Chattanooga FC: Going Professional

May 10, 2019 by Dan Vaughn

Last week, Chattanooga FC released their new kits ahead of their 2019 season, which will conclude with the Founder’s Cup as the team goes professional. At first glance, the three kits are not exactly as creative as you would expect to see from Chattanooga, but once you begin to look at some of the smaller details, they are quite incredible.

Designed by Chattanooga FC’s own Paul Rustand and his team at Widgets & Stones, the kits feature the Volkswagen logo across the chest, as kits have for the many years now. The club’s badge sits on top of the wearer’s heart, with the Inaria logo on the other side of the chest. The right sleeve features the name of another sponsor, power and telecommunications provider EPB, while the back features CHI Memorial and The Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopedics.

The away kits are a beautiful baby blue with white stripes. The home kits are navy blue with lighter blue arrows, while the keeper’s kit is orange with a small diamond design all over. They are all reminiscent of kits of old, but still have a modern and simple twist on them. That was Rustand’s goal, as he said “The inspiration was of course our decade long history of kits and core brand elements that we sought to honor. But at the same time we are seeking to expand the palette of styles.”

Easily one of my favorite parts of the kits are the small “X” made in the design on all three kits. It sits right on top of the crest and it a beautiful, but subtle design choice. According to Rustand, it is a nod to VFL Wolfsburg’s 2018-19 green home kit. But that is not the only underlying meaning to the symbol, as Rustand continued by saying, "more importantly the Roman numeral for 10 – since we are celebrating our 10th anniversary in 2019.”

All in all, the kits represent Chattanooga FC wonderfully. They appear somewhat simple when you just glance at them, but once you actually start to look at the smaller details, it becomes more and more complex and more and more beautiful. That’s the way I personally like uniforms. Flashy kits are nice and all, but the classic kit with subtle details are some of the best works of art you will see on a soccer kit. Chattanooga FC captures that with a kit that is fit for a top level club.

- Aarik Long

Kit images courtesy of Inaria Soccer social media.

Ranking the Kits of Founders Cup Clubs

March 15, 2019 by Lola Vaughn

Founders Cup is right around the corner, and boy is everyone excited. Sure the NPSL professional division doesn’t have the D3 sanctioning like some other leagues, but NPSL has the heart of a true soccer league. That heart and ethos is something that the entire soccer community is craving. So, for this week’s Uniformity I take a kit from each club and rank them making my top eleven.

11. Oakland Roots Sports Club

This was an easy last place, because let’s be fair, the Roots don’t have a kit yet. Now I can imagine that if I were to revisit this segment during the season, the Roots would be challenging the top clubs. Branding and Oakland Roots SC have had a unique relationship that continues to evolve, and if you haven’t already check out my piece I wrote a few weeks back: Organic and Raw.

10. CAL FOOTBALL CLUB

While Cal FC will be a force on the field, the club’s kits lack any sort of fashionable elements. Clubs from Southern California should strive to have some of the best merchandise, because so much fashion and personality comes from the region. Every grassroot club may not have the ambition to grow its brand with fashion, but if Cal FC does intend to create a customized kit it will most likely reflect the very fashionable state that the club represents.

9. ALBION SOCCER CLUB SAN DIEGO

ASC San Diego has fielded a variety of jerseys, but the one that I like most is the blue and white hoops. A very traditional design that pops, because of the bright hue of the blue. I believe the this kit is an older variant, but it definitely sticks out, especially with the hoops on the socks.

8. MILWAUKEE TORRENT

Half baby blue and half grey, this kit is one of the more unique fashion statements in grassroots soccer. Two elements that fit very well on the jersey is the all white logo, that takes up the entire stomach and the alternate sleeve colors.

7. FOOTBALL CLUB ARIZONA

Yellow on a jersey is meant to be bold and stand out, a fitting style for FC Arizona. The chest is covered in a yellow block, that slowly cascades into smaller and smaller hoops, eventually becoming navy blue. The FC Arizona style of play will fascinate the audience and it will always be easy to stop the players on the pitch.

6. DETROIT CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

DCFC’s rouge color palette mixed with the gold accents, make one luxurious kit. Alternating red stripes gives the perfect canvas to showcase the jersey sponsor, club crest and kit manufacturer, but it is really those accents that just create an overall piece that locks into the clubs branding. Detroit City also carries a few alternates, like the all white with a maroon polo collar.

5. NAPA VALLEY 1839 FOOTBALL CLUB

I love a green kit and this one uses a monochromatic color scheme that just looks slick. Napa Valley’s crest has always been highly rated by those within Protagonist and this one jersey does not disappoint. The abstract design that uses the bright green and forest green steers away from a traditional stripes, like in the Detroit City jersey. The unique style makes the 1839 kit the best in the West.

