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Major kit drop! Rating every Copa América and Euro 2024 jersey released by Adidas

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With the first international break of the year imminent and two major tournaments just beginning to appear on the horizon, Adidas has unveiled a whole raft of the home and away kits that will be worn by their various partner federations at both the 2024 Copa América and European Championship.

There is a common design thread running through all of the kits that have been unveiled across both continental tournaments, with Adidas keen to maintain each nation’s footballing identity while reinvigorating their traditional style with modern tweaks and flourishes.

As such, fresh inspiration has been taken from such wide and varied sources as folk art, South American mountain ranges, flowers, the metaverse and even classic cartoon characters.

Here we’ve sifted through every Adidas kit released ahead of Copa and the Euros that will run alongside it this coming summer, assessed the various wares on offer and also provided ratings for each individual design.

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The defending World Cup, Copa América and intercontinental champions are saluted for their international glory in fitting fashion with a jersey of refined, regal golden detail added to elevate their perfect blue-and-white stripes. All the usual badges and shields have been smelt in gold, as has the famous “rising sun” coat of arms which has been affixed like a medallion to the nape of the neck.

Rating: 9/10

In comparison, the Albiceleste‘s away shirt doesn’t quite match up with the only notable decoration found on the plain royal blue jersey being a few glossy swashes of light blue trim and a couple of awkward striped “prongs” rising up from the bottom hem. Not an ugly kit by any stretch but hardly one befitting Lionel Messi and the reigning champs.

Rating: 7/10

Chile’s home shirt has a loose mosaic of squares cascading over the shoulders that forms a star in the negative space at the centre of the jersey, which is meant to be indicative of the waves of passionate support supplied by the team’s army of vociferous fans, otherwise known as the “Red Tide.” Otherwise, La Roja’s traditional red, blue and white colours look just about as good as they always do.

Rating: 7/10

The away kit is supposedly a visual reference to the snow found atop the Andes mountains, which is to say that it’s mainly white with predictable flashes of red and blue trim here and there. Not one that is in any danger of lingering too long in the memory, we suspect.

Rating: 4/10

A simple and straightforward take on the standard Colombia format with a base of vibrant yellow playing host to trim rendered in the other two colours found upon the national flag. The cluster of red blocks on the flanks are meant to resemble the wings of a phoenix as if wrapped around the person wearing the jersey though that is not particularly clear on first viewing.

Rating: 7/10

As is often the case, the Colombia away shirt sees a dark base colour speckled with nothing more than an overlay of monotone trim. It just so happens that the tone in question is an ultra high-vis orange that clashes harshly and begins to trouble the retinas after prolonged exposure. There is also a very subtle smoke effect etched into the fabric as to continue the slightly tenuous phoenix theme.

Rating: 6.5/10

Never shy when it comes to trying something a little different, Mexico’s home kit is an ode to the nation’s long history of folk art with the traditional El Tri palette used to create a stylised depiction of eagle feathers — a symbol found of the nation’s coat of arms — atop a background of deep burgundy red. Brilliant and emblematic in equal measure.

Rating: 9/10

If you thought Mexico’s home kit was good then just wait until you lay eyes on their away shirt, which is again inspired by ancient folk art and in particular the fearsome serpent that can also be found on the national coat of arms. The shirt is a beautiful shade of mint green that is covered in various intricate patterns found adorning the scales of the mythical beast, which in turn lurks on the nape of the neck. A work of art — quite literally.

Rating: 10/10

Peru’s home jersey is everything you’d expect it to be with a white base, gold trim and that famous red sash draped from the left shoulder to the right hip just as it has since the 1930s. While difficult to make out, the fabric is also imbued with a wavy, wood-grain design that mimics the texture of the Cajon — a box-shaped Peruvian percussion instrument.

Rating: 7.5/10 (including a bonus 0.5 marks for the sash)

The Cajon pattern is much more visible on the Peruvian away kit as it can be found rendered in a vivid purple hue on the sleeves and “prongs” of the otherwise black shirt. The trim is all gold including the slogan Unidos Siempre (Always United) that is stamped on the neckline as a mark of the eternal bond between the team and their fans.

Rating: 6.5/10

Released in late February, Venezuela’s new Adidas home kit comes in the traditional red wine hue that lends the national team their nickname — La Vinotinto — and is complimented by burnished gold trim. Nothing overly extravagant but classy nonetheless.

Rating: 6/10

The corresponding away kit is a little more visually striking with the white shirt featuring a large, twisted graphic right across the chest in the colours of the Venezuelan flag, thus infusing it with a sense of national identity and passion.

