Well guys my time in the ball is up and after 31 days of living and breathing football, I am leaving the ball.
I can't believe it's all over! It has been a fantastic experience and I could have stayed longer... I guess I really am the ultimate football supporter. There have been so many highlights during my time in the ball, but for me, the highlight has been meeting so many interesting people, especially some of my sporting heroes during the Top Boot Challenge. I am not surprised that no one beat the Phantom Footballer at the Hot Lap, but I cam happy that I came second!

It was great having my Dad here in the ball this morning, I enjoyed watching the final with him as it is a long standing family tradition. Even though the game wasn’t the exciting final that I hoped for, I am glad Spain emerged victorious. It was a well deserved win for the only European team to ever win a World Cup held in a country outside of Europe.

You may have seen me on Sunrise and The Morning Show this morning. I really enjoyed chatting to the hosts, I talked to them when I entered the ball on day one so it was nice to share my thoughts with them 31 days later. I have done so many photo shoots, radio and TV interviews over the last month and I was just starting to get used to them… I don’t think the media will be very interested in me when I go back to my normal life!!

It’s going to be strange not having my lap top open 24/7 so I can Tweet and Blog all day… I have really enjoyed sharing the experience with you guys online. Maybe I should start a Man Out of the Ball blog when I get home!!! Thanks to everyone who followed me online over the month, and of course, thanks to everyone in Melbourne who came to visit me in the ball at Crown. I can’t say I will miss people watching me and banging on the windows at all hours of the day and night, but it was great fun while it lasted.

Finally, thanks to the guys at adidas and their wider team for giving me the experience of a life time. I am so glad that you picked me to live this journey… I hope it was as much fun for you as it was for me!

Guys, adidas are giving one of you the chance to win an adidas Jabulani signed by Tim Cahill. For your chance to enter click here. Luckily Tim has signed a personal one just for me, otherwise I would be signing up straight away! Well, I’ve got to catch a flight to Sydney and head back to reality.

Over and out for the last time.

Adam, Man Out of the Ball.

Well, today is my last full day in the ball! My time in here has gone so quickly and I really have enjoyed every minute! One more sleep and I am back in the real world.

When I look back on the last 30 days I can’t believe everything that I have experienced. I have met some great athletes, many celebrities and talked to some entertaining media across radio, TV and print. I have watched every single minute of the 63 games so far, and enjoyed the dramatic ups and downs of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. People have asked me so many times how I have managed to live inside a 6 metre tall soccer ball on the banks of the Yarra in Melbourne in complete public view, and if I am hanging to leave. And the answer I have given every time is “No”. I really have enjoyed the experience that adidas have given me and as I’ve said I would have been doing exactly the same thing if I were sitting in my own living room. This way has just made it even more interesting and entertaining!

This morning’s game between Germany and Uruguay was a good one, with Germany securing 3^rd place in the 2010 FIFA Wold Cup. With a final score of 3-2 there were lots of goals and some exciting moments.

I really can’t believe tomorrow morning is the World Cup Final. Time has just flown and I’m anticipating a good match between the Netherlands and Spain. I’m going to be supporting for Spain and I think they will win 2-0 against the Dutch. I’ll be having a few guests with me in the ball tomorrow morning to watch the final so it should be fun and finish off my unique World Cup experience with a bang!

Following the Final tomorrow morning I will be leaving the ball for the last time – and you’ll be able to watch it live on Sunrise and The Morning Show!

Until tomorrow – thanks for all your support!

Adam

Only 2 Sleeps to go... and my time in the ball will be over.
 
Tomorrow morning is the 3rd and 4th playoff between Germany v Uruguay.
This game is not always the greatest of spectacles as most teams play players that haven’t seen much action in the tournament and the game is not really treated with much importance. No doubt it will still be competitive, but no one really remembers who comes 3rd or 4th in World Cups!
 
Yesterday was a busy day in the ball as we opened up another general public Top Boot Hot Lap Challenge. Hundreds of people came down to the ball to either participate and all went home happy, with either a prize or one for one lucky winner a new adidas football.
 
I also received my pair of miadidas boots that I created at the Bourke St adidas store a few weeks ago. They look awesome, even better than they looked on the screen and I can't wait to wear them on the pitch. I’m sure I will have some envious opponents and teammates. With any luck I may even score a few more goals in them!
 
The talk recently has been about Paul the psychic octopus and his remarkable tipping streak. Paul actually follows me on Twitter...so where do you think he gets his tips from?!
 
It is going to be sad to leave the ball but all good things must come to an end eventually. The Final is only two sleeps away and the atmosphere is building. I can’t wait.
 
