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We may be in for one of the greatest World Cup finals of all, if the gradual build up of momentum is anything to go by. Following a slow start to the tournament, South Africa 2010 has exploded into life with some thrilling football of late.
Germany have enthralled with their incisive counterattacking displays, while Spain’s nail biting 1-0 victory over Paraguay practically had it all, including a flurry of missed penalties and a somewhat fortunate winning goal.
Meanwhile, Uruguay’s penalty shoot-out victory over Ghana encapsulated the sheer human drama that is the World Cup – uniting the continent of Africa behind the plucky Ghanaians in their unsuccessful quest for a semi-final spot.
But for all the positives to have come out of the tournament over the past week, plenty of negatives remain.
1. The vuvuzela
I can accept that FIFA is eager to promote local customs, and I don’t even mind when those customs involve a mass-produced piece of plastic that has been around for all of ten years.
But what bothers me and millions of fans around the world is the way that the vuvuzela drowns out every other aspect of supporter culture that makes football so unique.
The chanting in unison, the call and response of the crowd and every other audible reaction has been overshadowed by the incessant drone of a plastic horn.
Whether that’s a good thing or not is open to debate, but it has certainly made for a unique World Cup atmosphere!
2. Inconsistent refereeing
What is it with the refereeing at this World Cup?
The sheer inconsistency of the decision making is enough to drive even the most ardent football supporter mad, and there is surely cause to claim that many referees have favoured the so-called ‘big guns’ at the expense of the tournament’s lesser lights.
Even when referees have not flinched in the face of tough decisions – Guatemalan referee Carlos Batres was confronted with several in the match between Spain and Paraguay – the decisions made still haven’t been clear enough to avoid heated conjecture.
3. Underperforming ‘stars’
For every David Villa, there has been a Wayne Rooney. Think Arjen Robben, then consider Lionel Messi. And with Kaka already back on the beaches of Brazil, perhaps he can give a similarly unoccupied Cristiano Ronaldo a call.
Whether it’s the long European season, the short amount of time spent with international team-mates or the sheer weight of expectation, too many of world football’s biggest stars have gone missing on the greatest stage of all.
For those with a long memory, I tipped Villa to claim the Golden Boot, but while the incoming Barcelona front man has been a talisman for Spain, several other highly-rated stars have failed to shine – including his team-mate Fernando Torres.
4. The Jabulani ball
Given Germany’s outstanding contribution to the tournament, it’s somewhat ironic that Adidas should be responsible for the worst aspect of the World Cup so far.
The Jabulani ball is my pet peeve, and seeing Argentina playmaker Lionel Messi repeatedly fire the erratic device high into the stands was painful to watch.
Despite FIFA’s early assertions to the contrary, it’s clear that the players cannot come to grips with the arbitrary flightpath of the supposedly high-tech ball, with the world game’s governing body now admitting that they will review the ball’s performance after the tournament.
The “cheap beachball” claims haven’t looked wide of the mark given some of the shooting on display, and I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that the final itself is not decided by the unpredictable nature of the tournament’s much discussed match ball.
Despite such grumbles, we look set for a stellar finish to the 2010 World Cup if a couple of mouthwatering semi-final showdowns is anything to go by.
I’ve listed my frustrations from this year’s tournament, now I’m interested to hear yours – and feel free to add how you think future World Cups might be improved, as well.