The Master of Distribution; the Midfield ‘maestro’ sitting behind the front line dictating play with metronome-like regularity and precision. He could two beat players with trickery and guile, but he gets more pleasure from seeing the defence splitting pass roll inch perfect onto the Forward’s boot, from whence the final goal is in the hands of the lauded No. 9. Yes, he may get the praise, and yes, he may be the star of the show, but those that know look back to the puppeteer, the one that pulls the strings. That’s the player we aspire to be.
Established playmakers sporting the new CTR 360 Maestri III will FC Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta and a new generation of young players including Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere and Brazil’s Ganso.
Even the ideal of a Striker has changed, the conventional No. 9 often being relinquished in favour on a deeper lying Forward, one who is as comfortable going towards his goal as he going away from it.
This is the new aspirational position; a player that is as much a goalscorer as he is a master of distribution. To this end Nike have completely reinvented their CTR360, and now present the CTR360 Maestri III, a boot favoured by Midfield players and Forwards. These players, game changers, benefit from the boot’s new innovative performance features to enhance their control of the ball.
The Shot
One instantly notable feature is the weight of the CTR 360 Maestri III, so light that our tester (a Ronaldo-esque (Brazilian) Forward) likened them to his earlier Mercurial Vapours, which incidentally are now languishing on the sidelines, resigned to their fate.
In the modern game, the Midfielders are as likely to score as the front men, making them key contributors to the strike force. The 3D control pad developed for increased accuracy of passing, also allows for more precise finish, be it from a dead ball situation or at full flight.
Find out more at Nike.com
PHOTOS: JOSHUA’s
