World Cup 2010 Blog: “World Cup 2010 Jerseys: England” plus 3 more |  |
- World Cup 2010 Jerseys: England
- Daily Dose: 1954 to April 29th, 2010.
- World Cup 2010 Jerseys: USA
- Italy World Cup 2010 Profile
| World Cup 2010 Jerseys: England Posted: 30 Apr 2010 04:10 AM PDT
But now all that hubbub has hushed up, we can take a look at the shirts the England players will wear at World Cup 2010 in South Africa and judge the design on its merits, rather than through the hype-goggles of last year. I’ve been practicing my Tim Gunn impression, so let’s go take a look. England Home Shirt
What can I say? It’s white. It’s very very white. Even the usually gold star above the crest is white. You could argue that so much white is dull. Or that no thought has gone into it. But this is a radical departure from the last 20 plus years of kits, which were all white with a splash of something else. This is white with a splash of white. But, for me at least, it works. The FA crest and the red Umbro logo are just enough to prevent this being boring, and the overall feel is – as with many shirts – retro (especially those pop collars.) But definitely in a good way. England Away Shirt
The away shirt is retro red instead of retro white, and a definite nod to the red shirts worn in the 1966 World Cup final. But somehow it’s not quite as successful. I think the problem might be the two different shades of red and the absence of the pop collar, both of which which break the retro feel and make you aware that this isn’t really a jersey from the middle of last century. Maybe that’s a good thing if you don’t want to wear a jersey from the middle of last century, but if asked to choose between these two I’d go home every time. That's my take. What do you think of England’s home and away shirts for World Cup 2010?
|
| Daily Dose: 1954 to April 29th, 2010. Posted: 29 Apr 2010 04:00 PM PDT Some of the best goals from the 1954 World Cup. In black & white. Obviously.
|
| Posted: 29 Apr 2010 01:41 PM PDT
For example, Argentina has stuck with sky blue and white stripes. Italy doesn’t deviate from blue. Brazil has been canary yellow ever since 1950. But USA jerseys have switched both colour and pattern a few times over the years. Usually a mix of either red, white or blue, but let’s not forget the incredible(y bad?) denim and stars home shirt from 1994. Read on for a review of the USA’s home and away shirts for World Cup 2010.
USA Home Shirt
For their World Cup 2010 adventure, the USA will be wearing something a lot simpler than in 1994, with zero denim. So that’s already a plus. In fact, they’re actually going a little bit retro, with the diagonal stripe (or sash, although stripe sounds better) echoing/honouring the stripe of the jerseys worn at the 1950 World Cup, when USA famously beat England 1-0. Co-incidence that the US plays England at World Cup 2010? Possibly not. The thing I genuinely like about this jersey is that it’s simple. Possibly some will be disappointed with just how white the shirt is, and the fact that the red and blue touches are minimal (basically: red trim on sleevs, blue collar). But I’d argue that the mostly red crest and the blue Nike swoosh add a second (but still minimal) layer of colour, and the fact that the diagonal stripe is white and backgrounded as opposed to red or blue, ensures that that one feature doesn’t dominate the jersey. I also like that while this shirt echoes the 1950 shirt, it isn’t a carbon copy. Almost as if the players are being challenged to make their own history rather than living entirely in the shadow of an earlier team. Or maybe I’m reading too much into that stripe. My only criticism would be the collar. Because the jersey is already bare bones, the simple crew neck collar is maybe a little too simple. I’d have preferred to see either a v-neck or maybe some sort of poppable collar. That said, the minimal colours of the shirt make a lot more sense when you see the full uniform, as worn by Clint Dempsey at the top of this post. It’s predominantly white from head to toe. Where earlier US kits have been cluttered, this World Cup 2010 kit has clarity. USA Away Shirt
The away jersey is basically a remix of the home shirt. The diagonal stripe is still white, with the rest of the shirt being blue, with red trimmings around the sleeve, collar, and the outline of the stripe. And yes. This time it definitely looks like a sash. I think it was Chris who said that Clint Dempsey looked like he’d won Miss Texas when these jerseys were announced back in February. But if you can get past the sash thing, I think you can make a very strong case for this shirt. It mixes the three key colours of the American flag into the shirt, is similar enough yet completely different to the home shirt, and seems to balance nicely on that line between retro and modern. That’s my take. What do you think of USA’s home and away shirts for World Cup 2010?
