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EMMA RADUCANU VS MARIA SAKKARI
1.69
WINNER - RADUCANU
EMMA RADUCANU VS MARIA SAKKARI
1.69
WINNER - RADUCANU
CARLOS ALCARAZ VS FRANCES TIAFOE
1.79
UNDER 34.5 GAMES
CARLOS ALCARAZ VS FRANCES TIAFOE
1.79
UNDER 34.5 GAMES
ARGENTINA v ECUADOR (CAMILO)
4.60
ARGENTINA TO WIN + BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
ARGENTINA v ECUADOR (CAMILO)
4.60
ARGENTINA TO WIN + BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
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We have reached the third round at Wimbledon. At this point there are 32 players left in the ladies and gentlemen’s draw. Carlos Alcaraz has started his title defence in the best possible way. Emma Raducanu, the British hope, is playing better than she has done in a long time.
The reigning champion at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz, hasn’t lost a set yet in the tournament. He’s been playing solid over the two first matches and has been locked in. He defeated the Estonian Mark Lajal (7-6, 7-5, 6-2) in the first round and in the second round he got the better of Aleksandar Vukic from Australia (7-6, 6-2, 6-2). It’s really nice to see Alcaraz healthy on the court after some injury problems during the spring season. He has potential to improve his serving though. In the two first matches he has been hitting 15 aces to 6 double faults. He needs to improve his serve to be able to defend his title at the all England lawn tennis and croquet club.
The 28th ranked player in the world (his highest ever was at the 10th spot in a year ago) had a tough opening match at Wimbledon. He defeated the Italian, Matteo Arnaldi, after an impressive comeback. He lost the two first sets of the match but won it in the end (6-7, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3). In the second round things we’re much easier for Frances, he defeated Borna Coric in straight sets (7-6, 6-1, 6-3). He’s been hitting 22 aces to 6 double faults over his two first matches. Tiafoe's best result at Wimbledon so far in his career is the 4th round (2022). Alcaraz and Tiafoe have played each other twice and they have won one match each. This is the first time they play on grass. Back in 2021 Tiafoe won in straight sets in Barcelona (clay) and in 2022 Alcaraz won the semifinal at the US Open in five sets.
Maria Sakkari, ranked at number 9 in the world, will not only play her opponent on the other side of the net. She will also have the audience at the centre court against her when she faces Emma Raducanu. Sakkari has never passed the third round at Wimbledon and it will be a achievement for her if she wins this one and move on to the 4th round. Sakari still hasn’t lost a set in the tournament. In the first round she defeated Mcartney Kessler in straight sets (6-3, 6-1). In the second round she got the better of Arantxa Rus (7-6, 6-3). She’s been having some problems getting her first serve in, but when it goes in it’s effective. The first serve needs to be improved When she squares off with Raducanu today.
Emma Raducanu is very popular in England since she won the US Open back in 2021. Which still is her only title on the main tour. She seems to be healthy now and confident after a tough couple of years. The 21 year old wild card (ranked 135th) still hasn’t lost a set in the tournament. She didn’t play her best tennis in the first round, but looked much better in the second round. She defeated Renata Zuruzua in the opening round (7-6, 6-3) and in the second round she played very well in the match with Elise Mertens (6-1, 6-2). If she defeats Sakkari she will reach the fourth round of Wimbledon for the second time in her career.
The moment we've been waiting for is finally here. Hopes will be fulfilled, dreams temporarily shattered, red cards handed out, goals scored, VAR will determine details, and tears will fall - both of happiness and sorrow.
Or, to keep it simple - eight teams will become four. It's time for the first quarterfinal match of Copa America 2024 from the USA. Even though the host nation is out of the competition, the football-fiesta continues. Trust me when I say this: the best is yet to come!
The world champions expect to have the captain Lionel Messi back in the lineup on Friday as they continue the defense of their title with a matchup against Ecuador. No team in the Copa América has so far managed to score on Argentinian goalkeeper ”Dibu” Martinez yet, will Ecuador be the first team? Possibly on a penalty kick.