Viva La Espana!
Adam

The days are quickly running out. Only 4 days to go....and they are going fast! Now is the time to latch onto something sturdy and hope they let me stay a bit longer.

A couple of nights with no football will definitely test me. But I am confident given I have got this far that they won’t faze me too much. The anticipation and expectation for Monday morning’s final is rising - Spain v Netherlands. It will create history with it being the first time a European side has won the World Cup outside of Europe and also the first time either of these countries have won the tournament

I had a fun day yesterday with the guys from Virgin Active coming down to the ball for my weekly training session. But yesterday I decided to turn the tables and instead train them! And believe me, I worked them hard! Check out some of the videos of what I got them to do.

I also checked out what an UMU is - I've modelled it for you in my latest video!

The most popular question over the last few days is "Are you dyeing to get out"? The answer is "NO". Strange as it may seem, I am not dying to get out of the ball. I am not scratching at the walls or counting the seconds. I have enjoyed my time in the ball and I am making the most of the time I have left.

If you are in Melbourne make sure you come by and say hi. Today we will have the Top Boot Hot Lap Challenge again open to the public and also have some UMU's to give away.

Hope to see you down here!

The Finalists are now known, with Spain going through to Monday morning's final against the Netherlands!

This morning’s game was a bit of a letdown however with Germany disappointing. The youthful exuberance and confidence is what had got Germany this far, however in big games like a World Cup Semi Final that inexperience can cost you. The pressure and expectation increases ten-fold and the inexperienced German side just could not deal with it.

Spain has had players that play regularly in big games, like the Champions League, and they seemed more comfortable from the outset and it showed in their football. Spain dominated possession, but had trouble scoring. Germany weathered the storm until the 73rd minute when veteran Spanish defender, Carlos Puyol, fired home a cracking header. Spain are lucky not to have paid the price for their lack of goals, as football has a way of often being quite cruel.

The young German players have the ability now to go to as many as 3 World Cups, so it augers well for the country. They have played great football and destroyed powerhouses in England & Argentina. But on the big stage their youngsters looked like "deers in the headlights" but they will be better players for the experience and a major force yet again in Brazil 2014.

Spain now ride a wave of pressure and expectation as many expect them to account for the unheralded Dutch. Monday morning’s final should be sensational and I just hope we get the attacking game that each team is more than capable of presenting.

Vicente Del Bosque made the bold move of not using Fernando Torres for the Semi Final and it will be interesting whether Spain's lack of conviction in front of goal means he includes the Liverpool star to take on The Netherlands.

Outside of football, I’ve enjoyed some fun times in the ball over the last two days. Jobe Watson and Sam Lonergan from Essendon FC visited me yesterday and we enjoyed a NOBU lunch in the ball. It was fantastic! I also got the boys to give the adidas Top Boot Hot Lap Challenge a go! They did a good job but didn't manage to knock Harry O'Brien or Dale Thomas of the leaderboard! Check out the video!

I had a massage in the ball yesterday which was brilliant…if not a little awkward! It’s hard to get down to your jocks for a massage when you have hundreds of people strolling by looking into the ball. They certainly got a lot more than they bargained for!

Today I have had two Virgin Active personal trainers down at the ball which was a bit of fun. I decided to make things a little light-hearted and turned the tables on the guys by training them instead of the other way round! Plenty of fun was had and I thank the guys at Virgin Active for all their efforts over the time. Sure I have been a bit soft, a bit of a whinger and in constant pain, but I know it has been doing me good!

Tomorrow we will open up the adidas Top Boot Hot Lap Challenge to the public so make sure you pop down to the ball around lunchtime and see what lap time you can get! We will have a heap of adidas prizes and giveaways such as Umus, Vuvuzelas and more. Let’s see if anyone can beat my time!

See you tomorrow.

Well we know the first team that will take part in Monday mornings final. And although I give full credit to Uruguay, no one is really surprised that it is the Netherlands.

The 3-2 final score flattered the South Americans a little, with Netherlands being the superior side and summed up how I have been describing the Netherlands all tournament - solid but not spectacular. Uruguay breathed life into the game late on with a late goal and then continued to pepper the Dutch goal in stoppage time.

It made for some nervy moments and you could sense for a moment that Uruguay's fairytale run was going to continue. I have mixed emotions for Uruguay if they had been there in the first place given the tactics they used. Sure it’s in the rules, but is it in the spirit of the game? Credit to them though as they have had a tremendous tournament and have a big chance for third spot in the 3rd v 4th playoff on Sunday morning our time.

