A Voodoo Ball for WC?

JOHANNESBURG (AP)—Several players are going all out in criticizing the new World Cup ball, with more than one comparing it to those bought at a supermarket.

And it's not just the keepers who are out of sorts.  Strikers and midfielders are complaing as well.
The ball is called Jabulani, which means “to celebrate” in isiZulu, but not many are celebrating it so far. It’s hard to find a player who is happy with it, and those who don’t like it are not hesitating to voice their displeasure.
“It’s very weird,” Brazil striker Luis Fabiano said Sunday. “All of a sudden it changes trajectory on you. It’s like it doesn’t want to be kicked. It’s incredible, it’s like someone is guiding it. You are going to kick it and it moves out of the way. I think it’s supernatural, it’s very bad. I hope to adapt to it as soon as possible, but it’s going to be hard.”
Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar on Saturday called the ball “terrible” and was the first to compare it to those plastic ones bought at a supermarket. Italy striker Giampaolo Pazzini said the same thing, calling it a “disaster.”
“It moves so much and makes it difficult to control. You jump up to head a cross and suddenly the ball will move and you miss it,” Pazzini said. “It is especially bad for the goalkeepers if it means they concede a goal because they can’t judge the trajectory.”

Adidas traditionally launches new balls for each World Cup and they usually cause controversy because of the changes prompted by the new technology being introduced. Most of the time the ball becomes speedier and goalkeepers are the ones most affected by it. But this time the livelier ball is causing problems for field players, too.
Here are some of the quotes from other players:

“There is no way to hide it, it’s bad for the goalkeepers and it’s bad for us. It’s really bad. The players try to cross it and it goes to the opposite direction they intended it to go.”  Brazilian midfielder Julio Baptista

“It’s sad that such an important competition like the World Cup has such an important element like this ball of appalling condition." Spanish keeper Iker Casillas

Adidas said the technology on the Jabulani is “radically new,” and when launching the ball in December said that small dots on the ball’s surface would help it have “an exceptionally stable flight and perfect grip under all conditions.”
FIFA and Adidas did not immediately return messages seeking comment Sunday.
Adidas has released some promotional materials in which some of its sponsored players praise the ball, including Kaka, Michael Ballack, Petr Cech and Frank Lampard. Ballack called the ball “fantastic.”

Maybe Lampard will rethink the wonderfulness of the ball after his missed penalty today. 
*voodoo chanting*