ARGENTINA predicted lineup vs Ecuador (4-3-3 ): E. Martinez (GK) - Molina, Romero, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico - Di Maria, De Paul, Mac Allister - Messi, La. Martinez, Alvarez.
After missing the previous match due to suspension, Ecuador's all-time leading goalscorer Enner Valencia returned to play the full 90 minutes against Mexico, with John Yeboah stepping aside. He aims to add to his 41 international goals and make a difference against the world champions.
ECUADOR predicted lineup vs Argentina (4-2-3-1 ): Dominguez (GK) - Preciado, Torres, Pacho, Hincapie - Franco, M. Caicedo - Minda, Paez, Sarmiento - Valencia.
Instead of providing a hypothetical example of how many times out of 10 the Argentine national football team wins against the Ecuadorian national football team, which isn't my main point - let's ask the AI.
THE QUESTION IS: How many times out of 10 does the Argentine men's national football team win against the Ecuadorian men's national football team?
AI RESPONDS: Based on historical performance, the Argentine men's national football team tends to win more often against the Ecuadorian men's national football team. Considering that Ecuador last won against Argentina in 2015, we can infer that Argentina wins most of their encounters.
The Argentine men's national football team wins about 7-8 times out of 10 against Ecuador. The last time Ecuador won was in 2015. However, this is a general estimate and actual outcomes can vary due to numerous factors such as team form, location of the match, player availability, and so on.
Alright, maybe you're starting to see where this is heading. What I want to know is simply when it's time for the next loss according to the math. Those of you who play Texas Hold'em probably know that pocket aces win against pocket tens 80% of the time, but 20% of the time - pocket tens still win.
You might already understand my final question.
THE QUESTION IS: Considering that the Argentine men's national football team wins 7-8 times out of 10 against Ecuador, and their last loss to Ecuador was in 2015, when would the next loss occur based on this calculation of Argentina vs. Ecuador matchups?
AI RESPONDS: Based on the calculation that Argentina wins 7-8 times out of 10 against Ecuador, their next loss could be expected within the next 2-3 matchups. Since their last loss was in 2015, and assuming they play once a year, the next loss could potentially occur between 2023 and 2025.
Then we have the answer; a loss to expect within a certain timeframe. We do the only sensible thing and position ourselves squarely in the middle of the answer - 2024!
But hey, I'm Argentinean. I forget nothing in my favor.
”This is a general estimate and actual outcomes can vary due to numerous factors such as team form, location of the match, player availability, and so on.”
Due to the compromises, I assist ChatGPT with the circumstances and let it predict a draw in regular time. I didn’t actually ask how often it ends in a draw; we have to maintain some suspense.
Personally, I believe Argentina will score the first goal and go on to win the match. To balance my prediction against the AI's odds, I'll also bet that Venezuela will manage to score a goal.
Human vs AI, let’s go!
The NBA free agency began sunday night and compared to how it has been usually, with big and small deals coming in every minute or so as soon as it started, it has been very quiet this summer. There are two main reasons for that. One is that teams have been allowed to negotiate with their own free agents, before the official start of free agency this season. The other one is the new CBA with much tougher punishment for teams if they go in to the first or second apron.
The new CBA has been the biggest talking point in the world of the National Basketball Association lately. The changes for the teams and their front offices are huge and we have pundits openly saying they don't understand the new ramifications of it to 100%. Neither do myself in all honesty. Teams are trying to avoid the second apron with good reasons! The major part is that it will not be sustainable anymore at all to have three max contract players on your roster. Which it was under the former CBA. Phoenix, LA Clippers and Denver are some of them. These teams were constructed under the old CBA and must now adapt to the new CBA, which is full of challenges. It is no longer close to sustainable to have three max contract players on the roster. If you go in to the second apron the teams will be harshly punished financially and will have to work with pretty no flexibility at all when it comes to trades, losing first round picks, buyouts, buying 2nd round picks and so on. The financial punishments are on a whole different level than they were under the old CBA.
