It is somewhat strange that Nike's new positioning for the Asian market Hercules series chose to be released during the Christmas period when there are relatively few outdoor activities in the traditional sense of China.

Full of sincerity, but it seems to have made a big mistake.

Many European mainstream media are not optimistic about the prospect of the second release, a pair of expensive boots are used to play football, in China, where it is almost difficult to find a football field, and it is the cold winter season, who is it for?

The mainstream media did not need to do any interviews or research, and unanimously agreed that Nike's Asia strategy had made a fatal mistake, too radical, too risky, and completely failed to grasp the laws of the market.

Of course, the Hercules series is also divided into grades, the top grassland professional, the broken nail artificial grassland popular, and the sub-top all-rounder!

Regardless of the grade, Nike guarantees that it is designed exactly according to the Asian foot model, and it will fit the Asian foot shape perfectly, and there will be no discomfort on the foot when wearing the boots. Sneakers and cars need to run in to adapt, and the Hercules series does not have to worry about the run-in problem at all, the first and most the last time to bring only perfect control, familiarity, fit!

Huge posters and advertisements can be seen everywhere in China's first-tier cities, and under the explanation of Junke's standard Mandarin, many people have learned for the first time that there are so many ways to professional football boots.

Asia has always been unnoticed by the world's football circles, and even the boots are designed according to Europeans, but in fact, there are still brands that have noticed the Asian market, and that is Mizuno, which originated in Japan. Their boots are designed specifically for Asian feet, but now it seems that Nike is better known to everyone.

Under the advertising offensive, Nike's official website launched a pre-sale campaign in a timely manner. The first 100 users who order top-of-the-line boots will receive a handwritten signature from Jonker.

All the mainstream media are watching this pre-sale event, and Nike certainly attaches great importance to it, and the marketing plan of Nike Adventure is completely from Greater China, not according to the European sales method.

In Asia, especially in China, people who are really engaged in football training. It's so little, at least compared to the popularity of basketball, that data looks very pitiful. You have to find another way to play Jonker's idol card as much as possible after the professional cards have been played.

Testing the waters is costly and risky.

After the end of the first day of the presale. The media from all walks of life are all waiting for Nike's release data.

Tepid. Of the total sales of more than 1,000 pairs, only 30% of the top boots are the top boots, and most of the rest are popular types!

The sub-top boots are the most embarrassing, and they have become a chicken-like existence, and the distribution of conventional products seems to be a little unsuitable for the Chinese market.

Unexpectedly, the sales performance of Huaxia's neighbors Japan and South Korea can be described as a miracle, and the sales of top boots on the first day of pre-sale exceeded 10,000!

And that's not even counting group purchase orders. There is a great unintentional situation of inserting willows and willows, and the main attack is China. Japan and South Korea are blooming!

However, these are only the results of pre-sales, and the real thing is not yet visible, many people are also waiting, and Nike has not lost confidence in Huaxia, the most potential market.

No matter when, the East will always be the core area of future development, the European market tends to be saturated, and such a huge and potential market as China must be seized.

Adi is clearly far behind Nike, and the minimum goal of suppressing competing brands is definitely accomplished, and everything is still on the sidelines.

The European media reported the reaction of the Chinese market for the first time, and there were no surprises on the first day, and in the eyes of the European mainstream media, it will not be too optimistic in the future.

But the next day, Huaxia's data doubled, which is very weird!

No one can feel the pulse of the Huaxia market, steady and rising, and a large number of group purchases have also appeared, Huaxia A club began to place orders for procurement, and the sales data rose gratifyingly.

In less than a week, the total sales have already surpassed that of Japan and South Korea, and Nike is undoubtedly a success.

Experts have also found a very peculiar phenomenon, during the week, the most pleasing days of sales occur after the Chelsea match day, which means that there is a very direct relationship between the sales data of China and the performance of Jonk himself.

This phenomenon has never happened in any country, where the players perform well, the products sell well, and there is a direct link.

In the 14th round of the English Premier League, Chelsea beat Portsmouth 2-0 away, Jonk opened the scoring, and then Joe Cole won a penalty, and Frank Lampard, who played in his 160th Premier League game, scored from the penalty spot, and he also broke the record of consecutive top-flight appearances held by David James.

After a 2-0 win at Portsmouth, Chelsea are 11 points clear of Arsenal with one game in hand, and the advantage still looks unshakable. Head coach Jose Mourinho was pleased with his team's performance and he thought it was an easy win in the game.

