vorosmccracken.com

The “triumphant” return of The Knack of the baseball world

vorosmccracken.com header image 2

Road to South Africa 6

July 6th, 2009 · 7 Comments

Egypt’s win at home over Rwanda is the last qualifier for another month, so let’s have a look see at how things are shaping up.

The updated National Team Rankings can be found here.

Full qualification chances can be found here.

IN

Look at All the Pretty Flags!North Korea = 100%. As most of you probably already know, North Korea has sent themselves to the Big Dance for the first time since their big showing in 1966. Nevertheless, regardless of who qualifies from here, they will almost certainly be one of the tournament’s biggest long shots.

African Update

Algeria = 66.12%; Morocco = 10.73%; Tunisia = 50.13; Nigeria = 49.07; Ghana = 98.08; Côte d’Ivoire = 99.31%. The Confederations Cup wasn’t the only thing happening in football on the African continent. World Cup qualifying continued in all of the groups. Most notable was that one of the biggest scheduled games, Gabon vs. Cameroon, was postponed due to the death of Gabon’s President. Algeria secured a massive 209 win in Zambia to seize control of Group C and nearly double their qualification chances. Morocco reasonably needed a home win against Togo and didn’t get it. They now need a lot of help to advance. Tunisia and Nigeria’s draw mirrors the group itself: it’s a coin-toss and the other two teams are likely playing out the string. Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are on the doorstep now, expect them in South Africa next summer and expect it to become official pretty soon.

Zombies Like Warmer Climates Anyway

With the Icelandic Zombie menace finally vanquished, a new outbreak surfaced in the Mediterranean, with the Cypriots actually managing to qualify once. These Zombies will make their stand against the Irish in Cyprus in their next game.

Saudi Arabia vs. Bahrain Preview

Saudi Arabia = 57.56%; Bahrain = 24.83%; New Zealand = 17.61%. Bahrain had a golden opportunity to make the World Cup in 2006 and they fell just short against T&T. Now their path leads first through Saudi Arabia and then New Zealand. The system has the Saudis as a 2 to 1 favorite in this one, but favors both Asian teams over the Kiwis.

Data Dump

CONMEBOL                       Percent
Brazil                         100.00%
Chile                           96.90%
Paraguay                        94.60%
Argentina                       78.15%
Uruguay                         17.76%
Ecuador                         10.30%
Colombia                         2.11%
Venezuela                        0.18%
Bolivia                          0.00%
Peru                             0.00%

CONCACAF                       Percent
USA                             93.29%
Costa Rica                      90.80%
Mexico                          65.71%
Honduras                        48.46%
El Salvador                      1.48%
Trinidad and Tobago              0.26%

CAF - Group1                   Percent
Gabon                           56.42%
Cameroon                        24.16%
Morocco                         10.73%
Togo                             8.69%

CAF - Group2                   Percent
Tunisia                         50.13%
Nigeria                         49.07%
Kenya                            0.65%
Mozambique                       0.15%

CAF - Group 3                  Percent
Algeria                         66.12%
Egypt                           27.35%
Zambia                           6.11%
Rwanda                           0.42%

CAF - Group 4                  Percent
Ghana                           98.08%
Mali                             1.74%
Benin                            0.18%
Sudan                            0.00%

CAF - Group 5                  Percent
Côte d'Ivoire                   99.31%
Burkina Faso                     0.61%
Guinea                           0.08%
Malawi                           0.00%

AFC - Group A                  Percent
Australia                      100.00%
Japan                          100.00%
Bahrain                          0.00%
Qatar                            0.00%
Uzbekistan                       0.00%

AFC - Group B                  Percent
Korea DPR                      100.00%
Korea Republic                 100.00%
Iran                             0.00%
Saudi Arabia                     0.00%
United Arab Emirates             0.00%

UEFA - Group 1                 Percent
Denmark                         94.24%
Portugal                         3.04%
Sweden                           1.60%
Hungary                          1.12%
Albania                          0.00%
Malta                            0.00%

