Over the course of the last three years, MLS fans have grown familiar with the partnership between adidas and Parley for the Oceans through the annual Earth Day weekend release of eco-friendly jerseys made from yarns that are comprised of plastic waste collected from beaches and coastal areas.
It is the one item a game can’t be played without: a ball. Unless you're named Michy Batshuayi that is. Jokes aside the latest installment of Champions League knockout football is upon us and with that comes the new Champions League ball.
Adidas is calling it the Istanbul20, and this ball trumps all past designs.
No one did a personal redemption story out on the pitch quite like David Beckham. He did it during his final season at Real Madrid, when he went from being dropped by Fabio Capello to proving instrumental in the club’s dramatic LaLiga triumph. He did it with the LA Galaxy when shifting his reputation from disinterred Hollywood celebrity to two-time MLS Cup champion.
The latest ad campaign from adidas comes close to greatness. It’s all centered around the release of the Predator 20 Mutator boots, which feature the striking implementation of DEMONSKIN technology. The breakthrough tech is immediately noticeable in the form of 406 spikes on the upper which work together as a textured layer to enhance grip on the ball and maximize control.
It’s just over a week (Wednesday, Feb. 5) until MLS reveals its new jerseys for the 2020 season. As part of the league’s historic 25th Season Celebration, the new kits will be unveiled in advance of New York City’s Fashion Week and feature a commemorative design that’s integrated throughout MLS.
Adidas promised us something different with the launch of the Predator 20 Mutator boots, and Tuesday’s big unveil certainly qualifies as just that — we’re talking DEMONSKIN technology.
The breakthrough tech is featured on the upper in the form of 406 spikes which work together as a textured layer to enhance grip on the ball and maximize control. This innovative interface between boot and ball also promotes spin, as evidenced here by Bayern Munich's David Alaba.
Following this November’s upcoming international break (Nov. 14 — 19), we’ll know 20 of the 24 participating nations at UEFA Euro 2020. While the four remaining spots will be decided in late March through the qualifying playoffs, it’s safe to say that we can begin to look forward to next summer’s European Championship in earnest.
Adidas feels the same way.
For a country that’s madly in love with the game, the football tournaments at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics will be sources of exorbitant amounts of pride and pressure for the host nation of Japan.
The women’s team treated the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup as something of a trial by fire for a squad that featured 14 players aged 23 and under, including young midfield maestro Yui Hasegawa. That side advanced to the Round of 16 before losing to eventual finalist the Netherlands.
It’s been exactly 15 years to the day since Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini hopped off the bench in the 82nd minute of Barcelona’s 1-0 derby victory over Espanyol to mark his LaLiga debut. The 17-year-old replaced midfield maestro Deco and gave a tantalizing glimpse of what was to come.
What followed, in league play, is currently 453 more appearances, 420 goals, 164 assists and 10 titles. You could say that things have gone well.
There’s no forgetting the original adidas F50 Tunit cleat: its super shiny, seaside color way; its kinda haphazard lace cover that was stuck firm with velcro. This was the boot that adidas went all in on for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, and the commercial that aired constantly on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 is still up there with the best.
Although I’m not sure what that kid was thinking taking Djibril Cissé with the No. 1 pick in the draft.