Historical Football Kits

 

Major League Soccer 2019

mls logo 2015

With the accession of FC Cincinnati as the latest expansion franchise, MLS now has 24 teams. The regular season involves each side playing 34 matches: twice against their conference opponents, home and away, and onc game against each non-conference side. The play-offs format has been changed and fourteen teams will contest the end of season matches with the top seed in each conference given a bye to the conference semi-finals. All elimination matches are now played as single games with the higher seeds receiving home advantage. The winners of the two conference finals will contest the MLS Cup on November 10.

In its wisdom, MLS has decided that change kits are now to be called "community kits" and should have some sort of tie-in to the local community. Twenty out of the twenty-four of these are predominantly white.

2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018

Logos are the property of MLS and MLS franchises. Opinions expressed on this page are those of HFK and not contributors.

 

Atlanta United (Eastern Conference)

atlanta united 2019 1st kit

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atlanta united 2018 1st kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: American Family Insurance

atlanta united crest 2017Atlanta won the MLS Cup last year in only their second season in the competition, so take their place in the Champions League. The team has one of the largest fanbases in the North America and with a net worth in excees of $300 million, it is also the wealthiest.

 

Chicago Fire SC (Eastern Conference)

chicago fire 2019 1st kit

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chicago fire 2019 2nd kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Motorola

chicago fire crestChicago finished tenth in their conference last season. It is the turn of their seconday kit to be replaced this term while the red first strip is updated with the new sponsor.

 

FC Cincinnati (Eastern Conference)

fc cincinnati 2019 1st kit

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fc cincinnati 2019 2nd kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Mercy Health

fc cincinnati crest 2019Formerly members of the USL Championship, FC Cincinnati were reconstituted in November 2018 as the newest MLS franchise. They are sharing the Nippert Stadium with the Cincinnati Bearcats American college football team while the soccer-specific West End Stadium is built. Their arrival in MLS creates an in-state rivalry with Columbus Crew.

 

Colorado Rapids (Western Conference)

colorado rapids 2018 1st kit

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colorado rapids 2019 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Transamerica

colorado rapids crestColorado had another disappointing campaign finishing eleventh in their conference. The new white strip is paradoxically called the "Black Diamond" kit, a reference to the most demanding ski runs in the state. These require the highest levels of skill, expertise and intensity and this (stay with me) is reflected in expectations on players. There will be a joke about it all going downhill in there somewhere.

 

Columbus Crew SC (Eastern Conference)

columbus crew 2019 1st kit

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columbus crew 2018 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Acura

columbus crew crest 2015In October 2017 the Crew's owner, Anthony Precourt, announced his intention to relocate to Austin, Texas. After a public outcry, the state Attorney General and City of Columbus filed a lawsuit citing a 1996 statute that prevents sports teams that have benefited from public funding or facilities from being relocated without a six-month notice period during which attempts must be made to find new, local owners. In October 2018 the owner of the Cleveland Browns announced he would purchase the soccer franchise while Precourt was given the right to start up a new franchise in Austin. Ironically it was the proposed move of the Browns to Baltimore in 1995 that led to the legislation that saved the Crew being passed into state law.

 

DC United (Eastern Conference)

dc united 2018 1st kit

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dc united 2019 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Leidos

dc united crest 2016After Wayne Rooney joined the team last June their fortunes improved considerably and they qualified for the play-offs where they were knocked out by Columbus. Their new change strip is white with silver trim.

 

FC Dallas (Western Conference)

fc dalas 2018 1st kit

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fc dallas 20119 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Advocare

fc dallas crestThe new white "Community Strip" was launched as the "Reunion Kit." There are sublimated diagonal pinstripes on the front of the shirt and we are being asked to believe these represent the cable stays on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in downtown Dallas. It was launched at an event in the Reunion Tower. So there we have our community links.

 

Houston Dynamo (Western Conference)

houston dynamo 2019 1st kit

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houston dynamo 2019 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: MD Anderson Cancer Center

houston crestHouston have introduced a new all-orange "energy strip" with stylised streaks on the front of the shirt. Space blue makes its reappearance at the collar and the shirts now have a sponsor. The team won the 2018 US Open Cup, earning them a place in the Champions League.

 

Los Angeles FC (Western Conference)

los angeles fc 2018 1st kit

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los angeles fc 2019 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: YouTube TV

los angeles fc crest 2018In their first MLS season Los Angeles made it to the play-offs where they were beaten 3-2 by Salt Lake in the knock-out round. The new change strip is predominantly white with distorted silver-grey bands that are supposed to evoke the theme printed into the jock tag, "Street by Street, Block by Block, One by One," which sounds like a pitch for the sequel to "Battle: Los Angeles."

 

Los Angeles Galaxy (Western Conference)

la galaxy 2018 1st kit

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la galaxy 2019 change kit

Secondary

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Herbalife Nutrition

la galaxy crestWhile Galaxy's form improved they did not quite make it into the play-offs. Their secondary kit is new and features pixelated stripes in two tones of blue.

 

Minnesota United (Western Conference)

minnesotaunited 2018 1st kit

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minnesota united 2019 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Target

minnesota united fc crest 2017The Loons move into their new Allianz Field Stadium in St Paul's this year. It's the turn of their secondary kit to get a makeover and predictably enough it's mainly white. Described as their Drift Kit it has a subtle texture on the shirt to evoke the driven snow typical of the bitter Minnesota winters.

