Nikesoccer

Nike Academy: Inter Milan

NSblog — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 22:48:27 GMT

Strikers Tobi and Mustapha were playing amateur football until they earned their place in The Nike Academy. A year after winning The Chance, they're part of the squad that took on the Italian giants Inter Milan. Against players from one of Europe's most successful clubs, the team proved that reputation means nothing. Respect your opponent. Fear no-one.

Follow their journey.

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The First Step

DonJulio — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:49:07 GMT

With South Africa a distant memory, Europe turns its focus on the long road to 2012.

Miroslav Klose and Mirko Vucinic proved the match-winning difference for their sides, and Ruud Van Nistelrooy made it a goalscoring return to international duty. Fernando Torres continued his return to full form and fitness with two goals but Klaas Jan Huntelaar’s devastating hat-trick was the highlight.

And with strong starts for Serbia and Turkey as well, every team will want to repeat the feat tonight.

The winning standard’s been set. Who has the quality and consistency to maintain it?

Have your say and don't miss a single Write The Future moment. Join the conversation with Nike Soccer on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. Watch all the latest videos from Nike Soccer on Youtube.

Never Give Up

DonJulio — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:35:29 GMT

Just 120 seconds to turn the game. 120 seconds to destroy the opponents.

You need character to continue believing after 85 losing minutes. But if you are Inter Milan you can’t give it up.

The first to believe is Wesley Sneijder, serving a perfect assist to his mate. Then he fights to reach the ball and score the second goal.

This crazy Inter Milan never gives up.

Don't miss a single Make The Difference moment. Follow Nike Soccer on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. Discover more about Inter Milan at their team page.

Landon takes lead

DonJulio — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 16:54:49 GMT

First rule in making the difference: show up. When it comes to national team duty, though, showing up requires getting selected. After Saturday night in Sandy, Utah, where the US Mens National Team defeated El Salvador 2-1, no US player has been chosen more than Landon Donovan. Already the USMNT’s all time leading goal scorer, Saturday he set a new all time record for qualifying appearances with 32.

And it came on a night when the stand-out American assisted on both US goals, earning him man of the match honors.

In the best form of his career, Donovan is poised to make the next year a special one, with a domestic cup for his club and a trip to South Africa for his country in his sights. And no one thinks those teams could reach those goals without America’s most prolific goal scorer. That’s the definition of difference maker.

Next up in the record books: all time cap leader. Donovan currently has 116, good enough for the most of any active player and fourth all time. The record stands at 164, well within the reach of the still youthful 27-year-old’s career span. Landon should add to his total on Wednesday when the USMNT travel to Trinidad and Tobago for the next round of qualifiers.

Must Win Starts Now

adamspangler — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:07:10 GMT

The USMNT doesn't have to win every game from here on out in order to qualify for South Africa, but losing even one could cause some problems in a group of nations so tightly packed.

So you prepare like every game is a must win.

As the MNT begins the final push towards qualification for South Africa next summer, they know they will need to be at their very best because at this point in the progression the dreams of every nation hang on the result of each game. The little guys become giant killers, and the giants must stand their ground. That means being prepared for battle.

Before the national anthems, before the stadiums fill with fans, before the bright lights turn on, making the difference on game day means putting in the time at training. National team fitness coach Barrieu is charged with getting the player in shape to handle the rigors of international soccer. In the video above, he explains one of the drills used by the MNT by putting Charlie Davies and Michael Bradley through the workout.

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

Rooftop Dedication

Gronamo — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:22:23 GMT

Nearly 1000 FCB fans turned up Thursday night to watch current champions of Europe and Spain publically unveil a new futsal court on the roof of the Montablan Theatre in Hollywood, CA.

Nike and the LA84 Foundation partnered to create the new community rooftop court as part of a commitment to build and/or refurbish 84 playgrounds throughout Los Angeles. Nike and LA84 - a group dedicated to serving youth through sport - believe the new surfaces will rejuvenate the community by giving kids safe places to lead healthy, active lives.

The event was hosted by Max Bretos & Patricia Lopez and featured special guest Mia hamm, Alexander Skarsgard & Gilles Marini. Fans watched the team play a game of 3 v 3 with celebrities and also engaged in Q & A session.

FCB is stateside for thier preseason US tour consisting of a series of friendly matches in LA, Seattle & San Francisco.

FC BARCELONA SOM UN

Gronamo — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:37:12 GMT

Witness the reigning Champions of Europe and Spain in action as the team unveils the new Nike LA84 Foundation community rooftop court in Hollywood.
Hear from FCB legends including Guardiola, watch the field dedication and 3 v 3 match with special guest Mia Hamm. Plus, be one of the few to win VIP seating!

Nike Soccer Presents

The Montálban

1615 Vine Street

Hollywood, CA 90028

Thursday, July 30th 4:30PM - 6PM

Space is limited. Please RSVP your entry to rsvpnike@nike.com .Tickets for theatre seating will be provided outside of the theatre on a first come, first serve basis. Only 1 ticket per person. Outdoor event viewing will be available in south parking lot on the corner of Vine St & Selma.

