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Nike signs extension with U.S. Soccer to remain official uniform provider

HerculezGomezUSMNT1-CostaRicaSnow (Getty)

By DAN KARELL

Players and coaches have come and gone through U.S. Soccer, but there’s been one constant since 1995.

Nike, the team’s official uniform provider, announced today that it has signed a new contract with U.S. Soccer to continue that partnership through 2022. Nike will continue to design both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team jerseys for the next nine years.

“Nike is extremely proud to continue our longstanding partnership with U.S. Soccer,” Nike brand president Trevor Edwards said in a statement. “The partnership reinforces Nike’s leadership in soccer, as we continue to deliver game-changing innovations on the pitch and share the same vision to further grow the sport as a whole in the U.S.”

Nike, an official partner of U.S. Soccer since 1995, has designed the team’s uniforms for for the last four men’s and women’s World Cups and other international competitions. The USMNT debuted their latest jersey, the white uniform featuring a retro crest in honor of U.S. Soccer’s centennial, last March ahead of World Cup qualifying matches against Costa Rica and Mexico.

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What do you think of this news? Glad to see U.S. Soccer continue with Nike? Would you rather see them in Adidas uniforms? Think it makes a difference?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. 2006 Home and the current 2012 Away Kits are my all time favorites.

    I despise the old centennial crest. I just don’t get all of the love for it. I like our current crest just fine.

    I do wish for continuity. If we do change, do it every three or four world cup cycles…

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  2. Please keep the centennial crest and make that change permanent. The centennial is a classic look and thats something we need permanent on the kit. Please also get rid of those awful Where’s Waldo kits.

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  3. 6-7 years ago I would have thought this absolutely awful as Nike made hands down the ugliest kits IN. THE. WORLD. (/jeremyclarkson)

    Lately though they havent been too bad, then again its hard to screw up a plain white shirt.

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    • This. I went in our local shop looking for USA gear. Sold out.
      They have Brazil, Germany and Italy on display, but no USA stuff because Nike stops production and doesn’t release the new stuff until later.

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  4. I wrote on another site asking the question, if we had to have a kit that was similiar to Italy, or Japan, or Netherlands and others where our kits are not the color of the American Flag, but still have a strong link and history to the USA what would the kit look as in terms of colors? I just like hearing the different answers.

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    • The Slate Gray jerseys in 09 were cool. Other than that i dont think we have ever used other colors. If it is to be done it should be short lived like that one.

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      • Yea i really like the slate grey uni’s also. I think outside of the box though if i could design a kit for the UMSNT not based on the US Flag, but yet have an american feel, i’d make a Gold shirt with the centennial crest, white shorts when a gold stripe, and dark brown socks. I’d try to reference a bald eagle look, and incorporate the bird on the kit somewhere.

      • I like the idea of referencing the bald eagle. Not many national teams wear brown and gold compared to the number of teams that wear white, blue, or red. I think the current Bayern away kit is a good example of how the brown and gold can look.

      • With Nike/USSoccer’s referencing the rattlesnake in their design and getting that idea from the Gadsden flag, I would think that a yellow “Gadsden” or “Don’t Tread on Me” kit would be both historically relevant and a great 3rd kit.

    • they had the horribly ugly royal blue and white pinstripe jersey for a couple games. It wasn’t the blue we typically associate with the US.

      It just sucks that right now the US has two really nice jerseys, the hoops, and the centennial white, and its most likely that neither will be at the World Cup.

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  5. Anyone have any idea if US Soccer is listening to the fans on keeping the centennial shield as our shield going forward? I know there have been petitions to keep it and get rid of the cheesy shield with the soccer ball

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      • What did he say? Did he acknowledge that there are red striped in the US flag? Did he acknowledge the face the logo is a slight modification of ’92 MacPaint nightmares?

    • He’s probably trying to balance the opinions of the nostalgia-lovers with the opinions of those of us who find the “Centennial crest” generic and unimpressive, if not outright boring. I mean, it’s just a shield. Captain America could carry that without having to worry about people calling him “some kind of soccer-boy”.

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  6. Glad to see that an American company sponsors our team…….

    BUT, this means another 8 years of constantly changing the jerseys.

    Can we get some consistency in the design? You definitely know when you are watching France or Germany or Brazil. Changing so much is just a ridiculous ploy to make more money.

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    • Agreed. Whether you like them or not, the “hoops” shirt is unique among national team kits. I hope they at least keep that design going forward.

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    • These types of comments are so inaccurate. I collect club and international jerseys, and have over 100 or so. England’s jerseys have changed quite a bit through the years, as have Germany’s and France’s. The only two national teams that readily come to mind in demonstrating consistency are Argentina and Brazil, with the edge on that to Argentina. Their vertical blue stripes have been a hallmark of their side.

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  7. Would love to see someone put together a compilation of Nike USMNT kits. It would be fun to see the evolution, er, variations on the theme, all in one place.

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