One thing that always brought pride to USMNT fans is the creativity of the kits worn over the years. From the Denim’s, to the Waldo’s, all the way to the Bomb Pop’s. We’ve always had patriotic and colorful jerseys to strike fear into the opponents eyes. But based on recent “leaks,” which the players have reacted to so these are probably it, the US will not be dressed to the nines in Qatar. But before we get into the travesty of these leaked USMNT World Cup kits, let’s take a trip down memory lane, starting with the Denim kits of the 90s.
The leaked USMNT World Cup kits are a national tragedy
Denim’s (1994)
When you think of the denim kits, your mind immediately goes to Alexi Lalas, pictured above. This is maybe the most “90s” picture on the planet. The denims kits of the 1994 World Cup, hosted in America, are a great representation of how patriotic we can get with our jerseys. Let’s move on to the Waldos.
Waldo Kits (2012)
The “Waldo” kits of 2012 are. very controversial amongst the USMNT fan base. You either love them and want them back as soon as possible, or you can’t stand them and never want to see them again. I fall in the first camp. As a play on the beloved game “Where’s Waldo,” and the stripes on the American flag, the Waldo kits are the first kits I think of when I think of the USMNT’s best look.
Bomb Pop’s (2014)
The kits donned at the 2014 World Cup, the “Bomb Pops” are iconic. Not only because it’s the last kit’s the US wore at a World Cup, but it was worn by John Brooks when he tallied an iconic goal in USMNT history:
Let's go back.
21 years old. John Brooks scoring the winner against Ghana in the 2014 World Cup.
29 years old now. A prime age for CB's. Almost 250 senior apps across 2 clubs in Germany. Whatever happened between him & Berhalter needs to be fixed. He's still our best CB #USMNT pic.twitter.com/Kfd8fELCAR
— james (@hazebrew_) June 16, 2022
Getting revenge against Ghana for 2010 was amazing, but looking that good while doing it? And even better feeling. The Bomb Pops are truly one of the best jerseys in USMNT history. But now let’s take a look at what the boys will be wearing in Qatar:
Yikes. The blue tie dye away kits seemingly have some promise, but those home whites. Talk about boring and bland. Heres what Tim Weah and Weston McKennie think of the kits.
Weston McKennie on the USMNT rumored kits 😅 pic.twitter.com/srg0Bx8wA1
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) August 15, 2022
This USMNT team has unholy amounts of drip. Even Gregg Berhalter has the shoe game on lock. These players deserve a jersey to the likes of the Denim’s, or the Waldo’s, or the Bomb Pops. Sadly, I will not be buying this World Cup kit. I was looking forward to being able to wear our first World Cup jerseys in 8 years, but I just can’t get behind these, when I’ve seen some of the one’s we talked about today. To say farewell, here are some great concept kits that fans have come up with on social media:
This USMNT concept kit 🔥
(via amirkitdesigner/IG) pic.twitter.com/MhvxmfuB18
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) August 17, 2022
This USMNT fan concept kit 👀🔥
(via @emmegraphic_) pic.twitter.com/S0CCNaOayZ
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) August 20, 2022
Header Photo Credit: Toni Geiger. @EMDashPhoto emdashphoto.com
