Grading The Revs 2018 Home Jersey

Normally, I’m excited for the annual announcement of the New England Revolution jersey because it means that soccer season is once again around the corner. The MLS SuperDraft is a few weeks away, preseason starts next month and everyone harbors hopes of an MLS Playoffs and/or US Open Cup run.

Before the staff dives into our individual grades for the new home shirt, I have a complaint that I need to address.

No, that’s not it, although we’ll get to that part... (and again, how dare you Ben), and it’s not even the announcing at midnight part either. I actually thought it was a fairly interesting idea and a good way to get the fanbase talking about the 2018 season very early.

However, and this is more of a league/Adidas issue than a Revs issue, but if we can reveal new jerseys at 12:00 AM on January 1...why can’t we have them available for the holiday season so they can be unwrapped as gifts on Christmas or for Hanukkah, etc. Just a thought, just a playful thought from a soccer fan.

Now, onto the grades:

Jake (5) - Now, Ben is not wrong when he correctly points out that I have no idea what that lighter/off blue is doing on the Revs jersey. It seems out of place but I don’t mind the design at all, it reminds me of the United States 2006 World Cup jersey (modeled here by a bloody Brian McBride) and if the Revs had just shifted the current red/white stripes over in a similar fashion as photo-shopped below I might have liked it more.

As it stands, the jersey is fine. It is neither good or bad and the consistent navy shirt with white shorts pattern the Revs have had the past few years is still really solid overall. I don’t think the Revs need to reinvent the wheel with their jersey designs (or the glorious Crayon Flag) and the home shirt in particular, but the light blue just seems wrong on a Revs jersey.

Seth (7) - The new jersey is a product of evolution, which makes it acceptable. In 2014, the Revs rocked a simple, yet classy, dark blue shirt. Two years later, they added a couple of stripes, one white, one red. Now they've changed the location and color of those stripes. I understand why people dislike the new look (light blue is more SKC than Revs) but I'm happy to see a consistent style. The USMNT is often criticized for not having consistency in terms of their jerseys. The Revs have found some consistency, which is helpful when building a brand.

Nick (5) - I appreciate the simplicity of this kit, and think Seth’s point about brand consistency rings true. But the complete look feels a bit disjointed to me. Between the light blue stripes, dark navy sleeves and red piping on the collar, the shirt doesn’t quite seem to have an identity. Add in Adidas brand stripes in every direction—hoops on the socks, stripes on the shorts and diagonal stripes on the shirt shoulders—and the full kit starts to feel even more disconnected.

The Revs secondary kit quickly grew on me last season, and I’m hoping this one does, too. But for now, I’m as confused as I am excited.

Jonathan (6) - It's always hard to judge a jersey off internet images, as the ensemble tends to look a tad different in person. With that being said, the newest New England Revolution home kit is one that I really think will grow on me in time. The red trim, white shoulder stripes, and general vibe are all positives, though some question marks definitely arise elsewhere. Why are the two vertical stripes different shades of blue, and hues that don't even exist in the Revs' crest? Further, why do the sleeves look a darker blue than the torso? Those elements strike me as simple design fixes – but, hey, maybe I'm wrong. Like Nick said, I'm equal parts confused and excited for now.

Jim (4) - The new uniform deserves nothing better than a 4. It is boring and will do nothing to make the team stand out. This is a minority view, but I liked the red and white uniform worn last season because it stood out. Also, the two vertical light blue stripes on the new kit don't reflect the colors of the American flag. A team with a patriotic nickname should have a unfirom that is either red, white, navy blue, or some combination of those colors.