Spurs Lock In Redknapp, Set Sights on Brazilian Striker

London. Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp said on Tuesday that Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano was high on his wish list, but admitted that the player’s salary expectations could prove a stumbling block.

Tottenham has not made any official contact with the Spanish club, but Redknapp confirmed that he would be interested in the 29-year-old Brazil international, who had an impressive run during the World Cup.

“Yes, I like him,” Redknapp said during an interview with ESPN Soccernet.

“He’s a fabulous player and would be a brilliant addition to any team. It was put to us that he might be available, but we’ve not made contact with his club, Sevilla, and, to be perfectly honest, I haven’t sat down to discuss any transfer targets with our chairman, Daniel Levy, apart from trying to do a deal with Joe Cole.

“I am not unhappy with the squad I have, but of course if a special player came along I would look at it, and Fabiano is a special player all right. For sure, he is a class act, but I don’t know what he earns. He might be on mega-money, so it might prove to be impossible for us.”

Tottenham’s interest in free agent Cole continues and Redknapp said he hoped the former Chelsea midfielder would opt to head to White Hart Lane.

Cole is thought to be considering offers from Manchester City and Arsenal, but Spurs remain in the hunt, with Redknapp looking to team up again with the player he signed for West Ham.

“I managed Joe before, and I signed him when he was 11,” Redknapp said. “We have always had a good relationship. I know what makes Joe tick and it’s his love of the game, and his need to be playing it.

“I have spoken with Joe at length and I would like him, and when we talked, he appreciated my view that Tottenham is now a club going places.

“I would like Joe here with me, but it is now up to the club and up to Joe. If it is beyond us in financial terms I can appreciate that, but I am hoping other factors will come into play to make up Joe’s mind.”

Redknapp has also signed a contract extension to manage the team until 2013. His contract had been due to expire at the end of next season.

The 63-year-old Englishman took charge in October 2008 when Spurs were bottom of the English Premier League and transformed them into a top-four team by May.

“I am now committed to Spurs for the next three years and of course I am pleased by that,” Redknapp said. “That has made me think about how long I want to stay in the game, and who knows, I might stay with Spurs many more years than 2013.”

After finishing fourth in the Premier League last season, Spurs will contest a playoff next month to reach the Champions League group stage for the first time.

Redknapp, who left Portsmouth to manage Spurs, has shelved any talk of retirement.

“You never know what is around the corner and, while I have the energy, I think I will carry on for as long as I can,” he said.

“I have changed my mind and I feel as though I have a good few years left me in yet. When you see how long Sir Alex Ferguson has lasted, and some of the guys of the older generation that keep on going like Fabio Capello, Arsene Wenger and Roy Hodgson, you think I could do the same.

“None of them are youngsters any more, they are of the same age group, and it is true that there is no substitute for experience in management. The game is crying out for stability, and the experienced guys know the job.” (FP, AP)

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Dutch celebrate second place in World Cup

The Netherlands' World Cup team has been honored by Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende at the start of a hectic day of celebrations for the tournament runners-up.

After the trip to Balkenende's official residence, coach Bert van Marwijk's team was heading to meet Queen Beatrix at her Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.

Later Tuesday, an Air Force helicopter was whisking the team to Amsterdam for a boat tour through the city's web of canals and an open-air party. Officials say they expect up to a million fans to descend on Amsterdam to cheer their team.

The Dutch lost 1-0 in extra time to Spain in Sunday's final - the third time the Netherlands had lost a World Cup final after defeats in 1974 and '78.

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Webber leads Red Bull to victory at Spanish GP

Mark Webber secured a comfortable wire-to-wire victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, while Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel filled out the podium after Lewis Hamilton crashed with one lap remaining.

Webber made it 10 straight winners from pole position at the Circuit de Catalunya after the Australian drove a flawless race for a 24-second victory over Alonso and his third career victory.

Hamilton was second for most of the race before his tire blew out to send the McLaren driver into the wall shortly before the finish. Vettel took advantage to finish third for Red Bull despite a late driving error.

Michael Schumacher of Mercedes was fourth after holding off McLaren's Jenson Button for the seven-time champion's best finish since his comeback to the sport this season.

Defending champion Button has 70 points to lead Alonso by three points in the standings, while Vettel improved to 60 points and Webber 53.

Although Webber eased to victory, a combination of driver error and mechanical faults made for a dramatic race for the two spots behind him.

Hamilton's front left tire blew out at turn 10 as he appeared to be cruising toward a second-place finish after overtaking Vettel during the first round of pit stops. Hamilton, who was set to move to within one point of Button, instead stayed stuck on 49 points.

Vettel nearly missed out on the podium after losing his brakes to go into the gravel with 10 laps to race and being overtaken by Alonso after having to come in to change his tires.

Webber jumped into the championship mix after Red Bull finally managed to convert a pole position to a victory. The team started first for the fifth straight race, but struggled with reliability problems in Bahrain and Australia, while Vettel overtook pole sitter Webber to win in Malaysia.

Webber made a perfect start this time while his three chasers weaved behind him looking for space to pass. The Australian driver held firm as Vettel, Hamilton and Alonso and the rest of the chasing pack got around the first corner without incident.

There were problems at the back of the gird, however, as Heikki Kovalainen of Lotus had to retire before the start with a gear box problem, and HRT driver Bruno Senna slid ito a tire wall for an early exit.

Schumacher's teammate Nico Rosberg was relegated to 17th after a botched pit stop that would ruin his day and see him finish 13th. The German driver has 50 points.

Webber and Hamilton pitted simultaneously, and the McLaren driver was then able to get in front of Vette - who had a slow tire change earlier - as he returned to the track, holding his ground at the first corner to split up the Red Bull cars.

Schumacher started behind Button but made a nice pass as the two engaged in a battle for fifth, with Felipe Massa eventually sliding into the mix. The Ferrari driver wold settle for sixth.

Schumacher showed little interest in battling for a podium spot, however, driving defensively the rest of the way to keep Button behind him. It was the first time Schumacher finished ahead of Rosberg this season.

Adrian Sutil was seventh for Force India ahead of Robert Kubica of Rnault, and Rubens Barrichello of Williams and Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari rounded out the top 10.

A moment of silence was observed for Juan Antonio Samaranch before the start of the 66-lap race. The former International Olympic Committee president died at age 89 last month.

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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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