…is too ‘ard for me this time. They do say there be 10 qualifiers in this semi of shame, and I’m not feeling it. I can find three, tops – Sweden (obviously), Azerbaijan (obviously) and Hungary (obviously).
Armenia may as well go through as well, because there’s an awful lot of betting money going down the pan if the betters don’t back their judgement in the form of phone calls.
Russia and Ukraine can probably go through as well. No-one ever went broke betting on those two qualifying.
At this stage it gets difficult, because the remaining 10 are just hopeless and four of them are going through *anyway*.
Latvia, Albania and Moldova seem especially hopeless. As do Portugal and San Marino. And the Netherlands seem to have elegantly offered up exactly the right song in exactly the wrong place at precisely the wrong moment.
Were those six to miss out, Estonia, Iceland, Belgium and Montenegro would all be in the final. Ah ha ha ha NO.
Belgium is going to the final, not because it isn’t the most hideous piece of dross in the entire contest, but because everybody tells me that it’s going to the final.
Montenegro… might. Even sans much of a Balkan contribution, there are probably enough voters here who like that kind of thing when it’s done well. Adequately. Just about adequately.
Netherlands, The… I’m far from convinced. If it does *really* well with the left-hand bit of Europe, and it might, then it may limp to an all-important 9th place in the semi. If it gets to Saturday, it’ll have better chances.
Estonia or Iceland for slot 10 then, I’m thinking. No great draw advantage for either, no massive quality advantage for either… it’s a toss up. It’s a complete pile of toss up, frankly. Vibrancy or artistry, vibrancy or artistry, vibrancy or… Estonia. It’ll be Estonia.
Sweden, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Belgium, Montenegro, Netherlands, The and Estonia then. But there’s not a single one of the 16 where it would be a total shock to see them sneak through.
