Home / Product Reviews / Nike Portugal Supporter Ball Review

 

Happy Tuesday, folks. Hopefully the weather is better in your neck of the woods (thanks, Al Roker) as today is a gloomy, cloudy day for us at the shop. Today’s agenda is aimed at the Nike Portugal Supporter ball, so let’s get into it, shall we?

Let’s not beat around the bush—this isn’t a match ball, even for something like intramurals. It’s basically a cheap ball (i.e. inexpensive, not necessarily poorly constructed) that would be perfect for a pick up game in the street or for kicking around with your kids. The latter scenario, I think, is the perfect situation for this ball, especially if you have younger children; allow me to explain.

The ball is constructed with the classic mixture of hexagonal and pentagonal panels, each stitched to one another. This creates seams that keep water from flooding the ball, while also maintaining the spherical structure of the ball use after use. That said, the panels are a bit on the slick side, so it’ll take a few wallops before the ball softens up and gets broken in. It also has PU casing with a reinforced bladder, so it will be able to take the beating from consistent use by younger players. I definitely wouldn’t suggest getting together with your buddies and wailing the ball into a brick wall; you’ll end up with a flat ball in no time, I think. ANYWAY, I like the classic paneling on the ball because it doesn’t have the flight issues that a Jabulani style paneled ball can have, which is certainly good for young players getting the basics of the game down. Aside from the paneling and the bladder, there isn’t much else to the construction of this ball. It’s simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s poorly constructed.

As for the look of the ball, well, it utilizes the Portugese red and green with the ball being predominately red. On one side, you have the team crest in green. Directly opposite the small crest is a much larger stylized crest! The focal point of this side is a gold crest with “A Equipa de Todos Nós” written in white over top of the crest. Again, relatively simple, but the designs are effective and serve their purpose. This ball isn’t intended to dazzle you with innovative paneling or flashy graphics. It’s intended to display on a shelf or to kick around with your kids in the back yard, at least in my opinion. The soccer ball currently retails for $19.99, but soccerpro.com has it for $11.99 at the moment. If you’re looking for a cheap ball that is still well made, I’d suggest checking this out!

Written by: Kris Dyer, aspiring magician, soccerprose.com

 

About the author: Matthew Wall

 

I've played soccer since I could walk thanks to my father and love keeping up on all the latest gear and gab. I'm in my twenties, and I'm lucky enough to have found work in search marketing for a leading soccer retailer after completing my M.A. at Georgetown in 2008. My team is Liverpool, and national side is Ireland, but I've also got a passion for GAA and a number of sports. Feel free to give me a shout on Google+

 

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