4. CHATTANOOGA FOOTBALL CLUB

The people’s club offers a perfect design that makes the thousands of fans and owners look good. The navy blue base is trimmed with baby blue to make a clean look that can fit any outfit. But what makes this kit stand out is the soccer ball outline, comprised of thick hash marks, that is located in the club’s crest. Even the round Volkswagen logo just fits perfectly on the front of the jersey.

3. NEW YORK COSMOS

Another club that is known for its iconic green jersey, but that is not the kit that gets them ranked in third place. One of the cleanest looking kits in the Founders Cup is the all navy blue base with the cascading green stippling down the chest. On top of that sweet color combination is the sharpest sleeve trim I have ever seen on a jersey. The trim is made up of the three iconic colors in the Cosmos crest: baby blue, yellow and green.

2. MIAMI UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

The Miami United kit is one of my favorite pieces in grassroot soccer. My first ever Uniformity article was about Miami United FC. What stands out about this piece is how many unique elements lie within the kit. There are multicolored hoops, various hoop sizes, gold accents and a strong black background that helps each element pop off of the kit. The club could wear these kits for a decade and the look would never get old.

1. MIAMI FOOTBALL CLUB

Ranking in the top spot is Miami FC. The bright Miami color palette just stands out among any jersey in existence and while the club has multiple stylish jerseys, the best looking one is the pastel light blue polo with the orange sleeve. First a polo collar is the best look you can get on a jersey, it's what separates a soccer kit from all of the other sloppy sports jerseys. Second, the color combination is vibrant and reflects the community that it comes from. It is a perfect example of the art and fashion background of Miami.

Image courtesy of footballshirtculture.com.

As we get closer and closer to the kickoff of Founders Cup, I expect clubs to create new kits for their players and fans to wear. And by that time I hope that the West Region can produce more artistic kits that really show off the powerful brands they represent. But until that day, the East Region’s brands will reign supreme.

- Steven Ramirez

The NY Cosmos: Through the Years

March 02, 2019 by Lola Vaughn

I’ve often used the phrase “American Soccer Royalty” to describe the NY Cosmos. Originally founded in 1970, the club played in the old NASL and was known for signing some of the biggest names in world soccer. Pele, arguably the most famous name in soccer history, is almost synonymous with the Cosmos. The club drew crowds that have only been matched by the recent ascension of Atlanta United in MLS. It made soccer cool in a way that hasn’t been seen since. And to be cool, you have to look cool. The Cosmos’ iconic kits have changed through the years, but their look has always been simple, well-designed, and fashion forward for the era.

The Original (1971 Away)

Trying to find a picture of this kit is difficult, but they do exist. With the NASL in its infancy, coverage was minimal the first couple of seasons, which makes it harder to find now. The first look seems to be inspired by an almost footballesque approach to jerseys.

The shade of green is certainly near the green of the Jets jerseys of that era. The clash between the yellow piping on the sleeves and collar and the more orange color of the shorts is interesting, though I wonder if it wasn’t intentional. Hard to know at this point in time, with almost 50 years of history in the can. What we do know is that the general manager at the time, Clive Toye, chose the green and yellow because they were the colors of the Brazilian national team and Pele was already on the club’s radar. The jerseys didn’t feature names, but the players’ numbers were on the front of the kits in such bold, chest-sized, white numbers. It would have been hard to get confused about which player you were looking at. The shorts also featured a smaller version of the number in green. The home kits were the inverse in color scheme.

Adding the Name (1974 Away)

For several years, the kits became more “American” in style, adding the nickname of the club in bold vertical letters down the left side.

The departure from the NFL style kit is certainly a welcome design change. The 1972-75 kit featured an entirely green kit, including green shorts with a yellow collar and “Cosmos” stripe down the left side. The kits continued to not feature names on the back until 1975, when they were added. It’s a classic look, one of my favorites in American soccer history. The richness of the green really makes the yellow stripe pop on this asymmetrical jersey.

Do It for Pele (1975 Home)

For those that know the name Pele, most are aware that he is Brazilian, due to his prowess in the World Cup. In a move very different from most South American stars today, he also played the vast majority of his professional career in his home country, passing on opportunities to play in Europe. Offers from behemoths like Juventus, Real Madrid and Manchester Utd, came flowing in after his stellar play in the ‘62 World Cup, but he continued to play in Brazil. His club was Santos FC, one of the premier Brazilian professional clubs. Their home kits were all white and, with his signing with the Cosmos in 1975, the club changed their look again, this time to mirror the look of his previous club, Santos.