Rating: 6.5/10

An ode to both the 1895 foundation their Royal Belgian Football Association and, oddly, to the repeating patterns found on high-end luxury luggage, the Belgium home kit is a little deeper red in colour than usual and features a tessellating diamond motif that carries the crown of the FA crest. Sleek and stylish.

Rating: 8/10

Crumbs! Surely the first international kit directly inspired by a fictional comic book sleuth, Belgium’s away strip is a celebration of Tintin — the iconic creation of renowned Belgian cartoonist Hergé — whose famous blue sweater, white collar and tan chinos are reflected in the various elements of the Red Devil’s ingenious alternative ensemble.

Rating: 10/10

The hosts will look suitably dashing when Euro 2024 kicks off in Munich come June. It’s incredibly rare that Adidas get a Germany shirt wrong and their latest offering is certainly worthy of a place in the grand pantheon with fresh lines and the tricolour of the national flag used to create a smart gradient effect on the shoulders that gives the appearance of flickering embers.

Rating: 9/10

Quite against the grain, Germany have been furnished with an exceptionally lively away shirt that blends purple and pink washes together via a spiked, radiant pattern on the torso. In a highly unusual change of pace for Die Mannschaft, the design is somewhat tenuously inspired in part by the “digital world of the metaverse” — though we couldn’t even begin to tell you how.

Rating: 7/10

While it’s supposed to represent a modern revamp of traditional templates, there is nothing remotely new or extraordinary about Hungary’s Euro 2024 home kit. It’s a plain red shirt with standard white trim and the Magyars’ twin federation crests affixed on either breast — much as it always is.

Rating: 4/10

The predictable home kit is joined by an equally predictable away variant that sees the red, white and green colours flipped to create almost the exact same design in reverse. Resolutely traditional fare, for better or worse.

Rating: 4/10

After suffering a couple of kit design missteps in the past few years, Italy are back to looking their immaculate best again with a simple. suave design that blends all the classic elements of the Azzurri aesthetic — the blue, the tricolore, the history — with minimum interference.

Rating: 7.5/10

The away kit is very much occupying the same classically styled territory with the standard Italy reverse colour of white accentuated with conventional tricolore trim. Both shirts have a linear motif woven into the fabric which forms the shape of the letter “I” while the slogan L’Italia Chiamo (“Italy has called,” taken from the lyrics of the national anthem) is printed across the back of the collar.

Rating: 7/10

A constant design cue leaned upon many, many times over the years, Scotland will once again be draped in tartan at Euro 2024 — or at least an abstract block pattern inspired by the country’s traditional woven cloth. While not a patch on the tartan masterpiece worn at Euro 1996, the latest iteration is undeniably attractive in its own, modernistic way.

Rating: 7/10

Unfortunately the away kit is a little wishy-washy in both design and execution with a pale blue base partnered with dark purple hashing — again, inspired by tartan — down both sides and little else. The strip is apparently inspired by an “iconic Scotland kit from the 1990s,” but for the life of us we can’t work out which one it is supposed to be.

Rating: 6/10

Removing blue from the palette altogether, Spain will play in a fairly basic red and yellow home kit that comes infused with the flora and geography of the Iberian nation. The wavy patterning in the material is a reference to the seas that lap the coast while the national flower — the Carnation — is also embroidered on the back of the neck. Other than that, it’s highly reminiscent of several of Spain’s equally plain kits from the late 2000s/early 2010s,which in fairness happened to be a very productive period for La Roja.

Rating: 6/10

While the themes are identical, there’s more going on from a visual perspective when it comes to Spain’s away kit while features a mellow, sun-bleached yellow base, contrasting red trim and a pale blue wave graphic on the flanks. The beach vibes are on point and once again the emblematic Carnation adds a floral garnish on the back of the collar.

Rating: 8/10

Sparse and to the point, Wales’ home shirt is classic red with green trim and an oversized crest featuring the Ddraig goch (the Dragon of Wales) and nothing else. On the flanks are several “lashes” in green, yellow and red that are inspired by the shape of the dragon’s tail while a daffodil charm can be found on the back of the neck along with the motto “Gorau Chwarae Cyd Chwarae” (“It is better to play together”), the motto of the Welsh FA.

