12/21/24
May 17, 2010
Will Altitude Be Factor at World Cup?: Seven of the 10 World Cup soccer stadiums in South Africa are at elevations higher than 2,100 feet, raising the issue of whether altitude will be a factor. The United States will play its first-round games at Rustenburg (4,920 feet), Johannesburg (5,750 feet) and Pretoria (3,981 feet) but will be preparing for the tournament on the East Coast at sea level. "Hard work is best accomplished without being at altitude," said U.S. coach Bob Bradley. "You need to be at levels where you can push it and recover properly."
"Hard work is best accomplished without being at altitude," said U.S. coach Bob Bradley
I don't know if he's being close with his info in some Belichickean way or if he is as stupid as that sounds. Because it sounds like someone who's never worked out at altitude. My Dad talks about what a shock it was to go through basic training, get into the best shape of his life and then get shipped to El Paso. Kind of redefined his standards of "in shape".
posted by yerfatma at 09:36 AM on May 17, 2010
"Hard work is best accomplished without being at altitude," said U.S. coach Bob Bradley. "You need to be at levels where you can push it and recover properly."
When the US effort has a strong drop-off midway through the first game we'll know why.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 10:00 AM on May 17, 2010
Ballack is out. Again.
I think the altitude thing is a tad overrated. Denver teams have that advantage over basically everyone else on the continent and they don't seem to be winning more often than anyone else.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:06 AM on May 17, 2010
When I lived in SA, I always found anywhere on the highveld took a bit of getting used to if I'd been at the shore for any length of time, but the extent of my physical endeavour (golf aside) was at most running 5km in the morning 3 times a week. The only discernable factor that I really needed to pay attention to was that a golf ball will fly about 10% further in Johannesburg than it will in Cape Town or Durban. Maybe we'll see some startlingly pacey free-kicks in the high stadia.
[pedant] USA's third game is against Algeria, but they're not being forced to travel there to play it. It's in Pretoria. [/pedant]
posted by JJ at 10:28 AM on May 17, 2010
Thanks, pedant. But remember what Douglas Adams said. Your day is coming.
posted by rcade at 11:34 AM on May 17, 2010
Denver teams have that advantage over basically everyone else on the continent and they don't seem to be winning more often than anyone else.
What about the stamina sports - any advantage for the Rapids, for example?
Rugby teams from Australia try and stay a week or so on the high veldt before playing games to acclimatise. Rugby kicks tend to go 10-15 per cent further at altitude as well. It's a pity then that Ireland didn't qualify (that's a joke). But as JJ says - there could be some interesting free kicks.
posted by owlhouse at 08:20 PM on May 17, 2010
Couldn't say with any certainty about soccer training, but some central and east African distance runners train at altitude and then do very well in events at lower altitudes in various locales.
However, some of that may be due to an initial desire to do extended incline training, and they get the altitude component in the bargain.
Also, with the match temperatures in S.A. in June, I'm assuming that they'll be heading into their coolest months of the year at that time. Don't know how chilly it gets down there in the Southern Hemispherical winter.
If the US sea level training is producing high fluid loss without taxing blood oxygenation and the S.A. matches provide an approximate reverse of those challenges, it could be a tough haul for the team.