UEFA - Group 2                 Percent
Greece                          57.49%
Switzerland                     39.01%
Israel                           3.44%
Latvia                           0.06%
Luxembourg                       0.00%
Moldova                          0.00%

UEFA - Group 3                 Percent
Slovakia                        64.39%
Czech Republic                  17.68%
Poland                          12.02%
Slovenia                         3.01%
Northern Ireland                 2.90%
San Marino                       0.00%

UEFA - Group 4                 Percent
Germany                         76.52%
Russia                          23.47%
Finland                          0.01%
Azerbaijan                       0.00%
Liechtenstein                    0.00%
Wales                            0.00%

UEFA - Group 5                 Percent
Spain                           99.83%
Bosnia-Herzegovina               0.17%
Armenia                          0.00%
Belgium                          0.00%
Estonia                          0.00%
Turkey                           0.00%

UEFA - Group 6                 Percent
England                         99.62%
Croatia                          0.20%
Ukraine                          0.18%
Andorra                          0.00%
Belarus                          0.00%
Kazakhstan                       0.00%

UEFA - Group 7                 Percent
Serbia                          56.03%
France                          43.92%
Romania                          0.05%
Austria                          0.00%
Faroe Islands                    0.00%
Lithuania                        0.00%

UEFA - Group 8                 Percent
Italy                           89.27%
Ireland Republic                 9.70%
Bulgaria                         1.03%
Cyprus                           0.00%
Georgia                          0.00%
Montenegro                       0.00%

UEFA - Group 9                 Percent
Netherlands                    100.00%
Iceland                          0.00%
Macedonia FYR                    0.00%
Norway                           0.00%
Scotland                         0.00%

UEFA - Playoffs                Percent
Russia                          47.50%
France                          39.80%
Croatia                         27.01%
Portugal                        25.71%
Ireland Republic                23.71%
Greece                          22.32%
Serbia                          21.64%
Ukraine                         21.26%
Turkey                          19.09%
Switzerland                     18.59%
Czech Republic                  18.18%
Germany                         18.12%
Sweden                          15.39%
Bosnia-Herzegovina              12.98%
Poland                          11.89%
Scotland                        10.44%
Israel                           6.99%
Italy                            6.69%
Norway                           6.59%
Bulgaria                         6.14%
Slovakia                         5.07%
Hungary                          4.68%
Denmark                          3.03%
Slovenia                         1.64%
Northern Ireland                 1.49%
Belarus                          1.43%
Romania                          1.18%
Macedonia FYR                    0.51%
England                          0.28%
Spain                            0.16%
Finland                          0.14%
Montenegro                       0.11%
Belgium                          0.07%
Latvia                           0.06%
Lithuania                        0.06%
Austria                          0.04%
Cyprus                           0.01%

AFC/OFC - Playoffs             Percent
Saudi Arabia                    57.56%
Bahrain                         24.83%
New Zealand                     17.61%

CONMEBOL/CONCACAF - Playoffs   Percent
Uruguay                         20.63%
Mexico                          16.45%
Honduras                        16.34%
Ecuador                         13.87%
Argentina                       13.57%
Colombia                         6.67%
USA                              3.43%
Costa Rica                       2.81%
Paraguay                         2.74%
Chile                            1.66%
El Salvador                      0.90%
Venezuela                        0.72%
Trinidad and Tobago              0.21%