The NBA has two owners that have been spending money like no other and not caring at all about their huge luxury tax bills the last decade or so. Matt Ishbia who purchased the Phoenix Suns 18 months ago seem to be as willing as them to splash money in his short stint as an owner. Joe Lacob is the owner of the Warriors and Steve Balmer is the owner of the Clippers. Last season they paid 177 Million USD (Warriors) and 142 millions (Clippers) in luxury tax just for the 2023-24 season. Both Lacob and Balmer have done anything in their power to avoid the second apron. That Is the reason Klay Thompson and Chris Paul no longer are on the Warriors roster and why Paul George left the Clippers for the 76ers. Just the fact that Balmer and Lacob are afraid to death of the second apron says more than enough about it.
Denver is one of the teams with three max contract players on its roster. The team was assembled under the old CBA and with the new one they are in a position that is far from ideal. This season the NBA has set the salary cap at 140 million USD. If the salary for a team surpasses 170 million USD you are in the luxury tax. The first apron is at 178 and the feared second apron at 188 million USD. Jokic, Murray and Mihael Porter Jr are the three max players on the Nuggets roster. The coming season Jokic will earn 51 million USD, Murray 37 and MPJ 36. That is 122 million USD in total for three roster spots out of 15. Aaron Gordon is their fourth best paid player at 23 million USD for the upcoming season. In total 145 million for just fourplayers.
Kentaviuos Caldwell-Pope was the 5th starter of the Nuggets and instrumental for the team when they won the championship in the 2022-23 season. He became a free agent this summer after opting out from his contract worth 15.5 million USD. There was no way The Nuggets could have kept him without major implications down the road. Orlando Magic offered him 66 million USD for three seasons and of course he accepted the offer (there is no income tax in Florida, which Colorado has). The fact that the Nuggets didn’t match the offer created havoc amongst their fans on different social media platforms. The front office and the owners (Stan Kroenke) were left without a choice. Enough about the new CBA for now. We will be back in a couple of days when the NBA free agency has settled and all transactions of the players are known to us.
Elena Rybakina and Danielle Collins are both hungry for success and looking to win their respective matchups today. Collins will square off with Dalma Galfi. Rybakina is in the hunt for yet another title at Wimbledon and she will play against the German veteran, Laura Siegemund.
The hungarian Dalma Galfi is a qualifier so she he is having a good run so far att Wimbledon 2024. She defeated Olga Danilovic in the qualie final. The same Danilovic who defeated Daniell Collins at the French Open recently. The 25 year Old Galfi is ranked at the 120th spot in the world at the moment and her highest ranking ever on the WTA tour was at 79 back in september 2022. She has been in the main draw in all four Grand Slams and her best result at Wimbledon is the 3rd round last summer. She has never won a title on the main tour but has 9 of them on the ITF circuit. In the first round she defeated Mayar Sherif easily (6-1, 6-2). She hit aces to two double faults and she won 74% of the points on her first serve. Amazingly enough she won a stunning 82% of the points on her second serve. In the head2head between Galfi and Collins the Hungarian is up one to nothing. They played each other in the round of 128 at Indian Wells (2023) and Galfi won in straight sets.
Danielle Collins is about to retire after this season and she wants to make the best out of it. I must say that she has so far. The 30-year-old has won two titles this season. The first one was the Miami 1000 Masters (d. Rybakina in the final) and in Charleston (d. Kasatkina in the final). In her whole career she has four titles in total. The current world number 11 played amazingly well during the spring and At one point she had a 15 match long winning streak. Her best result to date atWimbledon iz the 3rd round in 2019. Her best ever result in a Grand Slam is atAustralian Open where she reached the final in 2022. The same year she was ranked at number 7, her highest ranking ever. She defeated Clara Tauson in the first round at Wimbledon in straight sets.
