World cup 2010 news

Vasco Da Gama finally got off the mark with their first win of the Campeonato Brasileiro season, beating fellow slow-starters Internacional 3-2.

We’ve been reviewing the home and away jerseys of each of the 32 World Cup teams. Overall the standard has been pretty high I think. World Cup 2010 could be one of the best dressed tournaments in a while.

Today we’ll be getting an up close look at Australia’s World Cup gear. The home shirts didn’t go down too well on the Australia blog, but read on for a closer look, and for my reactions as a neutral, and please feel free to leave your own reviews in the comments.

Australia Home Shirt

You like? Find your Australia World Cup home jersey in our store.

Seems Nike were going for the retro look that’s very much in fashion for 2010, but it hasn’t quite come off. In theory the colours and the design make sense. Gold and green. But there’s maybe a little too much green around the neck and shoulders. It looks more rubgy league than retro, which doesn’t seem a great idea in a country where soccer is trying to stand out from the more established sports.

Maybe it looks better as part of the full kit?

Maybe not. That’s even more green. And seeing the full kit I think a big part of the problem is the white stripe that separates the two colours, because it seems to suggest the two should be kept apart. Maybe the basic problem is that the yellow is too bright for and the green is too dark and so the two colours don’t quite go together.

Australia Away Shirt

You like? Find your Australia World Cup 2010 away jersey in our store.

The away jersey seemed odd when it was first released. Now it makes a lot more sense. It’s obviously the same design as the home shirt, but in blue, dark blue and yellow.

The colours seem to work a little better in this away version, but I’m still finding it hard to shake the feeling that these look like jerseys for another sport.

Am I being too harsh here? It’s not as if these Australia jerseys are hideous. I don’t recoil in terror when I look at them. But I’m finding it hard to say anything too complimentary here. What do you think?