FIFA World Cup 2010 Finals Thread

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It's official, the Jabulani is weird:
Caltech trains its eye on the World Cup ball
The Jabulani, the Adidas-produced sphere used in South Africa, is studied with help of a wind tunnel. One teacher senses an important difference.

By David Wharton

8:46 PM PDT, June 23, 2010


The aeronautical engineers at Caltech hold a distinct advantage over all the soccer players and fans who have been complaining about the fancy new ball at the World Cup.

They have a wind tunnel in the basement.

So on Wednesday morning, Beverley McKeon and her colleagues headed downstairs, cranked up the rushing air and turned on the smoke, just like one of those car commercials on television.

In some ways, the assistant professor was asking the same questions voiced by critics who have called the new ball "tricky" and "unpredictable," but in a very different language.

Surface roughness. Planes of symmetry. Turbulence versus laminar flow.

Speaking over the rumble of a wind generator the size of a school bus, she explained that "it's quite a complex fluid mechanics phenomenon."

But what does that mean for the simple act of kicking a ball?

Adidas produces a new ball for each World Cup and players invariably gripe. Four years ago, the German sporting goods giant switched from the traditional 32 stitched panels to 14. The current Jabulani model — its name means "to celebrate" in Zulu — is down to eight.

This configuration piqued the curiosity of Caltech professors and graduate students, a multinational group that includes a few soccer fans. They took the Jabulani and a traditional ball to their lab even as the U.S. scrambled to victory over Algeria.

The Lucas Wind Tunnel can generate monstrous gusts, but in this case they set the dial to about 30 meters per second (edit - approx 67 mph), simulating the average speed of a ball kicked by an elite player.

Though the testing fell short of comprehensive, McKeon — an Englishwoman who specializes in the aerodynamics of the sphere — sensed an important difference in the Jabulani.

In addition to fewer panels, it has comparatively shallow seams for a more perfectly round shape, which might seem like a good thing. But the science can be counterintuitive.

Consider the history of the golf ball, which was smooth back in the mid-1800s.

"The Scots learned the hard way," McKeon said.

The addition of dimples made for a rougher surface but a narrower wake and less drag, which contributed to straighter, longer trajectories.

To some degree, the Jabulani represents a shift in the opposite direction, even with tiny ridges covering its skin. Caltech's study suggests that it starts with a smooth — or laminar — airflow, shifts to something more turbulent, then shifts back again.

These variations can have a big effect.

"So as the goalkeeper sees the ball coming, it suddenly seems to change its trajectory," McKeon said. "It's like putting the brakes on, but putting them on unevenly."

Players will acclimate soon enough, McKeon suspects, but they had only a month to practice with the Jabulani before competition began. And the new ball sparked immediate debate after the U.S. earned a 1-1 tie with England on a seemingly routine shot that somehow squirmed past the keeper.

Was he fooled by laminar flow? Were fluid mechanics to blame?

McKeon the scientist said: "That's a very political question." Then, after a brief pause, McKeon the English fan could not help adding: "I'm sure it's entirely down to the ball and had nothing to do with our goalkeeper."

david.wharton@latimes.com

twitter.com/LATimesWharton

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
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mafia_boy
No, because it predicted that Serbia would beat Germany, read the article that Smallhorses put up. ;)
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Every now and then it fouls up. Too err is mollusc.

livemusic
Heinzefail
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I'm amazed he didn't fall down instantly, clutching his face while his teammates made card gestures at the referee.
 
Let me say that if I was Mexico's coach, after the Argentina's first goal, I'd order my team to leave the pitch. Why? Because it as a deliberated error from the refs. If no doubts whatsoever existed there was no need to them to conference for such a long period after validating the goal, which led even to argentinians start protesting also because they were beginning to fear that the goal would be disallowed.

I'm too sick of this political games that order that some teams go through due to economical reasons. It has been this way ever since. Since France qualification against Ireland to the scandalous Portugal qualify to the Euro '84 in France, with a penalty 1 meter outside of the box that lead us to beat the USSR by 1-0. A large portuguese community in France would guarantee very good crowds in those stadiums compared to russians back then.

