When seeking an honest opinion about fashion and attire, many men will turn to their wives or girlfriends for approval.
On Monday, when Sounders FC unveiled the new “Pitch Black” third kit with Osvaldo Alonso, Kenny Cooper, Lamar Neagle and DeAndre Yedlin modeling in a fashion show at the CenturyLink Field Pro Shop, the wives and girlfriends of the players offered up their opinions of the new look. If their reflections are any indication, fans will flock to the new jerseys just as they have to the Electricity and Super Cyan kits of previous years.
“We like making a statement. I know that. And as usual, we made a statement, but at the same time we toned it down. I think they’re stylin’,” said Yedlin’s girlfriend Mackenzie Schoener. “They’re definitely more toned down, but I’m a simple kind of girl, so they’re just my style.”
The new jersey tops are black with radiant green trim, shorts and socks. The shirts feature the traditional adidas 3-Stripe pattern down the shoulders, but the green fades to black, which adidas Global Product Soccer Manager Mike Walker said is an homage to the Puget Sound.
“I think they’re brilliant. Everybody looks good in black,” said Molly Cooper, Kenny’s wife. “You’ve got to keep the neon in there, but the black is really what makes it special.”
Within the crest is a holographic image of the Space Needle, subtly creating depth to the iconic logo.
“I like the black a lot,” said Neagle’s fiancée Natalie Hanley. “They just look really clean. And they look comfortable.”
Some of that comfort comes from the new ClimaCool technology, with the lightest fabric adidas has ever used for a soccer jersey providing optimal temperature regulation and moisture management.
“It’s the same fabric that’s going to be used in the World Cup and we want to make sure that the same work and energy that we used with the World Cup, we used in MLS,” Walker said.
Walker helped with many of the design elements and was critical in the holographic imaging, the Pitch Black concept and gradient down the shoulders that he thought would represent the relationship between the Sounders FC team and Puget Sound.
The brightly colored elements were also a way to embrace the traditional look of Sounders FC without bombarding the senses.
“The black against that neon just makes it pop. It looks really good,” Walker said. “It’s really that history of having that neon and finding a new way to do it. It’s a tradition, so we wanted to keep it going.”
In each year since Sounders FC entered MLS in 2009, the club has unveiled a new jersey – the primary and secondary kits change every odd year with the third jersey changing on the even years.
All authentic Pitch Black jerseys will include the 40th Anniversary logo.
Fans can purchase the Pitch Black jersey online through the team's website, the downtown Pro Shop located at 410 Pike Street, the Pro Shop at CenturyLink Field or on match day. For more information on Sounders FC merchandise visit www.proshop/soundersfc.com.
