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It was suggested by ''[[The Guardian]]'' on 16 June 2010 that the Jabulani ball may be responsible for the goal drought in the first round of the tournament. ''The Guardian'' mentioned the FIFA representative, who was queried daily for his opinion on the goal drought, as saying it was probably too early to make a definitive judgment, though it would be hard to deny that the first round was more cagey and defensively minded than usual. Owen Gibson of ''The Guardian'' suggested that a lack of confidence in how the ball would travel could be affecting the number of shots taken.<ref>{{cite web|author=Owen Gibson in Johannesburg |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/16/negative-tactics-goals-world-cup |title=World Cup 2010: Negative tactics and caution are causing goal drought | work = Football |publisher=The Guardian |date= |accessdate=2010-06-17}}</ref> However, following Portugal's 7-0 defeat of North Korea in the second round of the group stage, Portugal's coach [[Carlos Queiroz]] said, "We love the ball."<ref>{{cite web|author=Robert Casert|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqxciYSLMaCXmYjiuDt4VBjh-QSwD9GFPLV00|title=Jabulani ball a hit with Portugal after 7-0 win| |publisher=Associated Press |date=2010-06-22 |accessdate=2010-06-23}}</ref>
It was suggested by ''[[The Guardian]]'' on 16 June 2010 that the Jabulani ball may be responsible for the goal drought in the first round of the tournament. ''The Guardian'' mentioned the FIFA representative, who was queried daily for his opinion on the goal drought, as saying it was probably too early to make a definitive judgment, though it would be hard to deny that the first round was more cagey and defensively minded than usual. Owen Gibson of ''The Guardian'' suggested that a lack of confidence in how the ball would travel could be affecting the number of shots taken.<ref>{{cite web|author=Owen Gibson in Johannesburg |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/16/negative-tactics-goals-world-cup |title=World Cup 2010: Negative tactics and caution are causing goal drought | work = Football |publisher=The Guardian |date= |accessdate=2010-06-17}}</ref> However, following Portugal's 7-0 defeat of North Korea in the second round of the group stage, Portugal's coach [[Carlos Queiroz]] said, "We love the ball."<ref>{{cite web|author=Robert Casert|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqxciYSLMaCXmYjiuDt4VBjh-QSwD9GFPLV00|title=Jabulani ball a hit with Portugal after 7-0 win| |publisher=Associated Press |date=2010-06-22 |accessdate=2010-06-23}}</ref>


On June 27, 2010 FIFA has finally acknowledged concerns about the ball, but also said that they won't act on the problem until after the tournament. According to secretary general Jerome Valcke, FIFA will discuss the matter with coaches and teams after the World Cup, then meet with the manufacturer Adidas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8765662.stm |title=Sunday's World Cup round-up |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |accessdate=27 June 2010 |date=27 June 2010}}</ref>
On June 27, 2010 FIFA finally acknowledged concerns about the ball, but also said that they won't act on the problem until after the tournament. According to secretary general Jerome Valcke, FIFA will discuss the matter with coaches and teams after the World Cup, then meet with the manufacturer Adidas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8765662.stm |title=Sunday's World Cup round-up |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |accessdate=27 June 2010 |date=27 June 2010}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 00:56, 28 June 2010

File:Jabulani.jpg
Jabulani, the official match ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup

The Adidas Jabulani is the official match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The ball, created by sports manufacturer Adidas, was developed at Loughborough University in the UK, and was unveiled in Cape Town, South Africa on December 4, 2009. Jabulani means "rejoice" or "bring joy and happiness" in Zulu.

The ball was also used as the match ball of 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and a special version of the ball, the Jabulani Angola, was the match ball of the 2010 African Cup of Nations. This ball was also used in the 2010 Clausura Tournament of Argentina as well as the 2010 MLS season in the USA and Canada in the league's colors of blue and green.