|
| Posted: 29 Apr 2010 10:09 AM PDT
And maybe it’s precisely because of those familiar faces. The squad is older, with many of the stars enjoying their primes four years ago, in a young man’s game, which inspired little confidence. Then again, Italy weren’t being given a great deal of consideration before the last tournament, and they managed to do alright. But because of those aging faces and consequent drops in form, the squad is fuzzy, hardly concrete, with the final games of the season still looking to book some a South African ticket. So as ever with Italy, we’ll see when the games begin – no sooner. Group: F; Paraguay, Slovakia, New Zealand. FIFA World Ranking as of March 31st 2010: 5th Coach: Marcello Lippi and his cigar chompin’ are back for another go at the World Cup, having guided Italy to glory in 2006 before taking a couple years off to sail the world and not coach football. His trophy cabinet is bustling, his motivational skills top-notch, his mug makes you think he might just be related to Paul Newman, and he is, without a doubt, one of the best coaches in the world. Key Players: There are more spots up for grabs than usual, with a formation still debated, but one thing seems assured: Lippi likes the old guard. Gigi Buffon is immovable as one of the two best keepers in the world at the back. At this point some may not like it, but outside of injury, the back will look awfully similar to 2006 with German hero and captain Fabio Cannavaro, Dortmund hero Fabio Grosso and Gianluca Zambrotta. The only change will be Giorgio Chiellini, likely ensconced in the center of Italy’s defense for some years. There are other possibilities, but Lippi’s history says this. In midfield, BFF’s Andrea Pirlo, the playmaking architect, and Daniele De Rossi, the maniacal defensive mid, will put up house in the center, with Mauro Camoranesi lurking in the shadows. The future – and perhaps present – may lie in Claudio Marchisio, currently Italy’s brightest young gem in midfield, and Riccardo Montolivo, the closest thing Italy has to a vice-Pirlo. Also worth noting winger Simone Pepe is a Lippi favorite, which seals his deal. Up top Toto Di Natale will be fresh off the complete inability to stop scoring goals in Serie A, while Alberto Gilardino has made a return in the national frame and Giampaolo Pazzini is Italy’s brightest young prima punta coming into his own, with lots of goals in tow. Another Lippi favorite, Vincenzo Iaquinta, will likely sub himself into some sort of role eventually along with Giuseppe Rossi. The real question, however, is whether or not Lippi will put in a phone call to one of the peninsula’s two geniuses who’ve been out of the frame either due to retirement (Francesco Totti) or being Antonio Cassano (Antonio Cassano). Player with best YouTube video: It’s not glossy and it’s not going to win any cinematography awards, but Fabio Cannavaro’s defensive clinic in Germany was something to behold. (Defenders don’t get enough highlight love anyway.) Player with best name: Antonio Di Natale – Translated, it means Antonio Of Christmas. He was born on October 13th. Player with best nickname: If Antonio Cassano somehow makes it he’ll lap the field, but right now, it has to be Paul Newman. I mean Marcello Lippi.
Qualification: Italy rather coasted through qualification, winning the group and going undefeated – a basic expectation. Interesting: The Azzurri are in something of a pattern of making the final every twelve years and winning it every twenty-four: So naturally this year they’ll crash out before the final, lose in the final in 2018 and win it all again in 2030. National Anthem: Lacking not for names: Il Canto degli Italiani (The Chant of the Italians), Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) and/or Inno di Mameli (Hymn of Mameli). Kit: You can get a good glimpse of the Italy home kit here – along with whatever tragedy they’ve handed Gigi Buffon – while this is the away.
World Cup History:
Squad: TBA Blog: Julian & Paul are over at the Italy WCB. - More World Cup 2010 Team Profiles.
|
I think it’s fair to say that the new England home kit from Umbro was released with quite a bit of hype in 2009. Probably too much. OK, definitely too much. Overshadowing the national anthems with the big reveal on matchday vs Slovakia was unnecessary. 
The USA has a complicated history with jerseys. Unlike other teams, they’ve never 100% settled on a definitive style, arguably to the detriment of the team’s identity.
The champs are here, and in tote with their 2006 trophy are far more questions than answers. Despite the familiar faces floating at every corner’s turn, including Marcello Lippi, back for a second tour, it’s not the same side as 2006.
| You are subscribed to email updates from World Cup Soccer - South Africa 2010 To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
Posts