Netherlands had already been pencilled in by many to make the final, and as a result we saw the pressure all over the Netherlands side. It showed earlier on, but eventually the Dutch settled and the class difference told in the end.

I don’t think the Netherlands can win. I believe the winner will come from tomorrow’s game of Germany v Spain. Each of these teams have been spectacularly devastating and have the ability to play teams off the park. The Netherlands haven’t got the quality all over the park in my point of view.

Good to have the football back and it only adds to some exciting days coming up in the ball. Yesterday we had Dane Swan, Tyson Goldsack & Sean Rusling down from the Collingwood Magpies to have a crack at the Top Boot Hot Lap Challenge.

Dane was the front runner out of the three, but unfortunately could not touch his teammates Harry O & Dale Thomas. I’m sure the banter at trainer will be quite interesting this week as a result. The 100 gamers will ensure that everyone within the clubs know about it!

Their rivals from Essendon get their chance today to take on the Hot Lap and it should make some interesting viewing.

Today we have media interviews galore, the Bombers visit, chance to catch up with my sister from Sydney, hopefully sit down for some State of Origin (GO NSW!), and then...what a game!! GERMANY v SPAIN

Plus plenty of tweeting, video diaries, blogs and more.

Two pure football sides that go out to win the game, have an emphasis on attack and are good to watch. I may even put in for some overtime!!!

Guys, this time next week I will be out of the ball... scary stuff I know! I'm not looking forward to heading back to reality I must tell you.
 
I had a fun day yesterday. I slept all morning and then had a visit from Harry O’Brien from Collingwood Football Club. Credit to him, he beat me in the World Cup trivia, but only after I gave him some hints. I was one number off in two questions... not that I am a sore loser or anything. 
 
He then took on the adidas Top Boot Hot Lap Challenge and although he didn’t beat me in that (who could) he did manage to win the bragging rights against his teammate Dale Thomas... and then proceeded to ring him to let Daisy know all about it immediately. Did anyone mention these boys are competitive?! Both guys play their 100th game this weekend so I wish them luck, and I am sure the banter will be spirited at training this week.
 
More Collingwood players are making their way to the ball this afternoon and I’m sure they will want to have a crack at the Top Boot challenge and hopefully upset Daisy and Harry O.
 
Another night of football meant another night filled with various soaps, cooking contests and comedies. BRING BACK THE FOOTBALL!! But also a night full of Twitter & Facebook chat. Good to interact with you guys and have a bit of fun.
 
I’ll be out and about these next few days filming so make sure you pop by and say hello... you may even make it on camera!!
 
See you soon, Adam.

Well it’s Monday morning and that means there are only 8 days to go until I exit the ball. I have no idea where the time is going!
 
Another day without Football means another day of keeping myself occupied. Luckily for me Harry O’Brien from Collingwood Football Club will be popping by to keep me company this afternoon. I’m told he is a keen football fan and has been keeping a close eye on all the World Cup action. I will have to put his knowledge to the test! With any luck we will also get him to take on the adidas Top Boot Hot Lap Challenge...lets see if he can get anywhere near my time. Not likely I say!!
 
I will be having plenty of visitors to the ball in the coming days as the World Cup final gets closer and closer. Family, friends and many more athletes and celebs will ensure that my final days are full of fun and excitement… fingers crossed they don’t go too fast.
Make sure you pop down to the ball to say hello. Maybe you will be the one to knock off the Phantom footballer and get to the top of the score card in the Top Boot challenge?

I will be hitting the streets with the Vuvuzela's this week and doing a bit of street talk so make sure you keep a look out on Twitter to find out when that’s happening. I may even have some prizes up my sleeve!

The Countdown is on and time is almost up. I don’t want to leave my new home. Reality is a lot harder than life in the ball!
 
Until later – Adam, Man in the Ball.

Another whopping 9.5 hours of sleep today which means that my blog is going to the presses a little late today. The first week in the ball I wasn’t getting enough sleep, and now I am getting too much. Perhaps I am getting a little too comfortable J

Last night’s action saw the final two Quarter Finals. The first was between Argentina and Germany that shaped up to be the best game of the tournament so far. Two sides blessed with attacking options and free flowing football - the game could have been anything. Unfortunately Germany blew Argentina out of the park. It still made good viewing though as the Germans played scintillating football and carved up yet another high profile side.

I predicted Germany would win going into the game as I had doubts over Argentina's defence and after what Germany did to England I felt they would be too good. Argentina's problems were all defensive. They had no trouble scoring goals and creating opportunities, they just struggled keeping them out.

