Thursday , March 28 2024

Pedro Morales Flirting With the Crazylight

Whitecaps central midfielder Pedro Morales (2nd right) has been occasionally sporting the Adidas F50 CrazyLight boots this season
Whitecaps central midfielder Pedro Morales (2nd right) has been occasionally sporting the Adidas F50 Crazylight boots this season

I was flicking through my TV guide on Saturday evening and came across the fact that the Vancouver Whitecaps would be playing DC United on TSN 4 (also simulcast on TSN, TSN 3, and TSN 5) , and decided to settle in and be potentially the only person in Canada watching the match on TSN 4 (see the above bit about the other three channels covering the match). It was during that match I noticed a little dazzle camouflage on the feet of Vancouver’s Chilean playmaker Pedro Morales. Quickly jumping to my personal almanac known as The Big Book of Football Boots, I was reasonably sure Morales was sporting a snazzy pair of Adidas F50 Crazylight boots. My eyes were able to get confirmation at the half time whistle that indeed it was a pair of the fabled boots that Gareth Bale wore in ONE match last season.

Morales 1

So I got to thinking, why would Vancouver’s DP signing be wearing the Crazylight? I’ve seen him in other matches wearing the standard F50 this season. Taking to Google in search of an answer I discovered that Morales has been in and out of the Crazylight boots this season, often times when Vancouver has been playing on the artificial grass confines of BC Place. Could this be about drag? The Crazylight features one fewer stud than the standard F50 boots, also the studs on the Crazylight have been shaved down to be smaller and thinner, in theory this should create less catching on turf and allow for better acceleration. So there’s one potential reason why Morales has been flirting with Adidas’ ultra-speed boot.

Morales 3
No doubt about it that ball is definitely in the net, and Morales is definitely in the F50 Crazylight’s.

There is a potential second reason why Morales has been in and out of the Crazylight this season, I mean Morales was a loyal Nike wearer during his time in Spain. The MLS is sponsored by Adidas, and in a conversation with the gaffer, he explained to me that during his time in MLS players who weren’t contracted athletes to another brand were obligated under the collective bargaining agreement to wear the three stripes. He even mentioned a time where he was fined $100 for wearing a pair of Lotto’s in training! (That’s right fined for his boots in training, unbelievable!)

So I supposed it could also be that Morales is not a Nike sponsored athlete. Therefore he is required to wear Adidas boots to avoid being hit in the pocketbook. So he’s decided to take sample Adidas’ wares, including the boot which was solely designed to be used by Gareth Bale. While correct answer lies somewhere in the middle of the to possibilities, I would love to hear that he’s donning the Crazylight’s to ‘stick it to the man’ (the man being MLS, as I imagine the boots are also purchased for the players under the CBA).

 

About Richard Wyatt

When he's not playing deft flicks and through balls with various 7 a side teams, Richard is either enjoying a good brew or enlightening the world with SoccerCleats 101 and the good ship Twitter. Find him on Twitter if you want to know what a Sweeper/Deep Lying Playmaker looks like!

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