Balls, grass, and thin air

In addition to the players and coaches a number of other conditions could play a part in determining the outcome of the World Cup. Although I feel these variables are a bit overstated, they are important to keep in mind.

Adidas creates a new ball for every major tournament using the latest in ball technology. The new ball inevitably creates controversy, this years ball dubbed "Jabulani" is no different. I remember the ball was controversial prior to the 2006 World Cup but once the games began it became a non issue. I imagine that the same will occur this year.

This year the turf is also an issue. Traditionally, southern hemisphere grass is longer and very similar to a golf fairway. Northern hemisphere grass(Europe in particular) is short and slick, more like a green at the US Open. This year the grass is a bit of a hybrid and there is some concern that it will not hold up. The poor quality of the turf was evident in the US v. Australia tune up on June Fifth.

Finally, the altitude in South Africa is a storyline. As most sports fans understand altitude is a legitimate concern especially since the altitude varies considerably for each stadium. Players from a number of nations are already feeling the impact (here and here).