WATCH 5 CREATIVES UNITE UNDER THEIR LOVE FOR SOCCER

Soccer, football, the beautiful game – whatever you want to call it – yet again unites those with a passion towards the sport outside of the game itself. Creators of the Game is an ongoing mini-series presented by Red Bull that sees soccer bringing together five different artists, each with their own unique background and style. Featured in the above episode is LA-based artist Joshua Vides, top U.S. soccer freestyler Indi Cowie, Miami hip-hop artist Twelve’len, street photographer Jenny Abrams, and street artist ABSTRK, all of which share in-depth their own personal stories and experience surrounding the game. Hit play to watch the seven and a half minute-long video, then be sure to keep tabs on the channel for more episodes to come.

EXPLORING THE MOST CAPTIVATING CREST ORIGIN STORIES

Three lions, four birds, and a cross of the knights templar walk into a World Cup… The origins of global soccer crests is a tangled mess of lions, tigers, eagles and rosaries — as complex and intertwined as the beautiful game itself. Now that we’ve passed the knockout stages, here are a few of the best origin stories behind the sigils of our World Cup favorites.

JAPAN (The three-legged crow)
Japanese design culture has always a boasted a beauty rooted in being painstakingly well-considered. The nation’s soccer kits for their beloved “Samurai Blue” are no different. The JFA crest prominently depicts the Yatagarasu – the three-legged crow – who in Asian myth serves as a kind of avatar for divine intervention or a messenger from the gods. Under the crow’s front-most talon is, of course, the rising sun, emblematic of modern Japan. To this day, the winners of the “Emperor’s cup,” Japan’s oldest domestic trophy, are awarded a Yatagarasu emblem on their kit as a reward, further conflating Japanese monarchy with the divine.

MEXICO (El Tri)
El Tri’s current crest has been in rotation since ‘94 and shares the same eagle as the Mexican flag. But instead of the eagle perched on a cactus, it is instead rocking atop The Aztec calendar. That nod to the ancient Aztecs weaves a rich tapestry of Mexico’s indigenous iconography into the Passion and Orgullo (pride) of their soccer history.

FRANCE (Rooster)
Sometimes a simple pun, perhaps even a homonym, can stir up a symbol to last over 100 years. For many scholars, the fact that the Latin root for the region of Gaul (Gallus) was identical to the Latin word for the rooster (Gallus) served as a genuine LOL moment for the people of the Middle Ages. Oh, how these people would laugh at the pleasant coincidence while associating the Gauls with the attributes of a rooster: stubbornness and brazenness. Joke’s on them, the French would run with it and since 1909 Fédération Française de Football would march out onto the field of play with the proud rooster emblazoned over their heart. From Zizou and Thuram to Pogba and Griezmann, Les Bleus unleash the rooster’s crow of French culture and sport in 90-minute intervals.

BRAZIL (Seleção)
The iconic yellow and green adorned with its five World Cup victory stars are as iconic a brand as any in sporting culture. Yet, because of how vibrant and decadent the crest is, the cross anchoring it all often hides in plain sight. A second look will begin to avail the similarities of the crest shape and cross to that of Portugal, as the cross in the middle is a nod to the Portuguese Templar Knights in the Order of Christ’s Cross who uncovered a large portion of South America for Europe. The crest as a whole serves as a reminder that while the language of the nation may be rooted in Europe, the flair and joy is something uniquely made up of Brazil.

ENGLAND (Three Lions)
Ahhh, the originators of heraldry. Masters of lore and Knighthood, the English FA and the three lions have receipts going back as far as anyone when it comes to the genesis of the crest in culture. While the Three Lions are a living homage to the different iterations of King Richard the 1st’s coat of arms, the 10 Tudor roses scattered symmetrically across the shield represent the 10 regional branches of the FA. On a stage crowded by large felines, the English may just have the most iconic rendition.

