New U.S. World Cup Uniforms Fall Wide of the Mark

The U.S. national team's search for an iconic look it can call its own will fall flat again in this summer's World Cup.

The new uniforms unveiled/leaked by Nike this week invoke some traditions while abandoning others, and the result is a mediocre, frustratingly incomplete kit that could be so much better.

The blue jersey above is the "away" shirt, which U.S. Soccer said Friday will be worn in the March 3 friendly against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The federation said the jersey "echoes the uniform worn...during the 1950 FIFA World Cup in which they defeated England 1-0 in one of the biggest upsets in the history of soccer."





It's certainly an appropriate choice considering the opponent in the June 12 opener, and a nice attempt to reach back and try to find an element that might become a permanent, identifiable anchor of the American national team uniform. We've tried wavy red stripes, denim stars, pinstripes, a big hoop, pinhoops and just about everything short of sequins and feathers. Nothing has worked. The 2006 uniform was a winner, a classy but unique use of the national colors, but the stain of that tepid first-round elimination makes reviving that look a nonstarter.





So, the sash is a winner. Among national teams, only Peru is known for using the sash consistently, and thankfully their two Copa America titles aren't enough to give them the clout they'd need to claim exclusivity.

But it's all downhill from there. According to the presentation photos released by Nike and published on the outstanding Football Shirt Culture blog, the national team is going with the monochrome look. The more distinctive navy/white/navy kit the U.S. wore previously, and most memorably in the 2002 quarterfinal against Germany, has been abandoned.

And then it gets worse. The "home" shirt, which has been leaked but not officially unveiled, is the ultimate representation of American soccer's mindless and inexplicable obsession with all-white uniforms. It's bad enough in MLS, even worse in the minor league and college ranks, and succeeds only in demonstrating a lack of creativity, color and differentiation.

Behold, the white-on-white home shirt, which appears (based on leaked photos) to be part of a bland all-white uniform that will be among the tournament's least impressive:





U.S. Soccer mentions the sash as a nod to tradition, but then abandons the white/blue/white home combination that the national team has worn since it re-established itself on the world stage at the 1990 World Cup (barring the adidas monstrosities four years later). All-white could be on any team in the world. The white shirt, blue shorts and white socks at least narrowed it down a bit.

We found the concepts below in a forum on Chris Creamer's SportsLogos, a site frequented by designers both amateur and professional. If the creator of the design below, a user calling himself gordie_delini (and an Arsenal fan) isn't a pro, he should be. The red sash looks far smoother on the blue and stands out on the white, the subtle stripes on the shorts add a welcome touch of color and the national team's white/blue/white and blue/white/blue traditions are maintained.

And most importantly, this uniform, complete with the 1950 sash, could only be worn by the United States. That's what makes for an iconic look. Maybe in 2014.