Nikesoccer

Portugal Seeks Its Moment

adamspangler — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:34:02 GMT

Football history can be divided into seasons, championships or games, but history is in fact written in short instants. Centimeters that determine whether a pass is good or bad, tenths of a second that give you the advantage or disadvantage. Key moments that separate victory from defeat.

Portugal have 90 minutes before them to seek these instants against Hungary and to get on the road to qualify for South Africa.

How many instants fit in a match?

Business As Usual

adamspangler — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:51:15 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?

Reset the scoreboards: The Spanish League begins

socshep18 — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 01:06:40 GMT

What has happened so far is past tense. We must forget about past titles, classification rankings or losses. All scoreboards are reset.

The 09/10 season was a milestone, but the League is the League again, a place, where the world’s best players compete to achieve victories.
Cristiano Ronaldo faces the first day with a blank page in front of him. He came to rewrite football history, to erase the past and leave his mark forever.
Albiol, the new promise of Bernabeu will help him on this mission.

But there’s fierce competition waiting, starting with for example Zlatan Ibrahimovic, ready to record his name with golden letters in up to 6 tournaments, a champion who never tires of victory.
Furthermore, this year’s League will count on many selected candidates, who will be ready to make the difference throughout this season:
Kun Agüero, who will recuperate Atletico’s fame; Bojan, who with just 18 years old has a record many players wouldn’t be able to obtain throughout their entire careers; Iniesta, who will demonstrate once again that he’s great among the greatest; Mata, who got rid of the reputation of ‘young gun’ and will lead his club’s attack and Navas and Luis Fabiano, who will checkmate the Spanish and European defenses.
The hopes of millions of people are in the hands of a few, those who achieved to get there.
No more tests. The first whistle sounds.

Make the Difference

My Expectations are Greater than Yours

Gronamo — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:27:19 GMT

With Manchester conquered, it’s on to Madrid.

Now the world’s most expensive player has been unveiled before an 80,000-strong crowd, it’s on to business.

For every single screaming fan in the Bernabeu, that means just one thing - snatching the title from Barcelona.

The $130 million man is ready to launch his latest bid for supremacy wearing new, personally
tailored black Mercurial boots. Don’t bet against him.

The Superfly: a hat-trick of innovations

gabejazzy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:23:56 GMT

Look out defenders, Mercurial Superfly is coming. And it’s fast. The fastest boot in football is built on three key innovations.

Flywire technology provides the greatest stability from the lightest materials. Ultra-efficient dual density studs, give total traction at defence-beating speeds. And a revolutionary 7-layer carbon-fibre outsole mixes speed, strength and flexibility to help you get behind any back four.

The developers behind the Superfly overhauled every inch of its design to give Nike players the weapon they need to strike the killer blow come match day. And because our products always start with the player, it was input from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Alexandre Pato and Theo Walcott that made the Superfly the boot it is today.

Press ‘Play’ to see it in all its turf-burning glory.

The History of Speed - Mercurial Vapor II

gabejazzy — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:48:10 GMT

If the first two incarnations of the Mercurial were all about R9, the Mercurial Vapor II was the boot that announced CR7’s arrival at the highest level. While the original ‘Phenomenon’ was routinely slotting home 20-odd goals a season in La Liga, his Portuguese namesake was setting the English Premier League alight in the same boots – and earning the right to wear Manchester United’s legendary number 7 shirt.

Grace, guile – and the all-important Mercurial ingredient – goals. All these qualities made the young star’s rise through the United ranks as quick as his lightning fast feet. By the time the fans’ votes for the World Special Young Player of the Year in of 2005 had been counted, their verdict was clear: a new star had been born. And his weapon of choice was the Mercurial Vapor II.

Ignite Your Game

gabejazzy — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:13:54 GMT

Four skills. Four Challenges. Four months. One Mission: Ignite Your Game. Cesc Fabregas, Robinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Carlos Tevez lead a four-month journey to develop the core skills of first touch, agility, close control, and speed-revealing secrets of the small-sided game to take your game to the next level.

Cristiano Ronaldo Ignites Legends

gabejazzy — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:45:49 GMT

Congratulations to Cristiano Ronaldo on winning the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year. Ronaldo has ignited his game in a way that has the whole world paying attention and wondering what he will do next. His play style proved unstoppable as he blazed his way to 42 goals, while helping Manchester United win both the Premier and Champions League in 2008. Here¹s to Old Trafford¹s Number Seven, creating a legend on the pitch before our eyes.

Nike Pro - Albie is Tackleproof

gabejazzy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:15:30 GMT

Rarely, if ever, does Manchester United's kit manager Albert Morgan leave the team dressing room. While the team is out on the pitch, he's always behind the scenes preparing equipment. But after a particularly inspiring victory, Albie decides to borrow Ronaldo's Nike Pro shirt and hit the pitch. When he does, the aging kit manager shows off moves that would make even Ronaldo jealous.

Check out more Nike Pro.

