Usseglio: An Ode to History
The 96 Kit
You may have noticed that the New England Revolution were not wearing their primary Boston Tea Party kit this past Saturday against D.C. United. Nor were they wearing the Eastern White Pine secondary kit.
Instead, the players were wearing their new Adidas x MLS Archive Collection kit, called “The 96”. This was the second time this season the Revs took the field in a uniform that calls back to their early days in Major League Soccer.
Conceptually, I love the direction that Adidas and MLS are going. It has been a long time since the Revs had a third kit in their rotation. Most MLS teams don’t have the luxury of more than two kits in a season, unless you are the likes of Inter Miami, LAFC, Atlanta United or one of the other “big clubs.”
It seems like Adidas is finally open to having third kits for all MLS clubs. Whatever their motivation is, I am here for it.
The design of the kit is great, in my opinion. Do I wish it had the Crayon Flag emblazoned under the Revolution sash? Of course. Maybe it was a smart business decision not to include the old crest. I could not tell you, as I am not in the business world.
Personally, I think the Revolution overthought this. They cared too much about their branding and new crest than the fans. Fans clearly miss the Crayon Flag, and this was a missed opportunity to make them happy. So, while I am disappointed about that, I do love the overall look.
The 96 kit pays homage to the inaugural Revolution squad that took the field in the first year of the league’s existence. It invokes memories of players like Joe-Max Moore, Wélton, and Rob Ukrop.
These players are the foundation of the club, and this kit is a great way to pay tribute to them in the 30th season of MLS. While MLS is increasingly becoming part of the larger footballing world, it is important to hold on to and celebrate our soccer history.
I got into the Revolution in the mid-2000s. The heroes of my youth were Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston, Taylor Twellman, and Matt Reis, amongst others.
I was too young to have seen the original Revolution players like Joe-Max Moore, Wélton, and Rob Ukrop. I did not get a chance to see the Revs play at the old Foxboro stadium, with their Americanized version of penalty kicks, in their gloriously crazy uniforms.
The only connection I have to those players is the information I was able to research over the years. I have always been looking for more ways to connect with and learn about the stories of those first Revolution teams. Our history makes us who we are.
To my delight, the Revs have made connecting to our history a point of emphasis for their 30th season in Major League Soccer, from the new Archive Collection kit, to the Alumni night celebration at Gillette Stadium, to the return of the Far Post Podcast and their stories about the history of the Revolution. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to learn more about my club. To honor our legends. To celebrate the first 30 years of our history as we look forward to the next 30 years.
We are an MLS original. New England’s team. The Revolution.