Brazil 8-13 for football gold after Spain exit
EUROPEAN champions, world champions, but punters who piled into Spain to complete a football hat-trick in the Olympics, were counting the cost on Sunday night.
A 1-0 defeat by Honduras hot on the heels of a reverse against Japan by the same scoreline, eliminated the pre-tournament 5-2 second favourites with a round of group games still to go. And the team containing Premier League stars Juan Mata and David de Gea and a batch of classy La Liga stars, had been 1-4 to win Group D.
Spain's exit has left Brazil the overwhelming favourites to win the trophy - they are a best price 8-13 - but has also opened the door for Team GB.
Stuart Pearce's men, who must avoid defeat against Uruguay in Cardiff tomorrow to progress, are 9-1 second favourites with Coral having been 12-1 at the off.
Not that Pearce is sounding confident. Shrugging off the debate over the national anthem, Psycho warned: "Uruguay are still favourites to win our group." Clearly that's not the case - the third-placed South Americans are 13-2 to top Group A - but Pearce continued: "It's an instant knockout situation - a winner-takes-all cup final."