RUSSIA (Double-headed Eagle)
From our lovely tournament host comes some of the most brazenly gangster symbols in World Cup history. Taken straight from the Russian coat of arms. the two (well, three when counting the two heads of the eagles) are the double-headed eagle of Ivan III and a sigil of St. George trampling a dragon. With both Byzantine and Hittite origins (that one’s for you AP Euro nerds) the hosts showcase an equally rich tradition of heraldry as that of Western footballing nations. Their bold crest serves as a reminder that no two eagles are alike.

OG GRAFFITI LEGEND SABER TALKS ART AND SOCCER

Art and soccer go hand-in-hand – that’s obvious. We see the marriage displayed on our favorite soccer jerseys, we see it on posters, campaigns, and art projects from a novice fan to a recognized artist… there’s art even found in how the beautiful game is even played – many argue that soccer itself is a form of artistic dance. Does it lie in the beauty of art though? Or in the beauty of the game? Perhaps both! Either way, it’s a marriage we always enjoy, no matter the genre, so when we heard OG graffiti legend Saber was involved in adidas Football’s recent Energy Mode X18 event here in Los Angeles, we jumped at the chance to speak with the man to get his thoughts on the relationship between art and soccer, as well as how and why he’s particularly involved, where he would like to see the shared cultures going in the future, and much more.

So, to start, what’s your relationship with soccer?
The first thing I can say is that I played soccer when I was about five… I don’t know shit. I know nothing. World Cup? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? I don’t know what it is. Football… Futbol? Okay… I’ve always appreciated the sport, but then I get sucked into this gig and I’m like okay cool, let’s go! So then I start researching – I didn’t really know much about ‘street league,’ I don’t know about a Tango League – I didn’t know anything about this… But I start seeing videos, I start seeing what these kids are doing and the energy, the technical aspects of how talented these kids are, and I thought it was really cool, man. There’s a lot of energy behind it and I thought that was really moving. When I saw the momentum and saw the energy, I thought that was really cool. It seems like something that’s very positive. I like that it’s aggressive. I also like that it can get aggressive, that it’s pretty hardcore. It can get pretty intense. With street soccer and graffiti, we’re all kind part of being born out of concrete to a certain degree, and I think the competitive spirit might be similar. I don’t do graffiti much anymore – I’m too old and have kids and shit like that, but back in the day we were always are unstoppable.

That’s how people are describing soccer players now: as being “unstoppable.”
Yeah, I was unstoppable back then!. Nothing could stop me, nothing!

So back then, did you see any sort of marriage between the street art/graffiti world and soccer? Do you see it happening now?
Well honestly, for me those worlds didn’t even combine. They didn’t even exist together. So I think adidas, with their efforts and the Tango league and street soccer aspect, it’s nice to see adidas sponsoring these things and making these things happen. It’s only going to grow, and these kids are very competitive! So yeah, clearly they’re going to grow the sport and grow it into something bigger and maybe America will embrace “football” as opposed to [American] “football.” I don’t even watch it. I like violence, so I like watching jujitsu and people killing each other. Other than that, I don’t follow sports and I don’t have time… I’m too caught up with other stuff. But still, I think the energy is very similar and I think what translates that energy is when you have the fashion, you have the momentum of it. You have that action, and I think there are similarities between soccer and art with that.

You can look at other countries where it’s easier to see both cultures of street soccer and graffiti side-by-side – both born from the streets. I mean, you go to a place like Brazil and you’ll have a pickup game on the streets amidst a whole bunch of graffiti, some kids partaking in both. Is that something you’d like to see more of in America?
Absolutely. I would love to see that. That seems to be a more healthy environment. We were born out of the gang mentality. So we didn’t really want to open up to anybody, you know? We kept to ourselves. I think this could be a good bridge – a cultural bridge – between the two worlds and more: music, skateboarding, streetwear… anything really!

THE IMPORTANCE OF NIKE’S SHORT FILM ‘THIS IS NAIJA’

“As an African kid, you don’t learn to play football on the synthetic turf or learn football with well-planned grass, you learn it the hard way… on the street corners.”

