Germans play mind games with Argentina

Johannesburg: Germany's players chided Argentina for the second straight day on Thursday, with captain Philipp Lahm accusing their World Cup quarterfinal opponents of being aggressive and provocative on the field.

Lahm's comments followed similar remarks by Bastian Schweinsteiger on Wednesday in which the midfielder said Argentina showed no respect for their opponents or referees.

The German comments appeared to be aimed at destabilizing Argentina coach Diego Maradona, who is known to have a fiery temperament, before Saturday's quarterfinal match in Cape Town. The two teams have history, fighting on the pitch after Germany beat Argentina on penalties in the quarterfinals at the 2006 tournament.

Maradona mocked Schweinsteiger, saying nerves must be getting to the Germany midfielder.

However, a bigger concern for Maradona may be Lionel Messi's health. The Barcelona playmaker skipped training on Thursday with what team doctor Donato Villani said were "cold-like symptoms." The team downplayed the ailment, however, saying Messi is expected to resume full training on Friday.

After two days of rest, the World Cup resumes on Friday with The Netherlands playing Brazil in Port Elizabeth and Uruguay meeting Ghana, Africa's last hope at the first World Cup to be played on the continent.

Ghana is trying to become the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals, and is certain to feel the support from local South African fans at the stadium.

"We have an opportunity to show to the whole world what we are capable of doing, to get to the semifinal," Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan said on Thursday. "There is no doubt that nobody in Africa is going to support any team other than Ghana. I don't predict but if we work hard we will come out victorious.

Brazil coach Dunga may have a hard time selecting his midfield against the Netherlands because of injuries and a suspension. Kaka and veteran Gilberto Silva are set to start at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but a suspension to Ramires and injuries to Elano, Felipe Melo and Julio Baptista leave the coach with few options for the other two midfield positions.

Still, Dunga is expecting the match to be one of the most entertaining of the tournament.

"Both sides play an attacking game, both feature very technical players, both know how to dribble and take risks, and both want to score," the former midfielder said. "So you can always expect a great football game."

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque is sticking by Fernando Torres despite the striker's poor World Cup form so far.

Torres has struggled to establish himself in South Africa since returning from knee surgery in April. Although Fernando Llorente played well after replacing the Liverpool striker in the 1-0 win over Portugal, Del Bosque says "our striker is Fernando (Torres)."

Spain plays Paraguay at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Fallout for eliminated teams continued, with FIFA mulling what action to take against Nigeria, whose president, Goodluck Jonathan, ordered the team to sit out international competition for two years as punishment for its poor showing.

FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot said that FIFA is looking at the case but is not yet ready to act. FIFA rules demand that national federations manage their affairs independently, or face suspension from world football. National and club teams then cannot play in international competitions.

Javier Aguirre quit as Mexico coach, three days after the national team was knocked out of the World Cup in a 3-1 loss to Argentina in the round of 16.

It marked the fifth straight time that Mexico has been eliminated in the second round of the World Cup.

"I'm the person responsible," said Aguirre, adding that he'd made a commitment to reach the quarterfinals.

World Cup organizer Danny Jordaan said the tournament could set a 16-year high for paid attendance at games.

He said there is a "big possibility" that the tournament will surpass three million paying fans for the first time since 1994 in the United States.

"The signs are there, Jordaan said, adding that 2.69 million people had already paid to watch games. "The South African fans have been superb."

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/germans-play-mind-games-with-argentina/125791-5-21.html

German octopus predicts Argentina WC exit

Berlin: Octopus oracle Paul hesitated but ultimately picked Germany to win — again — this time over Argentina in their quarterfinal matchup at the soccer World Cup.
Paul, who rose to global fame after he correctly predicted all four of Germany's games in this year's tournament, indicated on Tuesday that Saturday's game will be a tough battle.

Sea Life Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in the western city of Oberhausen said Paul took about an hour before he approached a water glass in his aquarium containing a mussel and marked with a Germany flag. He ignored a similar glass with Argentina's flag.
Only when the oracle's organizers went to remove the glasses did Paul jump inside the German one and gulp down the mussel.

by Harish G(BCG),

Argentina vs Germany

Email Forward

Echoes of 2006

The lasting visual memory of the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ is arguably the ever-present sea of Germany flags, proclaiming a nation’s pride and a country rediscovering patriotism in its most healthy form. People think back to a host nation transformed, from stereotypical dour efficiency into welcoming and celebratory hosts to people from all over the world.

The significance of the event, hailed afterwards as the "summer fairy tale" by Germans themselves stunned at an apparent sea-change in the national character, extended beyond the sport itself. However, the world’s favourite game was the essential catalyst for a new self-perception and external image. The single match which best embodied this momentous development took place in the late afternoon on 30 June at the Olympic stadium in the capital city of Berlin.

Faced by in-form Argentina, the Germany side cajoled by Jurgen Klinsmann into adopting a near-revolutionary attacking élan squeezed to victory on penalties and progressed to the semi-finals. Drama, ecstasy and seething emotion were all part of a memorable afternoon, with key roles played by a scrap of paper and a string-puller who suddenly stopped pulling strings. At the end, a respected coach called it a day, and a nation of 80 million exceeded their own previous efforts in dancing the night away.

The stakes

The fixture was a mouth-watering re-run of the FIFA World Cup Finals of 1986 and 1990, in which each nation claimed victory once, but the South Americans were strong favourites on this occasion. With three wins and a draw, scoring ten goals and conceding just two, Jose Pekerman’s side had marched impressively into the quarter-finals.