Our bet is total games - over 19.5. The odds 1.58
Rybakina, the current world number 4, has had a good year so far. She has won 3 titles (Brisbane, Abu Dhabi and Stuttgart) and reached two finals as well (Miami and Qatar). She likes to play on grass and her game is suited for it. Back in 2022 she won Wimbledon and reached the final at the Australian Open in 2023. In the first round at Wimbledon this year she easily defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse in straight sets (6-3, 6-1). She only hit 3 aces to her 4 double faults. Her big serve wasn’t at its best vs. Ruse. 59% of the first serve went in, but she won a stunning 92% of the points when it went in. On her second serve she won 54% of the points and she tookadvantage of 5 out of 9 breakballs. Elemna has won 35 out of 42 matches on the tour this season.
Laura Siegemund became a pro in 2006 and most of her success on the tour has been in doubles with a win at the US Open in 2020 as her greatest achievement. In singles she has two titles in total and her highest ever ranking in singles was at number 27 in August 2016. At the moment she is ranked at the 72nd spot and she has never passed the second round of Wimbledon. If she does tonight it will be a very big surprise to say the least. Her best result in singles at a Grand Slam was a quarter final at the French Open in 2020. This season she has two top 20 wins in singles. Siegemund defeated Kateryna Baindl in straight sets in the round of 128, the other day. She had eight breakballs and took advantage of six. Rybakina is up 4-1 in the h2h stats vs. Siegemund. This will be their first meeting on grass.
Our bet is Siegemund to win under 7.5 games. The odds are1.59
Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek are playing the two first matches on the centre court today. The world number one, Swiatek, is trying to win her first title at Wimbledon. She has a challenge in front of her in the shape of Petra Martic. The seven time Wimbledon champion, Djokovic, will square off with the Scottish qualifier, Jacob Fearnley.
The Scot is one of the newest additions on the ATP tour. Fearnley has been playing college tennis in the states for the last couple of years. He won the national college championship with Texas Christian University just recently. He is a qualifier at Wimbledon ranked at 277th position in the world and he has, of course, never played against Djokovic before. He earned the chance to qualify for Wimbledon by winning an ATP challenger in Nottingham last month as a qualifier. He had an impressive week in Nottingham. The 22 year old lost to Billy Harris in the round of 32 in Eastbourne recently (main draw).
In the round of 128 at Wimbledon he defeated Alejandro Moro Canas in straight sets (7-5, 6-4, 7-6) after missing out on five match points. After the match the young Scot was very excited to play Djokovic. “It’s the biggest match of my career by far and it will probably be a bit intimidating. I just have to enjoy and embrace it”. His biggest weapon is his serve, it will be tested against the best returner the game of tennis ever had.
As we all know by know Djokovic had a surgery three weeks ago in his right knee for a torn medical meniscus. The big question before the match for the 24 time Grand Slam champion was if he would look as his usual self on the court. He kind of did, his movement was solid he wasn’t tested by any means in the match against the qualifier, Vit Kopriva. Djokovic won the match easily (6-1, 6-2, 6-2). We missed our prediction in that one since I thought Kopriva would win at least 9 games in the match. I believe that Djokovic, if everything goes according to plan, will be a bit careful on the court during the first week and step things up in the second week.
The Croatian, Petra Martic, has now reached the age of 33 years. She has reached the 4th round at Wimbledon on three different occasions so far in her solid career (2017, 2019 and 2022). She turned pro already in 2008 and has, of course, a lot of, experience. The last year or so her career has vanished a bit due to different reasons. Mostly injuries and she is currently ranked at the 79th position in the world. Her highest ever ranking was at number 14 in January 2020. Martic style is quite aggressive and that could potentially create some minor problems for Swiatek. Grass is her favoured surface, for sure, and when she is playing freely as she does sometimes, she is a joy to watch.