Rating: 6.5/10

Wales’ away kit is directly inspired by the retro bucket hats that have become synonymous with their fans in recent years. Sure to be a major hit on the terraces, the shirt is daffodil yellow with a fuzzy red and green zigzag pattern on the flank panels that echoes the banded design of the aforementioned headwear. Quite possibly has the potential to be an instant classic among the Welsh support. Now all they have to do is qualify from the playoffs to make it to Germany.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Sources: ACC, Clemson, FSU renew revenue talks

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Talks between Clemson, Florida State and the ACC have ramped up in recent weeks, according to sources, on a proposal that would allot a greater share of revenue to schools based on brand valuation and television ratings, as well as potentially alter the expiration of the league’s grant of rights — which currently runs through 2036 — in exchange for the Tigers and Seminoles dropping their lawsuits against the conference.

According to multiple sources within the league, the conversations are preliminary and the sides are not close to an agreement, but the conversations represent a strong signal that Florida State and Clemson are open to remaining in the conference under more favorable financial terms.

The proposal, which was formulated by Clemson and Florida State and discussed by the league’s presidents during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting, includes additional money going to schools with better ratings success in football and basketball.

While the proposal has not been widely distributed or discussed among conference athletic directors, administrators from more than a half-dozen schools who spoke with ESPN said they would at least be open to some altered revenue split.

In 2022-23, the ACC distributed an average of $44.8 million per school, roughly $7 million less than the SEC; however, that difference is expected to grow to more than $30 million when accounting for the SEC’s new television contract, which began this year.

Florida State athletic director Michael Alford has called the forthcoming revenue gap an existential threat, and he pushed for the ACC to divide revenue unequally during the league’s 2023 spring meetings, asking for more money to go to schools that had success on the field as well as those that drew the highest ratings for television. The league ultimately agreed to institute a new revenue-sharing policy dubbed “success initiatives” that would reward programs that made bowl games, the College Football Playoff or the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament with a higher share of postseason revenue, but at the time, ADs were not interested in any plan that included brand valuation or television ratings, too.

In the months that followed, however, Florida State and Clemson filed lawsuits against the ACC in an effort to extricate themselves from the league’s grant of rights, which binds each member’s media rights to the ACC through June 2036. The ACC countersued both parties in North Carolina. To date, little movement has occurred on the legal front, and should the cases go to trial, a final resolution to the lawsuits could still be years away, according to attorneys for all sides. As part of a judge’s ruling in Leon County, Florida, the sides were required to enter into mediation, which is when discussions about ratings-based revenue splits took on new life.

Within the proposal put forth by Clemson and Florida State, the term of the grant of rights would also be reduced — potentially as early as 2030 — to better fall in line with the expiration of TV deals in the Big 12 and Big Ten.

While the basic talking points of the proposal had some support within member schools, there were significant questions about the details. As one athletic director who supported the general idea noted, properly evaluating something like TV ratings can be difficult with numerous outside factors influencing kickoff times, networks and ratings share that may not directly reflect a program’s value.

Several administrators who did not support the proposal did admit there was a potential incentive to continue discussions if it helped insure the future of the conference for the foreseeable future, with one noting that it would be better than seeing the ACC fall apart completely and another suggesting a brand-based revenue split could be inevitable for every league as TV contracts continue to grow and leagues continue to expand.

The ACC is also in talks with ESPN, which holds an exclusive option to extend the league’s television contract from 2027 through 2036. ESPN must pick up or decline the option by February 2025.

The ACC declined to comment on the status of discussions on changes to the revenue distribution model, but in May, commissioner Jim Phillips said he was open to all options that would secure the league’s standing.

“You have to stay optimistic,” Phillips said, “and you work through these things. We’ll manage what we have to manage, and I’m always optimistic about a really good ending out of this situation. I won’t have a change until somebody else tells me different. But am I going to fight for the ACC? Absolutely. That’s my responsibility.”

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Ohtani hits 48th HR: ‘No pressure’ chasing 50/50

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MIAMI — The Los Angeles Dodgers’ recent series at the Atlanta Braves marked the first time in more than three months that Shohei Ohtani went four consecutive games without a home run or a stolen base. It was a rut he had not been in since June 6 to 9.

Ohtani finally snapped that streak on Tuesday, hitting a third-inning home run in an 11-9 loss to the lowly Miami Marlins.

Ohtani, who has 48 homers and 48 steals with 11 games remaining, said he is “just one little thing away” from feeling good with the mechanics of his swing again. He also denied feeling any pressure to become the first player in baseball history to reach the 50/50 mark before the regular season wraps.

“No pressure,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Just trying to maintain quality at-bats regardless of the situation. It’s something I’ve been trying to do over the course of the entire season.”

