FIFA World Cup 2010: New Jambulani Ball Spells Jumbo Problems For Goalkeepers

The new Jambulani ball designed for FIFA World Cup 2010 is headed for controversy. It has already caused a lot of talk among players. Players are generally wary of the new ball, especially goalkeepers, who have expressed the fear that the ball moves too quickly, for comfort. That apart, they also claim that the ball is not easy to handle.

The ball used at the World Cup 1966 final was created by stitching together 18 pieces of leather. In contrast, the ball for this year's tournament has been made by gluing together eight pieces of synthetic material.

The engineers who designed the Jambulani ball claim that there has never been a more consistent ball. In other words, they imply that the ball is likely to move in a predictable way, at all times. This would according to the good men allow a player to exercise his skills without any fear of the ball negating his efforts.

The designers who are from Loughbrough University also claim that this is the first perfectly spherical ball, in the history of football. The Jambulani ball is said to have been tested, under the supervision of Dr. Andy Harland, by having it kicked by a robot. The testing is said to have been fairly comprehensive, with free kicks, corners, shots on goal and passes all faithfully reproduced.

Dr. Harland has claimed that the ball manufactured by Adidas passed the test by moving through the air more smoothly and hitting the targets more reliably than balls used at previous World Cups.

The scientist has revealed that the grooves on the ball's surface were designed aerodynamically, by using a wind tunnel. The grooves are said to help in guiding the ball in its flight. In previous balls, the grooves were positioned by the seams, which are said to be conspicuously absent on the Jambulani ball, thereby allowing the grooves to be put wherever the engineers wanted.

This is said to have resulted in the ball's flying symmetry, as claimed by the engineers. The ball is not an inexpensive piece of merchandise. In fact, it could cost as much as four times more than a ball used in league football. The researchers at Loughborough University are convinced that the ball is worth its price and pooh pooh players' claims that the ball is faster than normal. The scientists blame the ball's speed on the incidence of high altitude venues, where the thinner air causes the ball to move faster.

World Cup Goalkeepers - Roberto Carlos Abbondanzieri

Roberto Abbondanzieri, 33 years old, succeeded Pablo Cavallero as Argentina's number one after being given a chance by coach Jose Pekerman and has thrived in the spotlight since. Popularly known as El Pato or "The Duck", Abbondanzieri's professional debut took off in 1994 with Rosario Central, with whom he played until 1997. He then moved to Boca Juniors as their reserve goalkeeper. He trained in the shadow of Oscar Cordoba until February 2002 when Cordoba moved to Italian Perugia.

Abbondanzieri won the World Club Cup with Boca Juniors in 2000 and 2003. Since then, Abbondanzieri has become a permanent feature in Boca's goal and in June 2004, he became the goalkeeper for the Argentine team at the age of 31, which is quite unusual. As they say, it is better late than never.
On May 6, 2006, he was named as a definite squad member for the 2006 World Cup by Pekerman. Having represented the country on 19 occasions, Abbondanzieri has been a regular for Argentina over two years and was named the South American Goalkeeper of the Year in 2003.

Abbondanzieri has however, been hit earlier this year with a poor run and is hoping to put it behind him when he lines up for Argentina in the World Cup finals. At one point, the goalkeeping position of the Argentina squad had come to be viewed as the weak link in a side brimming with talented outfield players. Abbondanzieri said he has been in the national team for more than two years and never understood why the fans always went for the goalkeeper when there were other players and areas to analyze. This was made worse by the fact that he let in 6 goals in 2 warm-up matches against England and Croatia.

With such a negative perception, the pressure on Abbondanzieri must have been great. In such a situation, mental training is a must. For without such training, the confidence of anyone under such stress would surely be affected.

However, coach Pekerman has been reported saying that this was no longer the case and that Argentina would be going into the World Cup with a well-rounded team, capable of rising to the occasion. Abbondanzieri helped Boca Juniors win the Argentine Championship for the second year running in May this year.

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World Cup Goalkeepers - Gianluggi Buffon

Born in Jan 28, 1978, Gianluggi Buffon is Italy's number 1 goalkeeper and considered by many to be among the current top five soccer goalkeepers in the world. Gianluggi, better known as 'Gigi', has the distinction of being the most expensive goalkeeper in soccer history. He was transferred from Parma to Juventus for a record fee of £33 million, which is the highest amount paid ever for a goalkeeper. This further adds to the notion that he is among the best goalkeepers in the world today.

In 2003, Buffon was recognized as the 'Best Goalkeeper' in Europe by UEFA at the European Football Awards. He helped Juventus to become the Italian League champions three out of four seasons since he joined them.

Buffon's debut was in 1995. He joined Parma at the age of 17 and worked his way up the ladder. Although Buffon is an accomplished goalkeeper, he was actually a midfielder in his earlier teens. His switch of position from midfield to goalkeeper has proven to be the right one. His growth into a respected goalkeeper has been phenomenal. He proved his mettle along the way and was a reserved goalkeeper in the 1998 world cup. Buffon became the undisputed number 1 goalkeeper for Italy in the 2002 world cup. He will once again feature in the 2006 world cup as Italy's first choice goalkeeper. Though he has been chosen to represent Italy in the world cup, many are concerned whether he will be in top form after suffering a major shoulder injury in 2005/06. Buffon is out to prove that he is in his best form and says that he will be ready for the 2006 world cup. He was so confident that he predicted that Italy has a 95% chance of winning the world cup.

Buffon was mired in controversy recently for his alleged involvement in betting. He was questioned by magistrates in Turin and has denied any wrongdoing on his part. Buffon said that he has not been involved in any betting after the Italian Football Federation implemented new rules that disallowed active players from betting in 2005. There is currently a major crackdown by the authorities on betting, as many people directly involved in the game are allegedly involved in betting.

With all these things weighing on his shoulders, Buffon will need lots of mental strength and mental training to stay focused on his game.

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