whoooosh —–> Goal bitches!
Carrying on from today’s ‘picture of the day’ I thought I’d share the injury time goal that Hamburg scored to tie their home game with Wolfsburg this afternoon. Why? Well, A: It’s a cracking free kick and B: It may be a sneak peek as to what can be expected in South Africa this summer.
While watching the highlights, I noticed that the new World Cup ball from Adidas was being used. I’ve played with it and its a flighty bugger, but does it make a difference when someone who knows what they are doing strikes one? Ask yourself that question as you watch Piotr Trochowski hit this beauty. Watch the replay and notice the ball move from left to right eluding the keeper, leaving him asking “WTF”.
If this was dealing with computers, we’d say ‘its not a bug, its a feature.’
Expect no response to this because millions were spent trying to convince us that this ball was perfect and it will allow for more goals. Sure, they will be cheap but no one will complain about the new knuckleball but the keepers.
I kicked a Jabulani ball around the other day. It feels so strange to the touch… slick, glossy plastic with dimples galore. The stitching is deep-set, but the entire thing just feels weird. It will not handle the rain very well gliding off a slick pitch.
Trochowski could do that with a medicine ball! He’s a genius when it comes to striking a football. It has very little to do with the Jabulani.
I don’t think it’s going to be a big deal. They’ve used the ball at the Africa Cup of Nations the whole tournament and I don’t think many crazy things have happened.
@JT there are 2. The slick smooth Jubilani and another one that has more panels that they will use at the WC. Still moves a lot.
I thought they were using the 8 panel one in SA. The ones in my local sports shops are the usual 32 paneled ones.
@U75 there are 2 types of 8 panel. One is smooth, one more trad leather.
When the ball first came out i ran downto Modells to buy it and then when I saw it I thought they mismarked the price on the plastic ball… I argues with a former baseball player that the plastic ones couldnt be 150.00… Then later I used the ball with a friend and just laughed….
I must say that was a damn good hit, but what was the goalkeeper doing. Yes, there was swerve and dip in that shot, but if you are a professional goalkeeper you have to make that save, especially at that juncture in the match. As for SA 2010 I think that this ball is great for football. Just like I think when a player is right in line with the last defender the linesman should give the edge to the attacking player because people want to see more goals in football. This type of ball that hit in a certain way cause the ball to fly from right to left or left to right is a great think for the World Cup. Remember in 2006 and Maix Rodriguez of Argentina hit that volley against Mexico in extra time, now that was a cracker of a goal and with the ball I saw in this video it looks like this ball will be able to replicate some of the same things the world saw at the 2006 World Cup.