As the start of the new Major League Soccer gets closer and closer, the kits just keep on coming.
Thursday, February 15, was the second day of the league’s annual blitz of new jersey unveilings. Eight clubs had announced their intentions to release new kits throughout the course of Thursday, but of course there were a couple of surprises thrown in along the way.
As a reminder, MLS clubs typically release one new kit each year, alternating between primary and secondary kits. Each kit stays in the rotation for two years. In 2023, four teams had third kits — Toronto FC, Atlanta United, New York City FC and New York Red Bulls — and there are rumours of four to five teams getting third kits again this season.
Here’s the list of new 2024 kits unveiled on Thursday, which we’ll update throughout the day:
AUSTIN FC – Secondary
Austin FC celebrates its city’s status as the live music capital of the world with its new secondary kit. The base of the jersey is cream, while the raglan sleeves are a new shade of verde green. The intertwining oak trees and “FC” from the club’s crest are isolated and printed on the left chest in green. An armadillo on the jock tag is a nod to Armadillo World Headquarters, an iconic and globally recognized concert venue in Austin that had its heyday in the 1970s.
CHICAGO FIRE – Primary
The Chicago Fire made their long-awaited return to red on Thursday evening when they unveiled their new primary kits on their social media channels. The red shirt with a white band across the chest harkens back to what the Fire wore from 1996 to an ill-fated rebrand in 2020. Narrow light blue stripes run just inside the edges of the white band. The sleeve cuffs and side/hem taping contain a tonal pattern of intersecting six-pointed line art stars.
FC DALLAS – Primary
FC Dallas are eschewing their usual red and blue hoops for something markedly different with their new primary kit. The front of the kit gradually fades from blue to red as you move from the right side to the left. The left sleeve is solid blue while the right sleeve and the back are solid red. Trim around the collar and sleeve cuffs is white, as are the Adidas shoulder stripes.
DC UNITED – Primary
DC United hopes to bring people together through its new primary kit for 2024. The tonal pattern on the front of the black kit is inspired by the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which is located near the team’s home stadium, Audi Field. The kit is “driven by the goal of connecting local communities, bridging the club’s past with its future, and reaching new fans,” according to MLSSoccer.com. Accents on the collar and sleeve cuffs are red, as are the Adidas shoulder stripes.
HOUSTON DYNAMO – Secondary
Houston Dynamo pays tribute to its city’s vibrant hip hop scene with its new secondary kit. “Sporting a bright purple (the city’s unofficial secondary color) design, the jersey is a tribute to all Houstonians who are ‘Still Holdin” it down for H-Town,” MLSSoccer.com says. Accents like the Adidas shoulder stripes, side/hem taping and collar trim are the Dynamo’s usual shade of orange.
LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL CLUB – Primary
Despite tweeting out a date of February 17 for their kit launch earlier this week, LAFC went ahead and unveiled their new home kit on Thursday (they’ll still go on sale Saturday). The black base has gold and grey pinstripes covering the front and sleeves, representing “strength, craftsmanship and attention to detail.” The collar is black with gold trim, while the sleeve cuffs are solid black and the Adidas shoulder stripes are gold. The logo of new sponsor BMO sits on the chest in gold, making LAFC the third MLS team (CF Montréal, Toronto FC) sponsored by the bank but the first in the United States.
CF MONTRÉAL – Secondary
CF Montréal draw inspiration from one of their city’s most important roads for their new secondary kit. The royal blue stripe on the front of the light blue shirt symbolizes Boulevard St-Laurent, “Montréal’s central artery where east and west ends meet, a street that runs at the heart of the city, which has historically reunited its diverse communities.” The collar and sleeve cuffs are royal blue with black trim, and the side panels and side/hem taping are royal blue. A tonal blue version of the club crest sits on top of the stripe.
NEW YORK CITY FC – Secondary
New York is the city that never sleeps, and New York City FC aim to capture their hometown’s vibrant nightlife in their new “24/7” secondary kit. With bright blue and orange accents on a black base, it “embodies the New York City night scene and the bright lights that shine through the dark to reflect that relentless nature,” according to the club. The chest features the club’s “NYC” monogram removed from its usual roundel. Most of the blue accents are on the left side of the jersey while most of the orange accents are on the right side. The name on the back is printed in orange, while the number is bright blue.
ORLANDO CITY SC – Secondary
Orlando City marks 10 years in MLS with their new secondary kit. The base of the kit is lavender, and draws inspiration from the club’s first season and first championship in 2011 when they were in USL Pro. At that time, they were predominantly red kits, hence the red accents on the new secondary kit. The henley collar is purple with red and gold trim, while the sleeve cuffs are purple with red trim. On the chest is a reworked version of Orlando City’s crest with three lions from its USL Pro days from 2011 to 2014.
REAL SALT LAKE – Primary
Go tell it on the mountain: Real Salt Lake are taking inspiration from their surroundings for their new primary kit. A blue mountain peak — representing the nearby Wasatch Mountains, which are visible from all angles inside Real’s home stadium — dominates the front of the red shirt, with blue stripes extending down from underneath it. The raglan sleeves are blue with red cuffs. The side panels are blue while the side/hem taping and back names and numbers are yellow.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS – Primary
Past and future collide in the Seattle Sounders’ new primary kit for 2024. This is the first new kit using the tweaked color palette and new crest introduced in the Sounders’ “brand evolution” in September 2023, and it aims to be “a bold kit reflecting Seattle’s tradition as one of North American soccer’s most iconic clubs.” The front and sleeves of the green kit feature light blue stripes bordered in a darker shade of green. The collar, sleeve cuffs, Adidas shoulder stripes and back/hem taping are white. The Sounders’ new orca secondary logo is on the back collar.
TORONTO FC – Secondary
Toronto FC pays tribute to the GTA — that is, the Global Toronto Area — with their new secondary kit. It’s the first TFC kit to feature their simplified secondary logo on the chest as “a nod to the city’s diverse culture, the wider global community and the world’s shared love of the beautiful game.” Tonal versions of the shield shape appear across the front of the shirt, and accents like the collar, sleeve cuffs and Adidas shoulder stripes are red.
Earlier unveilings for 2024 include:
Source link
#MLS #Unveilings #Ahead #Season #SportsLogos.Net #News