'At the end of the game we played with ease,' Mourinho said, 'and the Portsmouth players played aggressively, but it wasn't enough, our players coped well. ”

Joan Uk's 27th-minute strike broke the deadlock for Chelsea, and Mourinho felt it was a crucial goal. 'It was a big goal for us in the first half because it was close and the opponents fought hard. In the second half we were in complete control of the game and we waited for the right moment to attack. ”

However, Ibrahimovic then went off injured after not holding out for 45 minutes, which caused problems for Mourinho. "Ibrahimovic was hit hard by his opponent's knee, and we don't know the exact extent of the injury, whether it's a muscle injury or something else, and it needs to be further examined. It is possible that he injured his ribs or his back, it is uncertain. Now Didier Drogba and Claude Makelele are injured, but Carlton Cole came off the bench and he played well. ”

In the game, Joe Cole broke through to win a penalty, and the home team fans thought he faked the fall, and the audience booed, but slow motion showed that Joe Cole was indeed tackled by the opponent, and the penalty was not in doubt. 'It was a clear penalty,' Mourinho said after the game. 'After the second goal, the team was very calm and very solid.

This game has special implications for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. He made his 160th consecutive top-flight appearance, breaking the record held by Manchester City goalkeeper James. 'Frank Lampard is in great form, as usual,' said Mourinho, 'and in the league it's unbelievable to play 160 games in a row if there is one man who can break his record. It's just him, and he's going to keep playing, game after game. ”

Frank Lampard sets a record. But it wasn't him who was the man of the match, and after the game, the champagne was presented to the man who made all Portsmouthns gnash their teeth: Jonker.

Quieting the fans at home is one of the criteria for success on the road. But Jonk sparked the "clamour" of the audience. 27th minute. He burst into the box and stunned the opposition goalkeeper with a kick and then booed every time he got the ball, but in Mourinho's view, the boos were like a reward that could make the opposing fans grit their teeth and hate them, which is another criterion for a good game.

'It was a beautiful goal, without a doubt,' Mourinho said after the game.

Jonker's contribution was not only in this goal, but his possession and break-through caused great problems for opposing defenders. After the game, Sky Sports gave him a game-high 9 points. Call him "getting stronger and stronger." Before being replaced by Geremi in the 84th minute, Jonk broke through the opposition defence five times. Producing one goal and four free-kicks from the edge of the box, he was a thorn in Portsmouth's eye.

Repeated breakthroughs naturally come at a price, and being kicked and shoveled is one of them.

There was such a scene in the second half, after Jonk was kicked down, Dio still made up for him lying on the ground, and received a yellow card, this kind of anger from the opponent after being embarrassed and angry throughout the game.

"It was a lot of fighting, there were a lot of bumps, and I thought I'd get a few lumps on my body when I got home." Jonk said after the game. But the Chelsea No. 25 is just a joke, how strong Jonker is now, in the last round against Newcastle, he was shoveled by Parker, spun in the air and fell to the ground, but there is nothing to do when he gets up, Mourinho said that Jonker is now a real iron man, and injuries and fatigue seem to have nothing to do with him.

"Jonk is one of the best strikers, but in order to give him peace and calm, I wouldn't call him the new killer." Mourinho said after the game that although it was to avoid the media's exaggeration, it was not difficult to hear a little smugness about Jonk in his words.

In addition, there may be a small amount of controversy about the attribution of the best in the game, as Essien played very well. The Ghanaians have carried the burden of Makelele, but have done more.

Defensively, Essien's central play was almost insurmountable, and in attack, he also cut forward several times, Joe Cole cut into the gap to win a penalty, and it was Essien who tore through the defence.

At the beginning of Essien's arrival, Makelele said that this guy grabbed the ball like a "beast", and now he sees that the beast has basically taken over his mantle.

Jonk won the best player and scored, and the sales data showed a blowout growth in China, and the second game of the Champions League Group G was the last round of the game.

Chelsea beat Anderlecht 2-0 away to secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League by finishing second in the group, and Jose Mourinho had said before the game that three points would be enough to progress, but the British media corrected him by adding that Betis did not win. Now, all of this has become a reality, and Mourinho has shown that he is not wrong. 'First of all, I think I'm good at math, I said three points would be enough for us to qualify, and that's how it is. Perhaps at the time of saying this, Mourinho had already decided that Betis would not be able to win Liverpool away, and his prediction was once again correct.

Jonker and Carvalho made it 2-0 within 15 minutes before Chelsea played with ease and controlled the game, and Mourinho looked pleased with the start. 'We started the game very, very well and scored two goals.

