Adidas takes 12-10 lead over Nike in World Cup shirt deals

BERLIN: Adidas can declare itself the winner over arch-rival Nike in the upcoming FIFA World Cup even before the first match kicks off as it is kitting out the most teams.
However, the German sportswear brand, which is also the official sponsor of the tournament, expects only a limited financial impact, partly because this year's World Cup takes place in Russia, where the economy is in the doldrums.
"The World Cup in Russia does carry lower financial opportunities than the similar event four years ago in Brazil,"
Adidas Chief Executive Kasper Rorsted said earlier this month.
"At the same time, we're looking forward to it. It's going to be a fantastic way of bringing our brand to life globally," Rorsted added.
Since the last tournament in 2014, Adidas has grown sales rapidly in areas other than soccer, capitalising on booming demand for its retro basketball sneakers and springy Boost running shoes to outpace Nike, particularly in the U.S. market.
Nevertheless, soccer remains important for the image of the German brand, which has supplied the World Cup match ball since 1970 and has a deal to sponsor the event until 2030.
It also announced last week it will extend its partnership with the UEFA Champions League until 2021.
After Nike kitted out more teams for the first time in Brazil in 2014, Adidas has fought back, this year sponsoring 12 of the 32 participating teams, including strong contenders like Germany and Spain, along with hosts Russia.
Nike, which only got heavily involved in soccer when the World Cup was played in the United States in 1994, is supplying shirts for 10 countries, including Brazil, France, and England.
"The World Cup is such a powerful moment in sport, and we look forward to amplifying its energy," Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker said in March.

NO IRANIANS WEAR NIKE
While team deals are important for sales of soccer jerseys, more critical for sales of boots is the sponsorship of top players, particularly the likes of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, who wears Nike, and Argentina's Lionel Messi, in Adidas.
Nike expects 60 percent of all the players heading to Russia will be wearing its boots, including almost half the German and Spanish team and three-quarters of the Russians, even though they will be wearing Adidas shirts.
An exception is Iran, which faces new sanctions after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of an international nuclear deal. Nike says none of the country's players are wearing its shoes, while Adidas is providing the team's jerseys.
German brand Puma is a distant third, sponsoring just four relatively lowly teams in the competition, compared with the eight it kitted out in 2014, dented by the failure of its top team Italy to qualify.
Still, Puma Chief Executive Bjorn Gulden says the World Cup has helped its order book for the second and third quarters.
Adidas reported soccer-related sales of 2.1 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in 2014, when it sold 14 million official match balls and 8 million jerseys, including 3 million for the winning German team.
Sales rose to 2.5 billion euros by 2016 but slipped as a proportion of total Adidas revenue to 13.5 percent from 14.5 percent in 2014. It has not disclosed figures since then.
Nike saw soccer sales fall a currency-adjusted 4 percent to $2 billion for its fiscal year ended May 31, 2017, accounting for less than 6 percent of group revenue.
The World Cup could add about 3 to 4 percentage points to Adidas group revenue growth in 2018, lower than previous tournaments due to the fact it is happening in Russia, according to Piral Dadhania, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets.
However, Dadhania noted much of the benefit occurs before the event as the jerseys have already been sold to retailers.
"Any incremental boost during or after the event relating to jersey sales depends on the extent to which specific teams progress through the competition," Dadhania said.

By Emma Thomasson
REUTERS

Do you think Spain will win their remaining group matches?

The question on the lips of so many soccer fans is what really happened to the world defending champion of the FIFA World Cup, Spain in last night's match against The Netherlands? They were walloped 5-1 by a superb Dutch team inspired by Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben.
Both players grabbed a double each and de Vrji.

Of course there are many factors that could be traced to the failure of Del Bosque's World &European champions. The defeat was Spain's worst in about 51-years, when they suffered a 6-2 loss to Scotland in 1963. Their recent was 1-0 loss to South Africa in an international friendly match in Johannesburg in November 2013.

Del Bosque's back four of Sergio Ramos, Pique, Azpilicueleta and Jordi Alba were below par. Pique looks rusty and undeciding in most of his decisions to go for the ball or not. His poor and sloppy play cost Spain the second goal when Arjen Robben brilliantly controlled the ball with his left foot, reminiscent of the great control and finish of Dennis Bergkamp. Pique was lost in thoughts as he watched Robben use his left foot to track the ball down and rushing Ramos didn't have much to do but just throw himself helplessly. Robben was definitive and clinical with his finish blasting the ball past the once reliable Iker Casillas.

