[bookie]

Italy 3.30 - USA1 3.60 - Norway 5.50 - Poland 6.80 - USA2 8.80
Sweden 13.00.

Discuss please.

[the hog]

BIG mistake ignoring Indonesia. The Indons are seasoned and tough performers who do well in competions like this. Definitely NOT impossible for them to make the semis and maybe even the final. Doubt if they will win, though. What odds will you give me on them making the final?

[hrothgar]

Italy is the clear favorite. If I had to lay down money, it would be on them.

Norway is not playing up to form. I was watching them in a couple matches and they seem substantially worse than I remember.

I don't know much about the Canadian Team and am surprised by their relatively strong showing.

Here is my current ranking

Italy
USA1
Poland
Norway
Indonesia
Canada

[Cascade]

Here is my current ranking of the top 8

1  ITALY
2  USA1
3  CANADA
4  NORWAY
5  POLAND
6  USA2
7  AUSTRALIA
8  CHINESE TAIPEI

Wayne

[mycroft]

Canada has Demuy-Wolpert - arguably the best junior pair in the world (okay, very arguably, but reasonably in the top 3). The rest of their team is good - don't get me wrong - but Gavin and Vincent are freaking amazing.

I'm sure more than just I watched the Canadian qualifier; Canada switched from "win this year, play for Canada next year" to "win this year, play this year" this year, so after FERGANI spent a week winning the CNTC, they immediately had to go into a 120-board match against last year's champions. It wasn't a walkover, but after the first session of the second day, FERGANI had the lead to stay.

Demuy-Wolpert have been playing and scoring on the international circuit this year (Summer congress in Australia, NEC Cup in Japan), and so have some international experience. Darren Wolpert (yeah, older brother) was on the Canadian Junior team at least once. I'm impressed with their showing (but they do not have the easiest finishing schedule around), but not at all surprised. I am writing from the safety of Round 14, and I still don't pick them to win (but I didn't in Salt Lake, either), but I think even at the start, they should have made the tote board!

I am surprised at Sweden, however - and Monaco. Not exactly for the same reasons...

Michael.

[twcho]

Some of the traditional strong teams are not fielding the best players of their countries. Examples are Indonesia, of which the best pair Lasut - Manoppo is playing in the Senior, not Bermuda so considerably weakening the team. Another one is Poland. Though they have a lot of good pairs but arguably the best pair Balicki - Zmudzinski and the second best pair Kwiecien - Pszsczola are both playing in the transnational team. Also, though USA2 plays very well in the first 3 days, most of the players, except Wolff, lack international exposure and may not be able to stay in the top form for such a gruelling event as Bermuda Bowl.

So my choice is as follows: Italy, USA1 are undoubtedly the 2 strongest team with Italy a slight edge because all 3 pairs of them are top pairs. Norway is the third team that has some threat over these two teams (any team containing such genius as Helgemo surely cannot be overlooked). Besides these 3, I can't think of any team that has the real strength to capture the laurel.

[the hog]

Just in response to the above. The Indons that are playing are well known in the Asian/Pacific circuit and the following are very strong players. They may not be that well known in the US. Certainly Asbi-Tobing show a lot of promise.

Taufik Gautama ASBI
Franky Steven KARWUR
Santje PANELEWEN
Robert Parasian TOBING

The others I don't know.

[vincenzo]

Too many persons think Italy will win ....

"Speriamo non porti sfiga !!!"

Translation: Hope this will not be unlucky for Italy !!!

Vincenzo

[bookie]

Odds available at any time during championship at www.betfair.com.

[easy]

Quote

Too many persons think Italy will win ....

"Speriamo non porti sfiga !!!"

Translation: Hope this will not be unlucky for Italy !!!

Vincenzo

Vincenzo

sei un mago? come sai, italia era sconfitto oggi. pero buona fortuna nella 1/4 finale.

Fred