'We were quick and fluid and our back line was almost down midfield and it put a lot of pressure on the opposition. In the second half, it wasn't pretty, we didn't do as well as we started but we controlled the game, we played with ease, we were fighting for the result, but I would have liked to see the team play like we did in the first half in the second half. ”

Speaking about the final round of the game against Liverpool, Mourinho said. It doesn't matter if you can compete for the top spot in the group, as the position in the group doesn't mean much when the round of 16 is drawn. "We have 11 points. It is enough to prove that we are not afraid of any opponent, in fact, it makes no difference whether we finish first or second in the group, and no team can easily beat when it comes to the knockout stage. ”

"I don't think it makes any difference. Last year we topped the group but we drew Barcelona. Real Madrid and Lyon have drawn, so if we finish top of the group, what difference does it make between Real Madrid and Lyon? It doesn't make a difference if you draw Bayern or Juventus, because it doesn't matter whether you are first or second in the group. ”

But. Another Premier League giant, however, can only say goodbye to the Champions League after the group stage.

The Red Devils were knocked out of the tournament with a surprise defeat at Benfica. As if it were the fate of history, June 24, 2004, Stadium of Light, European Cup quarterfinals. Portugal and England met on a narrow road. After a penalty shootout, they finally defeated England 8-7 to advance. On December 7, 2005, at the Stadium of Light, in the final round of the Champions League group stage, Benfica met Manchester United, defeated the Red Devils for the first time in 39 years, and advanced to the round of 16.

The Portuguese and the British, it seems, collide with brilliant sparks every time they meet, and these two battles can be called classics. But before playing against Manchester United. Benfica is definitely a mourner. The pre-match predictions were all about how Manchester United would destroy the Benfica team, which was missing five absolute main players, and even the local Portuguese media mostly described in a sympathetic tone the situation without No. 1 goalkeeper Moreira, captain Simao, the most goalscoring foreign player Micoli, Greek international Karagunis, and Portugal youth international Fernandes. Defeat to Manchester United is a normal result.

What's more, Benfica has never won against the Red Devils in history, and even the strongest Benfica led by Eusebio in the 60s had to painfully accept the tragic fate of losing 5-1 at home in the 1966 Champions Cup quarter-finals and 1-4 at Wembley Stadium in the 1968 Champions League final. But the result of this game made Eusebio who was present very excited.

Last season, Benfica won the Champions League for the first time in 11 years, but a long slump has overshadowed the glory of the former giants. This season, Porto, who have experienced frequent changes of managers and the loss of key players, fell into a slump in the Champions League, rarely finishing bottom of the group and exiting early, while Benfica bravely picked up the burden of proving their strength in the Portuguese Super League and stubbornly attacked Manchester United. It should be pointed out that a full home stadium is a trump card for Benfica, who have an excellent European record and are now unbeaten in 19 games, while Manchester United, who play away from home in the Champions League, have not won in almost two years.

The course of the game was full of ups and downs, and it was surprisingly similar to last year's European Championship between Portugal and England. United opened the scoring in the sixth minute through Paul Scholes, while England scored with a sloppy shot from Owen less than three minutes into the game. Benfica's Giovanni and Beto scored one goal each, while Portugal were led by Postiga and Rui. Costa put the score in check. However, in this game, Manchester United could not chase 2-2 from Frank Lampard like England did last year, and they could only hide their faces and sigh, and also accept the fate of defeat. The Stadium of Light cast a deep shadow over the hearts of the British, making it a hell to fear.

UEFA presented Benfica's two superstars of the 60s, Eusebio and Augustus, with special contributions to the two seniors at half-time, and the two seniors were happy not only to be recognized, but also to have a successor and a bright future. Even though there were still 45 minutes left in the second half, Eusebio shouted to the audience: "Change history!" This group of lads will definitely be able to do it. "They did, and the Benfica eagle that once soared over Europe has flown back as an emerging representative of the Portuguese Super League's power.

Compared to Manchester United, the Chelsea man is clearly having a much better time.

Lampard then hosted a dinner on Monday to raise around £500,000 for a cancer patient foundation through auction. Among those present were most of the Chelsea players, as well as the likes of Jose Mourinho, Kobishley and Redknapp Sr., as well as star Jordan. The highest item of the night was a guitar used by the Rolling Stones, which fetched £100,000. The auction winner, Goodensen, gave it to his wife, and Jonk auctioned a ring for £50,000, which also attracted a lot of attention, which was a women's ring.

