FootballFilter Blog

Soccerpro Review

Once again the lovely guys at Soccerpro sent me some equipment to review for you lucky people. First off I had a pair of Adidas Samba World Cup Edition trainers.

Now I admit from the off, I am a fan of Adidas trainers, so my review is always going to be tainted with favouritism but I will do my best. First off the Samba design, once of one Adidas’ earliest football shoe designs, is now a classic casual footwear design in its own right. And this latest incarnation is no exception. The modern twist is, of course, the colouring of the iconic three stripes which, in tribute to the upcoming World Cup, is yellow and gold for the countries of Brazil, Australia and Ghana. Not that I will be supporting any of those countries mind, but I think they look good anyway!

The colours are, of course, personal taste but as the Samba shoe can be bought in a variety of colours you can disregard the colours for the rest of the review.

It is a good job these are for leisurewear as its comfort and design upon wearing is not suitable for sport at all. They fail to offer the support for physical activity and quickly picked up scuff marks. My previous Sambas have also done this, becoming worn and marked very quickly.

However, if you’re watching the match rather than playing in it or you fancy a few drinks with your mates and you want to look good as well as feel comfortable, you can’t go wrong. They look smart but are also extremely comfortable to wear, as you would expect with a brand such as Adidas. They come highly recommended.

Details

Adidas Samba Leather World Cup Countries – Brazil, Ghana, and Australia UK size 8/US size 9 $47.99 to buy go to Soccerpro’s Soccer Shop

Next up was a black and white Adidas Condivo Fleece Top. Being a black and white fleece it was never going to receive any design awards and I certainly did see it as a fashion statement. Therefore I placed functionality above looks with this piece of Soccer Apparel.

Given my limited footballing ability (much to my eternal regret) this came in hugely handy when sitting on the bench for my football team (well, we don’t really have a bench of sorts, so I just sat on the grass!). The fleece is well made, with subtle white piping giving a classier design than those with just the traditional three stripes down the sleeves. Functionality wise it did the job, keeping my extremely warm for much of the game, before my five minute cameo at the end.

How does it compare with other cheaper fleeces? It’s hard to say, it certainly looks and feels better than cheaper designs but whether it keeps me warmer is open to debate. At $60.00 I do feel you are paying a premium for the name, but it also guarantees you excellent design, warmth and comfort. And if that prevents you from freezing your ass off on the touchline, then it is a fair price to pay.

Details
Adidas Condivo Fleece Top – Black with White:$60.00
To buy these products and more Soccer gear please go to www.soccerpro.com/

Is Maradona the right man?

After the Champions League demolition of Arsenal, Barcelona fans and other fans around the globe were left wondering just how Argentina are not favourites for the World Cup given that they boast the genius that is Lionel Messi.

Although Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney have both had great seasons for their clubs as well, there is little doubt that Messi’s season have propelled him to the summit of that particular mountain.

Messi broke through the 40-goal mark for the season in Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Ronaldo’s Real Madrid team but it is possible he will be the closest thing to a one-man team when Argentina head off to South Africa in June.

Once considered by World Cup Betting experts as  a feared international giant , the Argentinians are no longer in that class despite having Messi to rely on. Perhaps it is down to the rest of their squad lacking in ability or maybe it’s down to coach Diego Maradona not being of the required standard to take on the likes of Fabio Capello, Dunga and Vicente del Bosque.

Sadly for Maradona, Barcelona would probably have as good a chance to succeed in the World Cup than his Pumas, who certainly do not have the quality of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in midfield to provide for Messi.

Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano is a dependable soul, but dependable is not really what is required to succeed against the Brazils and Spains of the world and, as yet, Barcelona’s maestro has struggled to match his club performances internationally.

They had a real struggle even to secure their place in South Africa, which does appear a little strange for a squad that could also include Gonzalo Higuain, Pablo Aimar, Carlos Tevez, Walter Samuel and Martin Dimichelis.

So, maybe it is down to the somewhat strange tactics Maradona chooses to apply to such an attacking line-up, like using Martin Palermo as his main striker for example.

Although Palermo scored some massive goals down the stretch in South American qualifying, including the vital strike against Peru, his recall was ridiculed in his homeland after 10 years in the wilderness – a moment of madness from a coach beginning to clutch at straws.

And if Maradona starts clutching at similar straws in South Africa, when he faces the tough Nigerians and Greece, as well as a sneakily decent South Korea, in Group B, World Cup odds suggest he could find himself on his way home early and looking for a new job.

World Cup 2010

So the World Cup is so bloody close I can barely contain my excitement. Anyone going?

We have made a World Cup page but were hoping our loyal users might be able to suggest some sites/podcasts/photo or video feeds that we should consider adding to it.

Take a look so far and feel free to get in touch if you have any suggestions:

http://www.footballfilter.com/world-cup-2010

Also, as mentioned on previous posts, please take a look at our side site http://answers.footballfilter.com – post questions and share trivia on the world of football