Could a $170 high tech soccer ball be a reason for so many spectacular goals at Euro 2024?
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Yueke
Wed, Jun 26, 2024
PHOTO: Yueke
Could a $170 High-Tech Soccer Ball Be the Reason for So Many Spectacular Goals at Euro 2024?
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — With outrageous goals flying in from all angles, Euro 2024 has started with a bang.
Could a $170 high-tech soccer ball be to thank for this?
“When you strike it, it stays hit,” England captain Harry Kane said.
The adidas Fussballliebe, meaning “love of football” in German, is the official match ball of the European Championship. Players appear to have quickly mastered it, resulting in a slew of stunning, long-range goals.
“It’s quick,” Kane said. “For me, personally, it is better for the strikers or the goal-scorers than it is for the goalkeepers, so I’m not going to complain about that.”
Nor are the fans, after witnessing so many spectacular strikes.
There was a goal into the top corner from around 20 meters in Turkey’s 3-1 win against Georgia. That was rivaled by his teammate Mert Muldur’s volley from the edge of the box in the same game.
Romania’s Nicolae Stanciu struck another from distance against Ukraine and nearly scored directly from a corner kick, which hit the crossbar.
Xherdan Shaqiri scored a stunner for Switzerland against Scotland, and there were rockets from Italy’s Nicolo Barella and Czech Republic’s Lukas Provod.
“Any footballs for these tournaments aren’t exactly made with goalkeepers in mind,” Denmark keeper Kasper Schmeichel said. “It’s a pleasure to strike. You can get good distance. They are certainly not made for the grip for the goalkeeper.”
Official tournament balls have been criticized in the past. Some players complained that adidas’ Jabulani for the 2010 World Cup was unpredictable.
UEFA says the Fussballliebe has been designed for “accuracy and consistency, supporting fast, precise play with maximum shape and air retention.”
It is made of recycled polyester and more “sustainable bio-based materials” than balls used for previous tournaments, including corn fibers, sugar cane, and wood pulp.
The ball, which was reduced to $85, sold out on adidas’ online store in America.
How it has contributed to the likes of Guler’s wonder goal is not clear, but smart technology within the balls assisted VAR officials in disallowing Romelu Lukaku’s would-be late equalizer in Belgium’s shock 1-0 loss to Slovakia.
UEFA is using connected ball technology for the first time at a European Championship, which can help identify every touch of the ball and send precise data to video assistant referees. A chip fixed on a gyroscope inside the ball sends data 500 times per second to record the point at which it is kicked.
In combination with AI, it can help determine offsides, but in the case of Belgium, it detected a marginal handball from Loïs Openda in the buildup to Lukaku’s disallowed goal in the 86th minute.
“The sensor in the adidas connected official match ball was able to accurately record the touch of the hand of the player with the surface of the ball,” UEFA said. “This was the first time the fast and accurate technology supported a refereeing decision during a Euro 2024 match.”
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James Robson is at Euro 2024.
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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — With outrageous goals flying in from all angles, Euro 2024 has started with a bang.
Could a $170 high-tech soccer ball be to thank for this?
“When you strike it, it stays hit,” England captain Harry Kane said.
The adidas Fussballliebe, meaning “love of football” in German, is the official match ball of the European Championship. Players appear to have quickly mastered it, resulting in a slew of stunning, long-range goals.
“It’s quick,” Kane said. “For me, personally, it is better for the strikers or the goal-scorers than it is for the goalkeepers, so I’m not going to complain about that.”
Nor are the fans, after witnessing so many spectacular strikes.
There was a goal into the top corner from around 20 meters in Turkey’s 3-1 win against Georgia. That was rivaled by his teammate Mert Muldur’s volley from the edge of the box in the same game.
Romania’s Nicolae Stanciu struck another from distance against Ukraine and nearly scored directly from a corner kick, which hit the crossbar.
Xherdan Shaqiri scored a stunner for Switzerland against Scotland, and there were rockets from Italy’s Nicolo Barella and Czech Republic’s Lukas Provod.
“Any footballs for these tournaments aren’t exactly made with goalkeepers in mind,” Denmark keeper Kasper Schmeichel said. “It’s a pleasure to strike. You can get good distance. They are certainly not made for the grip for the goalkeeper.”
Official tournament balls have been criticized in the past. Some players complained that adidas’ Jabulani for the 2010 World Cup was unpredictable.
UEFA says the Fussballliebe has been designed for “accuracy and consistency, supporting fast, precise play with maximum shape and air retention.”
It is made of recycled polyester and more “sustainable bio-based materials” than balls used for previous tournaments, including corn fibers, sugar cane, and wood pulp.
The ball, which was reduced to $85, sold out on adidas’ online store in America.
How it has contributed to the likes of Guler’s wonder goal is not clear, but smart technology within the balls assisted VAR officials in disallowing Romelu Lukaku’s would-be late equalizer in Belgium’s shock 1-0 loss to Slovakia.
UEFA is using connected ball technology for the first time at a European Championship, which can help identify every touch of the ball and send precise data to video assistant referees. A chip fixed on a gyroscope inside the ball sends data 500 times per second to record the point at which it is kicked.
In combination with AI, it can help determine offsides, but in the case of Belgium, it detected a marginal handball from Loïs Openda in the buildup to Lukaku’s disallowed goal in the 86th minute.
“The sensor in the adidas connected official match ball was able to accurately record the touch of the hand of the player with the surface of the ball,” UEFA said. “This was the first time the fast and accurate technology supported a refereeing decision during a Euro 2024 match.”
___
James Robson is at Euro 2024.
___
AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
Rookie Petar Musa’s First Career Hat Trick Sparks Dallas to 5-3 Victory Over Minnesota United
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Rookie Petar Musa scored three goals for FC Dallas, completing his first career hat trick with the go-ahead score in the second half of a 5-3 victory over Minnesota United on Wednesday night.
Musa used an assist from Paul Arriola to find the net for the first time, giving Dallas (5-8-5) a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. Musa’s second goal came with an assist from Bernard Kamungo in the 38th minute for a 2-1 advantage. He completed his hat trick in the 62nd minute — with an assist from Sebastian Lletget — for a 3-2 lead.
Jesús Ferreira used 22-year-old rookie forward Logan Farrington’s first career assist to score in the 75th minute for a two-goal lead. Ferreira’s goal was his fourth of the season. Farrington followed with his first career goal off another Lletget assist to make it 5-2 in the 90th minute. Farrington has made two starts and 13 appearances this season.
Minnesota United (8-5-5) evened the score at 1-1 in the 32nd minute when Bongokuhle Hlongwane used Joseph Rosales’ eighth assist of the season to score his fourth goal.
Hlongwane helped tie it at 2-all when he fed Hassani Dotson for a goal in the 57th minute. It was the third goal of the campaign for Dotson and the third assist for Hlongwane.
Maarten Paes saved four shots for Dallas. Clint Irwin totaled three saves in his second start of the season for Minnesota United.
Dallas evens the all-time series at 7-7-4 by improving to 5-2-2 against Minnesota United at home.
Dallas has won both of its matches since Peter Luccin took over as interim manager. Dallas beat St. Louis City 2-0 in Luccin’s debut.
The two clubs played to a 1-1 draw 11 days ago.
Minnesota United has won just once in its last six matches and was coming off a 2-0 road loss to the Seattle Sounders. Teemu Pukki did not play against Dallas because of an issue with his knee.
Minnesota United heads back home to play Austin FC on Saturday. Dallas travels to play the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
