Soccer Cleats 101 Soccer Cleats News and Reviews
Last week, a pretty awesome presentation box arrived in from Nike that included the just released USMNT 2014 away jersey. Nike never leave anything to chance, and the details of this media kit were well pieced together as always, drilling home a message of unity for the US in what is arguably going to be the toughest group in Brazil.
I’m not going to go into the true tech specs of the jersey, if you are interested you can find those details on the release post.
Personally, I like the appearance of the jersey and thought the USMNT looked sweet wearing them vs Mexico in their friendly last week. There is a patriotic feel about it thanks to the colors that correlate with the the US flag. The actual fit of the game jersey is very tight as it has been created specifically for professional players. In other words, it hugs the body and won’t suit anyone with a little extra belly weight. The more economical replica or “stadium jersey” is a much better option. For most, I doubt you will be buying this jersey to wear it in games, so there is no need to fork out extra money for the more high-tec game version. We are talking the difference of $150 vs $90!
The presentation box itself is really sweet and it clearly outlines Nike’s expectations for the US team this summer. Although they won’t have a say in Jurgen Klinnsman’s tactics during the tournament, Nike make it clear that the US team is set to “Take Risks” and send everyone forward as a weapon to deter more heavily favored nations. The inside cover (pictured below) is worth a read if you want to see the manifesto in full detail. On the back of this cover, the #riskeverything is included, also worth searching on Twitter.
Underneath the jersey, Nike add the final piece of the puzzle by including the teams that are in the US group in Brazil, one that has commonly been referred to as the group of death since its drawing! It gives the date of each game and the venue.
There is a certain sector of fans that criticized the 2014 home jersey when it was released for being too bland and plain, a boring release that didn’t provide an impactful look that screamed “we are the US and we are here for the World Cup”. Then last week when this 2014 away jersey was released, the same group couldn’t get their negative reactions out quick enough. For some its appearance was like a Russian hockey jersey, while others have compared it to an ice-pop. I’ve seen pictures of the ice-pop, but I haven’t tasted one yet so I can’t fully compare the 2 (say what!?!) There is apparently too much color in this jersey, or the wrong mix of colors or they are pieced on the jersey the incorrect way.
As a neutral, I disagree with that negative opinion and feel that the jersey is fitting and very much in line with what you would expect from a US jersey. The colors match those found in the national flag, with a nice balance of how they are all employed. US players like Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley have offered their reaction to the jersey and it has all been positive. You can’t really argue when the players wearing them are in favor!
If you are looking to get the jersey, check out the awesome line-up at WeGotSoccer.com.
It's not the colors that make me dislike it, its the lack of an "American" twist. I would really like to see some stars or more stripes. Apart from the patch, this kit would work for a number of countries, and that's something that should not be the case with a World Cup kit.
I would disagree with this statement. I think a lot of times stars and stripes would almost make the jersey look cheesy. I like this design and I think it embodies the American spirit well. I think we all could agree that the best crest on a United States Jersey was last years Centennial Crest. That would have been the absolute business on this Jersery. Nonetheless I already bought the Authentic version of this jersey. My recommendation for the authentic version would be to buy a size larger if you have a little extra weight. I have baby fat that will not go away no matter how many crunches or diets I do and the Size larger fits well and even makes me look lean. For people with a gut there is probably no chance for you to wear this shirt period but I guess it would make a nice collectors edition.