 

Montreal Impact Impact de Montréal (Eastern Conference)

montreal impact 2019 first kit

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montreal impact 2017 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Bank of Montreal

montral impact crestMontreal once again missed out on the play-offs. After three seasons, they have updated their primary kit. Like the Adidas striped tops seen in the UK this season, the stripes do not extend onto the back of the shirt.

 

New England Revolution (Eastern Conference)

new england revolution 2018 1st kit

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new england revolution 2019 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: United Health Care

new england revolution crestIt's time for the secondary kit to be updated this season and we are invited to admire "The Colonial", which is based on the uniforms worn by American officers during the Revolutionary War. I now have an image firmly in my brain of the brave insurgents fighting the British and led by officers wearing overpriced replica football shirts.

 

New York City FC (Eastern Conference)

new york city fc 2019 1st kit

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nyfc change kit 2018

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Etihad Airways

new york city fc crestNYCFC reached the Eastern Conference semi-finals where Atlanta knocked them out over two legs. They have a new primary kit in signature light blue trimmed in navy and orange, the latter a reference to the city's Dutch origins.

 

New York Red Bulls (Eastern Conference)

new york red bulls 2019 1st kit

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ny red bulls 2018 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Red Bull

new york red bulls crestRed Bulls once again made it to the play-offs and went all the way to the Eastern Conference final where they lost over two legs to Atlanta who went on to lift the MLS Cup. They also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. They finished top of the overall table, two points ahead of Atlanta and were awarded the Supporters' Shield. Their new primary "Glitch Kit" features Adidas' latest gimmick, a fractured graphic that suggests an accident in the fabric printing process.

Red Bulls have been awarded a place in the CONCACEF Champions League by virtue of having the best aggregate record over 2017 and 2018.

 

Orlando City SC (Eastern Conference)

orlando city 2019 1st kit

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orlando city fc 2018 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Orlando Health

orlando city sc crestOrlando are going through a lean time at present and finished last in their conference. Their new first choice strip is purple on purple with the same graphic on the shirt that we saw on Spain's change strip in the World Cup last year.

 

Philadelphia Union (Eastern Conference)

philadelphia union 2019 1st kit

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philadelphia union 2019 2nd kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Bimbo

philadelphia union crestPhiladelphia have a new white change strip with the subtle but complex detailing that is becoming the fashion. Much is made in the marketing blurb about the monochromatic look but I suppose they have to find something to write about. The sponsor's logo on the first choice kit has been altered slightly.

 

Portland Timbers (Western Conference)

portland timbers 2019 1st kit

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portland timbers 2018 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Alaska Airlines

portland timbers crest 2016Portland had another fine season and while they did not repeat their 2017 success of winning the Western Conference, they made it all the way to the MLS Cup final and finished as runners up. On the other hand, in the USA you get nothing for being second. The updated first choice strip features hoops on the front of the shirt in two shades of dark green with the familiar gold trimmings.

 

Real Salt Lake (Western Conference)

real salt lake 2018 1st kit

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real salt lake 2019 2nd kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Life Vantage

real salt lake crestSalt Lake reached the Conference semi-finals last season. Their change kit has been updated. It is again mainly white but it now has unpleasant scratchy lines across the chest.

 

San Jose Earthquakes (Western Conference)

san jose earthquakes 2019 1st kit

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san jose earthquakes 2019 2nd kit

Secondary

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor:

san jose earthquakes crest 2014The Earthquakes finished bottom of the Western Conference with just four wins and the worst record in MLS. Looking at the new first choice kit you might wonder what has happened to the signature fractured stripes that signify San Jose's geological fault. In fact these now form a very fine pattern in the blue panel on the chest that is invisible at any distance.

 

Seattle Sounders FC (Western Conference)

seattle sounders 2019 1st kit

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seattle sounders 2019 2nd kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Zulily

seattle sounders crestSecond place in the Western Conference put Seattle stright into the play-offs semi-final. With the aggregate scores level at 4-4 Portland won the penalty competition. The new secondary kit is "Nightfall," a very special design whose inspiration is drawn from the night skyline over the Puget Sound, paying homage to the beautiful nature of Seattle and the club's home stadium, CenturyLink Field, according to Adidas' Global Product Director, Oliver Bechtel. I wonder if he writes drivel like this when selling off unwanted items on eBay.

 

Sporting Kansas City (Western Conference)

sporting kansas city 2019 1st kit

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sporting kansas city 2018 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Ivy Investments

sporting kansas city crestKansas won the Western Conference but lost in the final to Portland over two legs. Raw Grey is combined with customary pale blue to create a striking new first choice outfit. Their US Open Cup win in 2017 has earned thm a place in the Champiions League.

 

Toronto FC (Eastern Conference)

totonto fc 2019 1st kit

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toronto fc 2018 change kit

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Bank of Montreal

toronto fc crestThe holders of the MLS Cup did not even make into to the play-offs last season but they did reach the final of the CONCACEF Champions League. With the scores level over two legs, Guadalajara won the penalty shoot-out. They also won the Canadian Championship for the third season in a row, which booked them a place in the Champions League once again.

The primary kit is updated this season and is all red with trim in a slightly darker shade. Grey now appears only at the cuffs.

 

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Western Conference)

vancouver whitecaps 2019 1st kit

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vancouver whitecaps 2018 change kits

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Designer: Adidas

Sponsor: Bell

vancouver whitecaps crestVancouver did not make the play-offs and were beaten by Toronto in the Canadian Championship final. Their latest primary kit is, when compared with the many overcomplicated designs Adidas have produced this year, a classic.