Nikefootball Australia

10 men make the difference

BLOG_AU — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:03:09 GMT

Winning was critical for the Socceroos, playing a tough Oman opposition in front of an unforgiving away crowd.

Early blows in the form of a red card and a goal by Oman meant there were two options; give in or step up.

Australia played the only way they know how - tough and determined, and step up they did.

With a man and a goal down the Socceroos pulled together to respond with 75 minutes of herculean effort. No surrender.

In the end it was Luke Wilkshire and Brett Emerton who scored the crucial goals to make the difference.

Two minutes

BLOG_AU — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:53:37 GMT

In what was to be a routine match against Malawi, the Elephants left their biggest names on the bench and found themselves down 1-0 in the 63rd minute.

Enter Didier Drogba.

Two minutes on the pitch and the Ivorian superstar equalized, sending his homeland into the finals for the second successive time.

Two minutes.

Make the Difference.

In total control

BLOG_AU — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:18:06 GMT

The CTR360 is the ultimate control boot. Developed for players who pull the midfield strings. Players who specialise in killer through-balls. Players like Cesc.

On Saturday, Cesc wore the CTR360 for the first time, getting a chance to see how the boot would improve his game.

Over 90 minutes Cesc gave a stunning masterclass in the art of midfield play – setting up four of Arsenal’s six goals and netting one himself. No arguments who made the difference.

Want to dominate the game like Cesc?

Explore the CTR360

Start training now

Speed kills

BLOG_AU — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:08:39 GMT

Strikers are judged on goals.

But on Sunday, Drogba demonstrated the importance of every area of a centre forward’s game.

His electric pace and storming power laid on the two goals that gave his team all three points and left them standing at the top of the league.

Defenders: read it and weep

BLOG_AU — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:33:24 GMT

Four league hat-tricks in three seasons.

Five goals in his last two league games.

Fernando’s got his eye on the 2009-2010 golden boot.

Be warned.

Control is everything

BLOG_AU — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:28:24 GMT

You don’t need to score to change games. It’s all about pulling the strings.

On Saturday, Cesc showed the impact of his game-winning control as his inch-perfect through-ball laid on the goal that won the three points.

Be the player, behind the player.

Business as usual

BLOG_AU — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:26:56 GMT

When all eyes are on you, what do you do?

If you’re Cristiano Ronaldo, you do what you’ve always done.

Just 27 minutes into his European debut, he fired in a trademark free kick. Then added another in the second half.

Same again next time?

Turan on target

BLOG_AU — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:40:23 GMT

Playing quick is thinking quick. Pass? Dribble? Shoot? Make the call before the onrushing defender crunches into you.

Arda Turan got it spot on with a stunning goal and crucial role in Turkey’s 4-2 win over Estonia this weekend.

Watch Arda Turan stay ahead of the game.

Ronaldo’s Rebirth

BLOG_AU — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:55:05 GMT

All hands on deck and all eyes on one man. Every football fan in the world had a thought to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Spanish debut, and it would be understandable for even the consensus world player of the year to be a bit nervous. But if you tuned in for failure, you don’t know this coolest of competitors.

In the 35th minute, with the eyes of the world upon him, Ronaldo stepped to the penalty spot. A deep breadth, a swipe of a sleeve to catch the sweat from his face. Then no hesitation. A bullet barely caught on camera whizzed across the grass and passed the outstretched arms of a goal keeper who even guessed correctly, diving exactly where the ball had been. Past tense, had been. There was no stopping Ronaldo’s perfect penalty strike, and given the moment, perfect can’t pay it due justice.

Derby Demolition

BLOG_AU — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:28:50 GMT

The best teams learn from experience and build upon the past. Inter Milan did just that in only the second week of the season, and against their crosstown rivals, with whom they share a stadium. How’s 4-0 for a derby thrashing? If week one had Italian football fans questioning the defending champions, week two provided all the answers.

Inter’s new signings made the difference on Saturday, having a hand in nearly every goal. Wesley Sneijder, only signed by the team on Friday, was a surprise starter and tested the goal early. From their it was engineered destruction. Inter never let up. All that preparation showed from tactics to the intangibles. From building the squad, to preparing them properly, Inter were kings for the day, an unstoppable machine every team in Italy will now be fearing.

Nice wins nothing

BLOG_AU — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:39:08 GMT

What is nice? What's it ever won? Let's see its medals.

Ribery knows that nice never Made the Difference. To yourself in training. To the weaknesses in your game. To every last opponent.

Fast is never enough

BLOG_AU — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:34:07 GMT

Theo’s lightning pace terrifies defenders and turns games.

But it’s never enough. To Make the Difference, fast must be fused with an insatiable hunger to be better. To be more than any opposition can handle. Every single week.

Don't Forget About Aguero

BLOG_AU — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:28:08 GMT

It is finally Sergio Aguero's time. Cut from the mold of many past and present Argentine football legends, the stout striker is now earning his own reputation as clubs the world over pine for his play. But Atletico Madrid decided to hold on to their powerful prodigy this summer, and it paid off over the last week as the Spanish club advanced to the group stage of the most prestigious European tournament.

Aguero was the difference maker in both games, nabbing the game-winner in the first leg in Athens, Greece, and then adding icing on the cake with the second goal which sealed a 5-2 aggregate finish.

Aguero's power and pace really make the difference in a competition when all the players are highly skilled. If not for that extreme strength and fitness, Aguero could be just another talented Argentinean. But look no further than his second goal to see how he separates himself: Aguero blows through three defenders, somehow keeping his feet, and effortlessly slots the ball under the keeper and into the right side of goal. Of course the announcers want to compare him to Argentineans past, but don't forget Aguero is his own man.

A Hero in Training

BLOG_AU — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:54:40 GMT

The preseason is all about putting in the work, training hard to get ready for the season, but still people were worried when Milan lost eight consecutive games in the process. But their Brazilian duo, who have promised to be the difference makers in offense this season, came through for their team right when it mattered most.

A tumultuous off season in which leaders left has energized and empowered wunderkind Pato, who in the process of taking the offensive reigns up top for Milan has helped revitalize his countryman, Ronaldinho. Both have been killing it this off season and appear set to carry Milan. It didn’t take long for the duo’s hard work to pay off. Just about 30 minutes.

Ronaldinho played a knifing ball out front of the charging Pato who quickly caught up and coolly slipped the ball into corner of the net; 1-0

Twenty minutes later, after Milan conceded a goal, the magical duo were back at it again, with Ronaldinho carving up the midfield again before the ball found Pato again in the middle of the box with a point-blank shot on goal. You can’t stop that: 2-1.

It looks so easy, but don’t mistake the hard earned skill for some Brazilian birthright. The amount of practice Pato puts in is the difference between heroes and the merely talented. The 20-year-old now has 29 goals in 63 games for Milan, and this season is set the make the biggest difference yet. Grabbing two goals in the first game is a nice start.

Wayne Rooney’s 100th Goal for Manchester United

BLOG_AU — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 01:39:16 GMT

Sometimes a team needs a saviour, but they always need a difference maker. This year as Manchester United deals with the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Spain and a heartbreaking early loss, Wayne Rooney is set to be both.

He told you before the season the difference for him this year is scoring more goals. Rooney began his tally early this season and continued his strong start this past weekend, scoring his 100th and 101st goals for Manchester United.

No longer the teen phenom, the century mark launches the hulking striker, still just 23, into the record books along side the all time top 20 goal scorers for his historic club. By the end of the season, we could be talking top 15. Rooney needs 21 more goals to reach that mark, and in a season where he is expecting to carry the load, that's a difference he very well could make.