D.C. United Revamp Old Look, Unveil New 2014 Home Kits
By Aaron Rench
Oct 27, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; DC United supporters wave flags against the Houston Dynamo during the second half at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial. (Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
The D.C. United released their new look of the 2014 season (if you want to see the new look, you’ll have to click that link. I don’t have rights to the pictures). The black home kit is a nod to the tradition the club has built in it’s 19 year history.
Take a look back at the history of the D.C. United and you’ll a team mostly clad in black. They haven’t strayed far from that base color over the years, occasionally wearing a white secondary kit or a special red third. Like the Yankees of the MLB, the United do hold quite a lot of tradition. They’re one of the most successful and oldest teams in MLS, winning four MLS Cups (tied with LA Galaxy) and being part in the league since the initial year of 1996.
DC United midfielder Jared Jeffrey (25) wearing the 2008-2013 version of the club’s primary kit. (Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)
The new kit is another nod to the tradition of the club, the word ‘tradition’ is emblazoned across the back, above the player’s name, and on the inside of the neck tape. This extra detail will hopefully remind the players that they play for a top team in MLS and therefore won’t accept a last place finish.
One thing you might notice is the lack of a sponsor. A giant Volkswagen logo was front and center since 2008, but Volkswagen decided to decline the option to come back for another year. Now there is a large black expanse waiting for some other sponsor to jump aboard, but it won’t likely happen for the 2014 season.
In all actuality though this redesign isn’t anything special. The only thing that really changed was the red accents. The new look has much less red, limiting it to thin stripes near the bottom of the sleeves. In my opinion, it’s not a bad design, just simple. But all-in-all, I also think it’s an improvement of what they had. Simple designs can go along way especially when connected with a tradition as deep as D.C.’s.