Hope to see you there!

Clean Sweep

Gronamo — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:21:00 GMT

It might not have been one of the blowout victories we've become used to as WNT fans, but there wasn't much to complain about as the ladies brought home a 1-0 victory in Charleston, S.C. Wednesday night.

Well, maybe the heat. Even though the kickoff was at 8PM, the players couldn't escape the muggy 80 degree weather under the lights. And after a frustrating first half of no goals on a handful of solid tries, the weather seemed to reflect the mounting stress.

So Coach Sundhage turned to the youth of the team to light a fresh spark on the attack. And it paid off. The game winner finally came in the 89^th^ minute and the WNT would hold on to clinch the second straight 1-0 victory against our neighbors to the north.

But let's not forget our secret, if relatively silent, weapon. We can always count on Hope Solo to be her usual self, as she made two point blank stops late in the game to save the clean sheet and ensure the sweep of the series.

Now it's back to professional (or collegiate) play for the WNT, as they prepare for the start of their WPS seasons, where they'll hone their skills for the next round of international bouts. And good luck to the Men's team as they face Honduras today at 6PM ET in Chicago (FSC).

Coming to America

Gronamo — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:30:26 GMT

This summer the inaugural World Football Challenge has arrived stateside, giving Americans a chance to watch some of the top international club talents up close. Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, CA saw the first action on Saturday, as reigning Italian champions Inter Milan took on the perennial Mexican powerhouse Club America.

~~p-15388~~ and ~~p-15768~~ were both looking fresh in their newly unveiled Nike kits, but it was Club America that had the initial swagger and support of a home team. They might have been a long away from their home stadium in Mexico, but the constant yellow streamers and screaming Mexican fans were telling signs of the region’s support for the club.

Club America opened the scoring in the 46th minute when Mexican international and veteran Pavel Pardo put a bending corner right onto his teammate’s boot, for a low volley past Inter’s keeper.

But Inter boss Mourinho made it clear he wasn’t giving up easily – friendly or no friendly. Subbing in prized striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the roars of the 31,000 + in attendance, Mourinho threw injury concerns to the wind and pressed the search for an equalizer.

He got what he was looking for in the 60th minute, as Inter finished on a near post header off a precision corner. Club America would eventually win 5-4 in penalties, but the physical play and start studded line-ups showed the fans that no soccer match is to be taken lightly.

Club America sits in first atop the WFC standings with 3 points. Look for more matches to come throughout the week at the All-American venues Rose Bowl and Georgia Dome.

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.

A Tale of Two Halves

Gronamo — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:50:12 GMT

In their first full international final, the US MNT came roaring onto the pitch in blistering form. What a difference a week makes, as the red, white and blue showed the world all the pride, passion and skill that was lacking in their group stage game against Brazil.

Riding a wave of confidence after their semifinal win against world #1 Spain, the US struck first blood when Deuce Dempsey did what he does best – one-timing a pinpoint cross into the side netting in the 10th minute. Opportunistic and lethal, Deuce tallied for the third time in as many games, earning the tourney’s Bronze Ball for his big-game heroics.

The US did the unthinkable 17 minutes later when they went 2-0 up on Brazil for the first time ever with what is arguably one of their greatest goals of all time. Ricardo Clark started the play intercepting the ball in our defensive third and outletting up the middle to the streaking Donovan, who one-timed it out to Charlie Davies, who returned the favor back to Donovan with one touch. Donovan then beat his Brazilian defender with a perfectly taken first touch, sized up the keeper and slotted the ball in the corner of the net. As clinical and surgical a counterattack as you could ever hope to see.

The second half was another story, as Brazil finally found their way around tournament Golden Glove winner, Timmy Howard, to draw one back. And, from there Brazil mounted wave after wave of attacks, constantly threatening until the US was finally undone 3 – 2. Congrats go out to Brazil, who played phenomenal in the second 45 and, in particular, to Luis Fabiano who scored two of the three to win the Golden Boot.

So while they may not have come away with a victory today in South Africa, the US MNT has served notice to the world that they are capable of beating anyone on any given night. And as they go into qualifying matches for South Africa 2010, Landon had this to say:

“We’re at the point where we don’t want respect; we want to win.”

Master Close Control

Gronamo — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:08:02 GMT

Make the pitch your playground with magnetic touch.

Watch the video to see how Carlos Tevez, Robinho and Ronaldinho keep the ball stuck to their feet and tie defenders in knots.

Dance Past Defenders with Robinho

Gronamo — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:06:04 GMT

Robinho grew up playing street football, no rules, no pitch – just skill. Now his lightning-fast changes of direction and mesmerizing footwork make him one of the game’s most feared forwards.

Take a look at the video to get tips, hints and analysis from Robinho on how he uses his close control to menace any defence in the world.

Nail your close control with Tevez

Gronamo — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:04:11 GMT

Nail your close control with Tevez.

The player that can’t be penned in, can’t be stopped. Get killer close control and devastate defenders.

Watch top European coach Jens Bangsbo put Carlos Tevez through his paces, giving him everything he needs to dribble his way round dogged markers.