Nikesoccer

Make Fast Your Friend

gabejazzy — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:40:15 GMT

Vaporize your opponents with the new Mercurial Vapor FG, the fastest women’s boot Nike has ever put on the pitch. The Mercurial Vapor FG has a Teijin microfiber upper that adjusts to the contours of your foot, creating a perfect fit every time. And its streamlined construction makes it one of the lightest in the game. But don’t let its feather weight fool you – this cleat is as tough as they come, with covered lacing for an extra large ball strike area and direct injected heel studs that let you cut on a dime. Combine that with a foot-hugging chassis built for speed and you’ve got a cleat that doesn’t just compete – it dominates.

US Women’s National Team member Carli Lloyd on the new Mercurial Vapor FG:

“I feel great in the new Vapor. It’s a perfect fit. I like the colors and the weight of it, and I also like the materials – it’s a bit of a softer feel than the old Vapors. I’m not distracted at all because the boot feels great. They’re comfortable and allow for a great touch on the ball.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Buy the Mercurial Vapor FG

You Better Be Quick

Gronamo — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:55:53 GMT

On the 22nd of November some of Europe’s most exciting players tore up the pitch in the Nike Mercurial Vapor Rosa Nike Mercurial Vapor Rosa – the new color for speed.

The Mercurial Vapor is all about turf-burning pace. For 10 years it’s been helping the world’s fastest players squeeze every last drop of acceleration from their game. And for the last 7 years, the Premier League’s top scorer has worn the Nike Mercurial Vapor.

Featuring a patented Vapor Traction System, the Mercurial Vapor Rosa delivers low-profile acceleration and multi-directional grip for match-winning changes of pace and direction.

Keep your eyes on this site to see all the Rosa magic as it unfolds.

Man On Fire

gabejazzy — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:07:26 GMT

Cristiano Ronaldo is in ridiculous form. Everything the Man U winger touches seems to find its way into the back of the net. He’s gone beyond great, and has entered a realm that simply defies description. So why try?

The best free-kick he had ever seen in the Premiership.

Ronaldo scored two stunning goals in the midweek game against Portsmouth to give his team the full three points, and top spot on the EPL table. With the two goals, CR7 upped his league-leading tally to 19 for the season. And, the second strike had Sir Alex beaming from ear to ear, as he said it was the best free-kick he had ever seen in the Premiership.

Since C. Ronaldo debuted his new Mercurial Vapor IVs on January 12, he has been absolutely en fuego. He has played four games with the new boots and has scored eight goals. He has now scored in five straight games for Man U. It’s gotta be the boots, money!

The man is truly on fire. And, he is now being compared to the Best of the best.

In other soccer news from around the world, the African Cup of Nations continues this Sunday in Ghana. The last games of the group stage have taken place, and now the quarterfinals are set in stone. And, not surprisingly, African stalwarts, Ivory Coast and Ghana, are still alive behind the phenomenal play of Drogba and Essien, respectively.

Quarterfinal matches:

Sunday, February 3
Ghana v Nigeria
Ivory Coast v Guinea

Monday, February 4
Egypt v Angola
Tunisia v Cameroon

Donovan Does It

gabejazzy — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 03:22:13 GMT

When Landon laced up his magical Mercs for Saturday's match he was tied for the most international goals by a U.S. player with 34. When he unlaced them after the 2-0 victory against Sweden, he stood alone in the history books with 35. Big ups to the most lethal striker this land has ever known.

But, the levelheaded Donovan kept it all in perspective.

"I wouldn't classify it as important but it's something that I'm very proud of," said the striker. "More so than scoring goals, being part of the team for a long time is something I'm proud of. For me, the most important part of any game is helping the team get a victory."

Landon and the rest of the guys will now set their sights on February 6th, when they take on archrivals Mexico in Houston.

Don't let ‘em tread boys!

And, this just in, the Women's National Team bested China 1-0 to take home the title at the 2008 Four Nations Tournament. That's the perfect end to a weekend of dominance. Well done!

Encore Performance

gabejazzy — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:33:37 GMT

The Mercurial IVs are back in action this weekend and are poised to match their head-turning debut. Those of you in the States will get your first taste of the fiery orange boots when Landon laces them up for the US MNT match against Sweden on Saturday. He'll be hunting for the all-time goal-scoring record, so we figured it's only appropriate that he dress in style.

Meanwhile, the other half of US Soccer continues making moves at the Four Nations Cup and will look for a win or a tie against China on Sunday to take home the tournament. And, with Tarp's four goals in the last two games, offense doesn't look like it'll be a problem.

In England, the top three sides - Man United, Arsenal and Chelsea - are all in action this Saturday. Man U's got Reading on tap and will be looking to extend its winning ways. We don't even need to mention that guy named Cristiano. Except to say he had three last week, and will be hungry for more. Arsenal is away at Fulham for a match that might be closer than expected. Both teams have something to fight for since Fulham is currently in the relegation zone. Both are also missing important players due to the Africa Cup of Nations (Drogba's there too). Deuce will be strapping on the Mercs to add to his team-leading goal count, but Bocanegra may still need time to recover from an eye injury sustained last weekend.

In Italy, Ibra and Inter will look to extend their lead atop the Serie A when they face Parma. AC Milan's new intergenerational Brazilian strike force of Pato and Ronaldo will also be in action against Udinese.

Free your schedule ‘cause a lots going down and the Mercurials are blowing up.

