Nike Goes Bold For USWNT Home Kit & Footwear Pack

The Women's National Team will be sporting a bold and streamlined kit at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. For the first time ever, Nike has created a top-to-bottom, jersey-to-cleat look for the WNT. The full kit is primarily white with black and volt accents.

Exclusive Launch in Las Angeles
The new kit was celebrated on April 22nd with an invitation-only release party featuring Alex Morgan, Sydney Leroux, and Tobin Heath. The women modeled the home kit, cleat pack, training suit, and after game “press look.” They also did a Q&A sharing their thoughts on the new home kit and the full Nike Women's National Team collection which includes jackets, shinguards, training tops, pants, and more. Alex Morgan expressed an enthusiastic opinion about the new kits:

“I was really excited when I first saw the new jersey. It is super clean and different than jerseys we have worn in the past. It really stands out as it is the first time we have had something from top to bottom with the jersey going through to the socks and connecting with the cleats. It is clean and simple and tells a story.”

The launch was made on Earth Day, emphasizing Nike’s latest environmental dedication to reducing waste while making quality products. All Nike national team jerseys are composed of a polyester made from recycled plastic water bottles, which prevents 18 bottles per uniform from being dumped in landfills.

American Idol Appearance
Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan appeared on American Idol after the launch to further promote the new home kit. The two star forwards gave Ryan Seacrest his own personalized jersey, since the USWNT home jersey (with two stars above the crest) will available in men’s sizes for the first time ever. They also announced that the winner of American Idol will be recording the official song for Fox’s coverage of the Women’s World Cup.

Jersey
Both the jersey and shorts are featured in a super clean white with black lines running down the sides to accentuate a player's movement. There are two stars above the U.S. Soccer Federation Crest signifying the two FIFA Women’s World Cup victories in 1991 and 1999. In a nod to patriotic symbolism, the jersey sports a blue triangular pennant design with 13 white stars on the inside of the back neck, referencing the American flag and the original 13 colonies. The socks shake up the clean and classic design- the color transitions from white to Volt yellow to draw spectators' eyes to the feet and ball. The sock then blends into the Volt yellow accents featured on the upper portion of the new Women's World Cup boot pack.

Cleats
For the first time, Nike has created a women’s-specific footwear collection for the World Cup. The Women's Pack comes in all four Nike silos: Mercurial, Magista, Hypervenom, and Tiempo. Alex Morgan will be debuting the new Hypervenom II with a dynamic fit collar before the World Cup. The cleat was specifically designed for the WNT to wear in Canada during the World Cup, as it creates a cohesive head-to-toe look with the new home kit. The bold Blue Lagoon and Volt colorway is a reference to the lakes of Canada. This is also the first time Nike has created an entirely integrated look with the socks blending into the colorway of the cleats. 

In The Shop: The USWNT home jersey will be available in women's sizes. The away jersey is available in men's, women's and youth sizes.

Images courtesy of Nike.

Skill and Flair: Nike Releases Portugal National Football Team 2015-16 Away Kit

Image courtesy of Nike.

The Portugal National Football Team’s new away kit features subtle nods to Portuguese national symbols, and colors expressing the team’s unique playing style. The jersey is primarily black, a classic color used for Portugal jerseys in the past. In contrast with the black, a graphic pattern of electric green and vivid red light flashes is featured across the chest. The colors, inspired by the Portuguese national flag, move in opposition to each other: the red starts from the right and the green from the left. The graphic is meant to highlight the team's fast-pace style of play on the pitch.

