Mr. Bookmaker

The 2024 Copa America is right around the corner and this will be the second Copa America that will be hosted in the United States.

This is definitely great news for football fanatics who live in the USA because they will get the opportunity to watch some good Copa America matches without having to travel to South America.

But for the Brazilian national team, a Copa America tournament in the United States brings back some bad memories because of what took place back in 2016.

Before going any further, I just need to point out that it was incredibly ridiculous that the Copa America Centenario was not held in South America.

Anyway, Brazil was drawn with Peru, Ecuador, and Haiti but it was Brazil that finished third in the group and thus did not advance to the knockout stage.

Brazil’s first match against Ecuador ended in a scoreless draw at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

It was obviously a disappointing result. But in the next match, Brazil thrashed Haiti 7-1 in Orlando.

Going into the final match of the group phase, the task was simple: avoid defeat against Peru and book a spot in the quarterfinals.

But to the surprise of many, it was Peru that came out on top with a 1-0 victory at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

The only goal of the match was scored by Raul Ruidiaz in the 75th minute.

It was a disaster for Brazilian football but of course it was a time to celebrate for Peruvians.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Brazil has 9/4 odds to win the 2024 Copa America.

This time around, Brazil has been drawn in Group D with Colombia, Paraguay, and Costa Rica.

I know it is easy for me to say it, but obviously Brazil should get to the quarterfinals without any drama.

But of course, we also have to remember that the same kinds of things were said in 2016 and I think it is important to realize that Brazil has not been feared like it was back in the glory days.

Brazil is obviously a contender to win the Copa America, but the Selecao must get off to a good start against Colombia if they want to show that they mean business.

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I have taken the time to write about the teams that are favored to win the Copa America, but now it is time to write about a team that football fans never talk about, Paraguay.

Believe it or not, Paraguay has won the Copa America on two occasions: 1953 and 1979.

When looking back, the early 1950s had to be one of the best generations of Paraguayan football.

Paraguay defeated Brazil on both occasions at the 1953 Copa America, including a 3-2 win in the final match that was played in Lima.

But winning the 1979 Copa America was interesting, especially when you find out the specific details.

For starters, there was a period of time when the Copa America was not hosted in one country and played over a month period like we are accustomed to experiencing.

In 1979, the Copa America took place between July and December and matches in the group phase were played on a home and away basis.

The home and away ties continued into the knockout stage but the winners were determined on total head-to-head points.

In the semifinals, Paraguay defeated Brazil 2-1 in Asuncion and the match ended 2-2 at the famous Maracana in Rio de Janeiro.

Paraguay would then defeat Chile 3-0 in the first leg of the Copa America final in Asuncion and Chile earned a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the return leg in Santiago.

But because both teams had two points after two legs, a playoff would be played at a neutral venue six days later.

The neutral venue turned out to be Buenos Aires and the match ended in a scoreless draw after extra time.

It was then decided that Paraguay won the Copa America 3-1 on aggregate. Seriously? Why was there even a playoff match played?

Anyway, online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Paraguay has 66/1 odds to win the 2024 Copa America.

Paraguay has been drawn in Group D with Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica.

The Paraguayan team isn’t full of dangerous players but its main legionnaires are Julio Enciso of Brighton and Miguel Almiron of Newcastle United.

Those are two quality players to have on the national team, but I don’t expect Paraguay to get out of the group phase.

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For the first time ever, Canada will be participating in the Copa America and this is great for a team that has been making big steps in recent years.

Canada wasn’t super impressive at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

But scoring a couple goals and participating in the World Cup for the first time in nearly forty years was definitely a good thing.

When looking back at history, Canada was actually invited to participate in the 2001 Copa America in Colombia, but withdrew before the tournament began.

This time around, Canada actually had to win a playoff against Trinidad & Tobago in order to book a ticket to the 2024 Copa America.

Now that the tournament is getting closer and closer, it is normal to make predictions regarding Canada’s chances of getting to the knockout stage.

Let’s face it: the Canadian players are obviously excited that they have the opportunity to participate in the Copa America, but they will be playing in this tournament to show that they can compete with the best of the best in football.

