“Amid the focus on the winter climate and the vuvuzelas in South Africa, perhaps the most important theme of the tournament was the ball. While it had become common for goalkeepers to complain about new footballs ahead of the World Cup, this was the first tournament where outfielders seemed disgusted, too. The lack of panels on the Jabulani, and therefore the lack of ‘drag’, meant long passes became even longer, shots from range were launched miles over the bar, and the general quality of play was poor. Spain, though, seemed largely unaffected — partly because they were completely committed to short passing. …”
NY Times/The Athletic – Michael Cox (Video)