In what might be the first ever late-night, Valentine’s Day news dump, U.S. Soccer announced late Tuesday that both the men and women will be rocking new all-red kits on the pitch at some upcoming events.
This move — which was fittingly announced on a day that is focused around the color red — comes weeks before the men’s and women’s national teams resume play. The women will sport the red in SheBelieves Cup from March 1-7, while the men will wear red in their March 24 World Cup qualifier against Honduras.
These kits were made by Nike. And with any sort of reveal like this, we get a lot of explanation behind the technology of the materials used to make this equipment.
Here’s some of that technological jargon:
With the pervasive red aesthetic, the U.S. National Teams will feature in a core color of the United States flag as they embark on an exciting and important year of competitive international competitions.
Similar to the current home jersey, the red jersey is adorned with several patriotic flares throughout the material, including “1 Nation” and “1 Team” on the inside cuffs of the sleeve, in addition to “USA” displayed on the neckline. The slim cut provides a distraction-free fit while preserving range of motion. The USA crest and the Swoosh logo are heat transferred for a flexible, breathable finish that does not interfere with athlete performance. The U.S. red jerseys are available for sale now on ussoccerstore.com.
Simple and iconic, the new shorts are red with black elastic side tape and the socks are red with a touch of orange on the calf. The shorts are slim and tailored to the body, with a cut specifically designed to aid movement and comfort.
The socks feature NikeGRIP technology paired with sleeves that further protect ankles and other high-risk areas on the lower leg.
This information is critical for those who think Nike just throws together some material and calls it good.
For those in the know with U.S. soccer, this move is hardly surprising. Rumors had been around for a while that the U.S. would reveal a new kit ahead of the Gold Cup. At this point, it’s unclear whether this is the kit for the Gold Cup or if we will get another reveal. I guess we will just have to wait (for someone to leak the jerseys) and see (whether the leak is legit or not).
