USA Men’s National Team Home Jersey Officially Revealed [PHOTO]
![USA Mens National Team Home Jersey Officially Revealed [PHOTO]](/files/2012/04/usa-home-jersey-home-shirt.jpeg "USA Mens National Team Home Jersey Officially Revealed [PHOTO]")
Nike and US Soccer today officially revealed a photo of the new home jersey for the US men’s national soccer team for 2012-13.
Unfortunately, as we first revealed in November 2011, the leaked photo is the same design that looks like a cross between the Where’s Waldo? character and a rugby shirt. To make it even worse, the sash returns to the design of the front of the shirt.
Traditionally soccer shirts are either plain or feature stripes, while rugby shirts have either plain colors or hoops. Nike can be forgiven for incorporating the red and white hoop design because it’s part of the red and white stripes of the US national flag. However, the shirt still looks unimpressive. And, in my opinion, the away jersey — while not fantastic — looks much better than the home one.
Luckily for US soccer fans, the new USA men’s home shirt is only for this year and next, which means the national team will have a different jersey design for the 2014 World Cup. Nevertheless, I’m really disappointed in Nike’s design and US Soccer approving it. To me, the United States is suffering an identity crisis. What should the color of the US men’s national team home jersey be? When I think of the US men’s national team playing in their home colors, I picture them playing in white with red and blue trim. As you can see from this pictorial history, the USMNT has played predominantly in white home shirts since 1984. The exception is the US home shirt for the 1994 World Cup, which was designed by Adidas, and featured the red and white wavy lines.
Some critics will argue that it matters what the US does on the field and not what they wear. I completely agree. But if US Soccer wants to generate increased streams of revenue so it can pump more money into the game, it’s important that the designs that US Soccer and Nike agree on look professional and attractive. Right now, it feels as if Nike and US Soccer is either trying too hard, or they’ve lost sight of what the US is all about.
Perhaps for future designs of the US men’s national team shirt, US Soccer and Nike will allow the fans to vote on their favorite. Somehow I imagine that if they had a choice this time around, the Where’s Waldo? design wouldn’t have been the top pick.
34 Responses to USA Men’s National Team Home Jersey Officially Revealed [PHOTO]
2 thumbs down…no.
It’s not the World Cup shirt, so no harm done. Plenty of
traditional soccer nations have experimented lately.
Yes, but I hate it when those countries do experiment. I like it
when countries keep to tradition. Having said that, if this shirt
was a training shirt or a t-shirt, I’d buy it. I like the look.
UGLY. Horizontal with a diagonal line, #FAIL
I like the stripes. The sash sneaking in there doesn’t make any
dang sense.
I FOUND WALDO!!!!
Like it, but lose the sash, forever.
Just pick a general design for the home kit and STICK TO IT. Of
course the USMNT has no identity. Of course the US Soccer fans lack
any visible recognition. If you make radical changes to the home
kit every two years…we will never develope a distinctive
trademark look. If we’re candy strippers now….then stick to candy
stripes forever.
The sash is silly, I agree, but I rather like the stripes. The kit
could have been far worse considering stripes can be horrid if not
implemented properly. I think it’s a nice change from the plain
white kits we’ve had for decades now. I don’t mind white kits (they
can be classy as hell), but the red/white sets us apart and pays
homage to the flag, whereas the white one doesn’t (so many national
teams have white kits now and some, such as England, make sense due
to the flag). The away is fine, but the white sleeves really do
mess up the kit IMO. I much prefer this one. It’s polarizing, for
sure, but I think it will look much better on the pitch so to all
the doubters please hold off on judgments till it’s been played in.
Woof. I agree they should do like a poll similar to what EA has
been doing for Madden and NCAA Football covers to pick the next
kit. And why not have fans design and submit a new US crest to be
on the kit and have a poll for that too and the winner gets to go
to a major USMNT game or something like that.
No way! USA should never design that crest. Makes us look like we
won three world cups! hahah
Second only to the ’94 jersey in being the worst US kit I can
recall. Just awful.
While I am in favor for a all white consistent look I do quite like
this kit. Honestly I don’t see why this short is so ugly its
beautiful and if any body had some pride in the flag then this kit
would make sense. Plus I’d so much rather have Nike design our kits
than those stupid idiots at Adidas. But brands aside this kit is
nice and while I can’t change minds here I honestly don’t
understand why this kit is revolting. Its not its a extension of
our flag
Some of us don’t want the jersey to look like our flag. Sorry, but
it reminds me of the rednecks who wear button up shirts with stars
and stripes on them. You can see such sartorial splendor at certain
political rallies. It looks ridiculous and it makes me sad for them
that their patriotism is expressed in such superficial ways.
There is a difference between appropriate and out right ridiculous.
The 1994 Jersey was ridiculous . Now that is the type of appeal
rednecks would wear. This on the other hand is simple and classy.
I’m pretty sure if where’s Waldo never existed the opinions on this
kit would change. The previous 2006 wc qualifier kit were hoops too
and no one cried injustice on that. Plus I find it funny that
people demand consistency in kit looks yet demand a change to our
crest. I honestly don’t understand the mentality of some. In the
same way most fanboys tell nd about mls I’ll tell everyone else,
shut up and support the usmnt
I want a crest that has class not one that looks like a kids logo
with 3 stars on it when our national team has won nothing. Put the
bald eagle on a field of navy blue with vertical red and white
stripes coming down from that simple and classy.
