Back for its second season in 2014, Major League Soccer’s Jersey Week is happening this week from March 3-6. In the buildup to the start of the new season on March 8, 17 clubs will be unveiling 18 new kits.
Each day of the week, I’ll be evaluating and assigning grades to each new kit. For the official Jersey Week unveiling schedule, head on over to MLSsoccer.com.
Yesterday, I looked at the new kits of D.C. United and the San Jose Earthquakes, both of whom jumped the gun on Jersey Week festivities. Today, I look at the kits that were unveiled yesterday by the Houston Dynamo, Los Angeles Galaxy, Portland Timbers, and Seattle Sounders.
Kit #1: Houston Dynamo Away
It had to be remembered that this shirt is quite an improvement over the away kit the Dynamo have worn the last two seasons. Gone are the ugly collar and the puzzling sleeves in favour of a cleaner design and a return of the “Space City” blue accents.
The new design is excellent, but there are three things that upset me about this new kit. First and foremost is the crest. Many of the new kits have what league equipment partner Adidas calls a “lenticular” crest. In everyday terms, it’s a crest that is supposed to have a three-dimensional look and feel. To me it just looks like somebody put the crest through the wash a few times too many and then stuck it onto the shirt. For something that was probably supposed to look flashy and futuristic, it looks dull and faded.
The next problem I have is with the two stars above the logo that represent the Dynamo’s two MLS Cup victories. The silver stars blend in too much with the shirt and a barely visible from even a close distance. Any other team would make sure they are visible from a mile away.
My last issue with this shirt is the lack of a sponsor. It makes the shirt look plain, but more importantly it draws the viewer’s eye to the logo. Ouch.
Grade: B-
Kit #2: Los Angeles Galaxy Home
In 2012 the sash from the pre-Beckham Galaxy home kit made its return and with the launch of the Galaxy’s new home kit it appears the sash will be here to stay.
The sash is up there among the iconic looks in the league. But what I can’t get my head around is why the Galaxy went overboard in its design. Do I like how the sash is split up into eleven stripes? Absolutely. Do I like how each of those stripes gradually becomes thinner towards the bottom of the jersey, or how the top half of the sash is a completely different shade of blue? Absolutely not.
Another thing that pops out when looking at this jersey is the increased use of yellow accents. The Galaxy were careful with them (they are not on the sash, which I like), but may have gone one step too far (the horizontal stripe halfway up each sleeve is both out of place and unnecessary). Putting the blue accents beside the yellow was also a smart move.
That brings me to the not-so-smart move the Galaxy made: the lenticular crest. It’s like a plague, ruining otherwise decent jerseys. I hope they find a cure for this thing soon before it infects all of MLS.
Grade: B
Kit #3: Portland Timbers Away
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. For the time being at least.
Portland’s new secondary jersey is spot on. The colour is gorgeous. The bright red sleeves with the black accents stand out, while the gradient on the body of the jersey is the best gradient I have ever seen on a sports jersey. The horizontal pinstripes made up of thorns, the “Rose Ball” jock tag, and the “No Pity in the Rose City” slogan on the neck line all tie in wonderfully.
The jersey sponsor, Alaska Airlines, continues to be an excellent-looking feature on the front of the shirt. Both the MLS logo on the right sleeve and the Timbers logo on the front of the jersey have been changed to the colour scheme of the shirt, which was a no-brainer but important nonetheless.
And, wait, what’s this? NO LENTICULAR CREST?!?! A sight for sore eyes in today’s MLS but a marvelous sight without a doubt. Just like this entire kit.
Grade: A+
Kit #4: Portland Timbers Third
Portland knew that they had a hard act to follow with their away kit, but their third kit does not do too bad a job.
Just like their previous third kit, this kit evokes memories of the old Timbers side that played in the NASL in the 1970s. And just like their old kit, it has an awesome vintage feel.
But there are definitely some strange elements to the kit. The most obvious one to me is that the crest (which is a different one than used on the home and away jerseys) is not the same shade of beige-yellow as the collar, sponsor logo, or any of the other accents. It makes the secondary crest, which I have never really liked, stick out like a sore thumb.
The other thing I don’t like is the “RCTID”, or Rose City ‘Til I Die, font on the jock tag. It looks ugly. The classic font used for the Alaska Airlines logo is so much better. If they had kept this font consistent, I would be happy.
All told, this shirt is a nice one. The vintage green looks just that, vintage, but in a really good way. Without the small flaws, this jersey would be in the “A” range.
Grade: B+
Kit #5: Seattle Sounders Third
After following soccer for a few seasons, I developed a theory about jerseys. I believed that when it was time for each club’s kit manufacturers to design the kits for the following season, they would all meet in a pub somewhere and draw straws.
Whoever drew the smallest straw would have to design a neon coloured away kit for their club. The second smallest straw would have to do an away kit in a colour combination of everyone else’s choosing (think those awful two-tone yellow away kits from Newcastle a few seasons ago).
The Seattle Sounders have officially disproven my theory.
From 2010-2011 they had “Electricity Yellow”. From 2012-2013 they had “Super Cyan”. And in 2014 and (likely) 2015, they will don “Pitch Black”. Hey, at least it’s better than my first guess: “Flamboyant Fuchsia”.
Using the space-age green colour as an accent makes the jersey easier on the eyes. But not that much easier, especially when you make it the colour scheme of a lenticular crest. Yikes.
The shirt isn’t bad, but it’s also too similar to the current Sounders away kit. Apart from the crest, it feels like Seattle played it safe this time. It leaves me wondering what could have been, and hoping that in two years’ time I will find out.
Grade: B-
That’s it for Monday’s new kits. Yet again it was a good showing by MLS. On Tuesday, eight clubs will show off their new looks. Will any of these new kits knock Portland off their perch? We’ll have to wait and see…
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