UEFA - Playoff Losses          Percent
Bosnia-Herzegovina              45.76%
Ireland Republic                35.84%
Ukraine                         30.04%
Russia                          28.58%
Switzerland                     24.37%
Scotland                        23.00%
Serbia                          21.60%
Hungary                         15.59%
Greece                          14.61%
Turkey                          14.02%
France                          13.38%
Slovakia                        13.35%
Croatia                         12.63%
Poland                          11.80%
Israel                          11.62%
Portugal                        11.49%
Sweden                          11.12%
Bulgaria                        10.07%
Czech Republic                   8.86%
Norway                           8.46%
Slovenia                         7.19%
Northern Ireland                 6.20%
Belarus                          5.65%
Germany                          5.22%
Macedonia FYR                    3.02%
Italy                            2.76%
Denmark                          1.42%
Romania                          0.57%
Finland                          0.40%
Montenegro                       0.40%
Belgium                          0.35%
Austria                          0.22%
Latvia                           0.20%
Lithuania                        0.14%
England                          0.04%
Cyprus                           0.02%
Spain                            0.01%

AFC - Playoff Losses           Percent
Bahrain                         66.82%
Saudi Arabia                    33.18%

AFC/OFC - Playoff Losses       Percent
New Zealand                     82.39%
Saudi Arabia                     9.26%
Bahrain                          8.35%

CONMEBOL/CONCACAF-PlayoffLoss  Percent
Honduras                        29.03%
Ecuador                         15.55%
Mexico                          14.41%
Uruguay                         11.36%
Costa Rica                       6.10%
El Salvador                      6.08%
Colombia                         5.31%
Argentina                        3.44%
USA                              3.01%
Paraguay                         1.83%
Venezuela                        1.37%
Chile                            1.26%
Trinidad and Tobago              1.23%
Bolivia                          0.02%

Worst 2nd Place UEFA           Percent
Scotland                        24.52%
Norway                          14.11%
Ireland Republic                12.42%
Macedonia FYR                    9.35%
Portugal                         5.00%
Czech Republic                   4.86%
Turkey                           4.31%
Poland                           4.30%
Hungary                          3.57%
Sweden                           2.97%
Bosnia-Herzegovina               2.80%
Slovakia                         1.84%
Northern Ireland                 1.79%
Slovenia                         1.54%
Bulgaria                         1.42%
France                           0.84%
Ukraine                          0.71%
Croatia                          0.59%
Switzerland                      0.49%
Israel                           0.45%
Belgium                          0.44%
Belarus                          0.36%
Montenegro                       0.31%
Romania                          0.30%
Greece                           0.26%
Serbia                           0.19%
Italy                            0.08%
Latvia                           0.04%
Denmark                          0.03%
Lithuania                        0.03%
Russia                           0.03%
Cyprus                           0.02%
Austria                          0.01%
Estonia                          0.01%
Wales                            0.01%

Once I get the code worked out, I’m going to run this cycle’s first simulation of the big show. I think with it less than a year away, it’s time. I can say without much hesitation that Brazil will be the favorite at this point, but much more than that is hard to know.

Tags: Soccer!! · South Africa 2010 · Uncategorized

7 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Edgar // Jul 7, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    Thanks for the update Voros!

  • 2 Alvaro // Jul 16, 2009 at 6:01 pm

    Im trusting you man, I placed bets on Serbia and Denmark to win their group. :p
    That said do you use your percentages to bet ?? If you think they are correct you should bet when the bookies give profitable odds.

  • 3 Voros // Jul 19, 2009 at 11:12 pm

    Alvaro,

    As I responded to your post, I realized it would make a good post, so I’ll put up a post answering it. Thanks.

  • 4 Ross // Jul 20, 2009 at 4:55 pm

    Good work Voros, it’s addictive reading.

  • 5 scaryice // Aug 13, 2009 at 9:19 pm

    Time for another update!

  • 6 Edgar // Aug 21, 2009 at 5:39 am

    Voros, when the next update comes around, could you please include info regarding the number of adjusted points (without the points won against the 6th placed team) needed to avoid being the worst 2nd placed in Europe?

    Thanks!

  • 7 Road to South Africa 9!! // Sep 17, 2009 at 10:28 am

    […] this post in July commenter Alvaro had this to say: Im trusting you man, I placed bets on Serbia and Denmark to win […]

Leave a Comment