Rugby as showed the way some time ago. Only because of "higher interests" we don't have technology yet working for the benefit of truth in sports results. Germany and Argentina might eventually win they games either way, if the refs validate Lampard's shoot and disallowed Tevez's goal. This way the question remains unaswered.

Again, I'm sorry to bring this up, but this is all over again Japan/South Korea 2002, when both Italy and Spain were outrageously "robbed" to benefit the Korean team, which lead them as far as too the semi-finals.
 
3.5 hours to go before Holland wins with 3-0...:dopey:

Am allready dressed in my lucky orange shirt :dunce:


👍👍👍 Holland FTW 👍👍👍




spy.
 
In both cases, the referee and linesman didn't see anything that would have made any other decision possible. In the case of Tevez's goal, the linesman didn't see Tevez as offside and the referee wasn't able to make the call. When the video replay on the big screen - shown accidentally - showed Tevez was a country mile offside, the referee is not allowed to use that information to arrive at a decision - video replays are not part of the permitted equipment in football.

In other news, The Daily Mash hits the nail square on the head yet again (mild language warning - applies to entire site)
 
Famine
When the video replay on the big screen - shown accidentally - showed Tevez was a country mile offside, the referee is not allowed to use that information to arrive at a decision - video replays are not part of the permitted equipment in football.
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You are right that video images aren't allowed yet to be used as a tool to a ref make a decision. However you are not correct saying that the replay of Tevez's goal was showed by accident on the stadiums giant screens. All games of the WC are beeing transmited live on the stadiums screens, including replays. Look, for example, the Ghana's players reaction to the referee after he signal penalty for the US. They sorrounded him and pointed towards the screens that were showing the replays (although they weren't right on that specific call - it was a penalty).

Simple aspects, such as "did the ball entered the goal" or an eventual offside when its protested like yesterday in Mexico game could be easily solved. The ref simply had to question another referee who's watching on the TV. Like happen in Rugby.
 
bullie77
You are right that video images aren't allowed yet to be used as a tool to a ref make a decision. However you are not correct saying that the replay of Tevez's goal was showed by accident on the stadiums giant screens.
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No, I'm not. Controversial decisions are not supposed to be played back on the big screens, because it can cause crowd- and player-control issues.
 
But they are showing them in this WC - again Saturday's Ghana vs USA (penalty against Ghana).

Anyway, talking about football. What players have been most surprising to you guys so far?

To me:

Fabio Coentrão (Portugal)
Ozil & Muller (Germany)
Andre Ayew (Ghana) - following is father's steps
Tshabalala (South Africa)
Arévalos Rios (Uruguay)
 
spyrrari
3.5 hours to go before Holland wins with 3-0...:dopey:

Am allready dressed in my lucky orange shirt :dunce:


👍👍👍 Holland FTW 👍👍👍




spy.
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I have my Holland shirt on, with Davids on the back. :sly:

-

^ Oh and I would add Honda to that list. 👍
 
Stevisiov
I was going to say that, but then again, its perhaps not such a surprise given the amount he scored this season.
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Yes, he is well known in Europe from his performances in Ajax. I was more talking about players not so well-known that are surprising you.

To me Fabio Coentrão is the greatest of them all (surprises). He actually is a left-winger attacker. Only this year he as been adapted as a left-defender on his team (Benfica), where in fact he did a very good job. What's is surprising to me is that he is showing such level of play in all 3 games so far. Very impressive.

There's also two other players I'm particularly found of: Vera, from Paraguay and Chung Young Park, from South Korea. Specially this late one, who plays for Monaco. The man shoots at goal from every imaginable spot as soon as he got the chance, and always well directed and powerful shots.
 
For me, Honda of Japan surprised me, while I had previously heard of him (I think it was Moscow he was playing for?), he has played some excellent performances, better than many of the players who have played so far, and come from the biggest teams around.
 
bullie77
Anyway, talking about football. What players have been most surprising to you guys so far?
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Messi
Rooney
Torres

Edit: BTW. Semifinals will be Uruguay vs. Brazil and Argentina vs Spain. Final will be a south american big two affair and Brazil will win their sixth title with a single goal. Heinze will be sent off after receiving his second yellow for diving
 
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livemusic
^Hmm, I like that.

