Nike Gato: This is the shoe for small-sided street soccer!
Tokyo | London | Rio De Janeiro| Barcelona Football in any form is about space. Finding a teammate in space, creating space for yourself and creating space for others. It was because of space – or rather a lack of it – that players had to take the full-size game and shrink it down to smaller teams and smaller versions of the game. In 1930’s Uruguay and Brazil, locals had started what would become a full-blown love affair with football, but due to a lack of open space in their overpopulated cities, a variant of football that could be played simply requiring less space was created. The world hasn’t looked back. Today, whether it’s Futsal, Calcetto or 5-a-side, football is played in many variants of a small-sided game, some of which have their own regulatory bodies and even its own world cup. Unlike it’s bigger, older cousin, the real passion lies not in pro stadiums but on the millions of courts, halls, cages or pitches on which it is played all over the planet. That’s the key. Smaller-sided football is all about the player; the player who leaves work, heads for the pitch and who, for the duration of their game is free to express skills, express flair and to express a passion for a sport they love. The kitbag is opened, the shoes are laced up and from there – whatever the levels of skill on show – anything can happen. The global appeal of the small-sided game is truly astonishing. Fly into Rio de Janeiro airport and you’ll see a small pitch adjacent to the runway, walk through the urban sprawl of London of an evening and you’ll hear the deafening crash of man and ball against the fenced pitches that symbolize the uniquely robust English game. In Barcelona the game is about beautiful patterns, in Rio it is all about individual trickery. The differences and nuances of how the game is played in its different locations are evident but so is one key factor, a devotion and infatuation for their version of the sport. After identifying the regional nuances of small-sided football throughout the world, Nike has designed its most versatile small-sided shoe, the Nike5 Gato Street. Beginning April 1 the Nike5 Gato Street is available globally. Nowhere in the world does hustle and bustle like Tokyo. Space is tight and lives are busy but the locals have found time to embrace the small-sided game in a big way. In fact, where else in the world would you find a Futsal game being played at midnight on the roof of a department store? It’s mad, it’s Tokyo. The Game While the work ethic that Tokyo’s residents live by is evident on the city’s pitches, there is also a desire to create and inspire. Beat your opponent with a trick; show off your quick feet with a turn. It’s allowed. In fact in some games you’ll find that physical contact is banned. It’s all about the ball and what you can do with it. Style Surface Essentials Climate Transportation Food Kickoff Barcelona screams football. The city’s eleven-a-side team is among the best in the world but its smaller cousin, known as Futbol Sala or Futsal, is also a passion to thousands. This isn’t just a kickabout either. It’s enjoyed at amateur level, but the pro Futbol Sala is a national obsession, covered live on TV and attracting crowds of up to 6,000. The Game It’s everything the locals love about football. Fast and skillful, it demands masterful control and it rewards trickery. Beat your man, pass, move, receive, shoot. Like everything good about Barcelona, it’s beautiful. Style Surface Essentials Climate Transportation Food Kickoff To Futsal purists, Rio de Janeiro is the epicenter. Arrive in the city and three things greet you. Carnival, religion and football. These are the holy trinity to Rio’s inhabitants, but where does one begin and the other finish? The lines are blurred. Football is religion. Football is carnival. The Game Look closely at the players, they do things differently here. For example, the sole of the foot. It’s not just for standing on. You’ll see it used to control the ball and pass the ball. Prepare to be amazed. Style Surface Essentials Climate Transportation Food Kickoff England’s capital is littered with football memories and tradition but look around, go deeper into the city and you’ll discover football is evolving. 5-a-side is popular in the playgrounds and in specialist fives locations, and getting even bigger. The home of football is undergoing a redesign. The Game Style Surface Essentials Climate Transportation Food Kickoff |
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