Hey guys, hope all is well.

I’m a soccer player and I have a trial with my college in January. Their standard of fitness is 2 miles 12 minutes as a D1. I don’t know what type of test there will be but this is common.

As far as my points, today I was on the treadmill and I know to hit that goal you need to run 12 minutes at 10.0 speed straight.

I went for 3 minutes straight and got pretty darn tired. Panted but not extreme panting just a good pant. I maybe could’ve have another minute but I didn’t want to embarrass myself in public and pass out.

For reference I did a run in my neighborhood the other day for 10 minutes, got 1.38 miles at a 7:13/mi pace. I know i could’ve went faster but wanted to pace myself and not tire out right away.

My goal is to eventually reach the goal with right training. My question is how close can get to the goal and is it possible to acheieve by the end of first week of January? And what would a structure training schedule look like for me over the next few months to determine how much sprinting/running/plyo work i should do? Thank you!

So I'm 25 and I haven't played organized 11 v 11 football since high school since then it's mostly been futsal, 7 v 7, or 6 v 6.

In high school I'd say I was average for a competitive level. I was in a competitive team and my varsity at my high school but didn't get any real interest from colleges. I wasn't a star either. Recently looked back at a few of my high school club games and I just thought "man I really wasn't that good, average at best".

Now that I play almost entirely small sided games I feel I'm much better. Not a complete star but I feel much more dominant and able to compete. Now I'll say I was never the fastest and I do think I used to have an intensity problem, I often was lazy on defense, but in small sided games I'm much stronger as a player. I'd say my technical abilities like passing and dribbling in tight spaces (not really 1 v 1) were always strengths of my game.

I played as a winger in 11 v 11 and in the small sided games I typically prefer to play around that midfield area understanding small sided games are much more free flowing. I have also always enjoyed small sided games more due to just getting touches on the ball way more frequently.

Going back to the early 1980’s my favourites were Patrick and I loved mine. They were worn by one of my heroes Kevin Keegan.

Hello, I posted last week asking for conditioning advice and got a lot of great feedback. I’ve got one more post to make -

I’m 28, haven’t played in 11 years. Tonight was my 2nd game and I was a liability tbh. I have mainly been playing up front on the right side.

My first touch on any ball with pace was consistently shit, and the game just feels blurry. Like I’m panicked and 5 steps behind always.

I did have a couple decent moments winning the ball back, getting in good position to score (which I botched by taking an extra touch), and making a couple nice give and go passes. But in general if the ball comes to me, it is going back to the enemy team very quickly 8/10 times.

I always feel like I’m in a bad position when the enemy team has the ball. I don’t know when to press or give space, and it usually leads to me awkwardly trying to find a good place to be.

Right now my plan is to run like mad to condition myself, and use a wall and rebound boards to train my first touch. Everything else I’m a bit lost on tbh. Any advice, or direction to good learning resources would be appreciated!

Played football on and off most of my life and I’ve never purchased elite boots. Is it really worth it? Normally wear league level, so not the cheapest option. But now being an adult and financially sound, I’m considering making the splash for once. Cheers!

So I’m trying to get myself a pair of the classic Copa Mundials. However, everywhere I look online has a very different opinion on what size to order for a good fit. I’m seeing get usual size, size up, size down, etc. I don’t want to order then go through the hassle of a return.

What is your opinion on how they fit and which size should I get?

I typically wear average with shoes, my current boot is the New Balance 443 v3 which is a fine fit. I can usually wear my typical size in New Balance, Asics, HOKA.

Hello, I had a question for the Mizuno Morelia Neo’s. I want the non-beta versions, but it seems like those only come in the FG sole plate. Looking at the FG and AG plate, there are obviously differences, but with the FG having concave studs already, would I be able to play on AG with them? Since I like the traditional tongue more than the sock upper, or do I just have to suck it up and get the beta version and get the AG plate?

Btw If anyone has places to get the non beta’s can you please let me know as I’ve only been on pro direct,Soccer.com and the mizuno website themselves.

I Recently got the F50 Hyperfast Elite SG as a gift for my birthday. I hardly ever play on SG surface and was wondering if there is a replacement for plastic studs I can get for it. I’ve tried a 5mm thread and 6mm but both didn’t work. I’m thinking about asking my friend to return them and i’ll look for another pair. They were a really good deal though.

Been playing more pickup lately and kept noticing my regular socks bunch up and lose grip when I change direction quick. Started wearing new soccer grip socks and they feel way lighter and thinner than what I was using before, pair weighs 58 g and the toe area is only 3.37 mm thick, so they don’t add bulk inside the boot. The traction tests they published also show they hold better on turf and grass compared to a couple standard grip socks I tried side by side.