What. The. Frick. I, for one, thought the sash was our only real
identifying trait for our team uniforms, and I definitely felt some
pride when I saw those uniforms out on the field. But this jersey
is just amateur and unnecessarily outrageous. I mean, no one is
going to forget these jerseys, but only because they were so
garish. I’ll be sticking to my red and blue sash jersey when I root
for the USMNT.
Definitely should have made the right sleeve navy with stars and
continued the hoops on the left sleeve. Just go full flag. And the
sash is terrible.
I wish Nike would ditch the sash. I prefer a white home kit, but
Nike should incorporate more red and blue into a white kit. I’m
glad these won’t be the World Cup home jerseys. Hopefully by then,
Nike will get rid of the sash.
I don’t really mind the hoops as an off-year design, but hoops are
busy enough without the phantom sash just making a visual hash of
it all. Don’t mix motifs Nike.
What’s odd to me is the sash recalls one of the USMNT’s
greatest squads, but the red hoops and blue shorts harken
back to the utter farce that was
1983′s “Team America”.
I’m all for US Soccer making money off jersey sales, but changing
the design every couple years won’t help their cause (especially
designs this bad). Pick a simple, strong, easily identifiable look
for the yanks and STICK WITH IT. Then re-direct the constant
redesign budget into player development. A consistent identity and
a winning team will help Jersey sales more than this foolishness.
Does Brazil revamp their jerseys every 5 minutes? Noooooo…. Do
their jerseys sell? Yesssss…
US Soccer Traditional Uniforms has always Been White tops/ blue
pants for home, and Navy tops for the road. Brazil always had
Yellow. Both had slight different cuts and designs over the yrs.
This is not a slight difference. This is a jump off a cliff, from a
dignified uniform to a laughable Cat in The Hat inspired rave
outfit. (But hey, maybe I’ll just drop some acid before each game
and watch the colorful wacky characters run around the field.)
Great simple design in my book. No need for the sash, though. I’d
like it if we stuck with this as a home jersey for a while. Much,
much better than the sweater vest away design.
The top has got a bit of a retro vibe. I think it’s a very good
design.
Well at least you can tell it’s the U.S. Better than you stealing
designs from the traditional football teams. Stick with this, no
more white kits for the U.S. Get rid of that badge too, you haven’t
won anything and do not deserve to have 3 stars on your badge
I actually like the hoops design, I wouldn’t mind if it became our
main design, one they recognize the US as wearing, but I don’t like
the sash, it just looks out of place.
Well there is no sash if you are watching the Scotland US game and
I like the number scheme. This is much better than trying to copy
Europe countries. We are America and saying this is the worst is a
joke. From 1980 to the 2000s they all were hideous kits. Finally we
look different than every other country with blue in their colors.
Yuck. I especially do not like the “light” number on back. Very
difficult to see on television.
I felt sorry gor the players having to wear these hideous iniforms.
Makes them look like clowns. Why can’t they stick with the dark
blue that rhe women had last year at the World cup? That was a
classy and easily identifiable uniform. This kit is easily
recognizable, but for all the wrong reasons. Whoever designed this
short should be forced to wear it!
Prisoner uniforms. These are harsh on the eyes (new 2012 home
jerseys) At least the 1994 home jersey looked like a flag waving in
the breeze. These look like the guys should be breaking rocks on a
chain gang. These *are* less ugly than the Croatia home jerseys -
but not by much. For those that like the ‘simplicity’ of the plain
white – might as well be wearing t-shirts. Just plain “yawn’. Would
think with sublimation you can come up with a tremendous design
that can become a baseline to work with for years. However, all
that said – win something and that jersey will be revered forever
almost regardless of how pretty/ugly it might be.
Looks like our team and our jerseys have a lot in common, we’re
still trying to develop a style. Why can we keep our uniforms
simple? Look at the French in the European Championships! Why did
Nike give them the stylish ones and us the ugly ones? Ours look
like an old style barber shop pole. Those jerseys that our team
wear are more fan wear than player wear.
Horrid. Ditch the horizontal stripes-unless they are trying to be
waldo or prison inmates. Ditch the US Soccer Emblem and adopt the
elegant Great Seal of the United States. Make the jersey henley
style like the new french jerseys. Make the jersey base white. Add
white stars over a dark blue backdrop on a rectangle over the
shoulders. The stars and bue run around the collar as well. Have
the horizontal red stripes coming from edge of shoulder to end of
sleeve. Add touch of red lining at sleeve and body openings. On the
back of the collar it should say “Stars and Stripes” in old English
Style. There-simple, less clustered, and way more elegant design
with all the elements of the USA flag. If anything, please adopt
the great seal of the United States. The current emblem is straight
third grade club garbage. I already drew this design out, and it
looks awesome. I’m going to petition to Nike to adopt this.
Can’t stand the stripes, they look like a prison uniform. They
should’ve kept it simple with a plain design with a sash.