Today's guesses:

Holland 2 x 0 Slovakia

Brazil 3 x 1 Chile
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I agree completely. Picked 3-1 and 3-1 for last night's games so was pretty happy. If anything, Chile might push it to 3-2 or 4-2 or quite possibly better. Haven't seen them in this comp much but they know how to play Brazil better than they do Euro teams; in the first round they beat the Swiss and scored against Spain so they could do better here.
 
Stevisiov
I was going to say that, but then again, its perhaps not such a surprise given the amount he scored this season.
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bullie77
Yes, he is well known in Europe from his performances in Ajax. I was more talking about players not so well-known that are surprising you.
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Yeah I know he did an amazing season in Ajax,but because I don't follow the Eredivisie so closely I was surprised with his skills.


livemusic
No Felipe Melo against Chile today. Woot!
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Finally Dunga gains some good sense...:sly:
 
Had a great time watching the game yesterday, despite seeing England go out - at one point, it seemed as if it was going to turn into a classic - sadly, it didn't quite turn out that way, although my German friends enjoyed every minute of it.

Tonight I am hoping that Brazil will turn on the style, as it has been lacking in the tournament from them thus far - at the same time, as a confirmed infracaninophile (:dopey:), I'd like to see Chile win - although it would mean that another bet of mine would bite the dust.
 
Should be interesting today as two South American teams play today. Congrats the Oranje of the Netherlands and great job to Slovakia.

Japan's Honda has been great to watch and he really has surprised me as a player. :D
 
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Stevisiov
For me, Honda of Japan surprised me, while I had previously heard of him (I think it was Moscow he was playing for?), he has played some excellent performances, better than many of the players who have played so far, and come from the biggest teams around.
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Before he went to Moscow he was playing for VVV Venlo, a small Dutch premier division club which was soon rechristened VVV Honda.
His performance there probably got the attention which lead to his transfer to Moscow.
 
A good first half. Chile pushed during the first minutes but they didn't threat us much. I don't think they'll manage to get a draw in the second half.
 
They just have to work too hard against Brazil. The 'threat' in the first half was more nervous energy than a coherent plan of attack.
 
I think this was our best match yet. Awesome play by Ramires on the third goal, to bad he's out of the next game. Holland will be harder to beat but if Brazil shows the quality it showed today I think we're safe into the semi finals.

I know it's a bit too early for this but I predict a Brazil vs Germany final.
 
^^ I wouldn't go too far in predicting or team in the finals LM, but we can beat Holland. I agree, this was our best match so far, looks like the absence of Felipe Melo is an awesome reinforcement. :lol:

Nice game by Dani Alves, I'm glad Robinho is back too. :D Gilberto Silva was very efficient and the defense was solid as always. 👍

If we keep playing seriously like this, we're favourites, of course, among with Holland, Germany, Argentina, Spain and Portugal, but only three of them will advance to the semis. Finally, this WC is becoming interesting. :D
 
daan
Franz Lampard?
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Actually, I don't recall the name of the player who took that shot toward England's goal much because I was watching the game as using the internet also :bowdown:

And Brazil seems to have beaten Chile, Dutch also appears to have knocked out Slovakia by the way :)
 
Well it was a nice football match to watch,Brazil was at their best so far and Chile isn't the easiest of opponents 👍
I guess they've benefit of the injuries of F.M and Elano since their substitutes are way better(specially in the 1st case),the team seems very determined in taking the Caneco(Cup) home and even if I don't like Dunga's attitude one has to recognise he was able to implement a strong spirit group and a tactical discipline that aren't always present in Brazilian teams.They are very strong this year and seems Germany are the only ones capable of beating them...but never underestimate the Mechanical Orange:sly:



And Brazil seems to have beaten Chile, Dutch also appears to have knocked out Slovakia by the way
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Seems so...we had kind of realized that by now...;)
 

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