Prediction. Forecast. World Cup in Africa!

Accuracy of Rule-Based Combined Forecasts
Thus far, we have forecast all games, but we might improve forecast accuracy by concentrating on selected games. This situation more accurately reflects the real world; punters can usually deliberately bet on only a selected number of games. Therefore, we analyze the quality of the following rules to select the games that we want to forecast:

1. Only forecast if the forecasts of PM and betting odds are the same.
2. Only forecast if the forecasts of PM and the tipster are the same.
3. Only forecast if the forecasts of betting odds and the tipster are the same.
4. Only forecast if the forecasts of PM, betting odds and the tipster are the same.

Thus, rule-based combined forecasts increase the hit rate, but none of the improved hit rates is significantly different.

The betting companies do not charge fees. This amount is much less than those realized for the rules that select more games and significantly less than the total profit of the weighting-based combined forecasts. Total profits are highest for the PM forecasts. This total profit is greater than that achieved through weighting-based combined forecasts or relying on betting companies. Hence, this result supports the high forecast accuracy of PMs and betting odds.

And here Latest Soccer News from South Africa, World Cup 2010!

Hey England and America, look who’s on top of your World Cup 2010 group. Little Slovenia!
Robert Koren scored a late goal Sunday to give Slovenia a 1-0 win over 10-man Algeria in the teams’ tournament opener, putting the World Cup’s smallest nation – population 2 million, about the size of Houston – ahead of the United States and England in Group C.

The Slovenian captain struck a long-range shot that Algeria goalkeeper Fawzi Chaouchi misjudged and allowed to bounce into the net off his arm in the 79th minute.

“I was just lucky to see it go in like that,” Koren said.
Algerian coach Rabah Saadane said the new World Cup ball was a challenge for goalkeepers. “Everyone saw what happened with the ball, and what happened yesterday with England’s goalkeeper,” Saadane said. “You have to adjust to the flight of the ball.” Algeria substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal was ejected seven minutes earlier, picking up a second yellow card for handling the ball inside the Slovenian penalty area. It was the first World Cup victory for Slovenia. The Balkan country lost all three of its group matches in the 2002 tournament. “It was a mental victory,” said Slovenian coach Matjaz Kek. “We wanted to win so much, so it’s great for our confidence to get that win.” Both sides knew they were heading into a match in which a loss would be costly, with England and the United States – both higher ranked – left on the schedule. The Group C favorites tied 1-1 Saturday after a blunder by England goalkeeper Robert Green allowed Clint Dempsey’s shot to trickle into the net.

Algeria twice came close to scoring in the first half, when Nadir Belhadj’s 25-yard free kick forced Slovenia goalkeeper Samir Handanovic to stretch and push the ball over the crossbar, and when defender Rafik Halliche headed the ball just wide.

Algeria coach Rabah Saadane said Chaouchi apologized to the team for failing to track Koren’s shot. But the coach refused to criticize the goalkeeper.