The Man at City

Gronamo — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:34:14 GMT

Change of direction. For many, that’s the first thing that comes to mind when they hear the name Robinho. That man at City has got more than enough footwork at his disposal. A pedalada that leaves defenders completely shook. The type of flash that only makes one sound—ZOOM! On Sunday, however, Robinho posted a hat trick against Stoke because of his movement off the ball (not to mention some clinical finishing). Take a look at the second goal, and the slight way he changes the angle of his run at the last second, patiently staying onside while slipping past the defender and into the perfect passing lane. Goals win games, pure and simple, but sometimes it’s the small stuff that really makes the difference, if not the highlight. Nice to see Robinho’s finding his form in England.

What else went down? Liverpool edged Chelsea in the most publicized match of the weekend, Deuce Dempsey squared Fulham with Portsmouth, Barcelona’s offense exploded for five and, to nobody’s surprise, Cristiano Ronaldo walked away with some well-deserved Player of the Year hardware.

Rooney’s Renaissance

Gronamo — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:59:49 GMT

How good is Wayne Rooney playing right now? After losing to Man United 3-0 in Champions League on Tuesday, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said this:

“He is unplayable. We tried everything. When you see players like that, you’ve got to hold your hands up and say ‘I’ve just seen a world-class player.'”

23 years old. 99 goals. Rooney is already in the form of his life. What explains it? Difficult to say, although training with great managers and teammates for club and country surely couldn’t hurt. The tireless work rate and passion for the game have always been there, but now Rooney’s scoring goals and imposing his presence like never before. Heads up Cristiano, looks like this year you’ve got some award competition on your own team.

What else went down in European tournament action? Theo Walcott continues his rapid coming of age for Arsenal, which overpowered Fenerbahce; Barca trounced Basel in Switzerland and in probably the biggest match up for the week, Juventus versus Real Madrid, the Bianconeri came up huge.

The Road to 2010: Around the Globe

Gronamo — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:05:53 GMT

When soccer clubs across the world take the weekend off, the game just gets busier, and the stakes are raised. All the big names were on call with vital qualification points at stake: Rooney for England, Robinho for Brazil, Cristiano and Ibra in the Portugal vs. Sweden match-up. Here’show it all went down.

In England’s 5-1 pounding of Kazakhstan in London, it was all about the Man in the Middle. With Rooney rediscovering his scoring touch for club and country, these types of offensive explosions might be more frequent for a talented squad known for making things difficult for themselves. Having had to sit out Euro, England looks to be in the clear for the next stage of qualification.

Brazil followed suit against Venezuela, putting the pressure on their opponents early and often, including two goals from the fast and powerful feet of Robinho. It wasn’t the pedalada this time, but a long-range strike. When Ronaldinho’s back from injury, that oft-mentioned Brazilian samba will be that much hotter.

Portugal and Sweden tied in a close affair. Both Cristiano and Ibra had their share of scoring chances, but neither could find the mark. Too bad the Swedish striker will be sitting out the rematch because of yellow-card accumulation.

France didn’t exactly get the outcome they were hoping for against Romania, but at least Franck Ribery helped the FFF level up. The highlight of the match came in the 69th minute when Ribery’s teammate crushed a dipping shot from 35 yards out. One word: Dirrrrty.

The Manchester Three

Gronamo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 23:22:05 GMT

Blistering pace. No-look passing. Sledgehammer shooting. Imagine defending for ninety minutes against one of the best strikers on earth.

Now multiply that by three.

Welcome to the world of the defenders tasked with keeping Manchester United’s striking trio of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez at bay.

And if you thought a strikeforce made up of Portugese, Argentinian and British players would be hampered by communication problems, think again. The threesome’s telepathic link up play produced well over seventy goals last season.

As Wayne Rooney explains, their different cultural backgrounds mean nothing on the pitch. When it comes to football, all three players speak exactly the same language.

The Director's Cut

gabejazzy — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:31:30 GMT

The director has indicated there will be one minute of time added on.

Watch Next Level: Director's Cut here. More players, more action, more wish-I was-that-guy. Recut, remixed and rewired by Guy Ritchie. Take it to the next level.

A European Hat-Trick is Next Level

Gronamo — Thu, 22 May 2008 17:44:18 GMT

Winners in 1968 and 1999. Manchester United has done it again in 2008.

After 120 minutes of pulsating soccer, two goals and a nail-biting penalty shoot-out, United completed a hat-trick of European titles in Moscow last night. And, simultaneously clinched a spectacular double, with their second major trophy in ten days.

Man of the moment, Cristiano Ronaldo made an early contribution to the drama, marking the competitive debut of his superlight Mercurial SL boots with a towering header. The strike took his tally to 42 for the season and eight in the Champions League, securing the competition’s golden boot award.

But for all the inspired individual performances in a red shirt, it was United’s tireless teamwork that ultimately brought home the prize. Only three players from Sir Alex’s 1999 squad made it back for the 2008 final, proving the legendary Scot’s ability to build a second team of champions from scratch – cementing United’s place in the pantheon of Europe’s greatest clubs.

Because a hat-trick of European titles is Next Level.