Uni Watch Column Leads to On-Field Change (probably)

In 2006 yes, they used the official Adidas World Cup balls for two of their home warm up friendlies against Morocco (link) and Venezuela. However, for some reason they used a Nike ball for their final home warm up against Latvia (link).
For 2010 it seems they used only Nike balls for their home warm ups.
U.S. vs. Turkey: link
U.S. vs. Czech Republic: link

La Liga, Serie A and Premier League all use Nike balls (Bundesliga and Ligue 1 use Adidas). Advantage USA?

Japan, Portugal, the Netherlands, Spain, Mexico and Brazil are all teams that will be wearing “unsuitable” jerseys then this World Cup, and in most cases far more “unsuitable” than the U.S. kit.

The rhetoric is also very sketchy – associating it with Russia (who have never worn anything like it on a soccer pitch, ever) and North Korea reeks of “I can’t think of anything constructive to say so I’ll just compare it to something evil” (Godwin’s Lawesque). In the same vein – Redcoats? I think we’ve moved on from that just a little at this stage. Surely if you’re going to attack the very use of red at all it would fit this whole McCarthyesque crusade much better to just point out that the commies are red? Besides, red has actually been a more prominent aspect of US jerseys over the years than Russian, mostly on account of the fact that Russian kits generally only featured blue and white up until 2006. Maybe the Russians are copying the US?

The thing is, if you don’t like it because it is aesthetically lacking for you, then by all means please go ahead. Just don’t go pretending that it breaks some bullshit standards of suitability or national identityness or any other codewords employed purely to conceal petty geopolitical prejudices.

Padday, I think you’re reading some things into this that aren’t intended. I, for one, have no ill will at all toward Russia in its current iteration – even though the regime’s Ukraine and Crimea adventures are a bit disappointing. I’ve got some Russian ancestry and would wear a Russia jersey if the occasion presented.

In the past decade and a half in the US, the color red is counterintuitively used to signify the less left of the two major parties, so red-baiting in the traditional sense is pretty unlikely.

So let’s all pour a nice tumbler of icy Stoli and toast to a good tournament.

I’m with Padday. The beauty of the USMNT is that it’s unburdened by history and all the responsibility it entails. The identity isn’t about conforming with the Europeans and the South Americans, but about being an underdog that’s only 24 years removed from sending a bunch of mullet-wearing college kids to Italia 90.

To put it into American sports terms, USA is Oregon, not Alabama, the Seahawks and not the Browns. We should embrace the hell out of that.

And who cares if the color’s a little off. The Netherland’s been messing with the shade of orange for ages, and likewise with Italy’s blue and Brazil’s yellow.

Plus, since we’re headed to Brazil, the colors should be more beach-worthy. That means royal blue, not navy, bright, not sedate.

Frankly I feel bad about replying, because every time I do it just seems to draw out ever more ridiculous rationalizations from the anti-bomb popers. For instance, you would refer to the legacy of the Cold War as a “sentimental rivalry”? Millions dead, the world plunged on more than one occasion into the shadow of impending nuclear doom and a global division that to this day is still causing armed conflict but we sure have had some laughs, eh? Hey, pro-‘Skins and Wahoo guys, I’ve got a new line for you, the conflict between Europeans and Natives is a “sentimental rivalry”. Got that?

Can we just remember that these jerseys are not meant in the slightest to be literal representations of the flag? International jerseys, even when based on the flag, are more about an abstract representation, an artistic rendering. If there were a star motif somewhere on the jersey would you call for there to be necessarily exactly fifty stars, no more and no less (other countries have stars on their flag, what if they put as many stars as Australia’s flag, quel désastre!). The whole point of design is not to slavishly copy, but to take inspiration and create something new out of it, and I think colour is as open to interpretation, tinkering and redefinition as any other aspect.

France have a distinctly darker shade this year than say, in 1998. Portugal, not content with just one shade of red that doesn’t match their flag have gone with several. And those are all on home kits. For the US we’re talking about an alternate, the very definition of “here’s the design brief, but sure whatever, go nuts”. Alternates are going to be slightly odd, but then again, that’s kind of the point. You should be thankful as terrible has said, that you didn’t just get the neon treatment or the BFBS treatment and instead Nike tried to make something interesting and memorable – much more than can be said for the home kit.

I like the look. It’s clean, a nod to the past and a lot better than 75% of the headgear in the league. If you want to start a war against a Braves cap, start here: link

“Someone should be wearing purple plaid, because… reasons.”

I’m in full support of the Rockies giving it a try.

“Heck, the Padres are always screwing with their uniforms; why not try plaid?”

Only if it’s brown plaid.

I think you’re right. The problem is that the navy and gray look is just drab. If they wanted to keep the navy softball top and the all-blue hat, they should use them both as home alternates. They would contrast better with the white pants. Of course, since we already have THREE other home jerseys, I guess that won’t happen.

Or maybe it will.