Canada has been drawn into Group A with Argentina, Peru, and Chile.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Canada has 5/2 odds to advance to the knockout stage.

It is very easy for the football experts to say that Canada will not advance to the quarterfinals.

Yet in all honesty, Canada does have a decent chance of finishing second place in this group if we take a closer look at Chile and Peru.

Of course, Argentina is going to dominate this group, so it is perfectly fine to skip past Canada’s match against the defending Copa America winner and World Cup champion.

But Chile and Peru have not been very impressive in recent years.

Chile failed to qualify to the last two World Cup tournaments and Peru continues to be guided by forty year-old captain, Paolo Guerrero.

Yes, it is true that Canada doesn’t have a roster full of footballers who are playing for the best club teams in the world.

But Canada has plenty of younger talent on its squad and a win over Peru will set up the opportunity to finish second place in the group.

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There was a time when I used to really look forward to watching the Copa America because I remember the days when it was a very exciting tournament.

But as a football fan who is half-Mexican, I also have plenty of bad memories when I remember Copa America tournaments from back in the day.

In its first ever appearance at the 1993 Copa America, Mexico got to the final match by seeing off Peru in the quarterfinals and hosts Ecuador in the semifinals.

It was an amazing run considering that Mexico failed to win a single match in the group phase after losing 2-1 to Colombia and drawing with Argentina and Bolivia respectively.

In the final match, Mexico fought hard but was defeated 2-1 by a dangerous Argentine squad that had the likes of Gabriel Batistuta, Fernando Redondo, and Sergio Goycochea.

Four years later, Mexico was in the semifinals again but lost 3-1 to hosts Bolivia.

Sadly, Mexico had taken an early lead and Bolivia fought back ferociously. But I remember some questionable calls that favored the home team on that day.

Two years later, Mexico was in the semifinals again. But there was no way that Mexico was going to beat a Brazil team that was led by Ronaldo and Rivaldo.

In 2001, the tournament was hosted by Colombia. I sensed trouble once again. Mexico got to the final match but Colombia came away with a 1-0 win.

But the 2001 tournament was a joke because Argentina did not participate, probably because of security issues in Colombia and many teams did not send their best players to the tournament.

Colombia won all six of its matches and didn’t concede a single goal.

It was complete garbage and it was at the moment when I realized something important: CONMEBOL will never let an outsider team win the Copa America.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Mexico has 11/1 odds to win the 2024 Copa America.

For the upcoming tournament, Mexico has been grouped with Ecuador, Venezuela, and Jamaica.

It is definitely an easy group for El Tri but do I think Mexico has a shot at winning the tournament?

This is an easy yes for me because Mexico has not been the same in recent years.

Coaching has been a problem and Mexico doesn’t have footballers who resemble the stars from its glory days such as Luis Hernandez or Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

Getting eliminated from the first round of the 2022 World Cup was a new low for Mexico and it is hard to see this team overachieving at the upcoming Copa America.

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Whenever it is time for a major tournament, it is always normal to talk about the host nation because home field advantage is very important in football.

The United States national team has made great progress over the years in football.

At this moment, the football experts still do not consider the United States as a contender to win the World Cup, but what about the Copa America?

We can’t simply ignore the United States because this is a team that has been improving a lot and it is a team that has plenty of talented footballers plying their trade in Europe.

At the 2016 Copa America, the United States hosted the tournament and got to the semifinals, but was easily defeated 4-0 by Argentina in Houston.

Finishing fourth place is really not something to speak of because the third-place match is basically pointless.

But when looking back at that performance, the United States played well by defeating Costa Rica and Paraguay in the group phase before scoring a 2-1 win over Ecuador in the quarterfinals.

The only setback in the first round was a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Colombia. Ironically, the U.S. would lose to Colombia again in the third-place match.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently the United States has 12/1 odds to win the 2024 Copa America.

When looking at Group C, the United States has been given a kind draw being grouped with Uruguay, Bolivia, and Panama.

Obviously, everyone is expecting Uruguay to top the group but Bolivia and Panama will be easy for the Stars and Stripes.