The world number one had a tough match up in the opening round. She played Sofia Kenin who has won one Grand Slam (Australian Open 2020) and one Grand Slam final (French Open 2020). Kenin’s highest ranking ever was the 4th position in 2020. Iga Swiatek handled the challenge in the best possible way by winning thematch in straight sets (6-3, 6-4). Swiatek hit 6 aces to one double fault. She must improve her first serve percentage against Martic. She only hit 54 % of her first serves vs Kenin. When she did hit the first serve she won the point at 84 %. Iga looked composed and i assume she will look the same today on the centre court.
Now there are less than two weeks before the European Championship is over for this time. But that doesn't mean we will stop writing about football, so this will be the first part of my article series that covers the latest and hottest transfer rumors. So stay tuned, we start with a focus on the Premier League where, as expected, most of the action has taken place.
Something has happened on the British Isles. For a long time, other European teams looked with envious eyes at Premier League clubs that seemed able to spend unlimited amounts of money. With the FA's financial regulations (PSR) starting to get tough last year, several clubs that overspent were affected. Everton got points deducted, Nottingham was close, and as the season drew to a close, there were whispers that both Aston Villa and Newcastle were in trouble. Both teams had to balance the books before July 1st, and they managed to do so.
Aston Villa: Villa had to sell Douglas Luiz to Juventus, and in addition to a pile of cash, they received the promising talents Iling and Barrenechea from Juventus. They also finalized the signing of Champions League finalist Maatsen, who joins from Chelsea after his loan at Dortmund. Ross Barkley was also signed from Luton. The big question still remains, have they done enough?
Newcastle: Many in Newcastle were sweating bullets when rumors suggested they would have to sell their star striker, Alexander Isak. Several clubs expressed interest in the Swede who scored 21 goals in the league last season. However, they avoided selling their golden calf by selling the talents of Minteh and Elliot Anderson instead. The lightning-fast Minteh, who had his breakthrough last season during his loan at Feyenoord, now moves to Brighton after rejecting offers from Lyon, among others. Elliot Anderson, who had limited playing time last season but has talent, moves to Nottingham for a rumored €42 million(!). Along with the €35 million from Minteh, Newcastle can now breathe a sigh of relief.
Tottenham Hotspur: Spurs continue their strategy of signing young talents. They recently presented central midfielder Archie Gray from Leeds for €40 million. The young versitle player can play either in the cental midfield or as a right back. They also signed young Lukas Bergwall in February, but he joins the team only now. There are rumours that they are also intrested in putting in a bid for Aston Villas Jacob Ramsey, we have to wait with that one. One thing is for sure, i am betting Supurs will be busy this summer.
Chelsea: Chelsea, which is also rumored to have financial problems, has not been as aggressive in the market as we've been used to since Todd Boehly took over the club. This may be due to concerns over PSR. However, they completed the signing of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester. KDH had an excellent season in the Championship last year, scoring 12 goals and 14 assists as a central midfielder. For Chelsea they have to focus on making their huge squad (41 first team players) a little thinner, with the likes of Lukaku, Chalobah and Broja all looking likley to departure.
West Ham: The Hammers said goodbye to David Moyes after the season and brought in Julen Lopetegui as the new coach. A quality signing, in my opinion. Although things didn't go well at Wolves and he never got his move to Real Madrid, I believe this could be good for West Ham. His first major signing is Luis Guilherme from Palmeiras. At just 18 years old, he is likely not a starter but will learn under Jarrod Bowen. West Ham pays around €25 million for Guilherme.
It's worth noting that none of the top three teams from last season have signed any players yet. However, it usually takes one big signing to get the carousel spinning. So let's look at what is being planned at the big clubs.