This all-white kit, with various shades of piping, would be the home kit for the remainder of the Cosmos’ NASL run. The kit also featured player names on the back, as well the iconic Cosmos’ logo on the left chest. The logo was designed by Atlanta-based designer, Wayland Moore. The lines coming off the ball in the logo are representative of movement, which is a good thing for a soccer ball, of course. The logo has also had different variations, with the “New York” being removed and then included.

The current logo.

The Resurrection (Current)

After the old NASL died in 1984, the club competed in the MASL for a single season before closing up shop in 1985. Many years passed with the brand dormant, though several MLS clubs attempted to purchase the name. In 2010, a new ownership group purchased the club name and re-established the team. It hasn’t been smooth sailing, with multiple buy-ins from interested parties, the decision to not apply to MLS, the ups and down of NASL, and, eventually, the addition of chairman Rocco Commisso, who has grown into one of the leading voices in lower league soccer.

The Cosmos home kit is now a rich dark blue with green gradient highlights on the chest and waistline. There’s a slight white collar, which matches to the rings on the end of the sleeves. The blue is a throwback to a kit the club used in the post-Pele era. The away kit is a white top matched with green shorts.

2017 kit announcement. Image courtesy of Football Fashion.

In the American soccer landscape, clubs simply don’t have histories that go back more than 10 years or so. Most don’t go back five years. The landscape is suddenly populated by hundreds of clubs, all looking to put their spin on kit and crest design. They should take a lesson from a club with real history - be creative, be classy, use patterns and approaches that are proven. The NY Cosmos have set the bar for close to 50 years and they aren’t done yet. With the Founders Cup already on the calendar, I can’t wait to see what the Cosmos put together for the new league!

- Dan Vaughn

Just a note, there are other kits in the history of the Cosmos that were not included in this list. If you’re interested in more information, I definitely recommend NASLjerseys.com. It was a great resource in writing this article.

Running in Rouge: Lower League Ingenuity at the Professional Level

January 18, 2019 by Lola Vaughn

Detroit City’s 2018 will likely be best remembered for its historic friendlies against the likes of St. Pauli, Necaxa, and Frosinone and its continued record setting when it comes to attendance, the club’s top-level kits are often a forgotten element of its ever-growing profile and personality. Protagonist had the chance to speak with Detroit’s Director of Media, Lindsey Pehrson in order to find out more about Detroit’s 2018 rendition of the rouge and gold.

2018 was not the first time Detroit had a winning look, a huge part of this comes down to smart color selection, “our team colors are Rouge and Gold. Secondary colors include White, Black, Grey, Navy and Verdigris.” That combination of rouge and gold has been the flagship for a long run of great designs. The combination isn’t just rooted in good design, however, and is tied to the history of Detroit itself. “One aspect of the history of the Detroit area is a connection to France. The Rouge River flows through SE Michigan and the Nain Rouge still haunts the streets every spring.”

Detroit’s 2018 kits, made by Adidas, were designed within the club per tradition, “We have always designed our own kits in-house.” This combines the professionalism of a global company like Adidas with the smart and free minded design of a fan-focused community club like Detroit City. This leaves us with a kit made by Adidas that doesn’t feel cookie cutter like many of the often-criticized MLS kits made by the same company.

The club doesn’t stop at a good pair of colors and has used traditional kit motifs like stripes, hoops, and buttoned collars to elevate their kits, again combining modern and authentic ideas with classic concepts found on kits for over a century. Pehrson explained that this combination of eras has helped the club visualize the professional look it strives for, “as a club we have always strove for a professional and timeless look for our kits. Hoops, stripes, collars, solids are all good examples of this aesthetic.”

One of the more interesting aspects of Detroit’s kits is that they stand out as an example for what soccer can be outside of the establishment while still utilizing big brands, in this case Adidas and Lyft. “Since our founding, we have only kitted out our players in two brands - first Nike and now Adidas - and we have been happy with the look and quality those brands have provided. As for sponsorship, strong partner relationships are a vital part to running a successful organization. We built a great relationship with Lyft in 2018, and we are hopeful that partnership continues. Any sponsorship agreement is multi-faceted, but an important aspect is ensuring a tasteful and professional presentation of the partner brand.” Detroit City’s success with brands of that scale shows that upper-pyramid clubs don’t have to have a monopoly on sponsorships of nationwide or global substance.

2018 was a great year for Detroit in many ways, but the club is far from done. With the Founders Cup and another shot at NPSL glory on the ropes, the club will surely aim to break new barriers with its next look. “Our 2019 kits will be our best-looking kits yet and will be the perfect look for making the move to fielding a professional roster.”

Dominic Bisogno