When thinking about possible matchups in the quarterfinals, it is fair to say that the U.S. will likely face Brazil or Colombia.

At this point, it is easy for a lot of U.S. supporters to assume that their team has a legitimate shot at winning the Copa America.

But to be fair, I will agree with those fans if the United States is able to defeat Brazil or Colombia in the quarterfinals.

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The 2024 Copa America is less than two months away and it is safe to say that the tournament organizers are very excited because this tournament will take place in the United States.

This is not the first time that the United States will be hosting the Copa America. Previously, the 2016 Copa America Centenario was also held in the United States.

But before talking about the obvious, I find it interesting to see the major tournament of one confederation being hosted by a country that is in a different confederation.

I mean, can you imagine the European Championship one day taking place in the United States or perhaps a country in North Africa?

Well, I would be okay with the tournament being hosted in the United States, but it will never happen because the European football supporters would cause a riot.

Anyway, getting to the main topic at hand, it is hard to see any team beating Argentina at the upcoming Copa America because the Argentines are looking unstoppable.

Argentina won the previous Copa America in 2021 and followed it up by winning its third World Cup trophy in Qatar one year later.

To my surprise, Lionel Messi continues to play for his national team.

In all honesty, I thought Messi would have surely retired after finally winning the World Cup because it would have been the perfect way to conclude his international career.

But oh well, who am I to come up with these criticisms?

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Argentina is favored with 7/4 odds to win the 2024 Copa America.

When looking at Group A, let’s just say that Argentina will have an easy task being drawn with Chile, Peru, and Canada.

Not going to lie or beat around the bush, but I feel very sorry for Canada having to face Argentina in the opening match of the tournament in Atlanta.

The good thing for the Canadians is that all of the pressure will be on Lionel Messi and Argentina.

We all know that anything can happen in football. But Argentina is on a mission to win another major tournament and I don’t foresee any surprises in the group phase.

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When it comes to international football, it has always been normal to talk about the teams that are making their debuts in a major tournament.

But in the case of Euro 2024 in Germany, only one team will be making its debut appearance: Georgia.

Yes, believe it. Georgia has booked a ticket to its first ever major tournament after qualifying through the difficult playoff route.

After finishing fourth in Group A behind Scotland, Spain, and Norway respectively, the Georgians were fortunate to book a spot in the playoffs by way of winning their group in Nations League play.

First, Georgia blanked Luxembourg 2-0 at home behind a brace from Budu Zivzivadze.

Next, it was a showdown with Greece in Tbilisi at the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena. The fans were rowdy and ready to give their full support to their beloved national team.

But as expected, the match was tight and defensive and scoreless after ninety minutes.

Extra time also didn’t produce any goals and it would be the dreaded penalty shootout to decide which team would book one of the last spots of Euro 2024.

It would not be the Euro 2004 winners. Instead, it was the Georgians who won 4-2 on penalties and caused the 44,000 supporters to go wild and celebrate deep into the night.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Georgia has 500/1 odds to win the 2024 European Championship in Germany.

By winning the playoff, Georgia has been drawn into Group F with Turkey, Portugal, and the Czech Republic.

Yes, when looking at the group it is easy to say that Georgia is expected to finish bottom of the table and probably with zero points.

But this is not a time for Georgian football fans to start thinking about the chances or opportunities to advance to the knockout stage.

Instead, this is a time for Georgian football fans to be excited and make travel plans to Germany to support their beloved national team in Dortmund on 18 June.

Georgia’s first match of Euro 2024 will be against Turkey and it is safe to say that the latter will have massive amounts of support in the stadium.

Euro 2024 won’t be easy for the Georgians, but they are excited about tournament football and they need to focus on one match at a time.

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It is not a shock that the Ukrainian national team has had to deal with a lot of challenges in recent years.

But when talking about challenges, it is important to point out that Ukraine has also had to deal with the difficulties of trying to qualify to major tournaments by going through the playoff route.

The former Soviet republic needed to defeat Wales in Cardiff nearly one year ago in order to book a spot in the 2022 World Cup.

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen as Wales held on for a 1-0 victory.

