"a Water polo ball" "very goalkeeper unfriendly"
"a ridiculous kiddy's bouncing ball"
"the worst ball I've every played with"
The above comments from various keepers are about the official World Cup ball. But not the Adidas Jabulani - the official ball to be used in South Africa. These are quotes about balls used in past tournaments.
Every time a major tournament is on the horizon a new ground breaking ball is produced. It promises to be truer, more honest, adapt new technology and just be a damn sight better than any previous ball ever. As usual a line of players, usually keepers, line up to condemn the ball before it's even been given a fair chance.
You'd think that each time a new ball is introduced that is similar to those beloved playground air floaters that can make anyone pull off a Roberto Carlos there would be a glut of goals raining in from angles in the proceeding tournament. Well not really. In 1998 using the Adidas Tricolore there were 171 goals which works out as 2.7 per game, in 2002 using the Adidas Fevernova there were 161 goals which works out as 2.56 per game and in 2006 using the Teamgeist there were 147 goals working out at 2.30 per game. Of course this could also be down to better keepers, defenders etc but even so you'd think with the hysterical predictions of the keepers that every game would be a goalfest. Apparently not.
No doubt there will be the odd thirty-yard dipping strike that will cause Clive Tyldsley to explode into a moist mess and there might even be a chance that Frank Lampard could actually score from one of those ridiculous Ronaldo wannabe free kicks he seems to be attempting lately but I really don't think this ball is going to ruin any matches or indeed the tournament.
Fabiano might have described it as "a ball that doesn't want to be kicked" and Julio Cesar has compared it to a flyaway bought in a supermarket but I prefer the following quote by former Liverpool full-back Alvaro Arbeloa - "It's round, like always...".
Jack Biscuit
No comments:
Post a Comment