FIFA Women's World Cup 2015 - Adidas Conext 15 ball

Christoph Von Wilhelm Dassler was a worker in a shoe factory, while his wife Pauline ran a small laundry in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach..........

Adidas AG  is a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures sports shoes, clothing and accessories. The company is based in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the holding company for the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, Taylor Made-Adidas golf company (including Ashworth), Rockport, and a % of FC Bayern Munich. Besides sports footwear, Adidas also produces other products such as bags, shirts, watches, eyewear and other sports and clothing-related goods. The company's clothing and shoe designs typically feature three parallel bars, and the same motif is incorporated into Adidas's current official logo.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup, the 20^th  FIFA World Cup,  took place in  Brazil in June-July 2014.  31 National teams advanced through qualification competitions to join the host nation in the final tournament. A total of 64 matches were played in 12 venues located in as many host cities across Brazil. For the first time at a World Cup finals, match officials used goal-line technology, as well as vanishing foam for free kicks. In the finals, Germany defeated Argentina 1–0 to win the tournament and secure the country's fourth world title.  By virtue of this win, Germany qualified for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.

For those closely following [the recent scam and taint in the governing body], it will be too rudimentary to say that the game is played with a ball ~ a ball inflated with air  where  goals are scored only when the ball enters one of two designated goal-scoring areas; football games involve the two teams each trying to move the ball in opposite directions along the field of play. The first balls were made of natural materials, such as an inflated pig bladder, later put inside a leather cover, which has given rise to the United States slang-term "pigskin". Modern balls are designed by teams of engineers to exacting specifications, with rubber or plastic bladders, and often with plastic covers ~ to correct – it is not a game played with (any) ball……..  it was ‘brazuca’ - the Adidas “Brazuca” – was the official match ball of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

The name was selected by public vote  in Sept 2012, organised by the Local Organising Committee and Adidas, with over one million Brazilian football fans voting the  name Brazuca - with 77.8% of the vote. According to FIFA, "the informal term “brazuca” is used by Brazilians to describe national pride in the Brazilian way of life", and "mirroring their approach to football, it symbolises emotion, pride and goodwill to all".  The ball is a developmental successor to the Adidas Tango 12 series of balls, with the same bladder and carcass but a different surface structure. According to Adidas : The Brazuca ball has six polyurethane panels that are bonded to keep the ball the same weight and roundness in even the thickest of rain.  Adidas unveiled the Brazuca at a launch event on 3 December 2013, two days ahead of the traditional unveiling of the World Cup match ball at the draw of the group stages of the World Cup Final.

Adidas has the long history of developing the official ball for every FIFA….the official ball in 2010 was Jabulani ~ and in the earlier version in 2006 FIFA in Germany it was the Teamgeist meaning "team spirit", could not be trademarked.

Now comes the 7^th FIFA Women’s World cup – the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.  In Mar 2011, Canada won the right to host the event, the first time the country will host the tournament and the third time it has been in North America. The tournament began on 6 June 2015 and will finish on 5 July. For this tourney, there are 24 teams from 16 in 2011. Canada received direct entry as host, and a qualification tournament of 134 teams was held for the remaining 23 places. With the expanded tournament, eight teams made their Women's World Cup debut.  Goal-line technology is in place for this too. 

Christoph Von Wilhelm Dassler was a worker in a shoe factory, while his wife Pauline ran a small laundry in the Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, 20 km (12.4 mi) from the city of Nuremberg. After leaving school, their son, Rudolf "Rudi" Dassler, joined his father at the shoe factory.  Adolf "Adi" Dassler started to produce his own sports shoes in his mother's wash kitchen in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria after his return from World War I.  ..... and Adidas was born this way ! in Aug 1949.

For the 2015 FIFA Women’s WC, Adidas has unveiled official match ball – the Conext15 Final Vancouver Official Match Ball bears the vibrant red of tournament hosts Canada, combined with a gold trim representing the Final match to be held on Sunday 5 July in Vancouver.  The ball itself has been designed using the same groundbreaking technology that was used so successfully in Brazuca.  According to its manufacturers, this technology went through a thorough testing process over a two-and-a-half-year period involving more than 600 of the world’s top players and 30 teams in ten countries across three continents, making it the most tested ball ever by adidas, which helped ensure that it is well suited for all conditions. While the previously revealed Conext15 Official Match Ball will be used for the 51 group-stage and knockout games, the Conext15 Final Vancouver will be reserved only for the Final.

Adidas website states that it  is a global supporter of the development of women’s football and at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, they will provide kits to six of the competing teams, including current champions Japan and two-time winners Germany. Those teams will join Sweden, Spain, Colombia and Mexico in wearing the latest in adidas kit technology in Canada.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

10^th June 2015.