This time in Euro 2024 qualifying, Ukraine and Italy finished tied on points but the former missed out on an automatic qualifying spot because Italy had a better goal difference.

Finishing third definitely was a tough pill to swallow because nobody enjoys the playoffs.

In the first one-off match, Ukraine fell behind to Bosnia-Herzegovina in Zenica but fought back with goals from Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk in the 85th and 88th minutes respectively.

Five days later in Poland, the Ukrainians fell behind again to Iceland but goals in the second half from Viktor Tsyhankov and Mykhailo Mudryk gave Ukraine a ticket to Euro 2024.

Before going any further, I just want to say that I am very impressed with the Ukrainian footballers because they are very disciplined and play with a lot of grit.

They refuse to lose and they are the kind of team that should be considered a dark horse at Euro 2024 in Germany.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Ukraine has 100/1 odds to win the 2024 European Championship in Germany.

When looking at the group that Ukraine has been drawn in, it is safe to say that Ukraine should advance comfortably to the knockout phase.

Ukraine is in Group E with Belgium, Slovakia, and Romania.

Make no mistake: this is a very favorable group for the Ukrainians and the only challenge should be the clash against Belgium.

I have respect for Slovakia and Romania but both teams don’t have the players and discipline to beat a hard-nosed team such as Ukraine.

The schedule is also favorable to Ukraine because its first two matches of Euro 2024 are against Romania and Slovakia in Munich and Dusseldorf respectively.

The fact of the matter is that the three fortunate teams that were able to qualify to Euro 2024 via the playoff route are obviously happy.

But it is Ukraine that has the easiest group and we will see great things from the team that is still unable to play matches at home.

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I have been following the national team of Poland for over ten years and this isn’t surprising because I lived in Poland during Euro 2012.

In recent years we have seen the Polish team decline a bit and a lot of this has to do with the fact that Robert Lewandowski is getting older and he is definitely past his prime.

For starters, Poland wasn’t very impressive in Euro 2024 qualifying because it finished third in its qualifying group behind Czech Republic and Albania.

We also cannot forget about the horrible 3-2 loss to Moldova away from home that also involved blowing a two-goal lead.

But this is what happened and Poland was forced to qualify to Euro 2024 by going through the playoff route.

A 5-1 win over Estonia in Warsaw booked a spot in the Path A playoff final against Wales in Cardiff.

Before the match, I remember thinking that Poland had a chance. But I also knew that defeating Wales in Cardiff would be tough.

As it turned out, neither team was able to score any goals and the match had to be decided on a penalty shootout.

Poland scored all five of its kicks and Daniel James missed the last kick for Wales. It was a painful moment for the fans in Cardiff but the Polish supporters went crazy.

Getting through the playoffs is tough, but Poland managed and will be competing at Euro 2024 in neighboring country, Germany.

But at this point, there is no need for Polish fans to be overconfident because their national team is in the same group with France, Netherlands, and Austria.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Poland has 150/1 odds to win the 2024 European Championship in Germany.

Yes, this is an extremely tough group and it is obvious what Poland needs to do in order to have a shot at qualifying to the knockout phase.

Defeat Austria, find a way to hold out for a draw against the Netherlands, and try not to get beaten too badly by France.

I know it is a lot to ask for but because of Poland’s form in recent years, I am actually not expecting much.

Don’t get me wrong, I will be rooting for Poland. But this group is extremely difficult.

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For a lot of football experts, we have to use words such as “impressive” or “amazing” when we think about the progress of many national teams.

In the case of Kazakhstan, it is clear that many Kazakh football fans will be glued to their TVs or mobile devices when Kazakhstan faces Greece on 21 March in Athens.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Greece is favored with 4/9 odds while Kazakhstan has 6/1 odds, and the odds for a draw are 10/3.

Before getting to the semifinal match in Path C between Greece and Kazakhstan, it is important to point out that Kazakhstan has come a long way since joining UEFA over twenty years ago.

Prior to becoming a UEFA member, Kazakhstan was a member of the Asian Football Confederation.

Ironically, I think a lot of football fans probably thought that staying in the AFC would have been a better choice because it would have meant having an easier path to qualify to the World Cup.

