2015-16 Soccer Kits and News

[Gothamite]

Yeah, the Crew are crushing it.

I really want to like that Revs away, but it just doesn't work. They should start with that flag when finally replacing their terrible 90s logo, though.

[MJWalker45]

DC United Away

I like these. Reminds me of Chelsea's kit as far as striping. The best away kit from this year's kits.

[shaydre1019]

The problem with this years kits, and to a certain extent last years kits as well, is that adidas is getting too caught up in templating. Last year they had the line under the neck on the back of the shirts and this year they have the hem line. All the kits just look too similar given that pretty much all of them will either have the hem line or the line on the back. It's bad enough that all the shirts have the three stripes on the shoulders.

I'm just thankful that even though Adidas use templates they still input points of detail and design that make the jersey specific for each team, rather Nike uses templates like crazy and doesn't change one bit about them except colour, and use, it's suppose to be classy, as back up.

I actually enjoyed last years back neck line, but this years hemline is just BAD.

You realize Nike gives their teams a way more individuality right? Just look at the international teams. Nike teams each had unique fonts whereas every Adidas team had the same Adidas font. They're templated both, yes, but Adidas are way more busy, nikes are simple.

Fonts is not the matter at hand, go see all there jerseys with low teams, all they do is slap on the teams badge, and they call it a day. They even take more time to think about their advertising and artwork behind the jerseys release than the jerseys themselves.

And even if we look at big clubs they all have nothing special, look at there third jerseys for CIty, Barca and so on, all of them are the same, while take a look at Adidas and Lyon, Marseilles and so on. Even the home and aways for big clubs to me it seems like Nike don't try, for example look at the City jersey and Juventus' jersey. All have not a slight difference from the other years, using Class as an excuse.

They're templated but they're simple templates that result in nice designs. Whereas Adidas templates are very very busy.

[Gothamite]

Agreed - Nike and Adidas both overly rely on templates. I personally prefer the Nike designs because they're almost always simpler; the three stripes clutter most Adidas shirts.

They've got some great ones in MLS coming up, though. The Crew shirts are amazing, as are NYCFC, Orlando, Toronto, KC and a couple others. Generally speaking, Adidas shirts have to be even simpler to overcome their busier templates.

[Billy B]

I've been really disappointed with the new MLS kits this year. I think most teams are landing on the wrong side of the simple/boring line. And I really don't like this year's new template. The Crew are the only team that I think have nailed both new shirts. They actually used the template well and the checkerboard keeps it from being too boring.

I like the DC United shirt as an away shirt. It would probably be too out there for a home, but it's nice for a change of pace. The NYCFC away is easily my favorite new shirt that's come out this year. There's just enough blue and orange to make the colors really pop against the black. Orlando City is good too, but I wish there was a little more to the away shirt than just a reverse of the home.

I was really happy when I heard the Revolution were going to a red and green away kit, but they totally missed the mark on the design. It looks like they just picked color blocks on the template to be different colors. I don't like the pattern on the KC home shirt, but at least they tried. There's not much to say about any of the other shirts, they're all just pretty boring. I'm probably forgetting one or two, but it's been a really underwhelming year for MLS kits.

[imawalkingcorpse]

I'll be owning one of those Portland Timbers jersey's.

[Billy B]

I'll be owning one of those Portland Timbers jersey's.

That's who I forgot about. I think that those jerseys get way more hate than they deserve. My biggest complaint about those is just how far they go away from the green shirt/white sleeves look that their first two shirts had.

[Jer15]

I have to say, I don't understand the negative feedback on the Timbers kit. The chevron makes sense to me, it is a pretty predominant element in their logo.

As a big TFC fan, I have to say the new red kit is really boring, I was hoping the pin-striping would be maple leaves, similar to the "onyx" kit introduced last year but it looks like it's just stripes. Even the "all for one" writing on the top of the back of the kit is in red. I own every kit TFC has come out with (besides the pink 3rd jersey they did one year. Still haven't found one in my size) but I might pass on this one.

[Berlin Wall]

btw, Umbro is really rocking South America the next season!

[nas1787]

Yeah, the Crew are crushing it.

I really want to like that Revs away, but it just doesn't work. They should start with that flag when finally replacing their terrible 90s logo, though.

