'The World Cup balls are getting faster and tougher for the keepers'
The new ball, which has been given the Arabic name Al Rihla (which means "the journey"), has been deemed by FIFA to be the fastest in the tournament's history.
Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet has commented on how the new model being used in Qatar will make it even more difficult for goalkeepers to make saves at the upcoming 2022 World Cup tournaments.
The new ball, which has been given the Arabic name Al Rihla (which means "the journey"), has been deemed by FIFA to be the fastest in the tournament's history.
"Year after year, it gets better for the strikers, and for us goalkeepers, it gets very tough," Rochet told reporters on Sunday ahead of the South Americans' first match of the 2022 World Cup against South Korea on Thursday.
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"This is a very fast ball," Rochet said. "We are in a process of adaptation."
The 29-year-old, who currently plays for Nacional in his native country, has established himself as Uruguay coach Diego Alonso's first-choice keeper, supplanting the 36-year-old Fernando Muslera, a veteran of three World Cups who is likely to be on the bench this time around.
"We have a very good group. There is no doubting the quality. A good atmosphere can be a good influence," Rochet added.
"But when the time comes to work, we focus 100 percent on what we have to do."
