundtracked by an Asian who spontaneously elected to
pretend he was Mexican. Life doesn’t get much bette
Northern Ireland—“Norn Iron”
Temper your expectations. As great as it is to see Georgie
Best’s sectarian province back in their first international tournament since
1986, they’ve drawn the closest thing to a “Group of Death” that exists in this
tournament. Your friendly bookie wishes to see it come together for them as
much as you do. A “Round of 16” attainment would mean so much to those us who
have consistently praised the sustained peace in Northern Ireland. Neil Lennon
would be vindicated. Steven Davis’s years spent in Glasgow would be
substantiated. George Best himself might rise from the grave and declare
himself and his liver to be exculpated.
Your friendly bookie can visualize the Hollywood Production
now: Daniel Day Lewis stars as Oliver Norwood in: “2016: Green and White”. I’d
pay good money to watch that movie. So would you. It’s not as if myself and my
syndicate members don’t obsess over films like “In the Name of the Father”,
“The Boxer”, “Divorcing Jack” and “ ‘71”.
Geo-politics lovers can’t get enough of Northern Ireland.
When it comes to the experiment of arbitrarily delineated borders drawn by
self-proclaimed intellectuals honestly hoping to craft some sort of political
solution to a generationally entrenched social obstacle……okay. We’ll stop here.
Kyle Lafferty, Josh Magennis, and Jaime Ward have heart, but
not enough to overcome the defenses they’re about to face. It’ll be great to
see Steven Davis, Oliver Norwood, and Shane Ferguson again, but they’re too
un-coordinated. The defensive line can’t withstand the onslaught. This won’t be
pretty.
Projecting the Unionist Lineup (4-3-3)
Kyle Lafferty Jaime Ward
|
Josh Magennis
|
Stephen Davis
|
Oliver Norwood Shane Ferguson
|
G. McAuley Johnny
Evans C. Baird C. McLaughlin
|
Roy Carroll
|
A “peaking player” retains the right to prove us all wrong.
What Davis has accomplished at Southampton attests to the power of brute force
and sheer will. He’s been an insanely fierce and precise tackler. His brace
against Spurs in early May was downright beautiful. Carry the momentum forward,
brother. PROVE ME WRONG!
“A Syndicate Classic—Northern Ireland”
From WMQ 2009—Syndicate Afterlife
Notable European Absences---
Why should we preoccupy ourselves with
losers? Good question. The unfortunate failure of certain European nations to
qualify has left me morbidly despondent. L
It happens every time on our adored continent. There are simply too many
countries. Please grieve with me as a say a bittersweet farewell to some of the
callow jokes I will not be able to make during 2010. Sniff *sniff* sob
waaaaahhhhhh! Northern Ireland
Ulster lads, I had such high hopes. It
appears increasingly likely that we will have NO other UK teams besides England
playing in this WM. The Scots as an overdosing Ewan Macgregor riding around
Edinburgh in a taxi while Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” plays softly in the
background. The Welsh are entombed in a creepy looking Celtic burial mound. Now
the Northern Irish have gone the way of the retired rev. Ian Paisley and
there’s trouble at Stormont. Damn L
L
The Republic of Ireland is our only hope! One wishes that U.K. Football
qualifying would unfold like an episode of “Highlander”. Whoever remains takes
the loser’s power. There can be only one! By the way, hope you managed to catch
Stephen Colbert doing this to Lou Dobbs last night:
Let’s get in a word or two concerning
the peace process before we move on. Certainly, the high profile visits, such
as that of Secretary of State Clinton, are certainly overblown. The British
media has wildly over sensationalized the recent up tick in violence. Compared
with the state of affairs pre-Good Friday, we remain in decent shape.
Nevertheless, things simply haven’t felt right since Paisley retired. For the
gains of the past 10 years to unravel even slightly could prove catastrophic.
England will no doubt elect a Conservative government in the coming election
and one cannot anticipate a Cameron administration expending much political
capital on the devolution initiatives. One has a sense that the next few months
represent a critical stage, one in which absolutely no backtracking should be
abided by. Who has a remedy for our ethno-religious sectarian ills? Why none
other than Holy Father (Eggs) Benedict! The Supreme Pontiff from Marktl am Inn!
In the Red Corner, fighting out of Bavaria, weighing a healthy 103 lbs of
arthritic bone marrow, the ecumenical encyclical issuer, Joseph Ratzinger! Pope
Benedict XVI!!
According to the Vatican’s own press
release, the Holy Father has “generously” decided to allow “disaffected”
Anglicans to “recognize the pope as their leader”! Yoo-hoo! Hear that Irish
Anglicans? 450 Years after Henry VIII decided he just had to have that sweet
sweet Boleyn pussy, you can come back! Of course, if you think celibacy is just
not for you, you will be stripped of your cardinalship and demoted a few ranks
in the church hierarchy. You also won’t be “technically recognized” as a
“Catholic Parish”, but Benedict will send you a glossy that you can hang in
your office!!! 450 Years and it still comes down to whether or not you want
that gushy poon-tang or a picture of the pope in your study. At any rate, this
is a very “generous” offer that Ratzinger “ruminated over for months” before
deciding to “extend his kind and munificent hand”! Take it or leave Anglicans!
Deal or no deal? Who’s your daddy? Your answer please! So, my beloved Belfast
brethren, there is simply no reason to fight anymore. Benedict has paved the
way for peace. This is the best thing to come out of the Vatican since they
launched their own You Tube Channel back in 2008! I’m still hoping to read
Ratzinger’s “Twitterberry” feed. Can’t wait to read updates like these:
“omg just bought new papal tiara!
Totally deserve it!”
“like, just rehabilitated a bunch of
Holocaust deniers. lol”
“like, reinstituted prayer 4 conversion
of Jews. J
J”
“Condoms r like totally bad 4 u”
Vicey’s
Fearless Group Prediction (2 to 1 for bookie)
1)
Deutschland 2)
Poland 3)
The Ukraine 4)
Northern Ireland
Overall
Championship Odds
Deutschland
(NO BETS) Poland
(9 to 1) The
Ukraine (12 to 1) Northern
Ireland (22 to 1)
Round
of 16 Odds
Deutschland
(NO BETS) Poland
(NO BETS) The
Ukraine (Straight up) Northern
Ireland (4 to 1)
Quarterfinal
Odds
Deutschland
(NO BETS) Poland
(Straight up) The
Ukraine (5 to 1) Northern
Ireland (10 to 1)
Semifinal
Odds
Deutschland
(NO BETS) Poland
(2 to 1) The
Ukraine (10 to 1) Northern
Ireland (18 to 1)