Simple & Striking Details
The black jersey features Nike's new modern V-neck in matching black, with a red ribbed band at the back. Inside the jersey, below the red band, a pennant tab displays an armillary sphere, an ancient navigational device. Historical Portuguese explorers used armillary spheres to travel the globe, and now it serves as a national symbol representing the country’s seafaring history. The names and numbers on the back of the away shirt feature a unique Art Deco-inspired yet modern typeface. The rest of the kit allows the chest graphic to be the distinguishing feature. The away shorts are solid black with only a red Nike swoosh and Portuguese crest for detail. The away socks are black with a wide tonal chevron pattern on the calf.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Garment Technology:

• Dri-FIT fabric to wick moisture for a dry and comfortable feel
• Laser-cut ventilation holes & mesh panels for breathability
• Soft cotton and polyester blend fabric for comfort and fit
• Entire kit made from recycled polyester produced from recycled plastic bottles

In the Shop: Wear the sleek design for yourself and support Portugal. Soccer City is now stocked with the Portugal National Football Team’s away kit in both Men's and Youth sizes. Jackets, shorts and balls will also be available.

USWNT: 2015 Women's FIFA World Cup 23-Woman Roster Announced

Fans and players are counting down the days until the start of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup on June 8th in Canada. With less than 50 days until the first game, USWNT head coach Jill Ellis has released her final 23-player roster. The official list will be submitted to FIFA on May 25th, but no changes are anticipated to this roster filled with depth, versatility and balance.

Balance of New and Old
The roster features a mix of both rookie and returning players, giving the team a combination of skill and experience, with a multitude of highly motivated players hoping to make an impact. The captain, Christie Rampone, will be playing in her fifth Women’s World Cup. Five members of the roster have played in at least two, including Shannon Boxx and Hope Solo. For many, it will be their second tournament, and eight players will experience their first World Cup this summer. However, the honor of being chosen for the team does not diminish over the years,  as Hope Solo stated after the roster announcement:

“It’s funny, because I am a veteran now and it’s my third World Cup, but still, when the roster was set, when Jill called me up and said ‘Congratulations, you’ve made the World Cup roster,’ I still felt emotional, happy, filled with joy and proud."

Versatile and Agile Players 
Every player on the talented roster has unique skill sets, which Ellis can utilize in a variety of ways throughout the tournament. The roster includes five forwards, each with their own strengths. Abby Wambach has tremendous finishing abilities in the penalty box, Alex Morgan has speed, and Sydney Leroux plays with a daring mindset. Ellis also chose players skilled in multiple positions so she has the privilege to move them around as needed. Meghan Klingenberg, Kelley O’Hara and Lori Chalupny are all outside backs that have the ability to play on either flank. Midfielders Morgan Brian and Lauren Holiday are completely at home in both defensive and attacking roles. With this much depth and versatility, Jill Ellis will (fortunately) have her hands full when fielding a championship team.

To see the detailed roster visit US Soccer here.

Mark your calendars: The USWNT plays their first World Cup match on June 8th, 2015 against Australia. This roster will also be playing in the three "Send-Off Series" games in May.

Silver Boots for Silver Trophies: Ronaldo & Nike Release the Latest CR7 Line

Last fall, Cristiano Ronaldo introduced his own Nike Mercurial Superfly CR7, featuring a shimmering black colorway. For his spring boot, Nike continued with the glittery finish but in a silver colorway known as "Silverware" inspired by the covetable trophies given out to champions at this time of the season.

Image courtesy of Soccer Bible.

First Place Trophy for the Superfly
The Superfly is the star of the new CR7 line, built for speed with a sock-like feel and a glitzy silver colorway. It has a Dynamic Fit collar ensuring that the boot is like an extension of the body and locks down the foot at full velocity. The micro-textured upper gives the player a barefoot feel on the pitch, allowing their foot to be as close to the ball and ground as possible. 

Image courtesy of Soccer Bible.

Vapor X Takes Silver
Although the Superfly's appearance shines in comparison, the Vapor X is a more understated beauty. The Vapor X has a micro-textured synthetic upper featuring a tongue-less design that naturally molds to the shape of the foot for a barefoot-like feel similar to the Superfly. A perforated sock liner mimics the foot’s contours offering low-profile cushioning from stud pressure and maximizing comfort. The boot is finished off with a lightweight nylon sole plate featuring reconfigured blades and studs that work to increase a player's stability and rotational toe-off traction.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

In the Shop: The CR7 Mercurial Vapor and Victory are available in both adult and youth sizes. Other accessories such as training socks, guards, balls and bags are also available from the CR7 line.