Whitecaps FC unveil new primary kit for the 2013/2014 season

We are only days away from the start of the MLS Season. Soccer Football fans all over our fair city are eager to see how the Vancouver Whitecaps FC follow up their previous season, which saw them become the first ever Canadian team to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs. But before the Caps take to the pitch at BC Place on Saturday afternoon, they unveiled the new kits they will be wearing this year. The Whitecaps held an event for season ticket holders and media, I barely fell into the latter spectrum, and I was in attendance. 

The crowd of supporters at The Rocky Mountaineer Station were very excited to see what the team was about to unveil. Then, after a few short promotional videos, Whitecaps Captain Jay DeMerit and his fiancee, Olympian Ashleigh McIvor, came out wearing the new short sleeve kit.

The jersey is predominantly glacier white with diagonal stripes in deep sea and sky blue. These diagonal stripes connect to a rounded sky blue and deep sea blue neckline representing the continuum from sea to sky. On the back collar of the jersey is the tag “Since 1974” which calls out the club’s 39 year history in Vancouver.

Personally, I liked the new kit. The diagonal lines look nice. The new colour scheme on the collar is a nice touch as well. DeMerit mentioned that the material used with these new kits is lighter than the previous one. Hearing him say this made it clear that this redesign was not purely a “cash grab”, but in fact the evolution of the kit. That being said, they did have them on sale at the event and also had a press to get numbers and names on your new kit.

As a Canadian who is just now getting into “beautiful game”, I learned a few terms last night that are faux pas. The first one is that it isn’t soccer. It is futball. The other thing I learned was that the players don’t wear jerseys, they wear kits.

What do you think of the new Whitecaps FC kit? Are the changes enough for you to get one? If so, the new kits are available on the Whitecaps FC Store today.

Photos courtesy of: Billy Bob Koruna