Octopus oracle picks Spain to win World Cup

Eyes around the world were on Germany's octopus oracle Paul on Friday as he made his biggest prediction yet in the World Cup: Spain will beat the Netherlands in the final.

Paul's prescient picks in the World Cup - he has yet to predict a match wrong - have propelled him to international fame from obscurity a month ago in an aquarium in the western city of Oberhausen.

TV stations in Germany, Great Britain, Taiwan and elsewhere broadcast live pictures, complete with breathless commentary, of his final decision for the tournament. Millions watched as the world-famous octopus descended upon on a tank marked with a Spanish flag, sitting for only a few minutes before grabbing a mussel and devouring it, while completely ignoring the Dutch tank - indicating a Spanish victory in Sunday's final match in Sunday's final.

It was the first time he'd been tasked to pick a game in which Germany wasn't involved, as the Oberhausen Sea Life aquarium bowed to overwhelming demand to see who he would choose in the final.

Paul correctly predicted Germany's wins over Argentina, England, Australia and Ghana and the country's loss to Spain and Serbia.

He also predicted earlier on Friday that Germany will win over Uruguay in Saturday's match for third and fourth place.

His handlers say he is coping with fame well.

"Paul is such a professional oracle - he doesn't even care that hundreds of journalists are watching and commenting on every move he makes," said Stefan Porwoll, the Sea Life aquarium manager. "We're so proud of him."

Paul first developed his abilities during the 2008 European Championship in which he predicted five out of six games involving Germany correctly. But while he had only a community of local fans two years ago, his World Cup prognostications have brought him international stardom.

Spain's defeat of Germany in the semifinals as predicted by Paul prompted many Germans to wonder about how he would taste grilled for dinner. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero fretted about the safety of "El Pulpo Paul," as he's known in Spain, and offered Paul protection.

"I am concerned about the octopus," Zapatero said. "I'm thinking about sending in a team to protect the octopus because obviously it was very spectacular that he should get Spain's victory right from there."

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Netherlands look to improve finishing for final

Netherlands coach Bert Van Marwijk thinks the only category where his team suffers in comparison to World Cup final opponent Spain is beauty of play. When it comes to the rest, the two can go head-to-head.

When Van Marwijk looks at Spain, he sees the world's best team of the past few years and the playing style of a Barcelona side that has been the bane of clubs all over Europe for the past few years.

"We play well. Spain plays well, but they are mre attractive and this is where we want to get too," Van Marwijk told reporters.

When Van Marwijk heard that Dirk Kuyt was quoted as saying that Spain are a collection of individuals while the Dutch are a "team", he quickly countered by noting how impressive it was to see the Spanish players immediatelstart pressuring opponents once they had lost possession.

"When they lose the ball, they immediately join in, their big stars too. It is something we also do well," Van Marwijk said.

Van Marwijk said his team must be less haphazard in front of goal to counter Spain during Sunday' final. And with no jury worries, he has the fearsome trio of Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie at his disposal.

Sneijder, the World Cup's joint top scorer with five goals, said the team has to show more "guts" when in possession, seeking depth and speed instead of the steady buildup work for which the Dutch have been known over the past weeks.

"We have to shed our inhibitions," Sneijder said.

While the Dutch have netted seven goals in the three knockout-round games compared to Spain's three, Van Marwijk is still a bit worried about his team's scoring touch.

Often the Netherlands has won by one goal only, in games where more efficiency in front of goal could have turned it into a rout. Against Uruguay, it won the semifinal 3-2 but could have put the game beyond doubt much earlier had the forwards shown more poise.

"We have been messy," Van Marwijk said. "We've had spells with brilliant attacks, yet we forgot to score. That though, can change within a match."

He's hoping Van Persie will be the one to make it change.

The winger turned striker was out for much of the season with Arsenal because of a right ankle injury which needed surgery, and he is still seeking his best form.

"He improved the last game," Van Marwijk said. "He will play his best game in the final."

Sneijder said if the Netherlands could improve efficiency, Spain too had its weak moments, especially when it struggled past Paraguay in the quarterfinals.

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Jorge Lorenzo takes first Assen victory

Jorge Lorenzo won today in Assen for the first time in MotoGP class, now having victories on Dutch circuit in all three categories. Victory in Assen was a bit more difficult to achieve for Lorenzo, as this time he was closely followed by Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner. However, Lorenzo opted for hard rear tyre unlike Pedrosa and Stoner, which proved to be smart decision in closing stages of the race. Dani Pedrosa managed to improve setup in warm-up and get in the really high pace in first part of the race, eventually finishing in second place. Casey Stoner also opted for medium rear tyre, which allowed him to stay with Lorenzo and Pedrosa in first part of the race and then to settle in 3rd place.