The world sat up and took notice of the two-time world champions following a thumping 6-0 group stage win over Serbia and Montenegro. However, the Germans were determined to neutralise their opponents’ fast and skilful play. "Argentina were favourites before the tournament, but it’s their misfortune to meet us now," said Miroslav Klose beforehand.

Klinsmann’s men were certainly confident. Roared on by the home crowds, they had also scored ten and conceded just two when winning all four of their opening matches. Klose and young strike partner Lukas Podolski had fired seven goals between them, but after dispatching Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador and Sweden, Argentina represented the hosts' first really serious test. After all, almost six years had passed since Germany had beaten one of the recognised big names of the game, in a 1-0 win over England at the old Wembley in a Korea/Japan 2002 qualifier.

Verbal sparring characterised the build-up. "I’m not frightened. It’s up to Germany to prove they’re any good," Carlos Tevez fired back at Klose. The emotionally-charged atmosphere created by the 72,000 at the historic Berlin arena came as little surprise.

The story

Clearly determined to stamp their authority on proceedings despite the intimidating surroundings, Pekerman’s stars dominated the opening exchanges of a hard-fought encounter. For their part, and faced with the smallest team in the tournament with only three players taller than 1.80 metres, the Germans aimed high balls at their target men, only to make little headway.

For the South Americans, playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme sought to continue the majestic probing and prompting which had been so effective at the finals thus far, but gaps in the deep-lying German rearguard were few and far between. Riquelme required a set-piece to break the deadlock, swinging over a corner four minutes from half-time for Roberto Ayala to power a header into the net, the first time the hosts had fallen behind at the tournament.

Michael Ballack and his men battered away at the Argentinians in an effort to stave off defeat, but La Albiceleste always looked comfortable enough. That was until the 72nd minute, when Pekerman replaced Riquelme with the more defensive Esteban Cambiasso. Germany suddenly took charge, and Klose headed an 80th-minute equaliser, unlikely as it had seemed just minutes earlier, but to the joy of the massive crowd.

Extra-time passed with both sides focused exclusively on avoiding a potentially decisive error, and the tension ratcheted up another notch as the game moved to penalties. The eyes of the world turned to Jens Lehmann, the keeper who controversially displaced the legendary Oliver Kahn shortly before the FIFA World Cup on home soil.

"Best of luck. It’s up to you now, and you can do it,” Kahn whispered to his unloved rival, shaking hands in a gesture of reconciliation likely never to be forgotten in Germany. And Lehmann duly did it, saving from Ayala and Cambiasso in the defining moments of his long career, to send his side through to the FIFA World Cup semi-finals. A nation took to the streets and partied like never before.

The star

"Goalkeeping coach Andy Kopke scribbled the vital details on that little piece of paper, which went on to achieve so much fame," Lehmann said in an extract from his soon-to-be-published autobiography. The player, who finally hung up his gloves at the age of 40 after the 2009/10 campaign, was the hero of Berlin on the day. But the scrap of paper, which the keeper pulled from his shin-pad and consulted before the eyes of each Argentine penalty-taker, became the stuff of myth and legend.

However, Lehmann later confessed, he could hardly read the coach’s helpful hints. "Andy, why did you have to write in pencil? No-one can read this," he cursed as Cambiasso stepped up. But in any case, the sub’s name never appeared on the scribbled note. The keeper saved the penalty, the slip of paper was later auctioned for charity, and Lehmann became a Kahn-like idol.

What they said

"I always had the feeling we were better than Germany, but that wasn’t enough to win," Argentina coach Jose Pekerman.

"German goalkeepers are expected to save penalties," Germany keeper Jens Lehmann.

What happened next

Distressed Argentina coach Pekerman quit after the game: "This chapter is at an end. I definitely won’t stay in the job." The German fairy tale ended in the semi-finals with a 2-0 extra-time defeat to eventual world champions Italy. Klinsmann’s side beat Portugal 3-1 in Stuttgart to seal third spot, and millions turned out to hail them as if they had won the Trophy. Both teams are again among the favourites for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1264205/index.html#insertcomment

Psychic' octopus predicts Germany victory over England

A "psychic" octopus is said by its aquarium owners to have predicted the country's football team will knock England out of the World Cup.

When consulted, Paul the octopus chose a mussel from a jar with the German flag on it ahead of one in a similar jar bearing the cross of St George.

The two-year-old cephalopod has a record of predicting past German results in this manner, his owners say.

Paul has so far correctly predicted all of Germany's results in South Africa.

His keepers say he correctly predicted nearly 70% of Germany's results during the 2008 European Championship.

In that contest, Germany finished as runners-up in their qualifying group, having lost only once to Croatia.

They then progressed to the final, where they were beaten by Spain.

If keepers at the Oberhausen Sea Life Aquarium are right, he correctly predicted the outcome of four of the six games in that competition.
National celebrity

"Paul's prediction was phenomenal," said aquarium spokesman Tanja Munzig.

"He swam straight over to the German glass, climbed in and even put a lid on top once he was sitting inside."

The octopus, which was born in the UK and was moved to the German aquarium, has become a national celebrity after correctly predicting Germany would beat Australia in their opening match, then lose to Serbia, and then beat Ghana.

His latest prediction was flashed all over the German media.

The container that Paul opens first is said to be his pick for who will win the impending match, keepers say.

Germany finished the initial stage of the World Cup top of Group D, and face England, the runners-up from group C, in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/10420131.stm
http://www.southafrica2010.mymytag.com/?p=5408&cpage=1
http://upcoming.current.com/search?q=World+Cup+Octopus%3A+Paul%27s+Predictions+Stun+Germany
http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2010/06/german-psychic-octopus-predicts-beating.html

By
Ranjith K R