A scrutinized World Cup

The unquestionably biggest sporting event in the world is upon us once more. The much- coveted FIFA World Cup trophy is once again up for grabs. A total of 32 teams meet every four years in a host country, each holding the hopes and aspirations of their respective nations. This year the World Cup has moved to South Africa for the month-long competition, its first appearance on the African continent in its 80-year history. With the joy and pride of this historic World Cup come two setbacks concerning the most basic necessities of the game of soccer: a non-compliant ball and bad, game-changing refereeing.

Adidas, the official sponsor and manufacturer of the World Cup ball named "Jabulani," has been under heavy criticism by players, specifically goalies. There have been numerous occasions when goalies conceded goals because of the ball. The blame for this problem should not be solely allocated to the ball, simply because every player, including the goalie, has the opportunity months prior to the World Cup to get acquainted with the match ball. Furthermore, the ball will react differently at different altitudes and in different weather. I have to agree that after hours of watching friendly matches, the Jabulani match ball does have its flaws, but on the other hand, these players aren't amateurs. They are professional soccer players, playing on the biggest stage of their lives; they should be able to adjust and make necessary changes to their game in order to be successful.

A very controversial topic concerning this year's tournament is the lack of adequate refereeing. This year, one of the most important aspects of the game has faced criticism simply because referees have made wrong calls that have undoubtedly changed the outcome of the game. The earliest case of this flaw happened before the first whistle of the World Cup was blown. During a qualifying match between Ireland and France, Thierry Henry handballed inside Ireland's box, which led to a goal in the 90th minute. 

Unnecessary bookings have been made against players, penalty shots given and even rightfully scored goals were rejected by referees on the basis of offside or fouls called. The United States national team has suffered the latter more than any other team in this competition. They faced a rejected goal once during their epic comeback against Slovenia for a tie and once against Algeria during a critical group stage game, although they won.
As a soccer player and avid fan, I cannot completely put the blame on the referees. The game of soccer has evolved and has gotten so much faster that the naked eye cannot accurately decipher what is happening. I was strongly against integrating instant replay into the game of soccer simply because I thought that the flow of the game would be slowed, but it has become a necessity, in my opinion. It will stop the bittersweet and unfair victories that have been bestowed upon many countries during this World Cup.  

The few issues surrounding the World Cup aren't  enough to bring discontent in to its audience, but they should be a wake-up call to Michel Platini and FIFA to strongly consider new regulations regarding refereeing and instant replay to better the game.