Arsenal: Arteta's Arsenal is going from strength to strength. Although not 100% successful in their signings (Lokonga & Vieira), Edu seems to have a knack for transfers. The big question is whether they will sign a new number 9 or if Arteta trusts Havertz. There have been many rumors about Osimhen, Isak, and Gyökeres, all with a price tag of around €100 million. Otherwise, a mysterious German is said to be close to arriving. Considering Bayern is about to finalize Olise, it could be Sane. However, I wouldn't rule out someone like Kimmich either.
Manchester United: ETH received renewed trust from United's management, much to many's surprise. With this, rumors surfaced about interest in signing De Ligt from Bayern. The eternally young Dutch center-back, missing the Euros due to injury, would be a perfect replacement for Varane, whose contract has expired. It's a logical signing for United as ETH was the one who made De Ligt captain at Ajax at just 17 years old. The big question is if United can afford it, as Bayern looks to demand around €60 million for the center-back.
Liverpool: After nine years, Liverpool supporters must get used to not seeing Klopp on the bench but their new coach Arne Slot. Often with coaching changes, there are many player turnovers, but Liverpool has been quiet so far. No players in or out. Although Liverpool's owners FSG handle most of the signings based on their calculations and models, not much has happened. Players like Anthony Gordon and Calafiori have been rumored to be on their way in, but no concrete bids have been made. Bologna is trying to raise the price of their center-back while Newcastle seems to have solved their financial problems. We'll see what happens here.
Manchester City: Just like with Liverpool, not much has happened with last year's winners, Man City. Pep usually likes to finalize his signings early in the transfer window but hasn't signed anyone yet. The club has the most complete squad in the league, so they might be waiting for the right moment. It was clear that Pep missed his all-round player Gündoğan last season, and I can imagine they will try to sign a similar profile this summer. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a player like Guimarães who can play both defensively and offensively, as it seems Pep is not entirely satisfied with Nunes yet.
That's all for this time. In the next silly special, we'll take a look at what's happening in La Liga.
One of the most anticipated matches in the second round is the one between Sinner and Berrettini. The current world number one will take on his compatriot, and former finalist, at Wimbledon. Emma Raducanu will square off with Elise Mertens for a spot in the third round.
Emma Raducanu has pretty much had a tough time on the tennis courts since she won the US Open, very surprisingly, in 2021. She reached the 4th round at Wimbledon in 2021, which is her best achievement at the all England lawn tennis and croquet club. Her highest WTA ranking ever was the 10th position in the summer of 2022. 2023 and 24 has been rough for her with injuries and surgeries. Lately she’s been playing well on the grass in Nottingham (lost in the semifinal) and Eastbourne. She defeated Jessica Pegula in Eastbourne. Which is Emma’s first ever top 10 win. Currently the 21 year old is ranked at the 135th position in the world. In the first round at Wimbledon she won over the lucky loser, Renata Zarazua (7-6, 6-3). She has played 7 matches on grass so far in 2024 and won 5.
The Belgian defeated Nao Hibino in the round of 128 in three sets (2-6, 6-2, 6-4). The 32 ranked 28 year old has reached the 4th round at Wimbledon twice (2019 and 2022). Mertens has always been better at doubles and she has won all slams in doubles except for the French Open. Her highest ever singles ranking was at the 12th position in May 2021. She has played one final on the WTA tour this season and lost it to Emma Navarro in Hobart. Mertens is a baseline player with some nice shot making abilities. On a good day she can hit plenty of winners and on a bad day she can make a bunch of unforced errors. She has played 6 matches on grass this season and won 3. This is the first ever meeting between the two.
This is the headline of the men’s second round at Wimbledon today. A former finalist and the current world number one. The two players are compatriots and very good friends. Yesterday they were seen playing football on the Wimbledon premises. Sinner is up one to nothing in the head two head.
