It’s the best time of year for MLS kit nerds, and time for my eleventh (tenth for 3rd Degree) shot at predicting the FC Dallas jersey for the coming year.
2024 brings us a brand new primary kit, new goalkeeper kits, and a bunch of training wear. One thing our fellow kit nerds may notice is that while the training and GK stuff is brand spanking new, the actual outfield kits across the league will reuse adidas’ 2023 template. Where MLS has traditionally been one of the first leagues to receive the new style, the German brand has realigned its calendar so that the 2024-25 styles will launch in March.
Goalkeeper
Remember the opening credits from Saved By The Bell? Well these little beauties will be all over the big European leagues, the Euros, and Copa America from the summer onwards. The Tiro 24 GK kits come in seven versions by default, FC Dallas typically picks green, blue, and Maarten Paes’ personal favorite – black.
Training
You may have already noticed Maarten Paes in the blue version of the new Tiro 24 training wear. The outfield kits are delayed much like last year.
Dan Crooke’s prediction process
Let’s start with what we know, or think we know.
MLS Media Day is always the start of the process. Players from most MLS teams do media commitments in their primary kit for the new year with a jacket covering the jersey. That still left the blue and white shorts and socks completely visible in videos of Jesus Ferreira from the day.
When it comes to the jersey, we normally go through revisions until there’s a final prediction that somewhat resembles the end product. This is somewhere in the middle of that!
There are some elements I’ve seen from footage of MLS media day released by the league and Marca:
- A white and navy collar
- A white trim around the back of the jersey
- A red rear panel
- Navy blue on the player’s right side at the very bottom of the jersey, red on the player’s left.
FC Dallas’ social media graphics feature a lot of gradients of differing sizes and angles, leading me to play around with gradients that preserve the colors on those bottom corners.
We started with a gradient on a 45-degree angle because surely the shirt has to be majority red, right?
We then heard the term ‘vertical gradient’ used, which could imply one entire side fading into the other, leading to the second version in the gallery below.
You may have even seen there was an accidental leak of several teams on EAFC 24 this weekend. There are a few gradients (Montreal, Charlotte, LA Galaxy) but none of them are just a straight-up fade, so let’s see how close we can get with the fourth version of this prediction!
I know you guys are guessing based off of clues. but if either of these are correct I am not a fan of it.
We won’t take it personally. Maybe we’ll do a ‘what we would have done different’ set after the reveal.
me either
I’m not big on the half/ half design, but I’m sure this is better than what the club will drop.
Dan missed his calling as a lot designer.
If anyone from adidas stumbles in here, I wouldn’t pass that up.
I’m okay with v2 and v3 as options in a vacuum, but not necessarily for FCD (as you mention, they’re pretty blue). v1 is the most appropriate for FCD but also the worst-looking (not a knock on you, Dan – I know these are predictions). Kind of a catch 22 with these options.
I think it will be this kit but it will be more red dominant. Like red shirts and socks .
Marca did a video with Jesus at MLS Media Day. The shorts and socks can be seen in it.
No one else in the league has captured the half/half kit as branding. If we won’t be hoops, we could always do that.
The diagonal fade with the blue on the hip is actually really cool. I’d love to see that one!
I’ve seen the jerseys and these are 98% accurate
I like the gradient jersey as a jersey. But I can understand people who want the team (and all teams) to pick a branding for their primary jersey and stick with it.
If it was my men’s team jersey, I’d be happy. But the lack of branding frustrates me.
If it is #3, I’m buying one ASAP!