Ben Spies once again proved his potential by taking 4th place in Assen, battling with Dovizioso for this position and wining that battle. Dovizioso finished in 5th place, managing to defend it from charging Randy de Puniet. French rider finished in 6th place, around 10 seconds ahead of Nicky Hayden. Colin Edwards finished in 8th place, in front of two rookies - Marko Simoncelli and Aleix Espargaro.

Jorge Lorenzo increased his championship lead to 47 points, but this time over Dani Pedrosa, who came in front of his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso.

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Van Bronckhorst Bows Out in Style

Giovanni van Bronckhorst can think of no better way to say goodbye for good than to score in his last competitive game, and finally give the Netherlands the World Cup.

“I hope it will be the most beautiful game of my life,” said van Bronckhorst, who will retire from football after the South Africa tournament but has already made sure he goes out in style by scoring the first goal in a 3-2 win over Uruguay in the semifinals on Tuesday.

His name has already been scrapped from the teamsheet of his last club, Feyenoord Rotterdam, but the Dutch team will keep him on until Sunday, and for good reason.

The captain gave the Dutch the lead with a blistering 35-meter left-foot drive that sailed past Fernando Muslera and went in off the post to break open the game against Uruguay.

Van Bronckhorst then claimed the biggest defensive play of the semifinal, when he rushed back to head a dangerous high ball out of the goal mouth in the 49th minute, with the score at 1-1.

At 35, van Bronckhorst was more than two years older than anyone else on the pitch, yet celebrated like a teenager with the rest of the team almost an hour after the match.

“There were no tears, just joy,” he said. “The last game in my career and it’s a World Cup final, what can you say? It could not be more beautiful.”

Van Bronckhorst has won league titles in three countries — Scotland, England and Spain — and the Champions League with Barcelona.

As a defender, he is known for his dashes upfield on the left, clean marking and tight organizational instincts to read and neutralize opposing plays as they develop. And his goals can be spectacular.

“It was super, and great for him,” forward Arjen Robben said. “He was playing the last two matches of his career, and now the very last one is the final of the World Cup. It’s fantastic.”

Van Bronckhorst was given the captain’s armband only two years ago. He was seen as a transitional figure at best, not a standout leader thriving on bluster and brawn.

Yet now, he has taken the team as far as Johan Cruyff did in 1974.

The Dutch will either play Spain or Germany, who were to meet in Durban on Wednesday.

“For everyone, it will be the game of their life,” van Bronckhorst said. For himself, the last game of his life. 

Associated Press

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Dutch Flair Too Much for Uruguay

Cape Town - The Netherlands finally turned on the style at the World Cup in South Africa to reach its third final — and first in 32 years — with a stunning 3-2 victory over a plucky Uruguay on Tuesday.

Wesley Sneijder scored his fifth goal in South Africa and Giovanni van Bronckhorst added one of the goals of the tournament. Arjen Robben also scored as the Dutch never looked troubled despite a late onslaught from the two-time champion from South America.

“This is unforgettable,” Sneijder said. “It was a tough fight and toward the end we complicated matters. Sunday we play in the World Cup final. I have to get used to that.”

Van Bronckhorst opened the scoring with a 35-meter shot in the 18th minute, but Diego Forlan equalized in the 41st with his fourth goal of the tournament, despite playing through the pain of a thigh injury.

“It was bothering me a lot,” Uruguay’s top scorer said. “At times I felt a great frustration because I wasn’t 100 percent.”

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk replaced Demy de Zeeuw with Rafael van der Vaart at halftime and the attacking move paid off as Sneijder and Robben scored after the break.

Maximiliano Pereira scored for Uruguay in injury time but the Dutch weathered the late Uruguayan pressure, and the orange-clad fans at Green Point Stadium erupted at the final whistle.

“This is very special,” said van Marwijk, who took over as coach two years ago.

“After 32 years we play the final again. Such a small country. We can be very proud of this.”

Most of the jubilant Dutch squad returned to the field 45 minutes after the match to dance and cheer with a group of about 1,000 orange-clad fans cheering and beating drums.

As the players danced, the jubilant fans chanted, “Holland! Holland! Holland!”

The Netherlands’ only international title came at the 1988 European Championship, but it is now on a 25-match unbeaten run and has won 10 straight as it heads to a World Cup final against either Spain or Germany.

Seen as beautiful footballers but perennial underachievers on the world stage, the Netherlands has played a tougher brand of football in South Africa, aiming to dominate possession and wait for openings rather than attempt to carve open defenses with creative flair.

“I love attacking and beautiful football, but you have to work together when the opponent has the ball and then you can go a long way,” van Marwijk said.

The strategy has served the team well — the Netherlands is the only team with a perfect record at the World Cup.

“We are so close,” said Sneijder, who already won the Italian league and Cup double and the Champions League this season with Inter Milan.

“There is nothing bigger than the World Cup,” he added.