But aside from finding things to criticize, progress has been made for Kazakhstan at the club level and national level.

Kazakhstan finished with twenty-four points in Group H qualifying for Euro 2024.

With six wins and four losses, Kazakhstan definitely showed it has come a long way and nobody can forget the amazing 3-2 come-from-behind win against Denmark one year ago in Astana.

What can we expect in the showdown against Greece?

Well, I will be honest. I don’t think this match will be very exciting because the Greeks are not known to play very exciting football.

But because Greece plays very defensive, I think this might be good for Kazakhstan.

If the Kazakhs want to come out on top, they will need to be patient, but they will also need to take some calculated risks against Greece.

It would be nice to see Kazakhstan find a way to come out on top, but the Greeks have been playing better football lately and have plenty of talented defenders.

Prediction: Greece 2-0 Kazakhstan

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It is time for the Euro 2024 playoffs and twelve teams will be battling for the final three spots available.

But of course, because there are only three spots left, this means that there will be plenty of disappointed players and fans.

For today’s blog, we will be analyzing one of the semifinal matches in Path C that will be played between Georgia and Luxembourg in Tbilisi on 21 March.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Georgia is favored with 10/11 odds while Luxembourg has 16/5 odds, and the odds for a draw are 23/10.

This is a very interesting matchup because neither team has ever qualified to a major tournament, but the winner of this match will also host the playoff final five days later against Greece or Kazakhstan.

Both countries aren’t very big in terms of size, but I think it is safe to say that the people of both nations will be glued to their television sets when these two teams take the pitch.

Even though the bookies are favoring Georgia to win, I think it is difficult to say which team is better on paper.

Both teams have their fair share of footballers playing in respectable leagues in Europe but having the home field advantage is crucial in football.

All players called up by Luxembourg have already been capped but the only uncapped player called up by Georgia is center back Georgi Gvelesiani of Iranian club, Persepolis.

Gvelesiani is thirty-two years-old and has been playing football in Iran since 2017.

In my opinion, Gvelesiani is an interesting player selected by head coach Willy Sagnol. There is no guarantee that Gvelesiani will play, but who knows what will happen?

One thing worth mentioning is that Georgia has already experienced heartbreak in the Euro playoffs.

Back in the Euro 2020 playoffs in Path D, the Georgians defeated Belarus 1-0 in Tbilisi but fell short 1-0 to North Macedonia one month later at the same venue.

Georgia finds itself in a similar situation but must focus on one match at a time.

Prediction: Georgia 2-1 Luxembourg

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Suspenseful times are coming because we are days away from the start of the Euro 2024 qualifying playoffs.

For today’s blog, we will be focusing the national team of Poland and Path A of the playoffs.

Fortunately for the Poles, they have easiest match out of all the playoff matches because they get to host Estonia in Warsaw on 21 March.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Poland is favored with 1/5 odds while Estonia has 14/1 odds, and the odds for a draw are 5/1.

We need to face the facts and realize that Estonia has been in very poor form in recent years.

In fact, Estonia only earned one point in Euro 2024 qualifying, which was a 1-1 draw with Azerbaijan.

On top of the poor performances, Estonia only scored two goals and allowed twenty-two goals in the process.

The pressure is all on Poland and everyone will be expecting Poland to win comfortably.

Poland didn’t meet expectations during Euro 2024 qualifying because it finished third in its group behind Albania and the Czech Republic.

But at this time, the important topic involves how Poland should approach the match against Estonia.

Should Poland field its best starting eleven? Or should head coach Michal Probierz’s starting lineup consist of top starters and reserves?

I think this is an important question to ask because Poland is playing against a very weak Estonian team, and it would be logical to have some of its best players rested for the crucial playoff final that will be played in Cardiff or Helsinki five days later.

Even though Estonia has not been very impressive, I think it would be best for Poland to field its best players to start the match because taking risks can be dangerous in a do-or-die playoff.

But if Poland can build a multiple goal lead in the first half, then I can see Probierz making many changes to start the second half.

We all know that anything can happen in football, but Poland basically has a free ticket to the Path A Playoff final.

