USWNT Plays Women’s World Cup in Team Wear Akin to Nurse Uniforms

Sport is a passion a lot of people share. Me, aside from the players and the sport itself, I have always been interested in the team wear, sportswear, sports apparel and other sports gear.

More often I have blogged about Rafael Nadal’s sports wear sponsored by Nike and the kits of my fave mens soccer team. Every now and then I write about the outrageous sports outfit of tennis siblings Serena and Venus Williams. But I haven’t been blogging much about women in sports or the women’s team until today.

What got me reading on the article I saw was the title itself saying that the U.S. play Women’s World Cup in kit resembling nurse’s uniform. My love for sports and team wear combined with the recent win of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) over North Korea made me one to take a closer look.

When the new uniform for the USWNT was unveiled by Nike and the U.S. Soccer Federation sometime in April there was hullabaloo from critics. They said it looked like nurse uniforms and probably the ugliest soccer jersey ever seen.

Popular soccer blogger Jennifer Doyle in From a Left Wing summed up what the critics felt in:

A USWNT shirt can always be distinguished from the USMNT shirt by the two stars that the women's shirt prominently displays over the USSF badge - one star for each World Cup trophy they've won (1991, 1999). That difference is not enough for Nike and the USSF. They want you to know, for sure, that this is a not a man's shirt. So the FIFA #1 ranked women's team will go to the Germany in a nurse's uniform.

This is quite simply the ugliest women's football jersey I have ever seen. Its central problem is the line someone has drawn down middle of the shirt - a purely decorous gesture meant to create the impression that the USSF would like its women to play in an open necked blouse.

And it does look like a nurse uniforms at that…I like it though but not as a soccer kit.

Nike and the US Soccer Federation defended the design of the team wear saying:

The kits were designed to keep players drier, cooler and more comfortable, allowing them to maintain an optimum body temperature and perform at their best. The kit is designed specifically for the female athlete, to enhance the range of motion and create a uniquely feminine silhouette. Capped sleeves and a high neckline with v-neck piping were added to create a striking aesthetic.

Improved Nike DRI-FIT fabric, now 15 percent lighter than previous Nike kit fabrications, also helps keep players dry by drawing sweat to the outside of the garment where it evaporates. Ventilation zones have been strategically placed in those areas that are physiologically the most important for cooling. Each side and back of the jersey features enhanced breathability increasing air flow by up to seven percent compared to previous kits.

The away kit features a black bodice and red piping inspired by the beautiful but deadly Black Widow spider.

The home kit design is white with black piping and the goalkeeper kit will be worn in night purple, wolf grey and vibrant yellow.

And for those who don’t like design or feel that these team wear is more divisive than unifying (well, instead of football as a sport, it seems that this kit inspires fans to cheer on football for women or football for men), the only consolation is that these “jerseys are Nike’s most environmentally-friendly and technologically-advanced uniform yet. Each kit is made entirely from recycled polyester, produced from up to eight recycled plastic bottles per jersey.”

And though I have always believed team wear plays a role in the game, USWNT has shown that it cannot deter a win as they won over North Korea on Tuesday. And the FIFA World Ranking No 1 remains to be a medal favorite.

Brazil Legend Ronaldo Set to Retire Today

Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, simply known as Ronaldo, is set to retire today, Feb 14th, 2011.

In the late 1990s and early 2000, he was one of the most prolific scorers in the world. He has helped his country to win twice the World Cup trophies and remains to be the tournament’s all-time top scorer with fifteen goals. He won his first Ballon d’Or at only 21 years old and again 5 years later. He has won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times (1996, 1997, and 2002) and remains to be one of only 2 football player to have achieved that, the other one being Zinedine Zidane. After 18 years of wearing a professional soccer sports wear, he will finally take it off. His retirement ends 18 years of stellar performance in a sport where he is considered by experts to be one of the greatest players.

Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper reported:

"I can't take any more, I wanted to continue, but I can't do it any more. I think of an action, but I can't do it the way I want to. It's time. It's the body that's hurting me. The head wants to go on, but the body can't take any more."

In 2010, Ronaldo already announced that he will be retiring in 2011 but many claims it might have been pushed forward because of the succession of injuries and the early disappointing elimination of Corinthians from Latin America’s most prestigious competition, Copa Libertadores. Fans and supporters of Corinthians blame the players, especially Ronaldo, and the violence made him consider putting an end to his career earlier than the end of the year as planned.

Ronaldo may have been out of shape these days add to the fact that most of players these days are getting younger and younger but he certainly wore his teams’ sports wear proudly. And made the team proud he was wearing their soccer home and away team uniforms. His spectacular career as a striker spans 18 years in great football clubs which includes PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid and AC Milan, with the last 2 years spent with the Corinthians.

2011 Australian Open

Almost everyone has been waiting for this day, the start of the Australian Open. Now all eyes of the tennis world is on Melbourne, Australia as it hosts the 99^th Australian Open. But a day before the start of the Australian Open, the tennis players held the Rally for Relief to raise money for those affected by the flood that overwhelmed the state of Queensland. It was just like last year’s Hit for Haiti where the world’s best tennis players played, joked, and entertained fans with their oke at each other while raising money. After the 90-minute exhibition, they were able to raise $750,000 from the fans, the players, Tennis Australia, the ATP, WTA and the ITF. There were also pledges from players an amount for every ace they serve; Sam Stosur who hails from Queensland pledged $500 for every ace she serves during the Australian summer swing. Aside from the entertainment that these tennis players showed their fans, you can also see the assortment of sports wear worn by these players. Since Serena Williams is down because of injury, nobody else stood out in an atrocious costume. These seeded players were simple in their tennis or polo shirts (with the iconic swoosh, of course) and shorts.

Swiss superstar Federer is defending not only the championship but also the world’s number 1 position. And though he leads over Nadal 16 to nine in the Grand Slam, should Nadal win the Open he will hold all four major trophies and will open the age-old debate of who the greatest ever player is. The top-seeded Rafa has yet to play but a lot of fans and well-wishers are hoping Nadal makes history with a Rafa Slam and become the first man in history to achieve a non-calendar year grand slam sweep since Rod Laver 42 years ago.

Rafael Nadal and Caroline Wozniacki were given the top seeds for the 2011 Australian Open. Wozniacki has just won her first round against Gisela Dulko of Argentina while Maria Sharapova defeated Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand for the Women’s Singles. While Andy Roddick is on the court right now against the Czech J. Hajek, Federer defeated Lukas Lacko of Slovakia earlier in a game that lasted only 90 minutes.

As the Open has just begun, fans are definitely waiting for all the answers to all the questions in everybody’s mind: Federer or Nadal?