Nike Football Great Britain

Lay it on the line

gareth.nettl — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:46:19 GMT

The pros have made their pledges on how they will Make the Difference. What are you saying?

This is your chance to lay down a marker for your season. Five more goals than last season, win every 50-50 ball, never lose your man.

Whatever your aim, make it public on Facebook.

Then get on the pitch and make it happen.

Make your pledge on Facebook

T-90 Ascente Testing - Juventus

gareth.nettl — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:32:06 GMT

Date: 09.02.09
Location: Vinovo, Italy
Weather conditions: Sunny, light wind. Perfect training conditions.
Pitch conditions: Wet. A few heavy patches of water and some sandy sections.
Players and staff: Christian Molinaro, Claudio Marchisio, Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira. Some of the team were away on international duty.

Tester’s notes:
Sunny day, soft breeze. Ideal. Long and short-range passing led by Coach Schincaglia. Team session: keep ball lasted for over an hour. More than 100 touches on the ball. Schincaglia pleased with every one of them: “It’s great for tight control and one-two passes.” Shooting session: finishing drills for the strikers. Ball flight is clean. Barbetti Luigi: “I like this. It’s great.” Goals look good with this ball. And so do the players. “Fans will love it. They’ll see great goals.” Molinaro’s right.

T-90 Ascente Testing – Arsenal

gareth.nettl — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:31:29 GMT

Date: 04.02.09
Location: London Colney
Weather conditions: Extremely cold. Temperature range from -5C to +5C. Conditions changed from sunny, blue skies to cloudy with snow and rain.
Pitch conditions: Ploughed snow. Ground soggy but firm.
Players and staff: Abou Diaby, Nicklas Bendtner, Jack Wilshere, William Gallas, Denilson, Eduardo, Mikael Sylvestre, Carlos Vela, Alexandre Song, Lukas Fabianski, Manuel Almunia, Arsene Wenger.

Tester’s notes
Freezing conditions. Heaviest snowfall in 18 yrs. Balls inflated to 12.5 psi exactly. Arsene had a juggle & some one-touches w Paul Johnson. “It’s good, it’s lively.” The keepers... Almunia worried. “Not good for goalkeepers. Again!” Sorry Manuel. (Great for fans though.) Team session. Wilshere : “Yeah, it feels good on the touch.” Shooting session: Ball flight and rotation were true. Some spectacular long-range shots. Get ready Premier League – spectacular goals are coming.

Get the T90 Ascente from NikeStore

T-90 Ascente Testing – Barcelona

DonJulio — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:49:02 GMT

Date: 28.01.09
Location: Ciutat Esportiva
Weather conditions: Clear blue skies, no wind, sunny. Temperature of 15C.
Pitch conditions: Short grass (1.5cm). Good conditions. Pitch was sprayed 10 minutes before training.
Players and staff: The full squad took part, except Gai Yigaal Assulin. Head Coach Luis Enrique led the session.

Tester’s notes:

Warm, clear skies. Perfect conditions. Balls filled to 11psi.

Team session: Running with ball in pairs. Short passes. Headers, chests, volleys. Busquets, coached the keepers: “The touch is perfect.”

Accuracy contest: all players on 16 metre line. Who can land the ball in the centre circle? Puyol took it. Who can hit the cross bar, repeatedly? Iniesta walked away with this one. They say he always does. I like to think the ball helped. Massip: “There’s no wobble, the ball goes straight at its target.”

Shooting session: led by Assistant Coach Joan Barbara Mata: “The ball bends nicely when you shoot.” Next stop Arsenal.

Get the T90 Ascente from NikeStore

Dutch Master

gareth.nettl — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:47:33 GMT

The whistle blows for a free kick just outside the box. You’re handed the ball. So what’s it going to be? Power or placement?

For Wesley Sneijder, the answer is easy. Don’t choose between the two when you can deliver a killer combination of both.

Give Sneijder a set piece and his brain’s already whirring. How far out is it? How hard is the ball? What’s the angle? The wind speed? What boots is he wearing?

Being one of Europe’s dead ball masters isn’t easy. But when free kick magic happens this often, you know it’s not coincidence anymore. It’s next level skill.

Most Wanted London 2 highlights

gareth.nettl — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:52:02 GMT

It’s the first and last rule of Most Wanted: reputations don’t mean a thing – it’s all about what you produce on the day.

And with Most Wanted returning to the capital for the final day of trials, places in Sir Alex’s elite 22 were getting ever harder to grab.

Someone who knows better than most how to produce on the big occasion, Teddy Sheringham dropped by to see the quality on display, and give tips to the contenders on how to perform under pressure.

Step forward Sam Mason-Smith and Marcus Rose – two young stars who refused to wilt when the heat was on. Stay tuned for the next instalment of Most Wanted, as Sam and Marcus join the other 20 players who’ve proven themselves worthy of a place at Sir Alex Ferguson’s training camp.

If you can’t wait that long for your next football fix, check out highlight reels from the Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester and the first London Most Wanted trials.

You can also upload your photos and videos from the day at the Most Wanted Facebook group.

Bootcamp Drill of the week: Change up

gareth.nettl — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:05:52 GMT

A footballer changes speed 1300 times in a game. That’s a whole lot of variation to build into your training if you want to leave your opponents kicking air.

With Bootcamp's Change Up drill, you’ll be changing speed every 20 seconds. So get set. Get psyched. And get ready for a whole new world of acceleration on the pitch.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: Chest and go

gareth.nettl — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:52:26 GMT

Stopping the ball with your chest is a skill. Controlling it is an art.

See how Barcelona hero Andrés Iniesta hones his touch with ‘Chest and Go’ – the latest Bootcamp Drill of the Week.

Keep the ball close as you drive forward, then flick it up, control it with a deft chest trap, and spank it into the waiting net.

Speed, balance, and explosive finishing – it’s the killer combination that only Bootcamp delivers.

Cool Under Pressure

akqa — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:28:04 GMT

Some players are so committed you know they’d walk through fire to improve their game. Literally.

Step forward Cesc Fabregas – a man with the coolest head on the team, whatever you throw it him. Even a flaming football…

Brazilian Ping Pong

akqa — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 09:10:16 GMT

From the beaches of Brazil to the most awesome football arenas in the world, Ronaldinho’s proved his feet are worth their weight in gold. And so are his boots. Ronaldinho shows us what he can do in his very own Tiempo Legends. Anyone for Brazilian Ping Pong?