Brazil v Croatia & Opening Ceremony & MD Thread

Terrible defending, but that happens at every corner and it's never given.

That's also a perfect example of why goalies shouldn't take a step forward, he could have saved that.

 

FIFA's new World Cup kit rules mean great technicolour combos of our past will remain but a memory

Sheridan Bird laments the monochrome revolution that has gripped our apparel manufacturers

please log in to view this image

How it should be: The lucid contrast of Spain's red and blue

please log in to view this image

Then and now: Italy v Germany looked markedly different in 2012 and then last week

Football supporters are revolting. No, that isn’t a quote from the Twickenham crowd last weekend - actually, it probably is - supporters across the globe are in revolt against the latest World Cup kits.

Last week Germany, Argentina, Spain, Russia, Japan and Colombia released new home strips for the 2014 World Cup. They all had the latest technology and looked snazzy enough. But four were problematic for the purists.

Germany are wearing white shorts as first choice instead of their classic black. Spain’s legwear, normally blue, is red. White garments will cover Argentina and Colombia’s modesty.

Malcontents flooded social media, blaming the sportswear company- in the above instances adidas- or the individual FAs. Colombia’s white shorts, when paired with their yellow shirt, look like a mix’n’match from a mouldy lost property bin.

But don’t blame designers or federations, as with most things that go horribly wrong in football for no particular reasons, it’s FIFA.

Rule 2, section 35 of the World Cup 2014 regulations states: “Each team shall inform FIFA of two different and contrasting colours (i.e. strips). One predominately dark and one predominately light for its official and reserve kit.”

FIFA believe lights v darks help the referee clarify tussles, lunges, tackles and deflections. They don’t ask teams to wear one colour, but adidas, as an official partner of the governing body, followed the rule closely. Hence Germany resembling Leeds and Spain doing their Bayern Munich impression.

It isn’t known if Puma and Nike will opt for monochrome kits. Hosts Brazil wear the latter, and it’s predicted the American label will soften their blue shorts so the strip slots into the ‘light’ category.

The thought of England in one colour isn’t as shocking as you might think. At the last World Cup the Three Lions first choice outfit was all white, and Fabio Capello’s men wore all red twice. The Euro 2012 home strip was also completely white.

If it aids the officials, and, for example, plays a part in England winning a last minute penalty in the final, it’s a good thing. No one likes dodgy decision ruining major tournaments. Should this change cut out controversy, let’s welcome it.

We are all irrationally attached to the kits of our era and object when ‘tradition’ dies. But at least this isn’t just to make money. Sure the World Cup could end up looking like the NBA, where individuality is zero. But when a team wins, fans tolerate, even embrace, changes.

Barcelona debuted ground-breaking red shorts in 2005/06 and supporters were horrified. They quickly forgot when Ronaldinho and pals wore the offending items to Champions League glory.

It’s adios to the odd but pleasing red-royal blue-black combo of Emilio Butragueno’s 1986 Spain, and auf wiedersehen to Franz Beckenbauer’s white-black-white livery of invincibility. That’s probably only a big deal to fuddy-duddies over 25.

Of course, this mild outrage is nothing compared to the apparel armageddon on the horizon. Wait until FIFA propose sponsors on national team shirts…

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fifa-new-world-cup-kits-2816201

FIFA World Cup: Spain to Play Netherlands in White for Opener
FIFA requires teams to have two different kits for the World Cup - one light in color and the other dark. The white Spain jersey will offer enough contrast to Netherlands' orange shirt.

Spain has been ordered to make a new kit for the World Cup after FIFA decided the team's normal red shirts didn't offer enough contrast to the Netherlands' jerseys for their opening game in Brazil.
Spain's clothing supplier Adidas said Thursday that "FIFA has expressly mandated" it to supply Spain with a third - white - kit that it must use in its first match in Brazil.
FIFA requires teams to have two different kits for the tournament - one light in color and the other dark.
Spain's strip is red for home and black for away, while the Dutch - who normally wear orange - have a blue away kit they plan to wear against Spain on June 13.

http://sports.ndtv.com/fifa-world-c...spain-to-play-netherlands-in-white-for-opener