The night is alit — the roaring of trumpets, the banging of drums, the cheering of thousands, hopeful — as the Nigerian National Football team prepares for the biggest moments of their lives. For a country of 186 million, 60 percent of which is under the age of 20, this is a new Nigeria. One to which represents a new direction, a new spirit, channeled across a country of over 500 different tribes in what is known collectively as Naija.

In conjunction with Nike, Nigerian photographer and filmmaker Andrew Dosunmu captures this vibrant optimism in a new short-film titled, This is Naija: A Nigerian Football Story. At the forefront is the new Nigeria home kit, a devilishly beautiful shirt highlighted with neon green accents and an iconic zig-zag pattern which shattered the kit record, by selling out three million units in mere minutes. However, this is a story that runs far deeper than a flashy kit; this is the tale of a country, who’s relatively recent independence, is now revealing its deeply rooted creative history. A history of song and dance, of food and culture, of mythology and folklore — all of which permeates with every pulsating kick of the ball.

“When I think of Naija swag — swag is edgy, edgy is rugged, it’s authentic. Its the way we dress, its the way we carry ourselves, its the way we speak. its the way we move,” says Nigerian musician Nneka. This movement is ever-present in the likes of Wilfred Ndidi and captain John Obi Mikel, but also in rising musical and creative talents such as photographer Yagazie Emezi, filmmaker Grace Ladoja and Wizkid, to name a few.

As the most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria oozes this creativity, as it ranks second worldwide in terms of films produced and one that has birthed musical giants such as Fela Kuti and the Afrobeat movement. Footballing wise, Nigeria continues to grace the world with maestros — from the legendary Nwankwo Kanu and Jay Jay Okocha of the Olympic Gold winning team of 1996 to Premier League stars Alexander Iwobi and Victor Moses.

“Hosting the World Cup in Nigeria would take Nigeria from where it is now amongst some of the poorest countries in the world, to where it can be, one of the most advanced civilizations in the world”, says Nigerian Football legend, Segun Odegbami. The resources are there, the talents is there, the passion and energy is there… it is now up to this new Naija to use football as a catalyst in spearheading both Nigeria and the continent of Africa in what could be a domino effect of infrastructural development for the years to come. Enjoy the full This is Naija: A Nigerian Football Story below.

PHILLY’S UNION GIVES TWO MARINES FREE INK DURING A MATCH

A little over a year ago the Philadelphia Union announced a unique initiative which saw them enlist Aston PA’s Bonedaddy’s Tattoo as the club’s official tattoo shop. It was an unprecedented, fresh and all around a cool move by the Union.

Fast forward to last weekend where the club added to their brilliant initiative by thanking some of their local military members with some fresh and free ink. Two active duty military members were nominated by fans then selected by the Union to receive the tattoos. The Marines selected received their complimentary tattoos in a stadium suite while they watched the Union smash Real Salt Lake 4-1. As you can see from the pictures below, the experience enlisted Bonedaddy’s Tattoo to completely transform the space into a proper tattoo parlor which really added a genuine aesthetic to a beautiful experience.

“MUJERES” BY ARTIST RICARDO ANDRÉS VERDESOTO RUGEL

Over the weekend in Jackson Heights, Queens, local artist Ricardo Andres Verdesoto Rugel collaborated with Queenscapes, a community-based organization responsible for creating photography programs within the city for a two day pop up. On display was Rugel’s exhibit entitled “Mujeres,” a series of photographs that looks to showcase women wearing soccer kits as a means to dispel the notion that soccer is strictly a sport for men.

