New adidas ball for World Cup not getting best reviews

A few years ago, about four to be exact, when there was a new ball for the Germany 2006 World Cup, quite a few players came out to say they didn't like it. What they didn't like was how the ball moved in the air or how it was difficult to control.

Guess what; it is the same issues with this new ball and guess what, it will all be forgotten in a few days after we have all seen the ball move and when the players have gotten used to it.

People are frightened of change and footballers are a sensitive, simple people. "It's very weird," Brazil striker Luis Fabiano said on Sunday.

"All of a sudden it changes trajectory on you. It's like it doesn't want to be kicked. It's incredible, it's like someone is guiding it. You are going to kick it and it moves out of the way. I think it's supernatural, it's very bad. I hope to adapt to it as soon as possible, but it's going to be hard."

But this really shouldn't come as a surprise and it won't to adidas as they usually always release a new ball at the World Cup and adidas usually always hear these complaints and they usually always pass in time. In fact, don't be surprised to hear players complaining again in four years time.
The unfriendly ball

Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar called the ball "terrible" and was the first to compare it to the plastic ones bought at a supermarket. Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini said the same thing, phrasing it as a "disaster."

"It moves so much and makes it difficult to control. You jump up to head a cross and suddenly the ball will move and you miss it," Pazzini said. "It is especially bad for the goalkeepers if it means they concede a goal because they can't judge the trajectory."

"There is no way to hide it," Brazil midfielder Julio Baptista said. "It's bad for the goalkeepers and it's bad for us. It's really bad. The players try to cross it and it goes to the opposite direction they intended it to go." Yes - he really said this.

Iker Casillas also spoke of his surprise after Spain used the ball beating Saudi Arabia at the weekend.

"It's sad that that such an important competition like the World Cup has such an important element like this ball of appalling condition," he said.
The friendly ball

The ball does have some friends though and not just because they are getting paid vast sums of money from adidas. In fact, I can pretty much assure you that if adidas want to send me 10 balls for my local team that I am actively trying to raise money for, then I will happily be completely honest and say nothing but good things about the ball.

Michael Ballack called the ball "fantastic" and Spain defender Alvaro Arbeloa had a fairly philosophical view on the ball: "It's round, like always."