Prediction: Poland 3-0 Estonia

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When it comes to major football tournaments, I think it is fair to say that some football fans are very superstitious who are always looking for some kinds of positive vibes.

In the case of the Italian national team, looking back on tournaments that were hosted in Germany is interesting because there were some highs and lows.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Italy has 12/1 odds to win the 2024 European Championship.

At the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, the Azzurri was looking to bounce back from the heartbreak of being defeated by Brazil in the 1970 World Cup final in Mexico.

Italy was drawn with Poland, Argentina, and Haiti in Group 4.

A 3-1 victory over Haiti in the opening match got the Italians off to a good start. The next match ended in a 1-1 draw with Argentina.

But on the last day of the group phase, Italy was defeated 2-1 by Poland and was eliminated on goal difference as the Argentinians barely snuck into the second round.

Fourteen years later, the European Championship was hosted in West Germany.

This time the Italians were much better and got to the semifinals but were defeated 2-0 by the Soviet Union in Stuttgart.

Throughout history, Italy has always had its way with the Germans in major tournaments and the ultimate showdown took place in the 2006 World Cup semifinals when the two teams met in Dortmund.

It was a tough and tense match, but Italy came out on top with a 2-0 victory in extra time.

And in the final match, Italy was victorious after defeating France in a penalty shootout.

Italy has been in a weird form in recent years because despite winning Euro 2020, the Italians have failed to qualify to the last two World Cup tournaments.

It is hard to believe that one of the best footballing nations has been a huge disappointment, but will we see Italy bring back the spirit of 2006 this summer?

Or will we see Italy disappoint its supporters once again?

At this point it is tough to say, but this isn’t the World Cup and I think Italy will be tough to beat in Germany.

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We are three months away from the start of the 2024 European Championship that will take place in Germany.

And of course, the football experts and bookies are already making their predictions regarding which teams are favored to win Euro 2024 in Germany.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently England is favored with 7/2 odds.

At this point, I really don’t know what to say because I feel as if I will be beating a dead horse.

England has shown plenty of improvement in recent years. It is true.

We saw England lose 2-1 to Croatia in extra time at the 2018 World Cup semifinals in Russia and we saw England barely lose to Italy on penalties at the Euro 2020 final match in London.

After those two great performances, it only made sense to assume that England would win the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

But of course, we did not see that happen as England was eliminated in quarterfinals after a 2-1 loss to France.

It is now 2024 and are we supposed to continue assuming that England is the favorite to win the 2024 European Championship in Germany?

It makes no sense to be condescending just because Harry Kane is getting older. After all, Bukayo Saka is a young star, and we also cannot ignore the skill of Declan Rice and Phil Foden.

The bottom line is that England has a lot of young talent. But I am not picking England as the favorite to win the European Championship.

When looking back at previous tournaments in Germany, history has not been kind to England.

For starters, England did not qualify to the 1974 World Cup in West Germany and the 1988 European Championship in West Germany was a disaster because England was defeated in all three matches in the group phase.

Fast forward to the 2006 World Cup in Germany: England was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Portugal after another dreaded penalty shootout.

Previous results in major tournaments do not decide what will happen at Euro 2024, but I only see England making it to the quarterfinals, semifinals maybe, but that’s it.

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We are getting close to the next international break and even though the next edition of Nations League starts in September, now it is time to take a look at Group 4 in Nations League B.

Group 4 consists of Turkey, Wales, Montenegro, and Iceland.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Turkey is favored to top the group with 11/10 odds.

I am pretty sure the football experts probably think that this is another group that won’t be very exciting but matches between Turkey and Wales should be interesting.

Turkey and Wales are not rivals to say the least, but the two teams have crossed paths quite a bit in recent years.

Back at Euro 2020, Wales scored a 2-0 victory over Turkey in the group phase with goals coming from Aaron Ramsey and Connor Roberts.

But in Euro 2024 qualifying, the two teams were drawn in the same group and this time it was Turkey that got the best of Wales.

In the first meeting, Turkey scored a convincing 2-0 victory over Wales in Samsun with goals scored by Umut Nayir and Arda Guler.

