1. The Jabulani is not living up to its reputation
Never before have players and fans been on first-name terms with the match ball. Adidas's Jabulani has been heavily criticised for its unpredictable deviations, its lack of dip on free-kicks and the way it sails when crossed. It has not only been the goalkeepers who have complained bitterly about it; outfield players have been made to look foolish. “It is terrible,” said the England manager, Fabio Capello, while his midfielder Joe Cole said it had taken “some of the skill out of the game”. Jamie Carragher, the England defender, added: “When you create a ball for the World Cup, the idea is to create more goals, I think. This one does strange things to make it a more exciting tournament.” But the goals have not followed while there have been further concerns about how the high altitude in South Africa affects the Jabulani's flight.
Reason to be cheerful
Practice makes perfect. The Germans have played with the Jabulani for months, since it was made available in January, and they had no trouble in their opening fixture
2. Marquee names have not performed
Every leading nation has an undoubted star, the player who most readily inspires his countrymen. But with the exception of Argentina's Lionel Messi, who showcased his instant control and incisive running in possession against Nigeria, they have so far been unable to shine. Injury prevented Michael Ballack (Germany) from making the finals while it ruled out Andrea Pirlo (Italy) and Arjen Robben (Holland) from the opening ties. France's talisman Franck Ribéry was suffocated by Uruguayan defenders, Wayne Rooney (England) was unable to impose himself against USA and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), after a bright start, faded badly against the Ivory Coast, for whom Didier Drogba played less than half an hour. The rigours of a long season, both physically and mentally, have been blamed. The World Cup always creates new stars — Germany's Mesut Ozil is an early contender — but it needs its big names to stand tall, as they can excite like no others.
Reason to be cheerful
Form is temporary; class is permanent. It is inconceivable that the aforementioned players will remain in the shadows. And Spain have not kicked off yet
3. The defensive mindset of the coaches
Marcello Lippi was outspoken after Italy's opening fixture against Paraguay and he mocked his opposite number, Gerardo Martino, for promising attack and then parking the bus. “They made some pretty heavy statements before the game so I thought they would be bolder,” Lippi said. “Instead, they did not even go past the halfway line. They tried to defend for the entire match.” If there was a certain irony to hearing an Italian coach make such protestations, Paraguay have not been alone in keeping bodies behind the ball. Caution has underpinned the opening matches, with teams scared of defeat, knowing that it could effectively rule them out. Better to wait for a mistake than make one yourself. “Every team has prepared very thoroughly and all are defending well,” said Paraguay's Roque Santa Cruz. “There are not a lot of chances and the difference from team to team is not very much. It's going to be the same until the end.”
Reason to be cheerful
As teams need to win matches to advance in the tournament, so they will be forced out of their defensive shells. Defending can only get you so far on this stage
4. The number of empty seats in the stadiums
Given how many fans across South Africa and beyond would give almost anything for a match ticket, it has been disappointing to see swaths of empty seats. The stadiums for South Korea v Greece, Algeria v Slovenia and Japan v Cameroon were more than 10,000 below capacity while there were 15,000 empty seats in Rustenburg for New Zealand v Slovakia. There have been only a handful of sell-outs, according to Fifa's official statistics, and the governing body has investigated whether its transport and ticket distribution systems have been at fault. On the morning of Algeria v Slovenia, Fifa said there were only 700 tickets available, suggesting that many people in possession of them had been unable or unwilling to turn up. Fears over gridlocked roads have been advanced as one possible excuse, together with other logistical difficulties. If the empty seats have looked terrible, then the clashes between riot police and striking stadium stewards have been worse.
Reason to be cheerful
Unattractive matches early on are often some way short of capacity and, overall, Fifa is happy with attendances. The organising committee is confident of resolving the issue with the stewards
5. The vuvuzelas
The biggest off-the-field talking point so far, the plastic horns have provided the soundtrack to the finals — or should that be white noise? Hugely irritating, according to their detractors, they have also been condemned by high-profile players. “It's impossible to communicate on the pitch, it's like being deaf,” said Lionel Messi. There is a tuneful art to blowing the vuvuzela which, clearly, the many thousands of arrivistes have not mastered. They have made the stadiums sound like angry hornets’ nests and killed off natural crowd sounds; most regrettably, the primal roars that celebrate goals. There have been calls for the vuvuzelas to be banned; it was interesting that they were not allowed inside the stadium for South Africa's rugby international against France in Cape Town last Saturday. The BBC, meanwhile, following viewer complaints, have been moved to investigate whether it can offer a so-called “clean” feed, which would strip out the blaring of the vuvuzelas.
Reason to be cheerful
The vuvuzela is here to stay and, in the interests of novelty and diversity, that has to be a good thing. Every World Cup needs its distinguishing features. And really, they're not that bad
© Guardian News and Media 2010
