Would be interested to see stats that show if this is actually true. My feeling is that there probably isn't a big difference
This is an interesting topic and here are my views on it:
Since the 90's in particular (USA 94 specifically) there has been some ideas knocking around to make the game a more higher scoring one. America like high scoring sports - basketball and NFL and FIFA dream of Soccer becoming as dominant as those because that is where the big money is - hence the next WC being in Canada/USA and Mexico.
I recall that when the MLS was in the planning stages there was talk of having no draws: so if a game finished 1:1 or 2:2 there would be some sort of decider and not a pen shootout. One idea was striker starts on the centre spot one-on-one with the keeper and there is a 30 second countdown for them to dribble and try to score.
I have long felt the way to go is a slight increase in goal sizes. When football was invented the goal width was set as 3 average men laid down gead to toe. But in 1875 I bet an average man was 5ft 6" to 5ft 8" I bet now its more like 5ft 10" - 6 ft. I would make the goals 4" wider and 2" taller and try it out in say a under-18 tournament and then analyse the stats.
But a universal increase in goal sizes has 3 main problems: i) the actual cost of changing all the posts in all the parks and all the schools and all the small stadiums would be astronomical. ii) the rise of the womens game would be an issue - the goals as they are now are probably right for them iii) there might be opposition from places like Japan or S. Korea both of whom did well at this WC but with smaller players on average than African/S. American and European teams.
So leaving aside the goal-size issue, what other way have FIFA got to try and inject more excitement/goals into football? Well there is really only one - ball technology. But that has issues too. I seem to recall that at the South Africa World Cup 2010 they had a particularly light ball but every single free kick went flying high and/or wide, it was just too light especially in some games at high altitude stadiums.
I was watching a game from this world cup recently and the commentator said the ball was slightly lighter than the one used in the Premier League, so perhaps FIFA are trying again. You would think a lighter ball would be swerving and dipping more than a heavier one, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I reckon that modern manufacturing techniques produce a more uniform ball without weight or texture imperfections, so it flies straigher than old ones. But that is just my opinion.
One thing is for sure, lighter balls are here to stay, not least because of the issue of dementia in ex-footballers who headed heavy leather balls in the 50s and 60s and that has to be a positive thing.
Does anyone remember those Adidas boots with little rubber flaps on the kicking area (Beckham advertised them if I recall) that was supposed to help put some swerve on a free kick or shot. Were they banned or was it just a gimmick that fell out of favour?