Casillas was in his worst element as he contributed to three of the goals against his team.

From the midfield area, Xavi, Iniesta and Silva lacked penetration as passed the ball without much effect. Iniesta was uncharacteristically guilty of making wrong passes in several occasions. Xavi seemed lost in the game at some point.
There were few balls for Diego Costa and he made sure Spain the lead when he was hacked inside the box for Alonso to score.

Well I can't rule out Spain from not winning their next two games against Australia and Australia. They are capable of it and have done it before.

Del Bosque needs to a surgical operation on the team and inject some life into his team.

Do you think Spain will win their two remaining group matches?

Japan first Asian nation to win women's World Cup

Japan defeated the United States in a penalty kick shootout to win the Women's World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday.
It became the first Asian nation to win the FIFA women's World Cup, after both sides were tied 2-2 after 120 minutes of action packed football.
Japan captain Homare Sawa kept her side in the game with a header in the 117th minute after US striker Abby Wambach's header had put her side ahead early on during extra time after the final finished 1-1 over 90 minutes.
The Japanese had defender Azusa Iwashimizu sent off in the 121st minute for a foul on US striker Alex Morgan.
Morgan put the US up 1-0 when she chased down a clearing pass from Megan Rapinoe and shot from outside the goal box in the 69th minute.

Aya Miyama tied it 1-1 in the 80th minute from only a few yards in front of US goalie Hope Solo. The goal was the result of a chaotic scene in front of Solo, and was finished when Miyama gained possession off a failed clearing pass from Ali Krieger and shot it into the corner of the net.

The US played the second half and overtime without attacker Lauren Cheney, who suffered an ankle injury.

Qatar residents celebrate world cup hosting right

Doha erupted in cheers on Thursday when the news spread that FIFA has picked the country as the host of the 2022 World Cup ahead of the United Sates, Australia, South Korea and Japan. The announcement of the vote by Fifa President Sepp Blatter in Zurich was greeted with delight from patriotic and loving supporters of the Qatar bid.

The news was received with great joy as the Qatar 2022 Bid committee staged a fan zone at the Aspire Park, saw residents of the city honking their car horns in wild celebration of the victory.

Crowds watching the live broadcast on a giant television screen at the Aspire Park started arriving from 2pm as families came with their canopy, mats and chair to witness the historic event.

Children’s faces were painted with the Qatar maroon colour and the national flag, T-shirt, trumpet and scarves were freely given to thousands of fans.

As the evening approached the crowd became thicker, and the Vuvuzela took the air as young Qatari’s blew the trumpet with chants of “Qatar, Qatar, Qatar.”
Aardina Richards, a Dutch national said, “I have been in Doha for three months and I am happy for the Qatar victory but sad for the Netherlands & Belgium bid, though back home people weren’t expecting victory because there are lots of issues that needs to be solved than building stadiums and staging a World Cup.”

Shyju V an Indian resident expressed his joy, when he said, “Qatar’s World Cup bid put on a characteristically polished presentation, its successfully assuaged concerns about its heat, telling everyone that Qatar play a significant role in the heart of the Middle East.

With FIFA giving Qatar the hosting right it will definitely be a unifying factor in the region and a plus for global peace.”

By hosting the world cup Qatar will be fulfilling the dreams of every Arab, said Haithem Rashid, a Tunisian resident.

Hosting the biggest soccer fiesta will boosts the economic fortunes of the country and the inhabitants as whole, said Yemi a Nigerian resident.

Sharif Marri, a Qatari resident, said, “I want to thank Fifa President Sepp Blatter for creating the environment that won Qatar this high ranking and historical feat. We all know Qatar in terms of staging world class events and its football followership is well known to all as witnessed in the Brazil versus Argentina match. I think we are on track, and the game has just begun.”

Qatar will be the first country to host the world cup in the Middle East, with the 2018 edition going to Russia ahead of the joint Spain & Portugal bid.

Eight out of eight for Paul the Octopus

Eight picks, eight correct, eight tentacles. Paul the Oracle Octopus is clearly the biggest winner of the World Cup after recording a perfect prognostication record whether he knows it or not (he probably doesn't).

The big question was whether Paul's predictive superpowers would translate to the final - the first match he was asked to predict that did not involve his native Germany. But such piddly concerns did not bother Paul. Mostly because he's an octopus. Just as he predicted, the European champions Spain became world champions for the first time with an Andres Iniesta goal in extra time. And as the Spanish celebrated, Paul floated in his tank, sure of his genius and probably craving a fresh clam.
Since Paul is an international celebrity of the highest order now, everyone wants a piece of him - both literally and figuratively. Italy is trying to claim that he was caught in Italian waters, Spanish businessmen are trying to buy him for €30,000 ($38,000), and Dutch priests tried to dismiss him.