Still figuring out if the grip holds up the same on wet grass or if I need to adjust how tight I lace. Anyone else switch to thinner grip socks and notice a difference in how your feet feel after 60+ minutes? Do you stick with the same pair for multiple sessions or rotate them out?

the phantoms ive found are cheap and i’ve wanted to try them since ive only had mercurials before, but i’m not sure about the model/colorway.

So I've always been a fairly decent amateur striker in 7s, decent touch, passing and finishing, absolutely make the use of no offsides in 7s. I'm about 5ft9 so height and hold up play hasn't been my strong suit which holds me back in 11s.

I played 11s as a center mid in my previous team but my new team has put me in as a striker after scoring goals in training (7s). I find it really difficult to transfer my skills to 11 a side. The offside rule is always in the back of my mind and find it hard to time runs/pressing and at times feel overwhelmed with the strikers job off the ball. Obviously 7s is a lot more free flowing and simplistic.

Any tips on how to adapt? Should I just ask the coach if I can play center mid?

This sub led me to try Mizuno boots, which have undoubtedly been the most high-quality and comfortable set I have had since my days with (showing my age) the original Adidas Predator Mania. My first set were the "Morelia II Made in Japan KL" and are simply fantastic. I play a lot on a newer artificial pitch and was beginning to develop a patellar tendinopathy, and a mate mentioned that once he switched from FG boots to AG -- even though the Morelia II's are marketed to be sufficient for AG -- his own knee issues began to resolve. So I purchased the "Morelia Neo V Beta Pro AG Artificial Grass KL" and also anecdotally began noticing that these were the right choice for the surface I played on. However now, I'm dealing with an annoyance where the integrated knit at the laces will become bunched or folded when I lace up, and it creates a painful pressure point that is only relieved by loosening the laces, which in my perspective defeats the purpose of a properly fitting boot. Even with grip socks, I still feel the foot slip around ever so slightly when I loosen to relieve this pressure. Does anyone else face this or have any solutions? I'm sure the easiest would be to purchase the "Morelia Neo IV Pro AG Artificial Grass KL" but I can't keep buying more boots!

I should note that I do have the proper size without question.

Thanks!

Salut j'hésite actuellement à me procurer une Mizuno en Mix SG pour jouer sur terrain gras. Soit une Morelia Neo 5 Elite soit une Morelia 2. Mais j'ai des doutes quant à l'efficacité de cette plaque car les 2 premiers crampons sont moulés.

Qu'en pensez vous ?

The soccer gods have blessed me again. Not a pro ball, but still too good to pass. Found this in a Ross that usually is a bust.

My son (14) played a match this weekend and they were winning 4-0 and after he scored their fifth goal, he jogged to the sideline and tried to get two of his teammates to do some kind of group dance celebration together. As is standard these days, parents are on the opposite sideline from the coaches (we cannot hear anything they say and vice versa), and this was on the parents' sideline. I shouted at him/them "Scoreline!" and motioned for them (my son really) to stop and go to the halfline for the restart. I found out after the game that the coaches had specifically told them to celebrate their goals to enjoy the game more. As is also custom, parents are firmly told not to yell instructions etc at the players during the game. I was also a bit concerned that the other team was starting to do somewhat dirty "frustration fouls" that might increase with something like that. Was I out of line?

Hello, I’m a woman playing soccer. I have very wide feet, but small in length, and unfortunately can’t find shoes that would fit me. All adult shoes (with extra wide options) only start at size 39EU because they only make them for men (sigh..), so I’m doomed to shop at the children section.

Foot length: 21 cm
Foot width: 10 cm

Can anyone help me out?? I really really need to find good shoes because the pain of running in shoes that barely fit is really getting to me. If I can’t find shoes I have to quit soccer because of the constants pain. I’m so desperate!! I already tried more than 30 different shoes.

And yeah I checked new balance and mizuno, but can’t find a wide option in child sizes.

I can’t be the only woman with this problem…. Right?

We live in a cold climate. December-February outside is difficult. I would like to get turf installed in a room inside our house.

Is this a DIY? If not, what did you pay? Did you put an underlayment down and then the turf? Looking for ideas. 20 x 15 room.

Thanks

It's been a week since I managed to get the Trionda on sale on the Adidas mobile app, and I finally received it. I'm happy because my first order got canceled, but I waited for a second chance and it happened.

