Football News - Nike wars! - 29/04/09

Editor — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:53:00 GMT

We've had the adidas battles now it's time for the Nike wars! Looking ahead to tonight's UEFA Champions League semi-final between Manchester United and Arsenal, we've picked out the four key players as Cristiano Ronaldo, Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas, all Nike football boots wearers...

Cristiano Ronaldo - Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly football boots

United fans will be hoping the Portuguese wizard will be at the top of his game to exploit a weakened Arsenal defence. Cristiano Ronaldo is once again the current Premier League top goalscorer, and after two goals at the weekend following his incredible strike against Porto he is in a rich vein of form.

The Superfly's talisman, Ronaldo benefits from a boot designed specifically for speed! Nike have been able to make a lightweight football boot thanks to their Flywire technology, which acts like the cables of a suspension bridge to support the foot and add strength to the boot.

The material of the Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly football boots is made from a teijin synthetic like the Vapor IV football boots Ronaldo wore for a year, and will be so familiar with when it comes to the boots response to ball touch and feel.

Theo Walcott - Nike Mercurial Vapor V football boots

Theo Walcott is probably the player United fans are the most worried about! If they remember how the pace of Aaron Lennon terrorised their defence during the Carling Cup final, and combine this with a return to form for Walcott following his injuries.

In the last round Walcott scored a delicate chip against Villarreal after bursting beyond their defence. Demonstrating the fit and feel Walcott enjoys from his current football boots, the Nike Mercurial Vapor V football boots after he turned down the Vapor Superfly football boots.

Walcott prefers the Vapor V football boots because although they do feature some Flywire technology, the boots teijin material does have more freedom to adapt to the wearers foot.

Wayne Rooney - Nike T90 Laser II football boots

Rooney is enjoying a great season and a great run of form for Manchester United, he is not only finishing the ball brilliantly but he is also supplying goals for the team. Playing Arsenal will be a big-match occasion that Rooney will love, his work rate is always excellent but the passion of the occasion will surely spur him on that extra yard.

Rooney's quick football brain ensures some great touches and ball distribution, and to achieve this Rooney will be wearing the Nike Total 90 Laser II football boots. Opting for the stand-out tour yellow colourway, Rooney benefits from Nike Lasers ShotShield and precision ring technology.

Made from a more dense material, the ShotShield and precision rings cover the optimum striking and passing area of the boot, to provide a more aggressive and accurate contact.

Cesc Fabregas - Nike Tiempo Legend II football boots

Arsenal have recently discovered a new dimension to Cesc Fabregas' game, by freeing him up from his midfield duties through playing two holding midfielders. This allows Cesc to push forward and contribute to the attack, just as he did with devastating effect against Middlesbrough.

Fabregas has made himself a key player for Arsenal after playing in Nike Tiempo Legend football boots for the past few seasons. The Nike Legend football boots are all about touch, class and comfort, they are a dream boot for a teams playmaker, who also gets up and down the pitch.

The upper of the Nike Air Legend II football boots is made from a comfortable supersoft kangaroo leather, uniquely stitched to maintain the boots shape and performance. Performance is further improved by Air Zoom cushioning beneath the insole to ensure comfort and shock absorption throughout an entire game.

Football News : Champions League, Walcott, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, superfly

Football News - Nike wars! - 29/04/09