adidas 2014 Brazuca Final Rio OMB Review
The adidas Brazuca Official Match Ball shouts innovation and is a word that gets thrown around a lot when you’re talking about modern sports equipment. When referring specifically to soccer balls, they’ve changed a lot over the last ten years, with Adidas being the leader in producing new designs and new technologies for their premier match balls. All of this has lead to the release of the adidas Brazuca, the most advanced and most unique soccer ball ever to grace the World Cup! This is the Official Match Ball that will be used at the final game during the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brasil this summer.
Visually, the Brazuca Final Rio is very distinctive. The ball features a white base, with hints of green, black and gold making up its crazy appearance. It’s definitely the flashiest World Cup finals ball to ever release, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In terms of functionality, the graphics and patterns on the ball do a great job of allowing the players to easily spot how quickly and what direction the ball is spinning.
The design of the Brazuca is incredible to say the least. It features an all-new six-panel design, with each panel roughly taking the shape of an “X”, with several different curves and corners. These panels are thermally bonded to each other, which not only allows the ball to look and feel almost seamless, but also aids in keeping water off of the ball. The panels themselves are made from Polyurethane, offering a nice firm touch and great responsiveness, while the outside of the panels are finished with a fine dimpled texture.
When it comes to performance, I couldn’t have been more impressed. Adidas claims that the Brazuca is the most tested FIFA Approved ball ever, which basically means that they really concentrated on every aspect of the performance. In terms of feel, the Brazuca offers a nice firm touch and also has a slightly above average weight to it. With that being said, the ball is perfectly round and perfectly balanced, offering a great feel no matter what skill is being performed.
Adidas really emphasized the flight speed of the Brazuca, and after testing it out, I was thoroughly impressed at how fast this ball travels through the air! The Brazuca travels noticeably faster than any other ball that I have ever used, and that in itself is amazing. To put things simply, if you enjoy shooting the ball, who doesn’t, you will absolutely love the Brazuca. It’s very responsive, and since there are only six panels, the entire ball is the sweet spot, offering the exact same response and feel every time you make contact.
Going back to 2010, the Adidas Jabulani match ball received plenty of criticism from both players and consumers regarding the unpredictable flight patterns of the ball. I am happy to report that the Brazuca does not suffer from the same issue. The weight of the ball seems to keep it on a steady path depending on how it is hit, and I got that sensation of “put it where you want it” when passing and shooting, which is a nice feeling. One thing that I did notice is that the slightly higher than average weight to ball does not allow it to float, which plays into the faster flight speed of the ball as a whole.
For $160, not only can you buy yourself a piece of history, but you’re also getting a ball that designed to perform, and that it does. I have to admit that I haven’t been crazy about the last couple of Adidas match balls, but the Brazuca is different. The Brazuca is cutting edge in every way, and I can’t wait to see it in use this summer in Brazil! Strongly recommended.
Rating: 5/5