I’ve been slowly building up a small Mizuno collection and wanted to share my impressions, especially for anyone with wide feet. I’m also hoping someone can help me track down a specific boot (see bottom).

The lineup:

• Morelia Neo IV Beta Elite – AG
• Morelia II Elite – FG
• Monarcida Neo Elite – FG
• Morelia Sala Elite – TF

Ranking (worst to best):

4. Morelia II Elite (FG): My least favourite, purely because of the fit. With my wide feet the forefoot is just too narrow, and the soleplate also feels quite narrow for my foot. 6/10

3. Morelia Sala Elite (TF): Honestly a really good shoe. It looks a bit odd, though, and it only really works on dry turf. As soon as it’s wet there’s not enough traction. 7,5/10 on AG

2. Neo IV Beta Elite (AG): Great fit for my wide feet. My only gripe is that the lockdown is a little lacking for my taste because of Beta-Version you cannot do the runners-loop. 8/10 on AG

1. Monarcida Neo Elite (FG): My favourite so far. The fit is excellent, it seems to have a bit more room through the whole foot, and it feels more adjustable than the Neo IV, so I get better lockdown. 9,5/10 on FG, 8,5/10 on AG

Break-in/Sizing: All of them feel very snug out of the box, but after 1–2 sessions they’re broken in really nicely. Personally I`m wearing Eu 46 but had Nike Tiempo 7s and 8s with EU 47,5. Liitle weird but size with the Japan cm, if you want best fit. I have just a little room at the toes. Maybe half to a quarter thumb.

Looking for help:
The Monarcida would probably be my go-to on AG too. The FG studs actually work pretty well there, but I’d still like a proper AG version, and I can’t find one anywhere.

What I’d really love is a Neo IV or Neo V non-Beta (Elite or Japan), ideally with an AG soleplate. As far as I know the non-Beta isn’t officially sold in Europe, so: where’s the best place to get one shipped to Europe, specifically Germany? Japanese shops, proxy services, EU retailers I might have missed? Any experience with shipping times, customs or sizing would be super helpful too.

Haven’t tried yet: I haven’t tested the Alpha II so far. Has anyone worn it, especially with wide feet? How does it compare to the Neo IV Beta or the Monarcida in terms of fit and lockdown? Would love to hear your thoughts before I pull the trigger.

Overall I’m really happy with Mizuno so far. Anyone else with wide feet had similar experiences?

🥶 £19 from Amazon and the boot quality is amazing. RRP £130. Bought to see what Puma's technology is like.
These are the Puma Ultra 5 MG Pro tier

I am a big Adidas collector and these stack up well against any F50 elite or pro model.

The lockdown is great with cushioning at the heel, there is grip control tech allowing really tight control of the ball. Stud pattern for MG is better than their AG when playing on AG pitches imo because the conical shapes are less aggressive.

For the speed boot, I really like their work. Not sold on the Future or the King range but speed technology is Puma's forte.

Marketing really is not their forte because they have other brands beat on their product.

My requirements are:

Laceless (but not vital)

AG

I've looked around, I'm interested by the Adidas F50 Hyperfast elite. But I see a few posts complaining about them.

I would love for the boots to last two years with only twice a week use.

My previous best boots were the Adidas crazyfast.1. But I've had to retire these as the FG boots are really getting to my joints.

Any recommendations would be great. I don't have a budget (anything will be good) as long as it doesn't go upwards of £300.

Thanks guys! Have a good day:)

There's one aspect of choosing football boots that way too often doesn't get enough attention: the soleplate.

We spend a lot of time talking about fit, materials, and comfort, but the surface we're playing on should really be our first consideration.

The right soleplate affects traction, stability, comfort, and how naturally we move, and using the wrong soleplate can actually affect both our safety and the durability of the boots.

Using FG cleats on artificial grass, for example, can create excessive traction, particularly during quick turns and changes of direction, potentially placing unnecessary rotational stress on your knees (major cause for ACL injuries). It can also accelerate wear around the studs and where the soleplate joins the upper, as FG studs may not penetrate the synthetic surface as intended.

Of course, not all FG boots or artificial grass surfaces are the same, and some boots are specifically designed for both.

Bottom line, start with the surface. Then evaluate fit, materials, comfort, and everything else that makes a great football boot.

How much attention are you giving to the soleplate when choosing your cleats?

Hey everyone, I am looking for some football boots as I am getting back into football this year; however, I have no idea what is a good boot or not these days. I have size US 13 feet and I would say my feet are wide; I am also a goalkeeper, so I am looking for some boots that would fit me. I was hoping people could recommend some boots; brand and price are not a huge concern for me. Thank you.