Merc's Devastating Debut

gabejazzy — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:37:55 GMT

The Nike Mercurial Vapor IV’s were unveiled across Europe’s top leagues this weekend, and the fastest boots on the pitch didn’t waste any time finding the back of the net. Cristiano sported the orange in Man United’s 6-0 drumming of Newcastle, putting together a remarkable hat trick that reinforced his status as the Premiership’s #1 talent. His feet looked like they were on fire, but his behaviour in the box was cool and collected. The first goal – a sneaky free kick underneath the Toon’s jumping wall – was our favorite. It’s always better when it’s premeditated.

In Italy, Ibrahimovic laced up the orange too and found equally dynamic results, finishing a PK and setting up another Inter goal before blasting home an unreal strike for his second tally of the afternoon. Probably the best shot of the weekend.

The fastest boots on the pitch didn’t waste any time finding the back of the net.

Another striker to don the orange Mercurials this past weekend, was Brasil’s next wunderkind, Alexandre Pato. In his debut for Milan, Pato sped past the Napoli defense to latch on to a long through ball and then calmly slotted it past the keeper.

But refusing to be outdone by his fellow Milan striker, Ronaldo, took it back to the old school, as he tallied two strikes against Napoli, while sporting the classic Mercurial 98’s.

Remember, February 1st is only two weeks away, and then Cristiano, Ibra and Pato’s advantage becomes yours, too. Counting down the days? Same here.

But, if you can't wait to see just how fast these new boots can fly, check out Nikesoccer.com to see Cristiano go head-to-head with a Bugatti Veyron.

The Prototype

gabejazzy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 17:18:59 GMT

If you haven’t heard much about the Nike Mercurial SL, don’t worry, it’s not your fault. We kept these boots under wrap so that the beautiful game isn’t.

The SLs in short: Superlight (185 grams), superstrong (carbon fiber), supersonic (just check out the vid). These are boots with the look, strength and speed of a bullet, which is exactly what it takes to shoot down the status quo and get to true innovation.

What’s the story?

The Mercurial SL is a concept boot (i.e. not for sale), designed for soccer’s truly elite—we’re talking Didier Drogba, Cristiano Ronaldo—rather than the general public. The “concept,” in other words, is to set a new benchmark in cleat material to inspire the design of the next line of Mercs that we, the “general public” get to wear. Think of the SLs as an investment in the future and a radical commitment to dynamic, high-octane soccer. The process started in 2004 with the big guns at Nike Headquarters making only one imperative: make it the best—the lightest, the fastest—no questions asked. Time, budget, materials, three restrictions that necessarily have an impact on every product that hits the street, make no difference. Sweet honey to any designer’s ears.

Development was an international effort. Bond Laminates of Germany, creators of a patented process for bonding carbon fiber that’s frequently used in the aerospace and high-end automotive industries, engineered the carbon fiber plate. We then called on Korean partners that specialized in track and field design for the injection molding process of the outsole. The final stop was in Montebelluna, Italy where some of the best craftsmen in the world worked their magic to make the carbon fiber upper as supple and comfortable as the softest leather. Again, no barriers, no borders, only function and form. We simply wanted the best.

Fortunately we knew where to start. The Nike Mercurial line began 10 years ago to give the fastest and most lethal players in the game the necessary tool to hone their trade. Judging by the legendary, ongoing careers of strikers like Ronaldo and Henry, the original boots did the job. Now, in a new era of competition with higher demands that will only continue to grow, our designers knew their only option was to use the past to look into the future, which as it turns out, happens to be less than a month away. Keep your eyes peeled Jan 12 and 13 for a sneak peek of the newest launch in the Mercurial family (official drop date of the new boot is February 1, 2008.)

Round Two: USA vs. Sweden

gabejazzy — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 03:32:51 GMT

The US MNT and Sweden are no strangers. Sweden edged out the US with a 1-0 win back in August. But when the teams meet up for round two this Saturday in Carson City, California, the script will be flipped, at least in terms of personnel and objective.

The US MNT's first game of 2008 and the start of the 2010 Cup cycle will feature drastically different players than the previous match. To begin with, both sides played the August friendly with a tournament attitude. Because of location, both coaches called in their crop of European-based veterans. Play was tight with both teams creating their fair share of opportunities.

Judging by the looks of Coach Bradley's training camp roster, Saturday will be all about controlled experimentation - mixing new guys with leaders like Landon and Taylor Twellman and hoping for chemistry. Even though there might be some first-cap jitters, expect the game to open up and provide for some exciting soccer. Thankfully, the U.S. player pool is deeper than it's ever been, and an offensive explosion is a distinct possibility.

Without Gooch and ‘Los in the back, and Tim Howard between the posts, Danny Califf will need to be the glue that keeps the inexperienced defense together. Good thing for him Ibrahimvic will be staying put in Italy. In the midfield, guys like Kyle Beckerman and JMapp are going to be depended on for playmaking responsibilities. The strike-duo up front doesn't need any previewing. With Landon and Taylor it's the same old same old: goals and guts.

And, speaking of goals, if Donovan nets one on Saturday he'll become the US MNT's all-time leading goal-scorer. Adding fuel to Landon's fire, he'll be sporting the brand-spanking-new orange Mercurial IV's. And, we've already seen what they can do.

The average age of Bradley's roster is just under 25. Four of the guys could be included in Peter Nowak's U-23 MNT Olympic training camp across the country in Bradenton, Florida.

If you're in the Cali area, show ‘em some love and make home field advantage yet another difference. If not, tune in to FSC on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PST.

AND, while you're in front of the computer, check out Freddy talk about his days playing in the U.S. and his new life in Portugal.