Philadelphia Union‘s preparations for the new MLS season began at the weekend with a 1 – 0 win over Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Al Lang Stadium on Saturday. The match, part of the Suncoast Invitational, was their first ahead of the big kick-off at Vancouver Whitecaps on March 5th. Before that, they face Montreal Impact at Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex in Clearwater, Fl., this evening.
Off the pitch, the commercial department is busy readying the new season’s kits for sale. The first release is the away (secondary) kit, manufactured by MLS technical partner, Adidas.
Philadelphia Union 2017 Away Shirt
This is the Philadelphia Union 2017 away shirt for the upcoming MLS season:
The design comprises white body, navy sides and sleeves with gold trim and accents. The crisp combination is finished with a navy crew neck, featuring a solid triangular navy pattern at the front.
A tonal pinstripe travels the front of the shirt with a small blue rattlesnake on the left lower corner. It’s a recurring theme with the rattlesnake paying homage to the political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin. Although printed (below left) in the 1750s, it remains an iconic symbol in Philadelphia’s history.
“Join, or Die” is the club’s motif, in addition to appearing in Latin on the reverse of the shirt as “JUNGITE aut PERITE”
“Philadelphia Union” is printed on the right sleeve in gold while Adidas’ Three Stripes cross each shoulder in gold.
The kit is finished with white shorts and socks, although the option of blue shorts underlines the versatility of the design.