Adidas Messi 10.1

            In the world of soccer today; the best players not only are watched and supported, but they are also highly commercialized. Sponsorships are everywhere, and what clothes or shoes a player wears, what he eats or drinks before a game, and even the video games he plays are all often sponsored. This is mainly prevalent in the cleat area of the game, and not only do brands want top players to use their shoes, but they will even go so far as to make a special cleat just for a specific player. While some players will have special colorways that are considered “theirs”, the two players with the most popular boots are definitely Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Ronaldo has, in previous years, had his own version of Nike’s Mercurial Vapor, and this year he has a Mercurial Superfly, but he is always with Nike and their speed boot. On the other end of the brand spectrum, Messi has been with Adidas’ speed boot, the Adizero F50. Both are typically priced around the same, at a little over 200 dollars, and I would say that both are premium, quality shoes for anyone to wear.

            Recently, Adidas has released yet another Messi version of their cleat, Messi logo and all: the Adidas Adizero F50 Messi 10.1. This version has a bright orange base with jagged, teal stripes across the upper. The color and style of the cleat is meant to represent and honor the home of Lionel Messi: Argentina. Besides its looks and meaning, the cleats are the same as any other Messi version of the F50, coming in at just 6.2 ounces.

            As specialized boots for players grow, and the type of cleats these are changes, it makes me wonder about the future of soccer cleats. First of all, at a youth level, it doesn’t seem strange to wear a pair of cleats that have the name or support of your favorite player, and it seems like a fun idea for some younger players. But once you look at higher levels, it doesn’t seem as clear as to whether or not this is an okay thing to do. At the professional level, most people would agree that it would be strange to wear a pair of cleats that have the name of another current professional player, favorite or not. This raises the question to at what point this is right. Is it right at the college level? Is it right at some of the professional B-leagues? Is it right even at the high school level? I would say that if it seems strange at all, that it wouldn’t be right, and that about the highest level should be at high school.

            Also, the cleat styles that have popular player backing are mostly speed, lightweight cleats. Both the Mercurial and Adizero lines are under 8 ounces at the highest level, and this is considered a very light cleat. While the demand for lighter cleats grows, many want a traditional feel that can offer the protection lacking from a light shoe. The lighter cleats are just the ones that become the most popular, and therefore make more money, leading to the company supporting their lighter cleats the most. While this may be good for business, it creates a market full of light cleats and leaves the people who prefer a traditional style out of the main market. Sadly, I think that the future of soccer cleats is going to different brands trying to make the lightest cleat possible, and eventually options and choices for buyers will drop away.

FIFA: A Reflection

            For those that love the game of soccer, there is another option to experiencing it besides actually playing on the field. For a long time, that option has been through video games, and most popularly, FIFA. Each year, EA comes out with the current edition of the game, updating simple things like players and squads, but also, the experience and features grow each year. Although this is a steady process, and the change from year to year is minimal, from the first edition of the game, FIFA International Soccer, to the newest, FIFA 15, the change is drastic.
            The first game, for example, only had the ability to play internationally with national teams, as the FIFA name would suggest. Now, playing with club or even MVP teams is probably the most used part of FIFA. Also, other features absent from the early games are commonplace in FIFA and pretty much all sports games of recent. Game modes like the option to create your own player and play a season are well enjoyed by many players. Now, you can start from scratch, making a player and working through his career, playing at different teams if you choose. Also, you can choose to play as a real player, such as Messi or Ronaldo, and start from where they are in their career and go from there. Also, the improvement of graphics, looks, and feel continues to amaze me from year to year and especially looking over time.

            The realism of in-game tactics also grows, and the variety and depth of features are often unused as they are just too much for more casual gamers. However, these features aren’t forced, so many go unused. Some of these options are actually quite useful, though, such as mentality (like attacking or defending mindset) or set piece tactics (like free-kick plays). These features add to a much more realistic, knowledge-of-soccer based game, and it appeals to many who enjoy soccer analysis or just following their favorite teams. Also, online play has increased in new editions, allowing for players to play against other people, but they don’t have to be in the same room. Creating your own team with FIFA Ultimate Team is another fun way, making your team by buying players from all teams, winning games to build your team to be the best. This feature is also available to play online with.

            Besides the development of games, TV’s, and any other graphics improvements made to video games over the years, the change in FIFA throughout its years represents more; the changes and growth of the game itself. As soccer in the world, and mainly in the US, has grown dramatically over the last decade and more, the growth in FIFA mirrors that. While it may just seem like cumulative changes to a video game, EA needs support and an interest in the game to improve and grow the game and keep producing it. This is exactly what the world gave it; a hunger for a true soccer experience to be played off the field. And one of the most successful markets for the game, in the US, was necessary for this growth in the game. Looking back, the changes and growth in the seemingly insignificant topic of FIFA directly shows the growth and demand in the world of soccer, and I can only wonder where it will go next.