Posted on 06/29/2010 2:36:02 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
An octopus with possible psychic powers, who has correctly picked the winner of Germany's four World Cup matches so far, on Tuesday tipped Germany to beat Argentina in their World Cup quarter-final match on Saturday.
Paul, a two-year-old octopus born in England now living in a German aquarium, has a 100-percent winning streak at the World Cup -- and even accurately predicted Serbia would beat Germany in their Group D match-up earlier in the tournament.
The eight-legged octopus, a denizen of Sea Life in the western town of Oberhausen, has turned into a celebrity oracle for getting all four picks right so far -- including last Sunday's elimination round match when Germany beat England.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Round-up 3.b:
FA board members back Fabio Capello
Football Association board member Phil Gartside has come out in support of Fabio Capello and says he expects the England manager to keep his job.
The FA is considering whether to sack Capello, 64, after England exited the World Cup after losing 4-1 to Germany.
But Gartside told BBC Sports News correspondent Dan Roan: "We've got the best man for the job."
Former FA chief Barwick baffled by Capello's England
Former Football Association chief Brian Barwick, who hired Fabio Capello, is baffled why the highly-paid England manager's team failed at the World Cup.
"When I appointed Fabio I believed I was appointing someone special and his talents were endorsed all over the world," Barwick told BBC Radio 5 live.
"Up until three weeks ago those endorsements were still there, but that was a disappointing campaign.
"The FA has a big call to make on what happens next."
Capello names 30 year old Zamora as one for the future
Fabio Capello has named Bobby Zamora as one of England's potential stars for the future despite the uncapped Fulham striker turning 30 in January.
The under-fire England boss named nine players who did not figure at the World Cup who are potential stars of the future.
Zamora was one of the players mentioned by Capello as was the injury prone Owen Hargreaves.
Bobby Zamora and Owen Hargreaves are not the answer to England's future
Just when you thought the gloom surrounding the England team couldn't get any worse coach Fabio Capello mentioned two names for the future: Bobby Zamora and Owen Hargreaves.
For many that admission alone will be the final evidence that the Italian should be removed from his position having arguably overseen the worst World Cup campaign in the nation's history.
Judging by the Football Association's refusal to back him yesterday it appears only a matter of time anyway, however while he can be blamed for picking the wrong team or an outdated formation in South Africa, it would be wrong to hold him accountable for a lack of talent to choose from.
How much do top England players earn?
England players have once again come under fire for being overpaid after an early exit from this year's World Cup.
Following a humiliating 4-1 defeat against Germany, the team has returned to English soil - and to their lucrative sponsorship and events contracts, on top of their huge Premiership pay packets.
Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney can take some consolation in the fact they will each pick up £500,000 for just two days' work at a gladiatoresque skills competition next month.
England's problem hidden by cultural arrogance
...But just for once, let's not allow the multiple fingers of blame paper over the real problem, the problem that has existed for decades and stands the test of time far better than any disallowed goal or poor managerial decision, the problem of English arrogance (call it blind faith if you will) when it comes to football.
The air of superiority that allows England players to claim they can win the World Cup after clinging on desperately for a 1-0 victory over international minnows Slovenia, who have only ever won one game in a major international competition. The arrogance that sees TV pundits insist England 'should beat' a 'poor German side' prior to kick-off. And the arrogance that sees Rooney regularly compared to Lionel Messi, despite possessing only a fraction of the talent carried in the Argentinian's magical left foot.
Twenty reasons why England are rubbish
At last, the end of the era of the “Golden Generation” has arrived and we can begin to reflect on ten years’ worth of rank incompetence for England and the succession of managers that they’ve dragged down with them. Join Sport.co.uk in looking at twenty reasons why England are rubbish…
World Cup 2010: 10 ways to save English football
Henry Winter’s 10-point plan to save the face of English football following shame in South Africa.
England will always be losers in club versus country battle
Given the choice, would you rather see your club or England win a major trophy?
