Major League Soccer 2015
Now in its 20th year, MLS has embarked on a rebranding exercise under the tag line #MLSNEXT. The new logo is described in typically overblown terms: the diagonal slash, for example "refers to soccer's speed and energy...and drives upward at a 45-degree angle to illustrate both the non-stop nature of our game and the rising trajectory of our league." There is actually a lot more of this, no doubt concocted by a very expensive PR firm to ensure that the commissioners feel they have got their moneys' worth.
An interesting innovation is that the sleeve patch versions of the new logo are colour coordinated with each franchise team's colours. They now appear on both sleeves, the US and Canadian flags that used to be worn on the left sleeve having been dropped. Apparently these should not be worn on sports kits other than by the national teams.
New franchises in New York City and Orlando make their debut this year and two more expansion teams from Atlanta and Miami are expected to join in 2017. CD Guadalajara sold the Chivas USA franchise back to MLS last year and in October the MLS commissioners shut the team down. It is expected that a new Los Angeles franchise will be in place for 2017.
MLS teams usually change their kits on a two-year cycle. As a single entity structure, MLS has a contract with Adidas who are the sole suppliers of kits to the league.
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Chicago failed to reach the play-offs last year. Their first and third choice kits are retained and a new second strip is introduced. Elements of the city flag feature prominently in the second and third strips.
The Colorado state flag features on the new yellow alternate strip and the letter "C" and a bar is embossed into the shirt front (just as they appear on the first choice shirt). Rapid's five year sponsorship deal with Ciao has been dropped after the franchise took the telecoms company to court for failing to make any payments. They are replaced by a financial services company in a two-year contract.
Columbus have redesigned their crest and introduced two new strips in their familiar colours.
After a miserable 2013 season, DC United topped the Eastern Conference but were knocked out of the play-offs by New York, enough to win a place in the CONCACEF Champions League, where the new change strip was worn for the first time. In a break with recent practice, this is predominantly white rather than red.
Dallas practice two year rotation so are keeping last year's home kit and have replaced their change strip. We can anticipate that when the first choice is replaced next year it will be in the same template as the new alternate.
Houston have switched to the Western Conference, part of the reshuffle caused by the addition of Orlando and New York City. Their new first strip features a graded front giving the team a more distinctive appearance than last season's rather anonymous design. After two years without shirt sponsorship, Houston have signed a multi-year deal with a mining company.
Galaxy defeated New England in extra time to win the 2014 MLS Cup for the fifth time, a record marked by the addition of a gold star above their crest. The new "blue on blue" change strip was unhelpfully launched at Muscle Beach paired with beach wear but it is safe to assume baggy Bermuda shorts will not be part of the uniform.
Montreal have a new change strip with subtle horizontal bands on the shirt decorated with fleur de lys, a detail invisible from any distance.
The Revs reached the final of the 2014 MLS Cup. In a break with tradition, their new change strip is in red, white and green, the colours of the flag of New England in the revolutionary war.
It is no coincidence that New York's newest sports team are wearing light blue and white: the franchise is owned by Manchester City FC and the New York Yankees baseball team. They are the first MLS team to play in the city of New York (Red Bulls are based in New Jersey). Orange appears on the club badge and in the change strip as a reference to the city's Dutch origins and there is plenty of New York iconography in both strips including five diagonal texture stripes on the black shirt to represent the city's five boroughs.
Red Bulls reached the Eastern Conference finals last year. Speculation that their owners would change the name of the team once New York City joined MLS appear to have been unfounded. Normally Red Bull's stable of football teams wear identical strips but because of the arrival of NYCFC, the New York franchise has a bespoke kit with lots of detail to emphasise their status as charter members of MLS. To drive the message home "New York" is printed in large letters on the back of the shirt.
Orlando City are the first MLS franchise in Florida since Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny were closed down in 2001. The team play in the Orlando Citrus Bowl but will move into their own soccer-specific stadium next year. The choice of purple for the team's playing kit ensures they will be instantly recognisable. A bizarre feature of replica shirts is that the badge of the USL predecessor team is placed on the inside of the shirt.
It is the turn of Union's change strip to be rotated and for the first time, this is predominantly white. Union reached the final of the US Open Cup last year but were beaten by Seattle.
Portland have a new first choice strip to celebrate their 40th anniversary. The triple chevron on the chest echoes the motif on the team badge.
Real once again reached the play-offs but were knocked out by LA Galaxy. They have a new change kit.
San Jose finished bottom of the Western Conference last year.
The fault-line motif shows up rather better on the new white change shirt but both kits are undistinguished.
Seattle topped the Western Conference and won the Suppporters' Shield for finishing the regular season with the best overall record. They also won the US Open Cup into the bargain. They have introduced two new kits although the first choice kit is not very different from last year's. Last season's unpleasant third strip was worn in the US Open Cup against Portland when their change kit would have been perfectly adequate. This outfit was worn with an updated sponsor's logo against LA Galaxy.
Kansas City failed to defend their 2013 MLS Cup, being knocked out of the play-offs by New York Red Bull. The new first shirt has a window-pane pattern that is supposed to evoke the Kansas-Missouri state line. The alternate is retained and a white third strip with reflective silver trim, was introduced in May
Toronto have replaced their first kit with a generic strip that is a real disappointment. The familiar maple leaf motif is relegated to a small plastic appliqué on the lower left of the shirt.
Vancouver have a new white first strip with a unique diamond pattern printed into the shirt, echoing the design of their badge which itself is intended to evoke the landscape surrounding the city with snow capped mountains reflected in water.