Into the semi-finals we go, and the pressure dial gets turned up a few notches. Having got this far, the four teams going head-to-head in their pairings know that they cannot afford any errors. The first to five wins in a best of nine matches.
Having topped the table, Emirates Team New Zealand earned the right to choose their opponent for the next stage of the competition. They went unsurprisingly for the fourth placed team, DesafÃo Español.
The choice was likely quite easy; the Spanish have never beaten the Kiwis in seven tries over the past three years.
The local boys have nothing to lose, the pressure is not on them. They simply have to go out and sail at the top of their game, try to pressure the Kiwis and take advantage of any mistakes whilst avoiding making any themselves. Sounds easy!
In the other pairing, BMW ORACLE Racing takes on Luna Rosa Challenge in what will be a hard battle, though the stats also favour the Americans.
I hope I am wrong, as I would love to see the Spanish get to the final, however I’m going with the stats and expect to see the Kiwis taking on the Americans for the big prize, the showdown against Alinghi.
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