June 21, 2006	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 24, 1427

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STUTTGART, June 20: When the official World Cup ball was launched amid great fanfare by Adidas, much was made of its name Teamgeist, German for team spirit. Halfway through the finals, however, some of the world's leading goalkeepers are not convinced their welfare was top of the German sporting goods manufacturer's priorities.

Fans love to see the ball whistling into the top corner and they have not been disappointed so far in what has been a hugely entertaining tournament.

However, they should spare a thought for the men between the posts who say the ball, which had to undergo stringent laboratory testing, is proving to be a tough adversary.

“It’s a lot more difficult (being a goalkeeper) than 10 years ago because the players are so much more physical and the balls so much harder and faster,” France's 1998 World Cup-winning keeper Fabien Barthez said just before the finals.

“I wouldn't like to be a 20-year-old doing this. Balls have kept getting harder and faster. At this World Cup you will see a lot of goals scored from 30 or 35 metres.”

Adidas say the ball, which comprises a revolutionary new design of 14 panels, provides significant improvements in ‘precision and control’.

Witness strikes like Deco's for Portugal against Iran, Serhiy Rebrov's thunderbolt for Ukraine versus Saudi Arabia or Robin Van Persie's guided missile of a free kick against Ivory Coast and it is obvious that strikers are, literally, having a ball.The poor old goalkeepers, however, are feeling the strain, saying the Teamgeist is lighter, faster and a little more elusive than previous models.

Portugal's Ricardo has yet to pick the ball out of his net but has seen enough damage inflicted on fellow members of the goalies union to keep him awake at night.

“The ball is very light and at high speed it is very difficult for us,” he said.“Maybe in the rest of the tournament we will see some very good goals. FIFA is more concerned about creating goals in football which makes life uncomfortable for goalkeepers.”

American Kasey Keller, one of the most experienced keepers at the tournament, agrees having watched the ball in action.

“It’s a very light, fast ball. From its starting point, you basically think you have an extra bit of time. It's fractions of a second,” he said.

“You think the ball will be there but it's actually here. It’s got a wobble as it's coming at you. You have no idea what it’s going to do.

“I think you'll see a lot of goalkeepers 'over-dive' on it,” he added, noting that he also expects to see more keepers punching shots away rather than risk trying to catch them.

“It’s a technology thing and we have to deal with it as goalkeepers. It’s definitely not a goalkeeper-friendly ball.”

Spain's Iker Casillas continued the theme.

“It certainly flies about and the strikers love that, but it's not easy for goalkeepers,” said the Real Madrid shot stopper. “They never seem to ask goalkeepers to take part in the development of the new balls...”

With a few notable exceptions, World Cups linger in the memory for their stunning goals rather than the acrobatic marvels of goalkeepers and the sport's world governing body is hardly likely to try and stem the flow.

So while strikers will be licking their lips at the prospect of scoring a net-busting screamer from 35 metres, goalkeepers will just have to grit their teeth and get on with it.

After all, according to US coach Bruce Arena, a former goalkeeper himself, “they will not be happy unless the ball is square and heavy”. —Reuters