Nikesoccer

Time for Iniesta

DonJulio — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:23 GMT

He couldn’t help the national team in the last competition, but now he’s ready to put on his boots again for Spain and show everyone that when a great player returns, his comeback is great as well.

The next match against Argentina is no friendly for Iniesta. Playing against another favorite for South African success is the perfect opportunity to fire a warning. For Iniesta South Africa is already here.

Time to make the difference. Time for Iniesta.

Don't miss a single Make The Difference moment. Follow Nike Soccer on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.

CTR360 Is Ready For Action

adamspangler — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:28:29 GMT

How do you make Cesc, Iniesta and Mascherano even better?

Give them a boot specifically developed for their game.

So this week we gave the players who pull the strings in midfield the ultimate control boot. One built to spark counter attacks, play defense-splitting passes, to dominate the game: the CTR360.

Look out.

See the boot.

We are European Champions. We are One.

gabejazzy — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:46:32 GMT

Barcelona strode into the Stadio Olimpico, on a mission to become Europe’s greatest. Led by Iniesta, they claimed every ball in midfield,
virtually passing Man Utd into submission as they took down another of the giants of the game.

Lifting the greatest prize in club soccer means that in Pep Guardiola’s first season as manager, Barcelona have become the first Spanish team
ever to win the treble of the league title, the Copa del Rey and now Europe’s biggest prize.

Barcelona were never just 11 on the pitch. Instead, Europe’s finest came together on the night that mattered most.

And, now you have a chance to get the latest jersey of one of the world's most dominant clubs: FC Barcelona.

Play to the end

gabejazzy — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:27:29 GMT

At 1-0 down, reduced to 10 men, with seconds left, it can look like you’re down and out.

Then, up steps one of the world’s great midfielders.

One shot, one goal, one place in the European final.

MÉS: More than football

Gronamo — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:37:23 GMT

This is more than a match. It is where MÉS allows refugee children to be part of a team and have fun together through football and education. MÉS helps these children to feel joy, freedom, trust and pride. This is more than a victory. It is the chance to help them rebuild their lives.

MÉS is a partnership between FC Barcelona, Nike and UNHCR to bring sport and education to underprivileged youth and refugees around the world.

The net proceeds from the sale of MÉS-branded products will be distributed through the FC Barcelona Foundation and UNHCR to fund projects, which contribute to sports and education for some of the most disadvantaged youth and refugees in the world.

At mesfootball.org you can join the movement to make a difference in these children’s lives. On the MÉS website you can watch video from the Nakivalle tournament in Uganda, check out the product, show your support by joining the gallery, grab the MÉS digital pin for your own blog, or make a donation directly.

Join the cause Join the community on Facebook Check out MÉS gear at NikeStore

Bootcamp: 5 Things You Need to Know

Gronamo — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:03:20 GMT

Everybody's talking about Bootcamp. Why? Because it delivers the very latest world-class professional soccer training directly into your hands. For free. And it's guaranteed to power your game with a serious performance boost.

Interested? Here are five Bootcamp factoids to get your training juices flowing.

1. It's a new way to train. There are skill programs. And there are conditioning programs. But Bootcamp's hardcore aerobic conditioning works you hard with the ball at your feet. So your technique grows alongside your speed and stamina.

2. It's where the pros go. Bootcamp is designed by top pro conditioning coaches ~~p-1608~~ and Paul Winsper. And brought to life by stars like Andres Iniesta and Klaas Jan Huntelaar. It doesn't get any better. Fact.

3. It's on mobile. Watch your vids right on your chosen training pitch. Then time your drills and even count out your tempo with a toolkit of handy training tools.

4. You can choose your level. Bootcamp has three programs. Choose according to your level of fitness and commitment. Choose your start date. Choose to stick to it. That's it. Simple. Want to play it your way? Then just browse the drill library and make up your own program for some training a la carte. It's up to you.

5. It's equipment-lite. Bootcamp doesn't need much more kit than you, a ball and some willpower. Some drills are based on minimal exercise gear, but alternatives are always offered. And sure, it'd be great if you have goals and cones...but you are officially encouraged to make use of what you've got.

Want to see more? Check out the Drill of the Week compilation at our Youtube Bootcamp Playlist.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: Step It Up

gabejazzy — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:28:15 GMT

Step up your game with Andrés Iniesta in Bootcamp's Drill of the Week.

When a game's deadlocked and there's no room for manoeuvre, it's the fastest feet that open up space for a match-clinching moment of magic.

Now do what The Man says: shoot. Score. Relax.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: Chest and go

gabejazzy — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:25:08 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.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: Shoot

gabejazzy — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 16:24:17 GMT

A ball. A 60 metre course. Nets at either end. And an instinctive hunger for goals.

That’s all you’ll need for ‘Shoot’ – the latest Bootcamp Drill of the Week.

