This Weekend in Soccer: Puma Boots Take the Spotlight

Puma evoSPEED

1.

Puma evoSPEED

From teams who like to score goals, to boots that are pretty decent at helping players claim a few, this weekend was full of goals on top quality attacking action. With only four weeks of the young European season in place, leagues are already starting to shape up and we even saw the first sacking of the season yesterday. Oh yes, we are already back in the thick of the action.

Here's what you missed this weekend in soccer.

Bryan Byrne is the founder of SoccerCleats101. Got a question about boots? Hit up Bryan on Twitter.

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2.

PowerCat 1 Orange

No. 1 – New Puma Colorways Have a Good Weekend

Well that is not entirely true on the defensive end as Nemanja Vidic and Manchester United fell to a rampant Man City. But, at least Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero got in on the goals for the opposing side. Man City hammered Man Utd 4-1 on Sunday. Aguero was particularly impressive in that game and both of his goals were top class. Wearing the latest evoSPEED colorway, he now has 3 goals in 2 games and is a key player in Puma’s advertising strategy.

In France, Falcao also grabbed a goal in a pair of the older model evoSPEED 1.2, as Monaco claimed a draw in the battle of the money clubs, playing against PSG. While in Spain, Cesc Fabregas wore the new PowerCat 1 colorway and he also gave them a goal scoring start in La Liga.

Both boots offer different types of performance. The evoSPEED is all about speed and acceleration, while the PowerCat has more of a playmaker design to it. Fabregas has been wearing the PowerCat for the past 2 seasons (or since their introduction) and he swears by the performance they offer.

Final note goes to Puma's lead player in the US, Thierry Henry, who became a sensation with his "Henrying" and crazy on-pitch dancing skills. You should check out both!

3.

Balotelli

No. 2 – Balotelli Actually Misses a Penalty!

Before the weekend, Balotelli had scored 26 of 26 penalties for club and country. But this weekend, it all changed as his effort versus Napoli was saved and AC Milan ended up losing 2-1. Balotelli did end of getting on the scoresheet, but his missed penalty was a key point in the game.

On his feet, Balotelli wears the Nike CTR360 Maestri, a boot specifically designed for attacking players who like to make things happen going forward. To date, they have been a successful weapon for the big Italian, especially the control element the boot possesses through the lateral side of the boot. The fins create an area of absorption to allow the ball to really settle close to your body on first touches.

Image via @FinallyMario on Twitter

4.

Pedro - Weekender

No. 3 – Barcelona Fans Expect a Hat-trick Every Game

It was Messi midweek, and this weekend it was Pedro putting his name on a well-deserved hat-trick. In fact, what made this one even more impressive was the fact that Messi didn’t even score, proving Barcelona are more than a one horse team.

In terms of his choice of footwear, Pedro wears the boot designed for explosive speed and attacking play – the Nike Mercurial Vapor IX. They certainly suit the forwards style and Nike is sure to be impressed with the fact it is not only Neymar highlighting the Nike brand at Barca!

Image via FC Barcelona on Facebook

5.

Baines

No. 4 – Leighton Baines – Free-kick Specialist

There was a reason that Everton fought so hard this summer to keep Leighton Baines at the club, and he gave us another example of why this weekend. There are not many set-piece specialists like him in the game, and his 2 goals from pretty identical spots versus West Ham were key to the Blues picking up 3 points.

The boot of choice for this free-kick specialist is the Adidas Predator LZ. Considering the fact he plays left back, you could say he has the perfect boot on his feet. When striking free-kicks, the added technology (or Lethal Zones) adds an extra element of control for him to really add some spin and accuracy on shots. Then, they also provide a little extra protection as he gets stuck in on tackles.

Image via Everton Football Club on Facebook

6.

Di Canio

No. 5 – Paulo Di Canio Fired by Sunderland

The final spot this week goes to one of the most interesting figures to ever manage in the EPL, even if he was only in the hot-seat for 13 games! Following their loss on Saturday, Di Canio walked across the pitch to apologize to the fans and tell them to “keep their chins up”. Yet, the following day he was sacked for his bizarre actions and a flurry of pitiful results.

If you were to watch a Sunderland training session, you would have caught Di Canio sporting a pair of adidas Copa Mundial – he kept it classy! The Copa is a boot defined by its consistency and ability to withstand the challenges of time. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about Di Canio and his short lived stint is very much not reflected in the boots he wore!

Image via Sunderland AFC on Facebook

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