What Makes a slow start?

1.6 goals in 11 matches is among the slowest starts to a World Cup. Indeed, it lacks almost a goal per game in comparison to recent tournaments. The general style and temperament from the starting teams is raising a prominent question: why is there seldom world class football at the biggest world cup stage?

Reputation

Conservatism is certainly the most suited adjective to the opening of the world cup. Alan Hanson observed that ‘no one is going for broke’ in these early stages. Maybe they don’t need to? The optimist in me would account the slow start to a general ‘settling in’ of teams, looking to avoid a disastrous start and safely progress through the group. But the style of football thus far would prompt the pessimistic view that few teams have managed to bond, and a defensive outlook is merely compensating for what they aren’t doing around the rest of the pitch. If it was the reputation they were trying to protect, surely the Australians and South Koreans have best achieved this task, playing the rare football that deserves to be displayed on such a stage.

The ball, the territory

Is it coincidence that the only team to score more than two goals is the nation most familiar to the Adidas Jabulani ball. It may seem a contradictory angle; a ball that moves and swerves was suppose to create goals rather than stifle them, however, there is an sense of unfamiliarity. This unfamiliarity of ball and of territory, often unnerves teams and pushes them into adopting an unadventurous style. An interesting note can be seen from the kick off. The teams are often opting to pass the ball back instead of kicking it forward. Without trying to be psycho-analytical, this does seem to reflect a distinct conservative attitude.

Big teams, big players, small performances

France set the precedent for what was to come from the seeded teams. The imagination, flair and vigour that are associated with both French and Uruguayan players at club level were engulfed in what only can be described as mundane repetitiveness. Argentina, England, Holland and Cameroon (tipped as the most likely African winners) were culpable of the same crime. When a team boasting the shirts of Teves, Mascherano, Veron and of course Messi are unable to score (or look like scoring) more than one goal in a match they dominated, one must start to ask questions. Many of these questions are being directed at the stress players are under. The strain of the excessive fixtures injured in average season has shown its wear and tear in the form of injuries across the globe. Ballack, Nani and Ledley King are but a few of the English Premier League players effected by injury. The expectation of the top players may have become daunting.... a paragraph I will cut short as I witness Ronaldo rattle the post from a 30 yard screamer.

The Word Bubble

Its certainly worth checking out The Guardians word bubble. A live bubble that is compiled by key words from Tweets throughout the game with the objective of showing popular sentiment of viewers. I bring it to your attention because it certainly makes a good reflection of the world cup so far:

(Common Tweets)

Its not a thriller; A Disappointing Performance; Not a lively start; Should have done better;

Theres a Mexican wave- not a good sign; Not much in the way of chances; half hearted.

As the group stages progress, a ‘settling in’ of teams as well as the need to perform will hopefully perk up what is a slow start to the 2010 World Cup.