Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
Just in case it happens to snow in Brazil this summer, Adidas has a back-up plan to ensure the Brazuca can be seen – the Brazuca Winter Ball. Alright, so there is a bit of a misnomer in that opening sentence and initial weather reports state that snow is not expected during the summer in Brazil, ever! It is a little confusing that a winter version of the summer World Cup ball would be released but we are talking Adidas here and the opportunity to release a dazzlingly bright, high-end soccer ball that they proudly title the POWERORANGE is something they couldn’t turn up.
In all honesty, I actually love the look of this ball and have thoroughly enjoyed taking it out for games over the Christmas period. Feedback from fellow players has been just as positive and it has been frequently requested before showing up to play.
[Also: Adidas Brazuca Review]
Visually, the color is an extreme vivid orange. Looking at the ball and then at the images in this post, you really don’t get the full visual effect. In person, it kind of stuns your eyes and in-game it is extremely tough to misplace. Where the summer Brazuca has a mesh of Samba colors, this version comes in that one mono-tone Orange color and that plays to the advantage of the detailing not immediately spotted on the original. For example, the stars that sit on the inner black lining pop on this version and are much more prominent.
You can currently see more of the Adidas Brazuca Winter Ball at Soccer.com.
Performance wise, you are getting the very same ball so there is absolutely nothing different. I mean, they are both called the Brazuca. I’m sure none of you will have mis-guided by the colorway change-up, but it is worth pointing out just in case.
[Also: Complete Adidas World Cup Ball Set – A History Lesson]
There has obviously been extensive research in creating the Brazuca, and Adidas end result was to use six identical panels as the surface on the ball. If you take a look at these panels, you will notice it has the most incredibly odd shape. It is a bizarre design and it is difficult to ascertain if it improves the performance of the ball compared to a traditional 32 panel ball, but it certainly has the appearance of something futuristic! On top of each panel there is dimpled texture. In terms of touch, the dimpled texture offers a little extra control on the ball. But the main purpose for the dimples is related to aerodynamics. Adidas has designed the ball with this pattern to allow air to pass by the ball without producing drag. Again, this helps it move on a direct path without variance, as long as you are not looking to put extra spin on the ball. When it comes to spin, a ball with a dimpled design will spin more than a traditional smooth ball.
Overall, you gotta love what the Brazuca has to offer, and if you are in an area where snow is an issue at the moment, the POWERORANGE is a ball well worth checking out. of course, it does still hold that high-end price tag but when you compare this to the market it is a ball well worth considering.
Again, you can currently see more of the Adidas Brazuca Winter Ball at Soccer.com.
Love it!