With the COPA 19 now officially back in the mix amongst adidas professional players we've taken a look at which household names have switched into the silo as the Three Stripes begin to put together their squad of new-generation COPA performers.
The COPA 19 has been dished out to adidas players that represent the key features of the silo; that being touch, feel and control. The COPA has always been a bit of a mindset, and its versatility is proven as it's been adopted all over the pitch, in every position. As more players switch into the boot each week we've put together a list of who's been wearing it so far, and we've put them into a first XI in a 3-5-2 because, well, because we felt like it.
GK: Where else do you start other than with David de Gea in goal? The Spaniard had been wearing the X 18.1 until recently, making the switch on pitch to the Copa 19.1 for the Manchester Derby on 11 November. He's remained in the laced version since. Solid start to the team.
DF: We've got a dominating and mobile three at the back, with Bayern’s Mats Hummels partnered by Inter’s Miranda and Real Madrid's Nacho Fernandez, all three of whom wore Predators until their recent switch. Hummels has been in the Copa from the off, while Fernandez has only recently made the switch. Miranda has only been seen in training to date, still lacing up the Predator 18.1 for both Inter and Brazil.
FB: Providing the width at both ends of the pitch, we’ve got Cesar Azpilicueta and Jordi Alba. Azpilicueta was an X 18.1 man and he's yet to take the Copa 19.1 into match conditions, while Alba has dabbled with most adidas boots in the past, but he's been committed to the Copa 19 cause from the outset.
MF: Moving into the midfield and Nemanja Matic and Adrien Rabiot provide a solid platform in the centre of the park. Both have been wearing the Copa 19.1 on pitch from the off, unlike the third midfielder we’ve dropped in there, Toni Kroos, who doesn’t seem to want to get out of his trusted 11pro, at least not competitively anyway. The German midfielder has been seen in the Copa 19.1 several times in training, with him lacing up a custom pair at one point that appeared to have an 11pro soleplate. He just won’t let ‘em go, will he.
FW: First off up top we’ve got Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata. The spaniard appears to be working his way through the full adidas boot collection, and he’s been seen training in a blacked out Copa 19.1 recently. We can't imagine him switching full time to the silo but he's always intrigued to give new boots a run out in training.
Then comes the star man; the face of the Copa 19 and the only man on the team to go laceless, Paulo Dybala. Dybala brings that little something extra to the team and he's given the freedom to roam and create as he is want to do. With his charisma and social following it's a very shrewd move from adidas to place him front and centre of a campaign that's writing a new chapter in the book of this iconic boot.
Bench: Yeah, there's a few extra players that deserve a call out. The subs are made up of Arjen Robben & Koke – both of whom have been spotted dabbling with the Copa in training recently – Steven N'Zonzi, Thomas Meunier, Hector Moreno and Laurent Koscielny. And Phil Jones, go on Phil.
The adidas COPA 19 is available now from prodirectsoccer.com
