On March 3, Revolution supporters will flock to Landsdowne Street and wait patiently inside the House of Blues Boston, preparing for the most exciting off-season announcement in soccer: the unveiling of a brand-new kit.
Though many of the details remain unknown, Revolution President Brian Bilello teased fans in late December with a revealing tweet. His comment--which alluded to a non-white secondary jersey--launched supporters into nearly two months of speculation, highlighted by Ben Saufley's conversation-starting mock-ups.
To honor the team's mystery kit, we decided to explore nearly two decades of Revolution jerseys. From the firecracker days of the mid-90s to the minimalist days of the mid-2000s, we have them all covered...
...And we'd love to hear your thoughts.
1. Alexi Lalas, 1996 Secondary Kit: Defined by a 90s confetti design across the shoulders--and numbers that belong on a grade-school bulletin board--this jersey serves as an ode to the grunge era. Lalas unmistakably completes the look with a choker necklace and braided bracelet.
2. Kevin Wylie, 1996 Primary Kit: Much like Lalas' secondary look, Wylie's jersey pays homage to a decade of punk rock and alternative style. These firecracker kits only stuck around for one season--unfortunately, the inaugural MLS campaign.
3. Joe-Max Moore, 1997 Secondary Kit: Though one of the most talented players to ever don Revolution red, white and blue, Max-Moore struggles to make this kit look fashionable. Haphazard accents and a sticker-like logo immediately stand out--much like Max-Moore's forearm sleeves.
4. Alberto Naveda, 1997 Primary Kit: In navy, Naveda's kit presents the same problems: awkward lines, sticker-like details and massive sleeves.
5. Mike Burns, 1997 Secondary Kit: The end of the 20th Century brought a much-welcomed trend: clean, minimalist kits. Simple shoulder stripes and block lettering make Burns look like a champ, though we're still not sold on the puffy sleeves.
6. Mario Gori, 1999 Alternate Kit: Gori's primary kit offers one last look at the 90s. Though his boldly-colored jersey looks far busier than Burns' crisp white alternative, we appreciate the attention to detail on the stripes, which follow the curve of his normally-sized arm holes.
7. Leonel Alvarez, 2000 Secondary Kit: The Revs' minimalist look took a turn at the dawn of the 21st century, adding a preppy collar (positive) while re-introducing disorganized lines and accents (negative). Chalk down the hair--and the stache--as positives.
8. Jay Heaps, 2002 Primary Kit: Three distinct features stand out on Heaps' 2002 kit: a brilliant nautical blue color, subtle horizontal stripes and white stitched accents. Umbro branding adds a European twist.
9. Pat Noonan, 2004 Secondary Kit: We talked about simplicity as a defining trend at the onset of the decade--and Noonan takes the look to a whole new level. Reebok branding, stripes at the top of the socks and subtle Sierra Mist patches serve as the only design details.
10. Taylor Twellman, 2004 Primary Kit: Sure, Twellman would make any jersey look good. But his 2004 variation adds refined lines to an otherwise minimalist kit, resulting in a nice, tasteful look.
11. Pat Noonan, 2005 Primary Kit: Noonan's Adidas kit adds a little flavor to Twellman's crisp, minimalist jersey. The underarm details wrap around the back of the kit, too--which looked cool in 2005, but now mirrors a fancy training shirt.
12. Jim St. Andre, 2006 Keeper Kit: Where do we begin? Just when you feel as though you have a grasp on the design, it takes you on a whole new journey. Thumbs up for originality, thumbs down for poor execution.
13. Walter Zenga, 1997 Keeper Kit: At the very least, Zenga's 1997 kit offers a distinguishable design. The crocodile print seems far less abstract than St. Andre's jersey explosion; at the end of the day, though, Zenga is still wearing crocodile print.