Caution and vuvuzelas dominate first week of Cup

A Spanish supporter blows a vuvuzela prior to the World Cup Group H match between Spain and Switzerland at the stadium in Durban, South Africa, Wednesday, June 16, 2010. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

A week into the tournament and it feels as if the 2010 World Cup hasn’t really got going yet, with some shocks and surprises, yes, but it’s been dominated by defensive teams more eager to avoid losing than going after matches.

The result has been the lowest amount of goals scored at the conclusion of the opening round of games in the group stage in the last 80 years.

What’s going on? Is the Jabulani ball to blame or are the vuvuzelas somehow bludgeoning the attacking instincts of strikers?

There are a number of factors at play.

Firstly, we can’t dismiss the sheer fear teams and coaches have of losing their opening game and the defensive/conservative tactics this results in.

Consider this: at the last three World Cups, only three teams who have lost their opening matches have gone on to reach the knockout stages.

It’s remarkable statistic when you think about it. No wonder teams are so cautious!

Out to avoid defeat at all costs, we’ve seen many a team sit deep and hold a structured defensive line (Socceroos are an obvious exception), only attacking on the counter.

The mantra’s been to survive the first game with a point at best, stifling any attacking football which has proved too risky for many teams to try when the cost of losing your first game is so high.

This will change.

Already we are seeing more open attacking play in the second round of group matches thus far, with a significant increase in goals – 13 goals in the first four matches of the second games.

But teams have been able to hold out more fancied opponents because the technical standard of players and coaches from around the world has increased as the network of player/coaching movement into professional leagues increases.

The result means the days of vast differences in performances and results between countries at the finals may be over, as the competition becomes closer.

Even a team considered to be a minnow has the tactical and technical ability to hold out more fancied teams.

Are there other possible factors for the slow start?

Altitude may be to blame on the players’ and the ball’s performance, not helped by the unusual flight path of the Jabulani and teams’ insistence on continually lobbing long balls which have been notably wayward – not to mention the lack of goals from set pieces. It’s hardly going to help encourage attacking football when the balls trajectory has been so inconsistent.

But there may be other intrinsic reasons.

Does the lack of passion and failure of so many of football’s superstars to shine for their national teams suggest that players just don’t have the drive and determination when playing for their national teams?

When North Korean Jong Tae-Se openly wept during his countries national anthem, it provided a welcome reminder of the patriotic fervor that seems to be lacking from modern day World Cups. It was confronting because it’s so rare.

In an age of multi-million dollar contracts and players playing weekly in the pan-European UEFA Champions League for multinational entities (many of the players could well be considered multinational themselves), do the players still have pride in the national shirt or is the World Cup just a big stage for them to promote their own brand?

Does a Cristiano Ronaldo really have the disposition to lead Portugal from the front or is he more concerned with his own personal goals, image and brand (like pushing Castrol “hot places, cold places” commercials)?

In the Olympic Games, nationalism and passion rule because so many of the competing athletes aren’t encumbered by stardom, so there seems to be more drive and honour in representing your country due to the personal hardships and sacrifices made to just get there.

Perhaps the downside of football’s mighty commercial success is the inevitable decrease in passion for the pride in representing your country, and we are seeing the result.

Perhaps the longer European season remains a factor, also.

Players who have come off elongated seasons that almost stretch across 12 months – and some who have had disturbed seasons through injury – may be too drained to give their best performances.

All these reasons may have contributed in their own way to the early stalemates in South Africa.

And the perception of a ‘boring’ World Cup has only been fostered, in my opinion, by the highly contentious vuvuzelas.

While I don’t want to enter into the debate on whether they should be banned or not (there are fair arguments on both sides of the debate) their constant drone does stifle atmosphere by taking the crowd and its chants out of the game.

So as the overly defensive and low scoring games have played out, with the Jabulani flying waywardly like a Roberto Baggio penalty, the incessant vuvuzelas have provided a fitting soundtrack for the monotony of the football being played.

Speaking of crowds, it would be remiss not to mention the banks of empty seats at numerous games.

While FIFA claimed it had came close to selling the majority of tickets after the prolonged saga over sales, crowds have notably been down, with the organisers and governing body blaming corporate and government ticket holders for staying away.

This is the result of sporting organisations (and leagues closer to home are also to blame) pricing fans out of sporting contests by catering to the corporate sector. The difficulty in getting tickets for your average fan has robbed so many of the chance to attend the World Cup, while South Africa’s socioeconomic health and the fact football comes second to rugby in the hearts of the locals also contributing to the crowd situation.

Hopefully the prospect of more attacking football attracts them to the stadiums as the tournament develops.

Teams, such as the Socceroos tomorrow night, must chase games to stay alive. Caution will be thrown out the window in teams’ final two group matches, opening up matches and resulting in more attacking football… we hope!