This week in US Soccer: The new USMNT pre-match shirt is fire

A plea to make the new pre-match USMNT shirt the official jersey, Baby Yanks near World Cup qualification and a Mal Pugh update.

Can we just make the alleged USMNT Gold Cup pre-match shirt the in-game jersey?

Everyone’s favorite soccer kit clairvoyants over at Footy Headlines “leaked” what is purported to be the pre-match shirt for the U.S. Men’s National Team at this summer’s Gold Cup. Take a gander:

https://twitter.com/JogaBonitoUSA/status/858170629853458433

[Insert all of the flame emojis]

First things first, Jason Foster, who tweeted the above tweet, clearly has bad taste and should not be trusted. Second, take all my money, U.S. Soccer.

That shirt is fantastic. I want it yesterday. I’ll wear it every day. I’ll wear it to work. I’ll wear it to my brother’s wedding. I’ll wear it to your wedding. I’ll wear it in the rain and on a bus and on a plane. Just give it to me, Nike. Right now.

Which brings up the following question: why isn’t this the actual USMNT jersey. Unless Nike has some other fire design on deck — which they surely do not — there’s no reason the Yanks shouldn’t sport this bad boy on the field.

The only thing I might change is to make all of the stars on the shirt the darker navy blue color of the stars on the top half of the shirt. The white stars on the bottom half are a bit distracting, which is OK for a pre-match shirt, but I don’t think work quite as well as on official match jersey.

Other than that, I would put this shirt up against any kit the U.S. have ever worn. I am partial to the Bomb Pop and the home 2006 World Cup shirts. Depending on what these hypothetical new kits would look like in action, I could easily see them becoming my all-time favorite.

That’s assuming, of course, they don’t bring back these beauties.

Let’s all band together to make this happen, friends. After the generic, cookie-cutter red kits we got recently, we’re due for a truly great USA soccer jersey. Nike and the USSF need to work harder for our dollars. Making this alleged pre-match shirt the official jersey would definitely qualify as working harder.

Which means it won’t happen. Such is life.

Extras

The Baby Yanks are on the verge of qualifying for the FIFA 2017 U-17 World Cup in India after whipping on Honduras 3-0 in the CONCACAF Championship classification stage. The U.S. U-17s were led by future best-USMNT-striker-of-all-time Josh Sargent, who notched a brace.

A win or a draw in their final round-robin match against Cuba on Friday clinches qualification. Actually, they can lose by four or fewer goals and still get in. Let’s go ahead and take care of that, huh fellas?

Next: PL interesting rankings: Sunderland sunk

Sport Illustrated’s Grant Wahl provided an update on the status of the current most sought after U.S. Soccer player, Mal Pugh. In addition to being wooed by that biggest sports apparel makers in the world, a small war has erupted between NWSL clubs vying to secure Pugh’s services.

As noted here before, the Washington Spirit have the rights to sign her, but Pugh doesn’t want to play there, preferring Portland. Wahl reports that “Orlando, Seattle and Houston” are interested in signing the speedy winger, because duh. Failing that, Wahl states that Pugh could follow some of her USWNT teammates to Europe as Paris Saint-Germain “have already made her a contract offer.” Pugh must feel like Rod Tidwell at the moment.

I couldn’t resist. I apologize for nothing.

See y’all next week.