Ohtani trails only Aaron Judge (53) for the major league lead in homers and only Elly De La Cruz (64) for the major league lead in steals while hitting .287/.372/.611 — numbers that seemingly have him on pace to become the first full-time designated hitter to win an MVP, especially considering New York Mets star Francisco Lindor’s recent back injury. Ohtani’s power has been on display throughout the year, but his batting average (.236) and on-base percentage (.301) have fallen off since the start of August.

Lately, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he has noticed that the 50/50 milestone is “front of mind” for Ohtani, even if it isn’t necessarily providing pressure. Roberts has observed Ohtani pulling pitches more frequently rather than spraying them into the gaps, which is triggering more predetermined swings as opposed to seeing pitches deeper into the strike zone.

“And I do feel that’s somewhat natural,” Roberts said. “I just think he wants to get it over with — but with the fact that he’s still trying to compete and help us win baseball games.”

Roberts recently opened the door to Ohtani potentially pitching in the postseason, saying the chances are “very slim” but “not zero.”

Ohtani has been intermittently throwing bullpen sessions and could face hitters soon. He and the Dodgers’ pitching coaches have not talked about him contributing off the mound in the playoffs, a circumstance that might not even be possible until the World Series. But Ohtani said they’ll all meet when the team returns to L.A. this weekend to discuss the rest of his rehab schedule.

Asked if he believes he could physically do it, given the toll of returning from major elbow surgery in a high-pressure environment, Ohtani gave a wry smile.

“I am not sure,” he said.

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Liberty rebound vs. Mystics, lock up No. 1 seed

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The New York Liberty clinched the top seed in the WNBA playoffs with an 87-71 victory at Washington on Tuesday night.

At 32-7, the Liberty are guaranteed the league’s best record with one game to go.

This marks the second time the Liberty, an original WNBA franchise dating to 1997, will have the best record in a season. The other came in 2015, when the WNBA played a 34-game schedule and New York was 23-11.

Minnesota, which defeated Connecticut 78-76 on Tuesday, moved to 30-9 and will be the No. 2 seed. Connecticut is 27-12 and currently in third place. Las Vegas, 26-13 after winning at Seattle, is in fourth.

Coach Sandy Brondello said it was one of the Liberty’s goals to get the No. 1 seed. Last year, New York was the No. 2 seed and lost in the WNBA Finals to top-seeded Las Vegas.

After losing 88-79 at home to Minnesota on Sunday, Brondello said she wanted her team to be angry at how it played and it responded.

“We started talking about it after Minnesota … they were playing playoff basketball and we weren’t,” Brondello said. “So we have to learn from that. We put the emphasis tonight on, ‘OK, it’s playoff basketball now.’

“These games are very meaningful; it was clinching the No. 1. [In the playoffs] it goes to another level. That’s our focus, just that mentality. The extra physicality, we have to play better. Also continue to trust what’s got us here and make sure we’re playing in the right way.”

Breanna Stewart led New York with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Liberty don’t know who they will face in the first round of the playoffs, which begin Sunday. Atlanta holds the eighth and final playoff spot after its 86-70 victory over injury-riddled Chicago on Tuesday.

Atlanta is 14-25, while Washington and Chicago are 13-26. That means the last playoff team won’t be decided until the final night of the regular season Thursday, when all 12 teams play. Atlanta will face New York, Washington will play Indiana and Chicago will meet Connecticut.

Indiana already has secured the No. 6 seed and Phoenix the No. 7 seed.

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Mohsin Naqvi assures ICC delegation of stadiums’ timely upgradation

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Islamabad: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi assured the delegation of the International Cricket Council (ICC), who visited Pakistan in connection with the Champions Trophy, for the timely completion of the stadiums’ upgradation.

According to the details released by the PCB spokesperson, the ICC met the Chairman PCB Naqvi in ​​Islamabad, in which a detailed discussion was held regarding the preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy tournament.

In the meeting, security arrangements for the ICC Champions Trophy tournament were also discussed, while the delegation expressed satisfaction over the arrangements for the Champions Trophy in Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has assured world-class arrangements for the ICC Champions Trophy and that the upgrade work of all stadiums will be completed before the Champions Trophy.

Mohsin Naqvi stated that foolproof security arrangements will be made for all the teams. After the upgradation, the stadiums will have international standard facilities and the fans will enjoy cricket matches more. Pakistani people love the game of cricket and support all the teams.

The delegation included ICC Senior Manager Events Sarah Edgar, Event Manager and Champions Trophy Event Lead Aoun Muhammad Zaidi, General Manager Cricket Wasim Khan, Security Manager David Musker and Broadcast Consultant Mansoor Manj.

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