When we discuss foreign rivalries, there are a few that come to mind. England vs. France. Canada vs. USA. China vs. Japan. These are rivalries that have played out through politics, sports, and wars, and despite some contentious times, relations today are at least affable.
So when I mention the rivalry of USA vs. Ghana, it doesn't have much immediate appeal, but in the context of soccer it means everything. In just days, World Cup 2014 will commence in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, because everyone wants a preview of how grossly unprepared the city will be for the 2016 Summer Olympics. (And you thought Sochi was bad.) The USA competes in the "Group of Death" that includes powerhouses Germany and Portugal, and Ghana, the country which eliminated the USA in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
Add to the fact that U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann, himself a German, said it's not possible for the USA to win the World Cup, I seriously question whether I'll even tune in.
But screw all that! This is national pride. And if the USA finishes within the top 16 it will be considered a major accomplishment. Besides, no technology is spared to make the FIFA World Cup the bull of all the sporting event cash cows, and that alone provides us with a glimpse of how technology is changing sports. Take for instance the soccer ball. There has been a never-ending need to 'fix' the world's most famous item of sports equipment, despite never really being broken.
In 2010, Adidas promised an advanced soccer ball for the World Cup with exceptional aerodynamics and a near-perfect spherical shape. The company collaborated with The Sports Technology Institute at Loughborough University in the U.K. and they developed the "Jabulani" soccer ball, which is the Zulu word for "celebrate." The Jabulani was pieced together from eight rounded body panels molded from ethylene-vinyl acetate and thermoplastic polyurethanes. The ball exterior featured grooves to improve handling, passing, and shot accuracy.
However, the ball was almost universally hated by the World Cup teams. Players noted that quick shots and far passes were unpredictable, and eventually FIFA acknowledged that the ball had a negative effect on the tournament. After the tournament, NASA's Fluid Mechanics Laboratory tested the ball and discovered that the Jabulani didn't begin knuckling until it reached 45 mph, about 15 mph more than traditional soccer balls, and therefore its unpredictability was more pronounced when kicked hard.
This year FIFA is using the Adidas Brazuca, which they promise is the truest flying ball-but for real this time guys, seriously. The manufacturing techniques have stayed the same, but Adidas has opted for a six-piece design where ball sections are shaped "propeller-like." Adidas introduced the ball into matches with a disguise, where it performed well, and a Japanese university conducted wind tunnel tests which indicated that the Brazuca is likely the most stable soccer ball ever produced. It's impossible to predict how the ball with react during a long deployment like the World Cup, but almost anything has to be an improvement over the Jabulani.
Also, each Brazuca is going to cost a little more than $340,000, because it is outfitted with a sensor. FIFA has implemented Hawk Eye in the 2014 World Cup, which is an instant replay system that most soccer leagues can't afford and consider unnecessary. Each goal will have seven cameras focused on it and linked to software-which is another $680,000-which can pinpoint a soccer ball's position on the pitch to within 5 millimeters. When a ball crosses a goal line, the referee's wristwatch will vibrate. After a full year of use in the English Premier League, the technology looks encouraging.
Anyhow, I will most certainly be tuning in to some of the Word Cup games in the coming weeks. Even if it's just to see players and managers fabricate controversies, it will at least be entertaining.
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