Matteo reached the Wimbledon final in 2021 and lost to Djokovic. The future was looking bright for him. In January 2022 he was ranked at the 6th position in the World, his highest ever. At the moment he is ranked at 65th and he has 8 titles so far in his career. In the end of the 2023 and the beginning of the 2024 season he had some major problems with a foot injury and he also changed coaches. He has been withdrawing from a lot of tournaments and he’s been having a hard time finding a good and nice rhythm on the courts. Grass is very much the preferred surface for him, with his huge serve and big forehand. His aggressive playing style can definitely create some problems for Sinner tonight. With his length (1.96 cm or 6.5) the 28 year old has the ability to find some nice angles on the court. The big weakness is his backhand. In the first round of this edition of Wimbledon he defeated Fucsovics in four sets (7-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1).
Jannik Sinner has had a heck of a season, so far. He did win his first ever Grand Slam in Australia in January and became the world number one after the French Open at Roland Garros. He won in Rotterdam, Miami and Halle as well during 2024. The 22 year old from the northern part of Italy is looking to make a deep run at the all England lawn tennis club. The second obstacle on the path to the title is Berrettini with the huge serve and big forehand. The first obstacle for Sinner was Hanfmann which he defeated in four sets (6-3,6-4, 3-6, 6-3). Last year he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon.
Naomi Osaka and Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to qualify for the third round at Wimbledon today. Carlos is expected to win his match against Vukic at the all lawn tennis England and croquet club today. Naomi has a challenge in front of her in the shape of Navarro.
The reigning champion at Wimbledon, Carlos Alcaraz, had a bit of a tougher match than expected in the first round. He won it in three straight sets but Mark Lajal, a qualifier from Estonia, played well in the two first sets (7-6, 7-5, 6-2). I didn't believe Lajal would be that good which made my prediction of him just winning a couple of games completely wrong. Still it was a good match from the current world number 3.
Vukic had a big win in the first round when he defeated Sebastian Ofner in five tough sets (3h49), after saving a match point. Ofner just reached the final at the Mallorca this weekend (lost to Tabilo). Vukic is currently ranked at the 69th position in the world, his highest ranking ever is 48th (August, 2023). The 28-year-old from Australia has never won an event on the main tour and he has won 11 out of the 27 matches he played on the ATP tour during 2024. This is the second time he is in the Wimbledon main draw. He had a good tournament in Eastbourne just before the Wimbledon where he won three matches on the grass.
There is no bigger question about who is heavily expected to win this match. These two have never played on the main tour, but they played each other at the qualies at Roland Garros (clay) in 2020 and Vukic won.
Wimbledon has never been Osaka’s favourite tournament in the past. Her best result was the 3rd round twice and she received a wild card to play this year. The win in the first round against Diane Parry (6-1, 1-6, 6-4) was her first win at Wimbledon in six years as a matter of fact. Of course she had a pregnancy and other things (some mental health issues) that made her not play every edition of the tournament. She is back on the tour for real this season and Osaka had a good clay swing and she played well in her opening match at Wimbledon. So the four-time Grand Slam champion could perhaps make a deep run at Wimbledon with her big serve. Her draw is tough so she can play without any expectations. Emma Navarro has a great season!
Emma hasn’t been on the Tour too long because she played college tennis. She is currently ranked at the 19th position in the world. She moves very well on the court and is good at covering angles and a real fighter. She has won 7 out of her last 10 matches on the tour, she is 4-2 on grass this season (11-5 over the last two years). She has played quite a lot during 2024, 52 matches and she’s won 37. Navarro won one title (Hobart) in 2024. In the first round at Wimbledon she defeated Wang from China easily (6-0, 6-2). Osaka and Navarro have never played each other on the tour.
Costa Rica, without scoring a single goal in the tournament, managed to secure a point against none other than Brazil with a 0-0 draw. Paraguay has scored one goal per match in both their losses against Colombia (2-1) and Brazil (1-4), and I believe they will also score against Costa Rica.
