On Tuesday night, the Atlanta United FC faithful lined up around the block to crowd into the Tabernacle, a former church turned top music venue in downtown Atlanta, to witness the unveiling of the club’s inaugural kit. (View all details of the jersey here.)
Those lucky enough to be at the event -- many, the club’s Founding Members -- were not disappointed.
As a DJ spun throughout the night, special guests like Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed joined the celebration. And the anticipation built as members of the Atlanta United management team — owner Arthur Blank, team president Darren Eales, technical director Carlos Bocanegra, and head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino — came out to pump up the crowd.
Photo courtesy of Atlanta United
But the highlight of the night for the crowd was seeing players Chris McCann, Hector “Tito” Villalba, and Andrew Carleton take the stage in the new kits they’ll be wearing for their inaugural season with the team. Emerging from a thick mixture of fog and confetti, the three donned their full kits for the first time.
“This kit doesn’t disappoint,” said McCann. “It’s top-notch.”
The front of the jersey consists of five red and black stripes, with the American Family Insurance logo at the center in gold, and Adidas’ iconic three stripes line the jersey’s shoulders as well as sides of the shorts. To make the players’ names and numbers pop a bit more, the back of the shirt is a solid red. The United badge is raised a bit off the front, (though only on the authentic version) and a small logo on the back honors the team’s historic 2017 season.
Eales explained why the team decided to go with a vertical stripe design, similar to the ones found at top clubs like Barcelona, Juventus, and AC Milan. Atlanta United also joins the Montreal Impact as the only MLS teams with striped primary kits.
“We felt that was something that we could almost own, and that becomes something that, when you see red-and-black stripes in America, you’re thinking of Atlanta United,” said Eales. “We feel that we’ve landed on a hit that’s bold and timeless, but also progressive.”
“Players are going to look good in it,” added Bocanegra. “Supporters are going to look good in it.”
The primary kits were designed with player comfort in mind, with the v-neck collar allowing for maximum mobility. It’s also the lightest soccer kit on the market, thanks to Adidas’ AdiZero technology. Its Engineered Climagrid technology also gives it plenty of ventilation for cooling, something for which players and fans alike will be thankful during Atlanta’s summer months.
The design certainly seemed to be an instant hit among the fans, who were able to purchase the jerseys following the big reveal.
Courtesy of Atlanta United
“I absolutely love them,” said attendee Max Hyatt. “I love the gold, I love the red and black. I thought it was going to be all black, but the fact that it’s striped, I love it.”
Season ticket holder Chris Dean said the jerseys he’s bought in the past were “way too big for me.”
“This fits perfectly,” he said. “It’s awesome.”
The kits are now available for purchase online through MLSstore, and at the team store in Atlantic Station. For fans eager to add the away kit to collection, those won’t hit the shelves until February 2017.
