Posted on 06/19/2018 10:41:19 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
Every four years there’s a new ball for the World Cup—and every four years players are unhappy with it. Maybe it’s too light and has too much lift, like the 2002 Fevernova. Or maybe it wobbles unexpectedly in the air, making it harder for goalies to predict its motion, like the 2006 Teamgist. Or maybe the ball suddenly changes speed, dropping out of the air and causing accidental handballs, like the 2010 Jabulani.
At the World Cup level, these tiny changes in a ball’s aerodynamics can legitimately impact a team’s performance, so the intense scrutiny of the World Cup ball is perhaps to be expected. “You could argue that it’s the most important piece of equipment in the most popular sport in the world,” says John Eric Goff, Professor of Physics at University of Lynchburg.
Adidas designs every World Cup ball, and on top of being a big seller for them, engineers at the company are constantly a little closer to the perfect ball, Goff says. The ideal soccer ball is a pimple-covered, perfect sphere, its surface just subtly textured enough to keep the airflow around the ball slightly turbulent. Unintuitive as this might sound, the ridges and pimples on the ball make it more aerodynamic, helping the ball to fly through the air more stably.
The Telstar 18, the design for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is as close to a perfect sphere as you can get.
(Excerpt) Read more at popsci.com ...
Argentina barely qualified but still a shock.
FT: Argentina 0-3 Croatia
Argentina still has a small chance to survive, it was said.
-3 Goal Differential will kill the Argies.
I have a feeling that Croatia will be nice to Iceland.
| Group C | GP | W | D | L | F | A | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 FranceFRA |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 |
2 DenmarkDEN |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
3 AustraliaAUS |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
4 PeruPER |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| Group D | GP | W | D | L | F | A | GD | P |
1 CroatiaCRO |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 |
2 IcelandISL |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
3 ArgentinaARG |
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 1 |
4 NigeriaNGA |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
If Iceland beats Nigeria, it’s going to be pretty tough for Argentina.
Messi was mentioned by name maybe three times total. He was mostly a non-factor today.
What do Argentina need to do to stay in the World Cup? Group D table, results and fixtures
https://www.thesun.co.uk/world-cup-2018/6547369/argentina-group-d-table-fixtures-results-teams-full-schedule/
“emotionally broken”.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44567336
Which teams are out of the World Cup 2018?
https://www.thesun.co.uk/world-cup-2018/6582414/teams-knocked-out-world-cup-group-eliminated/
American teacher to officiate Nigeria, Iceland match
http://punchng.com/american-teacher-to-handle-nigeria-iceland-tie/
We’ll beat Nigeria – Iceland coach
http://dailypost.ng/2018/06/19/world-cup-2018-well-beat-nigeria-iceland-coach/
Maradona cries for Argentina
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2018/06/21/diego-maradona-cries-argentina-croatia-world-cup-hammering/
Butterflies & Hurricanes
https://youtu.be/yDTICbjVDuI
Unbelievable
HT: Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica
Neymar needs to beat the Real Madrid goal keeper.
Probably will with a PK - LoL!
Neymar PK - VR - No PK!!
Wow 10 minutes to go 0-0.
Neymar yellow card for punching the ball in frustration.
Brazil late goal 1-0!!!
Brazil finally beat the GK, right between the legs too!
Neymar goal 2-0 in 98th minute!
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