Christen Press Headstarts Soccer-Inspired Workouts for the Nike 90-Day Challenge

The U.S. Women's National Team is working hard to prepare for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer. As part of the Nike+ Training Club 90-Day Better For it Challenge, key U.S. players will be sharing some of their best workouts. The series of workouts are meant to be outside women's comfort zones, but they will be "better for it" by accomplishing the challenge. This is a complete fitness program meant to quickly increase endurance and build strength, which are crucial necessities for soccer players. Christen Press is the first to release a workout on the Nike Training Club App, with workouts from Ali Krieger and Carli Lloyd to soon follow. 

Rekindled Romance
This summer Christen Press will be participating in her first major tournament as part of the USWNT. Press is a graduate from Stanford University, and is known for her intelligence on and off the field. While her intelligence benefitted her in the classroom, this same cerebral nature put her soccer career in jeopardy. During her collegiate career, Press says she was constantly over-thinking her actions on the pitch, re-watching videos and obsessing over her mistakes. Winning games and championships became a focus in her life:

“There were times in my life when I felt like if I didn’t win, I was not a winner. My entire identity was tied to championships."  

Despite her success in college achieving both All-America honors and the title of Stanford's all-time leading scorer, Press's overly critical mentality put her career at risk. Rather than staying in the states to play after graduation, she moved overseas to play in Sweden for a team that was not highly regarded or ranked. This move allowed Press to control many of the stress triggers that she had developed playing in America, and she was able to rekindle her love for soccer. 

Striving Striker’s Workout
As a striker, Press has a need for explosive movements on the field. Her workout will focus on strength, mobility, and stability exercises. Examples of the exercises include Lateral Forward Jumps and Side Plank with Forward Backward Touches. The regimen, inspired by Christen Press and the role of the dynamic striker, was designed by Nike Master Trainer Emily Hutchins. It is now available on the Nike+ Training Club App.

Images & video Courtesy of Nike.

A Personal Flair: The Makings of a Soccer Player's Boot

When professional soccer players collaborate with big brands like Nike and Adidas to create their own signature boots, a lot more goes into the design than just choosing a pleasant color and pattern. Players try to make their cleats personal to their lives, as well as their careers.

Distinct Play and Design
Lionel Messi recently released the Pibe de Barr10 boot with Adidas. The design of the cleat aims to incorporate his childhood in the streets of Rosario, Argentina and his swift, unexpected playing style. In order to honor these two elements, Adidas and Messi called on a Rosario artist, Ignacio Valentini, to design the boot's detailed graphics. With the help of friends, they took pictures all around Rosario for inspiration, and Valentini gathered these aspects of the city to create a distinct design:

 “The neighbourhood was represented in the style of street art, reflected in every corner of the streets. The images were reworked with stencils, spray and roll in order to obtain a ‘street’ mood.”

Messi's playing style was represented by unexpected brush strokes, similar to his quick and fluid changes of direction on the pitch.

Perfect and Personal for Ronaldo
Ronaldo and Nike recently introduced the sparkling Superfly “Silverware” boot inspired by the silver trophies awarded to champions at season's end. While anyone can buy the CR7 Silverware Superfly, Ronaldo's personal boots have specific fit and design requirements. His Superfly is handcrafted in an exclusive boot factory in Montebelluna, Italy to ensure that the fit is as close to the natural shape of his foot as possible. It is also customized with a lower-cut collar and finished with a ‘Made in Italy’ red insole. 

In the Shop: Messi's Pibe de Barr10 boot is available in the shop in both adult & youth sizes. The CR7 Mercurial Vapor and Victory are available in adult & youth sizes. The shop does not carry the Mercurial Superfly pictured above.

Images courtesy of Adidas and SoccerBible.

MNT Fights Hard Against Switzerland: Game Ends in Draw

On Tuesday, March 31st, the U.S. Men's National Team battled No.12 ranked Switzerland in an international friendly held in Zurich. The game ended in a 1-1 draw; an improvement from the MNT's tough recent losses. The U.S. started strong in the first half. In the 45th minute, Brek Shea sent the ball into the top right corner after the U.S. was set up for a free kick, marking his second goal of the year. In the 80th minute, Swiss midfielder Valentin Stocker poked a shot from four yards away, ending the game with a tie.

Firsts for Many Players
Goalkeeper William Yarbrough made his international debut playing in the second half for Nick Rimando. Yarbrough plays for Club León in Mexico, but recently joined the USMNT training camp in preparation for this game. Jordan Morris, the replacement for forward Aaron Johannsson, entered the game in the 89th minute. Jozy Altidore received his first red card with the MNT after protesting a call made by the head referee.

Up Next for the MNT
The USMNT will face rivals Mexico on April 15 at 7:30 CT at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Images & video courtesy of US Soccer.

MNT Loses 2-3 to Denmark in Final Minutes

Despite the best efforts of the Men’s National Team in a recent friendly against Denmark, a hat trick from Danish forward Nicklas Bendter lead to a late-game victory. The U.S. had the lead in the beginning of both halves of the game, but ended up conceding two goals in the last minutes, frustrating fans and players. According to veteran midfielder Michael Bradley, this is becoming a trend for the team that needs to end:

“I thought we handled things for the most part pretty well, but if you don’t see the game out, if you don’t take care of things in the last few minutes then you’re not going to ever get what you deserve. I think the frustrating thing is that it’s not the first time that that’s happened to us, where we've not been able to see a game out and we've got to start to learn our lesson.”

Not All Bad for the MNT
Although Klinsmann will need to address the defense's late-game troubles, the friendly held some key positive moments for the U.S. In the 19th minute of the game, Timmy Chandler had his first assist for the National Team. Jozy Altidore met the ball by the post and scored the game's first goal with his left foot. In the 66th minute, Michael Bradley sent a beautiful long ball to Altidore, who then poked the ball to Aaron Johannsson, sending it into the vacant goal. 

Breaking the Losing Streak
The Men's Team returned to Zurich for more training, and look forward to breaking the streak of second half losses for the upcoming Switzerland match-up. Forward Aaron Johannsson is out for the game with an infection, so Jordan Morris has been called in to take his place while Johannsson undergoes treatment. Morris proved his worth to Jurgen Klinsmann by scoring the opening goal in the U-23 MNT’s 5-2 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 27 in Tuzla.

Photo & Video Courtesy of U.S. Soccer.