“Fútbol is known worldwide to be predominantly considered a “man’s sport,” but in my eyes, there hasn’t been enough attention brought to the women who are fans of the game – especially underrepresented minority women. Mujeres emphasizes on showcasing soccer jerseys as day-to-day lifestyle essentials, from the die-hard fans to the casual fans to wear. I want to influence change and rewrite the way we think about who the fans of the game are. It has become a movement, embracing female empowerment in diversity.” – Andres Ricardo Verdestoo Rugel

The photos from the exhibit were displayed at the Arepa Lady restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens, where 50% of all photo proceeds were donated to Voces Latinos, a locally based non-profit organization that provides preventative and intervention services for everything from domestic violence to HIV/Aids. For more on the “Mujeres” photo series, make sure to check out ravr.nyc

DETAILS CHICAGO: NICE KICKS X ANGELUS DIRECT X KTTP

Last week a few of our crew traveled to Chicago for MLS All Star. We set out to create two uniquely fresh activations amidst the chaos and that we did. For our second event we teamed up with Nice Kicks, Heineken and Angelus for a gallery space built around our reoccurring  Details feature. We enlisted three customizers @walllychamp15, @dejesuscustomfootwear and @truebluecustoms to create custom Nike Tiempo’s inspired by Sergio Ramos. From the his notorious celebratory matador’s cape, to his tattoos and World Cup, each set of boots brilliantly captured the essence of the Spanish Captain.

The space served as a timeline, from mock up inspiration and inception all the way to final product. @dejesuscustomfootwear was on deck for a live custom job as created some Heineken Tiempo’s. For a full rundown of the entire soiree have a look at the photo recap below.

 

 

 

 

SPORTS MANIAS X MLS EMOJIS

SportsManias has officially announced a partnership with MLS that promises to engage fans through mobile messaging interactions at their most passionate. A series of new animated player emojis has been created to help take your digital smack-talk to the next level. The customized emojis feature top MLS players which include their signature goal celebrations and moves. Clint Dempsey does his military salute, Tim Howard has super goal saving powers, and Alberth Elis does his iconic panther prowl celebrations all through the SprtsManias emoji keyboard.

“Following the reception of our NFLPA, MLBPA, and National Football Foundation emojis, it has become apparent how much sports fans love their emojis. We are excited to replicate that success with our new partner, Major League Soccer, as MLS fans are among the most passionate, digitally inclined, and a perfect audience for animated emojis.” Vicente Fernandez, CEO/Co-founder of SportsManias.

The new Sports Manias x MLS emojis are available for free download via SportsManias.com and on the App Store for iOS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NIKE UNVEIL TOTTENHAM MURAL FEATURING ERIC DIER

After calling on AJ Tracey to ring in their new partnership, Nike continue to flaunt Tottenham’s new kits with pride and marketing. For their latest call to action Nike employed the ‘High Rise Murals’ team for a piece that boldly continues to boast their collaboration.  The massive mural graces the side of a building in London, it features Eric Dier in a crispy new Spurs kit with the mission statement “Watch us rise.” As Tottenham look to expand their brand with a new stadium and new look, the club seem to have full support from their new kit sponsors. Make sure to check out photos of the entire process below.

For more on the Nike Spurs kit launch go Here

ERIC CANTONA COVERS MUNDIAL MAG’S 9TH ISSUE

Your self-proclaimed second favorite soccer periodical is all set to release their 9th issue. This year marks the 20 year anniversary of the last time the legendary Eric Cantona rocked the red , white and black of Man United. As such, Mundial Magazine has decided to pay homage to the polarizing Frenchman by making him the cover star and focal point of their latest release via ten articles from those closely followed his storied career. Aside from Cantona you can look forward features on Steven Gerrard, Roberto Carlos, Panathanikos Ultras, the greatest Ajax kit ever and the success of bald men in the beautiful game. 

The issue will release with three different covers. One for the newsstand in all his Man United Glory, one for the subscribers in his feisty Marsielle days and a limited cover featuring the brilliant artwork of Man United fan/renowned artist, Stanley Chow. All three can be seen in the featured image above.

To cop Mundial Magazine issue 009 go to: Mundialmag.com