Costa Rica´s problem is that even if they win against Paraguay, they have a goal difference of -3, while Brazil has +4. This means their only chance is if Uruguay wins by enough goals to compensate for Costa Rica's deficit after their own potential victory. I won't say it´s impossible, but it looks very tough for Costa Rica, and they will need help from Colombia.
Team captain Francisco Calvo needs to be cautious about receiving another yellow card, as he already has one. If he gets another and Costa Rica advances to the quarterfinals, he will miss that crucial match. Manfred Ugalde will miss the final group stage match after receiving yellow cards in the previous two matches against Brazil and Colombia.
COSTA RICA predicted lineup vs Paraguay ( 3-4-2-1 ): Sequeira; Mitchell, Vargas, Calvo; Quiros, Galo, Aguilera, Campbell; Zamora, Madrigal; Contreras.
Midfielder Andres Cubas is the only player unavailable for the match against Cosa Rica, this after receiving a red card in the match against Brazil.
PARAGUAY predicted lineup vs Costa Rica ( 4-2-3-1 ): Morinigo; Velazquez; Balbuena, Alderete, Espinoza; Sanchez, Villasanti; Almiron, Enciso, Sosa; Bareiro.
Costa Rica's achievement in holding Brazil to a 0-0 draw in their first match was commendable, but now they face the greater challenge of pushing forward to score against Paraguay, which is necessary for their advancement.
Paraguay has managed to score in every match of this year's Copa America, against both Colombia and Brazil, whereas Costa Rica has yet to score and has conceded three goals against Colombia.
Even though Paraguay has nothing to play for in terms of advancing, I believe they will still give their all to avoid finishing last in the group, which Costa Rica would do with a loss. At the same time, Costa Rica will likely gain motivation if they see Brazil falling behind against Colombia, potentially giving them more energy to push for the outcome they desire.
It sets the stage for an exciting final group stage match!
Colombia holds a well-deserved first place in Group C with two consecutive wins, while Brazil is in second place after a disastrous draw and a solid win. This match is extremely important, as the second-place team will face Uruguay, whereas the group winner gets the advantage of playing against Panama. Naturally, both teams would prefer to avoid Uruguay, especially considering Uruguay's victories over both Brazil and Argentina a few months ago in the South American World Cup qualifiers.
It will be a tough match that will reveal whether Brazil has finally found their form after a poor first game, followed by delivering 4 goals against Paraguay in the second match. Colombia has met expectations with two straight wins, maintaining their strong form from the South American World Cup qualifiers, where they are third in the standings behind Argentina and Uruguay.
BRAZIL
Before their convincing 4-1 victory over Paraguay, Dorival Junior made two significant changes: he benched Raphinha for Savio and adjusted the team's formation to a 4-2-3-1. Both moves paid off handsomely. Brazil must win. Expect Brazil to field their strongest lineup, including Vinicius Jr., who made his debut on Friday.
BRAZIL predicted lineup vs Costa Rica ( 4-2-3-1 ): Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Militao, Wendell; Guimaraes, Gomes; Savio, Paqueta, Vinicius Jr.; Rodrygo
COLOMBIA
Colombia have already secured a spot in the quarter-finals, so Nestor Lorenzo might consider resting his usual starters against Brazil. However, Los Cafeteros will still aim to take all three points from the Selecao and clinch the top spot in Group D. A player who has been missing since Colombia's opening match against Paraguay is defender Jhon Lucumi, who is dealing with a minor leg injury. It is uncertain if he will play.
COLOMBIA predicted lineup vs Brazil (4-3-3): Vargas; Munoz, Sanchez, Cuesta, Mojica; Rios, Lerma, Arias; Rodriguez, Borre, Diaz
WORTH NOTING: Colombia defeated Brazil in the South American World Cup qualifiers in October 2023 with two goals from Liverpool star Luis Diaz – keep an eye on him! He has scored one goal in this tournament so far.
Considering Brazil's inconsistent form, I'm predicting a draw between these two teams. It will be a tough battle to see who gets to face Panama.