Watch a maestro at work, as Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta shows how to shake off those tired legs and fire your team to glory in the dying seconds of a crucial match.

Work on it. It’ll make the difference.

Bootcamp Drill of the Week: High Gears

Gronamo — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:40:43 GMT

Who would you back in a race between a scooter and a sports car? And which would you rather be driving?

Changing speed is at the heart of top-level soccer performance, so every player needs a smooth-changing gearbox to win the races that matter over ninety minutes.

Bootcamp's High Gears drill gives you the tune-up you need to shift up and down the gears with ease when that match-winning sprint is on – for the loose ball, the last-ditch tackle, or that glimmer of a goalscoring chance.

Show how much do you want it?

NIKETOWN Chicago Hosts FC Barcelona

Gronamo — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:30:24 GMT

On Friday afternoon, the historic Catalan club FC Barcelona visited NIKETOWN Chicago and were greeted by a sea of fans in red and blue. Hours before the squad arrived, Barca fans packed themselves into the main floor around the stage. The energy in the room was fantastic – football fans were eagerly waiting to see some of today’s biggest stars, while passionately chanting, “Barca, Barca, Barca!”

The time finally came when the club roster took the stage and they didn’t disappoint. Over twenty of Barcelona’s first team and reserves were waving to the crowd – on U.S. soil! Imagine walking into NIKETOWN, seeing a graphic of your heroes Bojan, Iniesta, Puyol, Marquez and Abidal, looking across the room and seeing them in person. NIKETOWN Chicago went ballistic.

Captains Carlos Puyol and Rafael Marquez, who the crowd referred to as Mr. Barcelona, were the first to speak. They reminded Chicago’s Barca followers that FCB is more than a club, with a strong desire to contribute back to the local community. Barcelona then made a generous donation to the Urban Initiatives non-profit program, which will help provide local children and schools with a better future, education and healthy environment. The donation was followed by a Q&A session, where the young members of Urban Initiatives each had a chance to ask these world-class players a question or two.

An hour later, it was time for the team to head off for a training session and they had to say goodbye. The crowd cheered them off and the memorable experience of seeing these La Liga all-stars up close and personal made a lasting impression on everyone who was there. Chicago football fans walked away with a great FC Barcelona encounter.

Train the Barca Way

Gronamo — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:47:24 GMT

Following their star-studded appearance at NIKETOWN, FC Barcelona took off for Toyota Park for an early evening training session, open to the public! The atmosphere was electric on the football pitch. Thousands of fans showed up to fill the stands, while the fabled FC Barcelona team trained for two hours. These guys are some of the greatest players in the sport today and it was great to see how they performed in training.

They may be on a U.S. tour, but it’s no vacation. Their season begins in a few weeks and coach Pere Guardiola has his new-look squad working hard to get match-sharp for a run at La Liga and Champions League. A light warm-up started things off, which quickly turned into a serious string of drills, scrimmages and match-like situations for the players to go through. The Barcelona squad shared laughs and smiles in the break, but don’t let that fool you, when the ball came into play it was intense. Hard tackles, deft touches and fluid passing was the only way for any player to survive out on the training pitch.

These teammates expect the best of one another and demand even better. It was a pleasure to watch Puyol and Marquez direct from the back and Iniesta roam the middle like a true maestro. Meanwhile, Bojan has taken his game to yet another level and it looks like the 08-09 season for Barcelona is full of potential. As the training came to a close and the sun hid behind the stadium seats, Barcelona left the pitch spent but satisfied, and they do this twice a day. That’s what it takes to make it to that level and that’s the work ethic that took Barcelona to a 5-2 win over Chivas Guadalajara on Sunday!

Barca will be looking to build upon this success when they take on the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium on Wednesday.

Meet Your Heroes

Gronamo — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:31:23 GMT

F.C. Barcelona will be taking over NIKETOWN Chicago on Friday, August 1 at 5 pm. That’s right, Rafa Marquez, Carlos Puyol, Andres Iniesta, Bojan Krkic and the rest of Barca’s all-star lineup will be signing autographs, shaking hands and taking photos with thousands of their North American fans. So don’t miss this chance to meet these super heroes of soccer, because this group of players could very well go on to be Barca’s best ever.

Eye to eye with your idol is next level.

NIKETOWN Chicago

669 N. Michigan Ave.

Chicago, IL 60611-2801

Phone: (312) 642-6363

Take Your Game to the Next Level

Gronamo — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:08:15 GMT

300 young Spanish footballers told the heroes of their national team how to take their game to the Next Level. The Big Five of Torres, Iniesta, Ramos, Puyol and Fábregas gave their replies. It does not matter whether these guys are talking with their feet or not - you'd better listen up.

The Challenge

gabejazzy — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:25:39 GMT

How badly do you want to be a soccer player?
Sign up for Nike Bootcamp.