There's a reason you see players kiss the badge on their shirt when they score. There's a reason why so many clubs around the world are known by nicknames that simply reflect the colors they wear. In soccer, the shirt matters. At least in most places.MLS has struggled in the uniform department. There was the very inauspicious beginnning, then an understandable overreaction in the opposite direction that produced a series of drab, indistinguishable uniforms featuring a limited color palette and an inexplicable (and sadly, continuing) obsession with all-white. Today the league is approaching a middle ground, thanks largely to clubs like Houston, Seattle and Philadelphia that aren't afraid to forge a unique identity.
Adidas continues to produce all MLS apparel and sticks mostly to a few templates. The company lately has been fixated on a style we'll call the "Frankenjersey", which like Mary Shelley's monster seems to rely on heavy stitching and many random parts. The company apparently hasn't met piping, zippers, ridges or plackets it doesn't like (see Chelsea's sports-bra monstrosity) and is loathe to let a design or stripe continue on a shirt without some kind of arbitrary interruption. Perhaps that's its stab at a distinctive identity.
This week, adidas posted its new team merchandise catalog on line, allowing FanHouse to offer this glimpse at the jerseys MLS clubs will be wearing in the upcoming season. The "home" shirts, to the left, were described as "authentic" by the company, while the "away" jerseys on the right are "replicas." Overall, it's hard to get excited about the obvious Frankenjersey fixation and the nine white jerseys still on offer. Slowly but surely however, some teams are getting it right, and someday we hope that teams will wear their primary uniforms more often. What do you think? Which are your favorites? What needs to change?
San Jose Earthquakes: The black-and-blue is distinctive, but still doesn't seem right for a club that won titles and made its name in the bright blue of the early 2000s.
Chicago Fire: The red jersey with the white hoop is one of the league's iconic shirts. The execution of this one is poor, however, with the narrowed, angular stripe and weird white piping unecessary elements. The white shirt is a bland copout. It could at least include a red hoop like its predecessors.
Chivas USA: Frankenjersey exhibit A. The away shirt is nice, however. This club understands that one team can wear red and another blue in the same game. We remain befuddled by the fact that a club from one city (Los Angeles) features the symbol of another city (Guadalajara) on its badge.
Colorado Rapids: The burgundy-and-sky blue look is one of the league's best. Let's see if fickle Colorado (they've gone green-and-white and blue-and-black in their short history) can stick with it for more than a few years. Bonus points for not plastering the club name across the front for lack of a sponsor.
Columbus Crew: The same template as Chivas, but the all-yellow minimizes the effect and always looks great on the field. The pinstripes on the away shirt are a nice touch, despite the captain's armbands.
D.C. United: The one team that got it right from the beginning. But it's a shame they couldn't figure out how to leave the white stripes across the front of the shirt once Volkswagen became a sponsor. The all-white away kit has to go. Red shirts or shorts are a must.
FC Dallas: A good idea that's never been executed well. The side panels just make the hoops (they're barely hoops at this point) look awkward, and the red-and-white is just kind of jarring. The blue on the away shirt looks sharper. Maybe red-and-blue hoops are the way to go.
Houston Dynamo: Hard to go wrong with orange, although Houston makes an effort with the silly blue blotches. The sublimated sunburst is great. Orange is great.
Kansas City Wizards: Still have lacked a real identity since they abandoned the rainbow look. Not saying it was a good identity, but at least there was one. These are as forgettable as it gets. An actual logo would be nice as well. How about a yellow away shirt?
Los Angeles Galaxy: The most disappointing rebranding in MLS. The black, teal and gold was a one-of-a-kind look, and the gold-and-green sash was interesting and distinctive as well. Especially the sash. This is just dull and derivative. At least adidas threw some color onto the home shirt this time.
New England Revolution: Do the silver shoulder/arm patches remind you of another team from the Boston area? New England has stuck with the simple navy look since 1996, and it works for them.
Real Salt Lake: Horrible name, but beautiful logo and jersey. Since RSL wants to be Real Madrid so badly, we suppose they're the one club that has an iron-clad excuse for the all-white away uniform. The home shirt is nearly perfect.
New York Red Bulls: The club went to all-white at home last year. Ridiculous. Half the league wears all-white uniforms at some point or another. How could a team with the word "red" in its name not wear a red shirt? And what are those things below the collars?
Seattle Sounders: Already iconic after just one season. If you turn on a game featuring the Sounders, you know immediately who you're watching. Most MLS teams don't care about that. The collars are awkward on these, but overall it's a great look.
Toronto FC: The positioning of the club's beautiful badge and the BMO logo has always seemed awkward, and at this point on the list we're getting tired of adidas' obsession with curvy under-arm and side panels. We'd love to see TFC abandon the ubiquitous monochrome look and go with light shorts at home and red shorts on the road.
Philadelphia Union: Not included in the adidas catalog, so here's a photo. A brilliant design sullied by the Frankenjersey look. The top of the stripe, piping and collar are a mess. But much credit goes to Philadelphia for the distinctive center stripe and colors and the creative away jersey. This look should stand the test of time.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I think the soccer jersey of New England is to plain they need to change their logo. Everyone else's is really good.
Philly got it. The Revs should have just gone with the Gadsden flag, the yellow "Don't tread on me," years ago. That logo, the "fart flag" is so non-representative of the region. It stinks.
San Jose - Like the home jersey, but it should be the alternate. I agree that the "bright blue" should be the primary color of the home jersey.
Chicago Fire - All red, no piping... agreed. Alternate should be yellow as a nod to both the Chicago Sting and/or their "sister" club of Moreilia OR light blue and white of the Chicago city flag - saw it once and it looked cool (a la Argentina or the new women's team - Red Stars).
