As we approach the end of pool play at the 2010 World Cup, everyone is holding their tongues on how to rate this year’s version. What we do know is there have been fewer goals than 2006 (a record low) and fewer games to raise the pulse.

 

Unfortunately this has meant the talking points have mostly been the Vuvuzelas and the Jabulani. While the metronomic and pulsing drone of the horns can be tedious, this is Africa’s World Cup so it can only be reasonable then to expect them to do things their own way. Noticeably, when the game is mesmerizing or there are South American fans involved, the vuvuzelas fade into the background.

 

As for the ball, plenty of folks have been criticising it without really giving any great explanation why. It’s clear that we didn’t need the new ball, however Adidas needed to launch a new product on the biggest stage of all. So the motives of FIFA in looking after its partners is clear. (Am I the only one crying out for a return to the plain black and white hexagonal panelled ball? Make it as round as you like, but make it look like a football). One thing we can agree on is that it tends to move around a bit, however I would argue that it’s not as much as people are making out. I think the problems occur mostly once the ball hits the deck.

 

Having watched a mountain of football over the past two weeks, courtesy of a well timed basketball injury, I stand behind the deductions I’ve made. This new ball tends to dip late and quite sharply, while generally swerving in the air no more than a normal football. (Nobody has yet managed to move the ball anywhere near as much as Roberto Carlos could in 2002 and probably can still do now). If the ball bounces in front of the goalkeeper from a shot, then all hell breaks loose. It kicks up from the turf higher than goalies are expecting, and while many of these goal keeping errors are the fault of the custodians themselves, this subtle but significant dip and kick is making them look foolish.

 

The best evidence is the free kick goal from South Korea against Nigeria. The ball landed short of the goalie but its bounce didn’t correlate with its flight path. The ‘keeper expects it to bounce so high, only it jumps and clears his hands easily.  The same has been seen from ‘keepers of England, Ghana and South Korea.

 

Keep in mind glaring mistakes have been made, but the ball has contributed, though perhaps not in the same way that people think.

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One thing is pretty clear about this World Cup. Compared to the last few, there just isn’t the same amount of premiere, hall of fame, world class players running around anymore. It seems like each team has lost one of their all-time greats. Scan each team and it’s pretty clear: Italy has lost Totti and del Piero; England is without Beckham; France sans Zidane, Makalele and Vieira; Portugal minus Figo; Brazil have lost Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and the like; Germany without Ballack and Kahn; no Nakata for Japan; no Raul for Spain; and the list goes on. You get the picture. With all this class no longer in the mix, it’s no wonder there’s only been ONE GOAL SCORED FROM A FREE KICK, and a dearth of goals.

 

There’s no doubt we will be served a marvellous tournament, but with only Rooney, Messi and Ronaldo making headlines on the way in, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s lacking a bit of class.