Yeah, I think a red/blue/green/white colour scheme could be really unique and great, if done right. The new away shirt is not done right though, unfortunately.

I have to say, I don't understand the negative feedback on the Timbers kit. The chevron makes sense to me, it is a pretty predominant element in their logo.

As a big TFC fan, I have to say the new red kit is really boring, I was hoping the pin-striping would be maple leaves, similar to the "onyx" kit introduced last year but it looks like it's just stripes. Even the "all for one" writing on the top of the back of the kit is in red. I own every kit TFC has come out with (besides the pink 3rd jersey they did one year. Still haven't found one in my size) but I might pass on this one.

I'll respectfully disagree. I've never liked how TFC has pandered to the Canadian nationalism with all the maple leaves, particularly now that there are three Canadian clubs in MLS. This new kit is simple and classy, cutting down on the unnecessary busyness of past kits.

[Jer15]

Fair enough Nas, I can understand where you are coming from.

How would you feel if Pizza Pizza was the jersey sponsor?

[nas1787]

Meh I don't love it. Doesn't seem very classy or major league. Plus it's not really a national or North American brand, so it will make little sense outside of Ontario. But, if that's the best they could do, so be it.

[Jer15]

I share that sentiment.

I think this comic sums it up nicely (and hilariously)

[gosioux76]

Yeah, the Crew are crushing it.

I really want to like that Revs away, but it just doesn't work. They should start with that flag when finally replacing their terrible 90s logo, though.

Yeah, I think a red/blue/green/white colour scheme could be really unique and great, if done right. The new away shirt is not done right though, unfortunately.

Can someone explain why they're suddenly introducing green into their color scheme? I thought the picture was a mistake and it was meant to be blue, which would make more sense. The addition of green seems unnecessary.

[Jer15]

The colours are from the flag of New England.

The Revs posted an article on this but this is flag in question:

[gosioux76]

The colours are from the flag of New England.

The Revs posted an article on this but this is flag in question:

That explains it. Thanks.

[crashcarson15]

Meh I don't love it. Doesn't seem very classy or major league. Plus it's not really a national or North American brand, so it will make little sense outside of Ontario. But, if that's the best they could do, so be it.

TFC's on TV a lot more in Canada than they are in the States, yeah? All things considered, they're not one of the more notable clubs in the US despite Bradley.

[Jer15]

no prob!

Meh I don't love it. Doesn't seem very classy or major league. Plus it's not really a national or North American brand, so it will make little sense outside of Ontario. But, if that's the best they could do, so be it.

TFC's on TV a lot more in Canada than they are in the States, yeah? All things considered, they're not one of the more notable clubs in the US despite Bradley.

Valid point.

Years of sucking will land you in that spot.

[Brian in Boston]

They should start with that flag when finally replacing their terrible 90s logo, though.

While the Revolution's current logo definitely needs to be replaced, here's hoping that the flag of New England is forever limited to a secondary or tertiary role in the team's branding package. Anything more than said flag's current size and placement above the player name on the back of the jersey - or, perhaps, as a "jock tag" feature similar to the maple leaf on the recently-leaked Toronto FC 2015 jerseys - would strike me as overkill.

For what it's worth, I've loved this design for a New England Revolution badge update since the first time I saw it.

Clean. Traditional with a modern flair. I like the way that the six star-shaped panels on the ball pay homage to the six New England states. The wordmark font speaks to the Revolutionary War era without being as cloying as the Revolution's current wordmark. Maybe - maybe - you could have the banner/ribbon element on which "New England Revolution" is written wrap back around from left to right over the bottom of the shield (though, thinner) and contain "est. 1996". Still, that could be overkill. The badge is damned beautiful as is.

That's all that the New England Revolution identity needs in my estimation. Nothing more. No dropping of the New England place-name. No swapping-out New England for Boston, even if the franchise someday relocates to a soccer-specific stadium closer to the city. No poseur's solution such as switching to Revolution 1776 or Revolution FC. No wholesale changing of the team's identity. Simply wed the New England Revolution name and the current color scheme to a well-designed badge and be done with it.

[Gothamite]

That's really nice, but needs a bit of work. The white line above the ribbon is visually confusing - either raise the white stripe up so we can see it or lower it so the top is just blue.