Would winning the Premier League or FA Cup be overshadowed by England ruling the world for the first time in almost half a century?
If you have to think about the answer, it merely proves the argument that the national team will always be handicapped by the all-consuming focus on the Premier League and domestic competitions in England.
Club football is currently king in England. When decisions are made about fixture lists, transfer acquisitions, youth development and tactics, the interests of the England team do not even win a seat at the table.
German eye opener made Paul Lambert see football is not just a hobby
Paul Lambert only discovered how much he didn’t know about football when he moved over to Germany.
David Beckham for England manager?
Smart, versatile, knowledgeable, articulate and likeable, Roy Hodgson appears to have many qualities that are alien to the England national team. And yet the FA wants him to replace Fabio Capello. Or at least it did, until, according exclusively to the Daily Mail, Mr Hodgson decided to pass up the England job to accept the Liverpool one, the upshot of which, again according to the Mail, is that "England's World Cup crisis has been thrown into further chaos."
Let us hope the FA do not turn to the Sun for a solution. Because over there Shaun Custis is prescribing a dose of David Beckham. "Becks has no coaching badges, no managerial experience and has never courted the job, so on the surface he would seem a high-risk successor," notes the Sun's top spotter before deducing: "But he could be just the magic ingredient to lift our national team out of the doldrums."
Why? Because Diego Maradona seems now to be doing well with Argentina. "Becks cannot, of course, point to any World Cup wins. But he has experienced great highs and lows in his football career, has won the Champions League and league titles and his celebrity status rivals that of Maradona's.
David Beckham: Post-World Cup Vacation Time
He’s always up to something, and earlier today (June 29) David Beckham was spotted arriving at the Nice, France airport.
Humiliated England dodge fans on arrival back home
England's beaten and beleaguered World Cup players made a sullen and silent dawn return to London on Tuesday, dodging waiting fans as the storm of criticism at their early exit continued.
You must be joking, England
England's humiliating World Cup exit has unleashed a barrage of jokes on the Internet, where the team's highly-paid stars as well as coach Fabio Capello are fun targets.
AFP Sport presents five of the best - as well as the cleanest - offerings so far:
Comedy of England's humiliation through Scottish eyes
Craig Levein earns a ballpark £300,000 a year as Scotland manager. Fabio Capello, we are told, earns a ballpark £5.5 million to manage England. Well, you pay for genius, don’t you?
It better or its sushi for dinner! lol
I’d seen a TV spot on Paul the octopus, I thought he was older than 2. Psychic or maybe really intelligent? Well, I heard he’s never wrong and it will be fun to watch!
Mmmmm, octopus is delish (but not the suction cups...).
Argentina, however, is a monster. This Argentine team is simply a frightening beast, and I fear Germany will not know what hit them. They will play well, and play honorably, but Maradona's team just has it too well put together.
Personally I've been supporting Spain (even been wearing the jersey), but I know who the winner of the Cup is going to be. Not Spain, not Germany, not Brazil, not the Netherlands, not Uruguay, not Ghana ....it will be Argentina.
Then again, the soccer deities have a way of flipping things around and about. Look at Ghana for example ...totally revamped their soccer style over the last decade to end up having a team that is not only good, but will get better. The won the other 20 World Cup. Thus, things can be dicey in football.
However, I still say Argentina. The German side would have to play MUCH better than they did against the Brits to stand a chance of winning.
The way I see Argentina is that it is a team with the skills of Brazil, and the efficiency of Germany. AKA ...a monster!
See - he knew you were thinking that, so he has to delay his plans! Probably not for the first time!
And, he's only 2 - maybe he's building fame and saving some money before he makes a run for it?
See - he knew you were thinking that, so he has to delay his plans! Probably not for the first time!
And, he's only 2 - maybe he's building fame and saving some money before he makes a run for it?
BTW: The Germans and the Spannies BORE me with their style of play.
I’m sorry.
I can believe a lot of strange and even quite farfetched ideas, but a clairvoyant cephalopod is something just too unreal for my brain to embrace.
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