Goals are being scored at a record pace at the World Cup, as the ball is one reason for the surge

GUADALAJARA, Mexico: It’s been goals galore so far at the World Cup.
The tournament has been one of the highest-scoring in history so far and produced nearly 25% more scoring than the same span of games in the previous World Cup.
One reason for the increase in scoring might be the ball that FIFA is using for this tournament.
FIFA says the ball has been designed with deep seams to produce “optimal in-flight stability,” and players and coaches say it has been rocketing toward goalkeepers at a high velocity. There is also added grip to help striking and dribbling in wet or humid conditions.
“This ball is as fast as a cannonball.

I think today and the last couple of days, you saw if you kick the ball in the right position, it’s extremely difficult to save,” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said.
The games are also running longer because of increased stoppage time related to hydration breaks that are new for this tournament, allowing more scoring opportunities. And the tournament has a bigger talent gap because of the expanded 48-team field that debuted this year.
Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo said he was not surprised by the number of goals considering the talent of the players at the World Cup.

He said also said attackers are more protected by officials than they used to be.
“They didn’t have this protection some 20, 30 years ago, when they were hit a lot more, when rough play was a lot more common,” he said Monday. “Today, any team that defends well and uses counterattacks and tries to play, can manage to do well.”
The result: Fans were treated to 121 goals in the first 40 games of the tournament, and many of them came from internationally known players.
Premier League players are scoring the most
More than half the goals