You know something is wrong when a World Cup is on and a musical instrument creates the biggest buzz. It’s not like the vuvuzela deserves all the hype; it’s just that the football has failed to produce much.
Fans, expecting plenty of goalmouth action from the premier football tournament in the world, have been left largely disappointed, as just 25 goals have been scored in the first round of matches. (The corresponding figure for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups were 48 and 39 respectively).
A week into the tournament, all teams have played their first round of matches. Germany’s drubbing of Australia apart, all matches have been close fought affairs, with a goal or two separating the sides. That should make things interesting to watch, right? Or so you would think.
Investment banker Ankush Makhija echoes the views of most fans when he says teams have used a cautious approach in trying to avoid defeat rather than go for victory. “They are all busy guarding their goal, resulting in boring draws. For me, the real exciting part of the World Cup is yet to start,” he says.
However, purists are lapping up the well-fought battles. Media professional Clint Fernandes makes out a case for the joy of a tactical performance. “For me, Brazil having to fight for a 2-1 win against lowly North Korea or Switzerland gamely defending their lead against the might of Spain was the true joy of the World Cup,” he said.