Chivas USA - Coloring of both jerseys are perfect and I agree with the "Frankenjersey"/Guadaljara issues.
Colorado Rapids/Columbus Crew/DC United - I agree on all accounts.
FC Dallas - Agreed on the "good idea/poor execution" front. Perhaps there are just some things you cannot come back from. Scrap it and try again?
Houston Dynamo - Orange good. Blue bad. (Maybe, just to make it pop, piping only.)
Kansas City Wizards - The Missouri Azzuri... embrace it. As for the "rainbow", a poor cover up due to lack of prudent copyright research (Read: The Wiz - Circa MLS 1996). Forget the Rainbow and pull in some new fans from the Kansas side of things with a new logo and alternate color - not yellow.
Los Angeles Galaxy - I disagree... to a certain extent. It was a good time for a makeover (I was never really a fan of the previous incarnations), however, the "classic" look that, I guess, was the goal left something to be desired. I remember reading comments on the original jerseys/names (as created by the MLS-NIKE experience) and something someone wrote about this team's christening always stuck with me (not verbatim, but)"...you would think that with all the creative talent in this town, they could have come up with something better."
New England Revolution/New York Red Bulls/ Real Salt Lake - Bingo, Bango, Boingo... on the nose!
Seattle Sounders - You bet! Just like the Rapids comment though... how long before they screw it up?
Toronto FC - Don't like the club, don't like jerseys - go jump in the nearest Great Lake, eh hoser. (Just kidding, I like mayonnaise and beer. (However, credit where credit is due, nice job on the GRASS over artificial turf issue. Who knew the Canadians were such strong leaders.)
Philadelphia Union - Agreed, I don't know what's going on at the top of the jersey, but kudos to the colors and style!
I cannot wait to see what will be in 2014 when the adidas contract finally runs out... cheers everyone!
the MLS has had and continues to have the worst team names, logo designs and color schemes of any league on planet earth...let's not even talk about team names.
Barring DC United, Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire and the newcomers (lucky them...) Toronto FC, Seattle Sounders and Philadelphia Union (lets hope Portland gets it right when the time comes to step up) ...the entire league needs a visual makeover and name update.
Yeah--the Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory, North Queensland Fury are brilliant names...
TFC-speaking of awkward, how is it that a team in Toronto is sponsored by a rival city bank (Montreal)? Funny. Dumb.
Colorado is by far the best and contrary to Straus's other post - Colorado also has the best stadium.
Colorado has the best stadium? Really, do you honestly believe that? Have you been to any other stadiums? Cause honestly almost every stadium is better than Colorado's. Maybe it is but with the second lowest home attendance in MLS, who would know. Sorry been there twice now, and it is crap and the way they treat both home and visiting fans makes it even worse.
Colorado is the best, but Philly Union is really really nice. Somewhere, I think on the back of the collar, they put a latin phrase meaning "join or die" that was used by Ben Franklin...how awesome is that? They look like they're going to have one of the best stadiums in the league, too. I'm excited about that club. Extend the center stripe all the way to the collar and that jersey would be near perfect.
Salt Lake needs to go with a yellow away jersey. White is so generic. The inspiration for the red jerseys was Spain's national kit, so they might as well go all the way with yellow second jerseys that have red pin stripes. That would be amazing.
Why don't you show us each team's scarf, Straus? Go on! You know you want to.
San Jose - i like the template, but I know the Earthquakes as blue, not black. I think the black jerseys would make a great alternate, and the home jersey should be blue.
Chicago - god bless why can't we get it right..... what are those two random white lines in the middle? and the away, well whatever
Chivas - why cut out part of the stripes? last years jersey was great with the stripes sort of parting at the top. But, i like the away jersey
Colorado - A sponsor would complete this jersey. the colors are one of kind in the mls
Columbus - always have been fan of the home jersey, and the pin stripes on the away are a nice touch. Now they just have to actually wear the away jersey, more than just once a year like last year
DC - one of the few teams that i think look better without a sponsor, the three stripes across the chest were so unique.......... and red shorts with the away
Dallas - I've always had a problem with their jersey. Why put FC? No other club in the world does that. Furthermore, we don't say Chelsea FC, we say Chelsea. Why does mls put so much emphasis on the FC. and the stripes, whatever
Houston- I love both, the sun thing, the template, the color, everything. Best jersey in my opinion.
Kansas City - I don't wanna waste my time on Kansas City
LA- Not much really changed from a pretty good design last year. but i do like that a little more color is used in the home jersey
Real Salt Lake- i agree with whoever said that the away jersey should be yellow, it would be unique. this away jersey just seems really boring to me. but i do like the home jerseys template
New York - Bring back the red shorts! and a red alternate!
Toronto - a little boring template, but the grey, or gray, away jersey is a breath of fresh air. i think they should steal Houston's idea of the sun in the background, but switch with a maple leaf right in the center. word
Philadelphia - maybe it'll look better on tv or on the field, i don't know i'm just not a huge fan right now....
and a side note, i know with Adidas buying the jersey rights or whatever it would be impossible, but how cool would it be if some teams busted out the throwbacks! New York with old black and red metrostars jerseys, colorado with the green and white, god bless thatd be awesome. please mls, stop addias from doing this!
what i want is the same drugs the adidas design team was taking when they thought all these uniform abortions were a good idea. or did they get a batch of bad brown acid, because...i really don't get it. mls wants to be taken seriously, and then they go and create these "jerseys" and give teams ridiculous names like real salt lake. actually, giving the utah club that moniker (which also doens't make sense because you have to be blessed by a royal family to earn the "real" name...god how embarassing) is a far worse offense than these uni's.
Soccer sucks. The players suck. The jerseys DEFINATELY suck. It should be outlawed in the United States for being too boring and horrible