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The United States is about to kick off another World Cup prep match tomorrow, this time against Mexico in the state of Arizona. The LA Galaxy have sent Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez to participate, and they'll don the new US away kits unveiled today officially by US Soccer (though they have been leaked for some time).
Worn with red shorts and red socks, it's not all that bad. It's certainly bold, and manages to make all three colors of the flag prominent, something that has been an issue with some of the previous Nike designs (which were either predominately blue, red, or white).
"I really like the new, patriotic colorway," said U.S. Men's National Team captain Clint Dempsey. "It's a distinctive design that looks great on the pitch. They will serve us well as we head into a competitive group."
Not that I doubt the veracity of this quote, but who speaks like that? "They will serve us well" is Dempsey a sailor in a British play set in Victorian times? Is he the new manager in the PBS series Mr. Selfridge?
"The new kit fits really well, looks great and keeps you comfortable, but my favorite part is that it is sustainably designed using recycled Dri-FIT polyester," said U.S. Women's National Team striker Sydney Leroux.
Every part of the new kit is made from recycled materials. The shorts are 100% recycled polyester, the shirt 96% recycled, and the socks for the first time are 78% recycled. For each full kit that's about 18 recycled plastic bottles. That's really cool and I'm glad to see recycled fabrics gaining a mainstream foothold.
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On another corporate front, ESPN is getting closer to full on World Cup coverage. Today on April Fool's Day they released a funny commercial with Ian Darke calling an awkward first date. In case you needed further proof that Darke is now a US national treasure and England can never have him back.
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One final note, US Soccer is now putting playlists together on Spotify. I wrote this article while listening to Nick Rimando's playlist for tomorrow's friend on Spotify's web player. This is an honest recommendation, I've been rocking out to that playlist for about the last hour.