The football community continues to prove that I was utterly useless at a young age and that children are capable of amazing feats. First, young children were mailing letters to big clubs and getting responses.
If you’re looking for new cleats this spring but not interested in dropping $250 on the latest QuIcK tEcH hYpEr SkIn lAzEr DuSt gOd mOdE boots, let us gently point you towards the latest drop from Nike’s Premier II cleat line: the more traditionally named “White/Black/White” color way.
The 2020 Chinese Super League season was supposed to begin on Feb. 22 but was indefinitely postponed back in January because of the coronavirus outbreak. More recently, there’d been speculation that the new season could start in the coming weeks after locally transmitted cases reached zero, but the country could now face a second wave of the pandemic from people entering China from abroad.
The latest drop from Nike ahead of returning to the pitch this spring is the Phantom VNM Future DNA T90 cleat, which pays homage to the iconic Total 90 II boots that were made famous by Wayne Rooney, Francesco Totti, Roberto Carlos, Paul Scholes and Luis Figo during the early 2000s.
It’s kind of strange to think that Manuel Neuer will be turning 34 at the end of March. The Bayern Munich and Germany No. 1 is synonymous with what’s hip and youthful due to his revolutionary work in the goalkeeper role, but he’s now something of a godfather to players who have carried on his tradition, like Alisson, Marc-André ter Stegen and Ederson.
As Mario Puzo wrote, the world is so hard that a man must have two fathers to look after him, and that’s why we have godfathers — and no godfather has protected his people better than Don Neuer.
Inspired by the legendary adidas “Japan Blue” Predator Mania cleats that won the 2002 World Cup, the Three Stripes have released a limited edition Predator Mania “Tormentor” boot that looks better than anything out there. They’ve got it all: the red tongue, the wavy stripes and swerved rubber fins, the glorious color way, the fully leather upper. Perfection.
With the new Swedish Allsvenskan season usually kicking off at the end of March, it’s become an annual spring tradition for Stockholm-based club AIK to drop a special edition jersey that harkens back to its founding in 1891.
The last couple years have been blackout kits that’ve been celebrated around the globe, but this time around, AIK and Nike have elected for all white on the night.
The adidas Predator Manias were by far the greatest cleats the 2000s had ever seen. These cleats were years ahead of their time. This was back when the new millennium was still trying to find its way, there was this whole Internet thing, nobody knew what it really was, we were all a bunch of tadpoles aimlessly wandering around in our own way.
Not adidas. Not these cleats. They just … they slapped different. As a cool 12-year-old, I was a die-hard Nike kid but damn did I trade in my Tiempos for Predator Manias real fast.
When your team rolls up for its Sunday morning match, are you a ramshackle collection of ratty T-shirts, 2000s Premier League jerseys and some barbarian asking if anyone brought extra socks? Do you even warmup or did no one bother to bring a ball again?
What if you could solve all that by being outfitted with full team uniforms (jerseys, shorts, socks), training gear, footballs, a manager’s jacket and a carrier bag for it all? Well that’s exactly what Umbro wants to do for you.
On Thursday, Feb. 27, FC Bayern Munich celebrates its 120th anniversary. It was on that date back in 1900 that photographer Franz John and 11 other men decided to found the club before playing their first competitive match that spring, defeating FC Nordstern 15-0.
That domestic dominance has continued to this day with a record 29 Bundesliga titles and 19 DFB-Pokal victories to go along with five triumphs in the Champions League.