Germany are moving the ball with ridiculous speed and precision and they continue to show up the best defences. They have now beaten Australia 4-0, England 4-1 and Argentina 4-0. Maradona will be savaged back home for underachieving however he selected his best defence - they simply were not good enough. It is unfortunate that the criticism should rest with him.

In the other Quarter Final, Spain scored a less than comfortable 1-0 win over Paraguay. Paraguay had chances to win and did a tremendous job of hassling and harassing Spain throughout. Cardozo had a penalty saved by Cassilas that would have put Paraguay in front, only for Spain to break immediately and win a penalty of their own some 15 seconds later. Xabi Alonso stepped up and scored his penalty only to have it disallowed for encroachment (this is because players must not enter the 18yrd box until the kick is taken).

Alonso then stepped up to retake, only to have his kicked saved. Replays then showed that in Cardozo's penalty Spain players where guilty of encroaching also and he should have been awarded a retake. Just another example of controversy in this World Cup!

David Villa was again the hero for Spain with yet another goal. This again shows the brilliance of Barcelona who snapped him up in a transfer prior to the World Cup. They would have had to pay double after the tournament given the World Cup he is having!

So the Semi Finals are set:

URUGUAY v NETHERLANDS

GERMANY v SPAIN

The later is going to be a game for the ages. Two teams that are all out attack and that will go out to score goals and play "Football". I think this game will determine the winner of the tournament as I cannot see Uruguay or Netherlands beating either. 

I favour Germany as Spain haven’t exactly had smooth sailing this tournament and any team that destroys England & Argentina as they have would have to be favoured.

Life in the ball is good! It is hard to believe there is only a week left. Tomorrow Harry O’Brien from Collingwood Football Club in visiting me in the ball. He is a huge World Cup fan so I am looking forward to having a chat to him and debating over what is to come in the final stages of this World Cup.

Until tomorrow - Adam

What an evening of Football we had last night!! The Blog is late to the presses today after a whopping sleep, but I had to come crashing down sometime after all the excitement of last night’s games.

The first game saw the Netherlands pull off the shock of the tournament and knockout Brazil, who along with Spain where tournament favourites. The Netherlands deserve credit for seizing the occasion. Arjen Robben was the standout for them and everything he did he looked dangerous and created opportunities for his side. The Netherlands 2nd goal came somewhat against the run of play and Brazil started to become frustrated with their inability to recover from the deficit. What followed was some horrid challenge that saw them go down to 10 men, and in all honesty they could have lost at least another.

Holland now roll onto play Uruguay after Uruguay defeated Ghana in the most dramatic game in World Cup history for some time. Ghana were coming home like a steam train in extra time and were unlucky not to score on numerous occasions. In the final seconds of extra time they had a header cleared off the line with a blatant use of the hand by Suarez. He was promptly sent off and Ghan received a penalty. Had the ball gone in they would have been the first African team in History to play in a World Cup Semi. However Ghan hit the bar and we went to penalties. Having taken numerous penalties in my career, you are always nervous stepping up. But you try and have a plan. Try not to overcomplicate things. Simply pick a spot, don’t waiver and hit the ball with some venom. Ghan seemed to change his mind mid-penalty (pressure will do that to you) and sent it crashing against the crossbar. The hardest penalty to take is the one after you have missed previously and credit to Ghan for picking himself up and taking the 1st of the shootout. A penalty which he dispatched brilliantly and you wonder why he could not repeat that with the initial spot kick minutes earlier. At the end of the day Uruguay held their nerve to win the shootout 4-2 and book a World Cup Semi with Netherlands.

It sickens me reading this morning of Suarez hailing himself as a hero for his blatant handball preventing Ghana from scoring and keeping his side in the game. What Suarez did was cheating. Plain and simple. FIFA should change the rule so that if it is certain a goal would have occured as it would have in last night's example the goal should be credited. We should not need to go through the presure and at times chance of a penalty kick. A clear goal was obstructed and as a result Ghana have missed out on a spot on the Semi Finals which would have been a first for an African nation in the history of the World Cup. Milllions of youngsters watch the World Cup and I now fear many when pressed in a similiar situation as Suarez and Uruguay will act in the exact way. This is not good for Football.  

Brazil crash out and will go home expecting a grilling. The people of Brazil only expect success from their team. Ghana and Africa will continue dreaming. It is the 2nd successive World Cup that Ghana has been the top African side. Tonight, we have another smashing game - the pick of the tournament for me. Germany v Argentina... and there is no where else I would rather be to watch it than inside the ball which has now become my home!

I am on the home stretch with 10 days remaining. Time is flying by and I’m trying to hold onto it before it slips away and make sure I make the most of the opportunity whilst I have it.

Until tomorrow,

Man in the Ball – Adam.