Design

The ball is constructed using a new design, consisting of eight (down from 14 in the last World Cup) thermally bonded, three-dimensional panels. These are spherically molded from ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU). The surface of the ball is textured with grooves, a technology developed by Adidas called Grip′n′Groove[1] that are intended to improve the ball's aerodynamics. The design has received considerable academic input, being developed in partnership with researchers from Loughborough University, United Kingdom.[2]

Technical specification

FIFA Approved standard[3] Jabulani measurements[3]
Circumference 68.5–69.5 cm 69.0 ± 0.2 cm
Diameter ≤ 1.5% difference ≤ 1.0% difference
Water absorption ≤ 10% weight increase ~ 0% weight increase
Weight 420 - 445 g 440 ± 0.2 g
Rebound test ≤ 10 cm ≤ 6 cm
Loss of pressure ≤ 20% ≤ 10%

Colouring

The ball has four triangular design elements on a white background. Eleven different colours are used, representing the eleven players in a football team, the eleven official languages of South Africa, and the eleven South African communities.[4] The Jabulani Angola, used at the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola, was coloured to represent the yellow, red, and black of the host nation's flag.[5] For the final to be held in Johannesburg on July 11, a special match ball will be used with gold panels. The ball will be called the "Jo'bulani", playing off "Jo'burg" -- a popular local nickname for Johannesburg. The color also refers to the city of Johannesburg: Johannesburg is also nicknamed "eGoli" (/egɔli/) in Zulu (from the English word "Gold" and "Rhawutini" (/xaʊtini/) in Xhosa or "Gauteng /xaʊˈtɛŋ/" in other official languages—from the Afrikaans word "goud" which means "gold".

Manufacturing

The balls are made in China, using natural Kerala latex[6] bladders from India, thermoplastic polyurethane-elastomer from Taiwan, ethylene vinyl acetate, isotropic polyester/cotton fabric, glue, and ink from China.[7] The retail price is ~ U$110[8]

World Cup Final ball

File:Adidas Jabulani Gold (1).jpg
Adidas Jo'bulani

A gold version of the Jabulani ball, the Jo'bulani, was announced as the ball for the World Cup Final. The name of the ball inspired by the city of Johannesburg, which is often nicknamed Jo'burg and will be the site of the 2010 Final. The only teams able to use it will be the two teams in the final.

This is the second World Cup Final ball to be produced, the other being the +Teamgeist Berlin for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Reception

Wikiquote has quotations related to Adidas Jabulani.

As with the Adidas Fevernova and Adidas Teamgeist at the two previous tournaments, the ball has received pre-tournament criticism.[9] Brazil goalkeeper Júlio César compared it to a "supermarket" ball that favored strikers and worked against goalkeepers.[10] Other similar complaints came from Giampaolo Pazzini,[11] Claudio Bravo[12] and Iker Casillas.[13] Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon said, "it is very sad that a competition so important as the world championship will be played with such an inadequate ball."[14] whilst Brazilian striker Luís Fabiano called the ball "supernatural", as it unpredictably changed direction when travelling through the air.[15] Brazilian striker Robinho stated, "for sure the guy who designed this ball never played football. But there is nothing we can do, we have to play with it."[16] Joe Hart of England, after training with the ball for a number of days, said the "balls have been doing anything but staying in my gloves.".[17] He did, however, describe the ball as "good fun" to use, even though it is hard work for goalkeepers to cope with.[18] English goalkeeper David James said that "the ball is dreadful. It's horrible, but it's horrible for everyone."[19] It was suggested the ball behaved "completely different" at altitude by England coach Fabio Capello.[20] Denmark coach Morten Olsen after their 1-0 friendly defeat at the hands of Australia said: "We played with an impossible ball and we need to get used to it".[21] Argentina striker Lionel Messi stated, "The ball is very complicated for the goalkeepers and for us [strikers]."[22]

American Clint Dempsey was more favorable. He said that "if you just hit it solid, you can get a good knuckle on the ball (...) you've just got to pay a little bit more, you know, attention when you pass the ball sometimes."[23]

Responses

A number of Adidas-sponsored[24][25][26][27] players have responded favourably to the ball. Alvaro Arbeloa, commented that "it's round, like always." Brazilian midfielder Kaká said, "For me, contact with the ball is all-important, and that's just great with this ball."[28] Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech had several positive comments about the ball, saying it had good visibility due to the colour pattern, that felt good to handle, and when kicked it had good control.[29] English midfielder Frank Lampard called it "A very strong ball, true to hit."[30] German midfielder Michael Ballack said it was "Fantastic, the ball does exactly what I want it to."[30]

Adidas has said that the ball had been used since January 2010, and that most feedback from players had been positive. A spokesperson said the company was "surprised" by the negative reaction to the ball, and highlighted that the frequent pre-tournament criticism a new ball receives inevitably dies down as the tournament proceeds.[31]

Adelaide University professor Derek Leinweber has sided with Adidas saying "If you want the goalkeeper to design the ball, they will give you an iron ball that sits at the centre of the field."[32]

