5) Brazuca – 2014 World Cup
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Brazuca (a colloquial term for ‘our fellow’ or slang for ‘Brazilian’) saw the number of panels reduce even further. The ball which was used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil was made up of only six polyurethane panels. It was supposedly designed to ensure that the same aerodynamic problems that saw the Jabulani criticised were not repeated.
To put it to the test, they even had an aerodynamics expert from NASA test it. Dr Rabi Mehta tested the ball in a wind tunnel and said, “The most important thing on the soccer ball is how much roughness you have. The amount of roughness dictates what the critical speed is going to be at which you get maximum 'knuckling' of the ball.”
Fewer panels saw the ball become smoother due to fewer seams. The spin and curve on the ball is usually affected by the seams which cause a high and low pressure to develop around the ball – the Magnus Effect. Since the ball was smoother, the “knuckling effect” was increased. Hence, they made the surface a little rougher to resolve this issue.
Nevertheless, Buffon still had issues with the ball. “Its trajectory is unpredictable,” he said. Even Brazil striker Luis Fabiano said its trajectory was ‘supernatural’.