The return leg in Cardiff finished in a 1-1 draw as the Welsh took an early lead through Neco Williams but Yusuf Yazici scored from the penalty spot in the 70th minute.

Turkey ended up winning the group and booking a ticket to Euro 2024 while Wales finished third and will have to try its luck in the playoffs.

But out of all the competitive fixtures between the two teams, the one that stands out the most was a 6-4 win for Turkey in 1998 World Cup qualifying.

It is hard to believe that so many goals were scored on that day, but it definitely was one of those random matches.

No disrespect towards Montenegro or Iceland, but I don’t see these two teams creating much drama or excitement.

But of course, Welsh fans will be quick to be weary of Iceland. After all, a 2-2 draw between Wales and Iceland cost Wales a spot in the 1982 World Cup.

And a 1-0 win for Iceland over Wales in 1986 World Cup qualifying would end being very costly.

Anyway, I am looking forward to this Nations League group because the Welsh will definitely want to bring their “A” game against Turkey.

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Now that Nations League has been going on for quite a few years, it is normal to talk about the teams that get relegated from League A.

And of course, when I mention the teams that got relegated from the top level, I obviously mean that it is normal to talk about these same teams being promoted to League A.

When analyzing Group 3 in League B, the attention is on the national team of Austria.

In the previous edition of Nations League, Austria finished last in a group that consisted of Croatia, Denmark, and France.

This time in Nations League, the Austrians have been drawn with Norway, Slovenia, and Kazakhstan.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently Austria has 11/10 odds to finish top of Group 3 in Nations League B.

When looking at these teams, I think this is one of the first groups in Nations League that will not produce a lot of excitement.

But of course, I can also be proven wrong.

Austria has been a much better team in recent years and already booked its spot at the 2024 European Championship in neighboring country, Germany.

Slovenia booked an automatic qualifying spot as well and will be participating in the European Championship for the second time and the first time since 2000.

Kazakhstan on the other hand has never qualified to a major tournament but has a chance at qualifying due to booking a playoff spot in Euro 2024 qualifying.

Norway has excellent leadership in young super star Erling Haaland, but he lacks a good supporting cast and Norway hasn’t experienced tournament football since Euro 2000.

It makes perfect sense to expect the Austrians to dominate this group because they still have the experienced veterans in David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic.

Alaba is the captain and is currently playing for Real Madrid and Arnautovic is currently on a loan spell at Inter Milan.

And of course, we also cannot forget that Austria has a midfield full of footballers that are playing in the Bundesliga in Germany.

We know that anything can happen in football, but the Austrians will win Group 3 with ease.

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We are still six months away from the start of UEFA Nations League, but I can’t help to talk about Group 2 of Nations League B.

To the surprise of some football fans, England was relegated from Nations League A after finishing last in a group that consisted of Italy, Hungary, and Germany.

Three draws, three losses, and zero wins was bad.

But in all honesty, I think England’s performance was a clear indication that Nations League is not taken seriously by a lot of the top national teams in UEFA.

Anyway, England has been drawn into Group 2 of Nations League B with Finland, Greece, and the Republic of Ireland.

Online bookmaker Bet365 has the latest wagers and currently England has 1/12 odds to win Group 2.

When looking at England’s group, it really makes sense to say that England should dominate and gain promotion back to Group A with no drama or suspense.

Finland is a team that I really respect because it was great to see the Finns experience tournament football for the first time ever during the previous European Championship.

Greece might be able to frustrate England if the latter is having a bad day especially because the Greeks have a knack for playing ultra-defensive football.

But of course, the most intriguing matchups in this group will take place when England faces the Irish.

In recent years, Ireland has been really bad and hasn’t participated in a major tournament since the European Championship in 2016.

Yet it is possible that some football experts are wondering if the Irish might play out of their minds against the English because of the historic football rivalry.

When looking back at the history between these two teams, England has gotten the better of the Irish, but the results have been interesting at major tournaments.

At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the two teams shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

But two years earlier at the European Championship, it was the Republic of Ireland that scored a famous 1-0 victory in Germany.

We still have quite a bit of time before the start of Nations League play, but English and Irish fans surely will be anticipating the showdown on 7 September at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

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