But in Spain, Paul is an icon. The Spanish prime minister has already spoken of his desire to protect "Pulpo Paul" and the mock up of a new version of Spain's flag could be dangerously close to becoming real.

So what becomes of Paul now? Well, he'll probably continue to live out the remainder of his days at the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, no longer forced to pick his food out of flag-covered boxes while surrounded by an obscene number of media types. He will swim at his leisure and continue to be oblivious to the existence of sports. He will retire a winner and a global sensation - what every other octopus (and even a few pundits) wishes they could be.

All hail Paul.

Iniesta delivers first World Cup to Spain

For 116 minutes, the Netherlands and Spain had battled and bruised, fought and flopped and produced a game that became more pressure packed by the second. Each side was stopped on a breakaway. Each had headers fly high and clear shots curve wide.
And with the moments growing lonely and the air getting colder, with a penalty kick shootout looming, Spain’s Cesc Fabregas made a brilliant pass to set up Andres Iniesta on the right side of the goal.
Iniesta touched it once and blasted it past Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and inside the far post. It was a kick for glory and a shot for history that set off a series of celebrations and heartbreaks across not just a jammed Soccer City here but across Western Europe.
In one corner of this stadium, Iniesta, the 26-year-old, son of bartender from the little village of Fuentealbilla, had ripped his shirt off in mid-run to expose a tribute to his friend and Spanish footballer Daniel Jarque, who recently died of a heart attack.
“We wanted to pay tribute to him and we thought this was the best opportunity to do so,” Iniesta said of Jarque.
Soon Iniesta was mobbed by his teammates in a hug for the ages. The Dutch players either sprawled out in exhausted depression or charged the referees demanding an offside call – when in fact Iniesta was fully onside.

Minutes later, after extra time with extra drama, Spain would capture the nation’s first World Cup and cap a dramatic month of soccer in Africa. The Dutch and their army of frantic, orange-clad fans were bridesmaids for a third difficult time.
It was a fitting conclusion if only because not everything at the 2010 World Cup was pretty or perfect. There were controversies and complaints and a dearth of goals (the second-lowest scoring tournament after Italy ’90).
What the event never lacked, though, was competition. And while it took nearly two hours for the scoreboard to move a bit, the fight on the field was fierce.
The game would conclude with 14 yellow cards, nine of them called on the Netherlands, who finished the game with just 10 players.
The Dutch had said for days that they weren’t going to be intimidated by Spain and its precise passing game that had delivered 30 wins in their last 32 international games and made it the favorite with everyone from bookmakers to octopi.
The men in orange proved it immediately by getting physical, knocking the Spaniards off their balance and their timing. They came out and kicked them in the shins and let them know they were there. Then the Netherlands withstood early Spanish pressure, found its timing and launched waves of attacks of its own.
Andres Iniesta celebrates with the World Cup trophy following Spain's victory over the Netherlands.
For a game with just one goal, there was no lack of opportunities.
The Netherlands’ Arjen Robben had one clear breakaway and another semi-breakaway only to be stoned by the acrobatic Iker Casillas. Not to be outdone, Stekelenburg made game-savers on Fabregas and David Villa.
Because this is an event that comes just every four years, the pressure to perform is impossible to quantify in American pro sports standards. It’s not that players don’t feel immense pressure in a Super Bowl or NBA Finals, but here, there is no next year.
Even elite players make just two or three World Cups and to get just one chance at a final can define a career.
Yet with the world watching, with their countrymen everywhere overcome with nerves, with each minute passing adding to the urgency, the play seemed to improve. The Netherlands would lose but leave every bit of its life on the field. The Spaniards would win, but they’d know they needed every bit of their own reserve to get it done.
At the end of this game, at the end of this month, it was just Andres Iniesta and the ball and the opportunity of a lifetime. He’d grown up in a 2,000-person village, his entire family working in the small tavern, Bar Lujan, which his grandfather owned.
Once, when Andres was 12, his father took him on the nearly five-hour drive to Barcelona to see the professional clubs play. The boy was hooked. He dreamed big. He practiced hard.
And in the most desperate minute in the history of his nation’s soccer fortunes, he never hesitated.
One hard-fought World Cup in the books, with the legends from this epic to only grow from here.