Injuries

As usual, a lot of national team players got injured before the World Cup. It's always disappointing to have an injury and not to be able to play matches, but when you have to miss the World Cup, it's just terrible. This time, some world stars are upon the victims. Radamel Falcao, the Colombian striker playing for AS Monaco, has been suffering a serious knee injury since January. As no one expected him to recover before June, Falcao himself announced that he might be fit enough to play in the World Cup. In May, he took his words back and said he had to wait until the next season to start playing again. Theo Walcott is another great forward with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. For him, recovery didn't go as fast as expected. Originally, he had good odds of being able to play at the World Cup, but along the way, he turned out less fortunate. 

It seems nowadays there are more and especially longer lasting injuries. I think this is caused by the amount of matches players play in a season. Up to 70 matches every year or often more is common in the modern football. Most competitions exist of 38 matches, all countries have a national cup competition, which is up to about 10 matches and Champions League is a 13 match tournament for the teams in the final. Together 61 matches, and it isn't the end. There are (qualification) matches for the World Cup and the European Championship, qualification matches for continental competitions (Champions League, Europa League ea) and friendly matches with the national team and the clubs. It's when the players are tired and not fully concentrated when the worst accidents happen. I think there shouldn't be this much matches in every season. If there are fewer teams in the national and international competitions, there are less matches and the players will be able to play with more power and there will be less injuries. Another solution is allowing more substitutions or allowing players to return in the field after benching, like what happens in hockey. The matches will be more interesting to see and visit, so everyone, the players and the spectators, wins. However, as long as Sepp Blatter is boss of the FIFA and therefore boss of the football, such developments will not take place.