At this time, the boss Abu's money caused a little trouble. This week, Abu's yacht, LeGrandBleu, sailed into the South Pacific and clashed with New Zealand authorities. Interestingly, the problem is not with the priceless luxury yachts. It was Abu's parrot that made the other "panic". New Zealand authorities suspected that the bird from Africa might be carrying the avian influenza virus, so the parrot was detained. The pet is currently undergoing a detailed examination, and the cost of the examination will be borne by Abu himself.

Everything is a vignette. After-dinner conversations, Chelsea are still watching the results of the upcoming Champions League knockout draw.

10 minutes decided the fate of 16 teams, and the draw for the UEFA Champions League was so brutal, Chelsea vs. Barcelona, Arsenal vs. Real Madrid, Bayern vs. AC Milan, Juventus vs. Bremen, Liverpool vs. Benfica, Inter Milan vs. Ajax. Lyon v PSV Eindhoven, Rangers v Villarël, such draws. How many joys will it be?

After Olsen's tirade and introduction of the rules, the draw began, with the first red ball (second in the group): Chelsea, followed by the green ball (first in the group): Barcelona. The dignitaries sitting below the lottery site couldn't help but make a commotion. Exclamation, followed by ear-to-ear, yes, the "collision of deaths" was born.

It can be said that this is a result that neither Abou nor Laporta wants to see, and it is also an outcome that fans do not want to see, with one of the two most powerful teams in Europe destined to be eliminated from the quarter-finals.

Chelsea, by contrast, may have the psychological edge, having knocked Barcelona out of the last eight last season. Will history repeat itself this time?

However, I believe that after the disappointment, the hearts of the Barcelona people will also be filled with the desire for revenge. In terms of characteristics. It's a battle of contrasts, the game will definitely repeat the scene of last season, Chelsea defend on the counter-attack, Barcelona attack with all their might, in the lineup, Barcelona have Messi, Esguero, Van Bommel, Eto'o has also improved a lot, but Chelsea now also have Essien (but will be suspended for Barcelona), Del Horno, if Robben can participate in this encounter, then it will be a more valuable conversation than last season.

The other big talk is AC Milan vs Bayern Munich, although both teams have some problems at the moment. AC Milan have been plagued by centre-back problems of late, with Silvio Berlusconi having declared that "there is no hope of winning the league and the Champions Cup is the only goal". And Bayern, despite winning the winter title of the Bundesliga, Hamburg and Bremen did not make it easy for them, and the renewal of contracts of Sagnol, Ze Roberto, Ballack and others also plagued the team. It's all in the middle of the question, who can show a stronger will?

Historically, AC Milan have a psychological advantage after beating Bayern Munich in both meetings in the 02/03 season and knocking out Schalke 04, also from the Bundesliga, in the group stage, but the Germans' tenacious fighting spirit makes them a force that cannot be ignored at any time.

Arsenal and Real Madrid, on the other hand, are a dialogue between two more problematic teams, which can also be said to be evenly matched, and from a stylistic point of view, it is destined to be a duel of technical flows, and at the same time, it is also the peak of the confrontation between Thierry Henry and Ronaldo. Judging by the results, both teams have not been very good on the road this season, so Arsenal, who are away and then home on the field, may have a bigger advantage.

If there is a strong dialogue, there will inevitably be a strong and weak encounter, and I believe that Inter Milan should be very satisfied with the draw of Ajax. Nine players have contracts that expire next summer and will not be renewed, leaving the team in sixth place in the league. In the group stage of the 02/03 season, Inter Milan beat Ajax 1-0 and 2-1, and now that the strength is on the rise, Inter Milan has no reason to be unhappy.

Liverpool were also lucky for the Reds against Benfica, who knocked United out of the tournament but the team had too much of an up-and-down performance, and in a game like the two-legged knockout, Liverpool's defensive stability would play a crucial role.

Although Bremen has improved a lot this season, in the face of a solid Juventus, I believe that their Champions League road will end here, the "Old Lady" overtook the "boss" Bayern of the Bundesliga in the group stage, and believes that there are some psychological advantages in the face of Bremen. Of course, there are no absolutes in football, and before Juventus met Liverpool last season, who would have thought that it would be the old lady who was out?

Of the eight group matchups, the most uninteresting will be Rangers vs. Villarreal, and whoever makes it to the quarter-finals will make history. But the contest between the two is believed to not attract too many eyeballs. The dialogue between Lyon and Eindhoven could have been said to be evenly matched, both teams are strength teams, and any strong team will not feel good if they are drawn, but the dialogue between these two teams lacks enough appeal, and the two teams have already had a conversation last season, and the freshness is lost. (To be continued......)