MVP, Dissapointments, Jabulani and the Vuvuzelas

We are well underway at this years World Cup in South Africa and after a very slow start to the tournament, it's beginning to live up to expectations. The first round of games was a major disapointment with the exception of a few games. Most teams were extremely tentitive in their tactics and were more concerned with conceding a goal then scoring one.
One bright spot in the opening games was South Africa against Mexico. It is always fun when the home underdog gets a lead in their opening match, especially against a strong side like Mexico. After a riveting opener the following few days were full of defensive, unenterprising football.
It wasn't until Germany took the field on day three that the world saw some fantastic football. Germany manhandled a much weaker Australian side 4-0. Even though the Aussies had only ten men due to a red card, it did not matter. Australia was outclassed all game and had no response to Germany's creative runs off the ball. It was easily the best performance in the World Cup so far. However, yesterday the German team was humbled by a 1-0 loss to Serbia and group D is now wide open.
The biggest upset of the tournament came in the final opening match between Spain and Switzerland. Spain dominated possession as we anticipated but they were unable to penetrate the stingy Swiss defense. Spain was very patient with the ball, controlling the midfield nicely, but the lacked the final ball in the offensive zone. They looked far from dangerous and did not capitalize on any of the chances they did create. Switzerland on the other hand had only a few chances and they were able to bury a crucial winning goal. 1-0 the final.
The World Cup always produces overachievers and underachievers. Although it is still very early there are some players who are separating themselves from the rest and some who are not living up to the hype. One player who was praised before the start of the tournament was Lionel Messi and he has delivered for Argentina, who look like the most dangerous team after two games. Even though he has not scored a goal he has set up a few for his teammates. When he drops into an attacking midfield position and gets the ball he creates havoc for opposing teams. His ability to dribble at the defense forces team to collapse on him, leaving his teammates open on the wing or down the middle with a through ball. He has been a pleasure to watch.
The two most disappointing players for me have been Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronoldo. In England's first match Rooney was literally invisible, he did nothing positive for his team. Prior to the second game versus Algeria he shot his mouth off and said, "Against Algeria we can not be at our best and still win the game." Rooney made so many mistakes on the field from positioning to decision making, his touch to his overall effort. After his sensational domestic campaign in the English Premier League, everyone believed that this was finally the year Rooney would deliver on the world stage. How disappointed England fans must be at their team and Rooney himself.
In one of my earlier blogs I addressed Ronaldo in two ways. I gave him the praise he deserves because he is a fantastic player, but I also said it was very easy to eliminate him out of the game. If you tackle hard and deny him the ball he will eventually become disinterested in the game which is exactly what happened. He is known around the world as a prolific diver and international refs are now beginning to realize this. He is not getting all the fouls he is used to which is very refreshing. The reason that Rooney has been a bigger disappointment is that he has played two games and Ronoldo only one. If Ronoldo does not have a good game this week versus Korea DPR then Portugal will have a tough time getting out of the group stage and Ronoldo will be as big a letdown as Rooney.
The next thing that is so frustrating to watch this year is set pieces, ie. corners and free kicks. I have seen countless corner kicks and crosses sail way over the box and not even in the vicinity of another player. I understand that players deliver bad crosses from time to time but it is happening way to often for these professionals who are the best players in the world. I have also seen free kicks right outside the penalty area being smashed halfway to Botswana. Many players are complaining that this years World Cup ball the "Jabulani" is the reason for inacurate free kicks and corners. Every World Cup we hear the exact same story, the ball does not fly well and it moves to much in the air. These players are professionals and have been using this ball for weeks. After a single warm up they should have learned how the ball travels and adapt. It is incomprehensible to me how they can blame the ball, now start hitting the target!
Finally I want to address one of the bigger stories at the World Cup, the vuvuzelas. These are stadium noise makers that produce a distinctive sometimes defining sound. There has been much controversy surrounding the vuvuzelas in South Africa. As a viewer at home they do not bother me. After a while it becomes white noise and I do not even notice it. However, if I was at the stadium I think it would be quite annoying. Many people believe it adds to the atmosphere and excitement in the stadium. In a way I can sympathize, creating a good atmosphere is crucial to the excitement of the game. However, for me, the best thing about the World Cup is the songs and chants that these nations have and I love hearing them. The vuvuzels are so loud and constant that no country bothers singing their nations football songs, which to me is a major let down.