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World Cup Ball
For some soccer players, not all balls are created equal. And when it comes
to playing in the World Cup, this can be a recipe for controversy. As the
tournament gets ready to kick off next week in South Africa, German sporting
goods maker Adidas is on the defensive. Several top players have criticized the
company for making an official World Cup ball that isn't up to par. An Adidas
spokesman downplayed those comments, saying criticism of the balls happens ahead
of every World Cup.
"The criticism of World Cup balls every four years is part of the World
Cup, just like the opening game. Adidas has been making the World Cup balls
since 1970. And since the 70s when we used to make leather balls, there were
players, especially from South America, who said the ball was too heavy;
European players said the ball was too light. So there are discussions every
four years about this ball."
So with the question of the ball's quality up in the air, one of the
players is saying.
"It's horrible. It's awful, very bad. It looks like a ball that you would
buy in a supermarket. It's very bad."
"And it means you have to watch the ball while it onto your foot. And any
slight pass that is, you know, 10-20 centimeters off target usually stays 20
centimeters off target, and it's hard to reach. So it's going to a good test for
everybody."
"It's true. The ball is new. And it's difficult to adapt to it. It's quite
fast. And we will try to get used to it as quickly as possible. But up till now
it has been a bit strange."
Despite the criticism, FIFA stands by Adidas' product. Love them or hate
them. When matches begin on June 11, the players will be kicking these balls all
the way to enchant that glory.
David Bozzi, Reuters.
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发表于 2016-7-12 22:06:09