After a flowing passing move, van Bronckhorst collected the ball 30 meters out on the left and struck a searing drive that beat the despairing dive of Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and flew into the net off the post.

Forlan’s equalizer was another powerful long-range shot, but Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg probably should have saved it.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez was forced to substitute Forlan in the 85th minute when he could no longer continue.

“From the first minute he had a problem. I’m not dumb enough to take him out at 3-1 when the match wasn’t lost,” Tabarez said. “He was injured and really could not continue.”

Associated Press

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All Blacks, Springboks Open Tri-Nations Test

Auckland, New Zealand. World rugby’s two top-ranked teams, New Zealand and South Africa, meet on Saturday in the opening match of the Tri-Nations tournament on the same grounds where the World Cup final will be decided in 15 months.

Both teams have hinted at the lingering importance of winning the Tri-Nations title, held by South Africa, and disputing the No. 1 world ranking, which is currently New Zealand’s.

And while both teams have rejected the notion that the match would offer a preview of World Cup form, the intensity of each team’s preparation and the edge of the pre-match rhetoric suggests that some World Cup feelings — at least the desire to strike a psychological blow — have infected both camps.

New Zealand has said it wants to avenge its three losses to South Africa in last year’s Tri-Nations series and prove it deserves to be ranked No. 1 in the world ahead of the world champion Springboks.

“I personally think it [the World Cup] is irrelevant,” New Zealand co-coach Wayne Smith said. “Both teams are going to have a good crack at the World Cup, but not today or tomorrow, that’s down the track.

Center Conrad Smith, who along with midfield partner Ma’a Nonu returns to the New Zealand lineup after being sidelined with injury, offered insight into the tension in the All Blacks camp.

“There is a danger with a game like this that you get too excited and go overboard with all the adrenaline,” Smith said. “It’s something we’ve talked about, but it does feel like a different game and there is definitely an edge to training.”

Both teams named experienced lineups for the match, the All Blacks favoring fullback Mils Muliaina, Nonu, winger Joe Rokocoko and prop Tony Woodcock over younger rivals.

South Africa named lock Bakkies Botha in its starting lineup and placed Danie Rossouw on the bench after delaying the naming of its lineup from Tuesday to Thursday to monitor the fitness of the second rowers.

Captain John Smit said Saturday’s test possessed greater significance than his team’s June tests against France and Italy.

“This is a different kettle of fish,” he said. This is going to be a high-pressure environment.”

Associated Press

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Revamped Silverstone Awaits Battle of the Brits

Silverstone is the battleground this weekend for a pair of British Formula One title contenders for the first time in more than a decade — and a year after it seemed the circuit might never witness such a duel again.

Just six points separate Lewis Hamilton, 25, and Jenson Button, 30, at the top of the championship standings as they prepare for their first home grand prix as McLaren teammates at the midway point of the season.

Never before have Hamilton and Button been able to race against each other in competitive cars in front of 120,000 home fans.

And those fans have not seen British drivers dominate at Silverstone since 1999, when David Coulthard and Eddie Irvine produced a one-two finish.

“We are here to fight against each other,” said Button, the defending world champion. “I’ve won in Monaco and I’ve won the world championship, so winning my home grand prix is the one thing that is missing from my CV.”

Although Button fell short at Silverstone last year, finishing sixth in his Brawn, the points helped him win the championship.

Hamilton’s last trip to Silverstone — as defending world and race champion — epitomized his forlorn 2009 season, with his slow McLaren qualifying 19th and limping home 16th in the race.

It seemed Hamilton wouldn’t get a chance to redeem for that poor performance, with Silverstone losing the British hosting rights to Donington Park. But Silverstone, two hours north of London, regained the race in December after Donington hit financial problems.

The circuit has been revamped to make it longer and increase overtaking opportunities.

Until today’s first practice session, the closest the drivers will get to testing the upgraded circuit is on a computer simulator — and Hamilton has struggled.

“On my first lap I missed out the new section and continued on as normal,” Hamilton said. “It took a lap longer than normal to get used to not going up to Abbey and turning left but going right on to the new section.”

While Hamilton and Button have each won two races this season, so have Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

Vettel, who led Webber in a one-two Red Bull finish at Silverstone last year, won the European Grand Prix at Valencia on June 27 after dominating from pole.

Vettel is third in the championship, 12 points behind Hamilton, while fourth-place Webber is twice as far adrift.

And the spotlight has been on the Vettel-Webber relationship since a costly run-in at Istanbul in May when Vettel made contact with Webber and spun while trying to pass for the lead.

“Some people thought it was the end of the world, but it wasn’t,” Webber said.

“The whole team has learned from the situation, including the drivers to a degree.”

If Webber and Vettel think they have problems, they are nothing compared with those of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

The German’s 15th-place finish at Valencia was the worst of his 258-race career, representing a new low in his comeback season for Mercedes. (Rob Harris)

Associated Press

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