It was suggested by The Guardian on 16 June 2010 that the Jabulani ball may be responsible for the goal drought in the first round of the tournament. The Guardian mentioned the FIFA representative, who was queried daily for his opinion on the goal drought, as saying it was probably too early to make a definitive judgment, though it would be hard to deny that the first round was more cagey and defensively minded than usual. Owen Gibson of The Guardian suggested that a lack of confidence in how the ball would travel could be affecting the number of shots taken.[33] However, following Portugal's 7-0 defeat of North Korea in the second round of the group stage, Portugal's coach Carlos Queiroz said, "We love the ball."[34]

On June 27, 2010 FIFA finally acknowledged concerns about the ball, but also said that they won't act on the problem until after the tournament. According to secretary general Jerome Valcke, FIFA will discuss the matter with coaches and teams after the World Cup, then meet with the manufacturer Adidas.[35]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Jabulani Official World Cup Ball Review". Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  2. ^ "adidas JABULANI Official Match Ball of the 2010 FIFA World Cup". Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b Zarda, Brett (2010-06-05). "The Science Behind Jabulani, Adidas's 2010 World Cup Soccer Ball". Popsci.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  4. ^ "2010 World Cup Jabulani Adidas ball". Retrieved 06 December 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ "Adidas Jabulani Angola – Football for African Cup of Nations". Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  6. ^ [1]
  7. ^ "Dishtracking article on manufacturing the ball". Dishtracking.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ Ghosh, Pallab (2010-06-04). "'Engineers defend World Cup football amid criticism'". BBC News. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  10. ^ "Julio Cesar calls Jabulani 'supermarket ball'". Thesoccerroom.com. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  11. ^ World Cup 2010 (2010-05-29). "World Cup 2010: Italy's Giampaolo Pazzini Latest To Complain About 'Jabulani' Match Ball". Goal.com. Retrieved 2010-06-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ "(in Spanish)". Lanacion.cl. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  13. ^ Sunday's World Cup 2010 Round Up[dead link]
  14. ^ "Buffon: «Nuovi palloni inadeguati e vergognosi» - Italia / Girone F / Mondiali 2010 / Calcio". Tuttosport. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  15. ^ "Luís Fabiano and Júlio Baptista agree that the World Cup ball is "supernatural"". Retrieved 31 May 2010. {{cite web}}: Text "in Portuguese" ignored (help)
  16. ^ "Robinho glad he returned to Brazil, wants to stay - World Soccer - Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  17. ^ "Why the 'appalling' and 'horrible' Jabulani is another Fifa own goal". The Telegraph. 2010-05-31. Retrieved 2010-05-31.
  18. ^ "Hart admits World Cup ball concern 30 May 2010 - 11:10 AM". Sport.co.uk. 2010-05-30. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  19. ^ "World Cup 2010: David James criticises Jabulani ball". BBC News Online. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  20. ^ "Soccer | Jabulani Gets Thumbs Down". Sports Illustrated. 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  21. ^ "World Cup squad news". Live text. BBC Sport. 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
  22. ^ "Messi savours victory but not ball". FourFourTwo. 2010-06-12. Retrieved 2010-06-13.
  23. ^ "Hahnemann thinks World Cup ball is bad invention". Greenwich Time. 2010-06-03. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  24. ^ "adidas | Sponsors & Partners | Chelsea FC | Official Site | Chelsea". Chelsea FC. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  25. ^ "Players Dislike Adidas World Cup Ball". Soccer FanHouse. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  26. ^ "Adidas XI vs Nike XI: Which Brand Has the Best Football Team?". The Offside. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  27. ^ "Ricardo Kaka Endorsements". Ricardo-Kaka.com. Retrieved 2010-06-21.
  28. ^ "Players fear world cup ball". Independent.co.ug. 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  29. ^ [3][dead link]
  30. ^ a b "Players fear world cup ball". Independent.co.ug. 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  31. ^ "Adidas shocked at criticism of World Cup ball". NBC Sports. 31 May 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  32. ^ "Jabulani ball". Quotes of the week. News.ph.msn.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  33. ^ Owen Gibson in Johannesburg. "World Cup 2010: Negative tactics and caution are causing goal drought". Football. The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
  34. ^ Robert Casert (2010-06-22). "Jabulani ball a hit with Portugal after 7-0 win". Associated Press. Retrieved 2010-06-23. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  35. ^ "Sunday's World Cup round-up". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 June 2010. Retrieved 27 June 2010.

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