Finally, to the weather, the colourful crowds and the trouble-free, friendly atmospheres at the games can be added another big plus for those watching on television around the world—the pictures are of stunning quality. Joe Cole did not just score one of the goals of the tournament when he gave England the lead against Sweden, controlling the ball on his chest then executing a text-book dipping volley to beat Andreas Isaksson from 30 yards out, he was caught doing it by the sort of camerawork that normally brings lizards catching flies or lions stalking their prey to your living room.
As the ball comes out to him you can see his eyes swiftly checking left and right to make certain he has time and space to himself. He deliberately lets the ball rise off his chest, rather than trapping it to the floor in the usual way, so that he can hit it cleanly on the way down. Then, eyes on the ball all the time apart from the briefest glance up to establish the whereabouts of goal and goalkeeper, he strikes with perfect precision. Anyone teaching football technique a few decades from now will not need to talk too much—just press the Play button and watch. If the football at this World Cup is approaching 1970 standards—the technology is already miles ahead.
