The show is off this week to mark an almost perfunctory offseason for the top-level men’s game. The Olympics are coming up if you’re into that, though I’d be lying if I said I’ve watched a five-ring football match since the gold-medal game in 2012, when a star-studded Brazilian squad led by a 20-year-old Neymar fell 2-1 to Mexico in my first and only trip to Wembley.
It’s not just a lack of Olympic interest, though: I’m enjoying this brief break from tactics and tackles and even 90th-minute winners until the Community Shield kicks off the English season in 22 days. EURO 2024 and Copa América were a hoot, but it’s time to spend some time outside this summer.
There are still a few matches around, which you’ll find farther down. It’s the transfer window, too, though it’s been a slow start to the silly season thus far. So what better time for a return of The Kitman? A bunch of clubs dropped their 24/25 jerseys this week, so let’s take a tour.
THE KITMAN
GENOA: The legends at Kappa are out with another one, and while it’s not a massively complicated design, there’s a glory to the blue-and-red sheen. Plus, the photoshoot in Portofino is a trip.
AJAX: The white flanks and rich, currant red on this are simply clean, and so is the neat monostripe collar and the soft Adidas stripes on the sleeves.
KANSAS CITY: Adidas just launched an Archive Collection for five MLS clubs, third kits that draw “on the nostalgic look of sports broadcasting, advertising, magazines and catalogs.” This one harkens back to Sporting K.C.’s roots as the Kansas City Wizards, who wore some rainbow kits back in the 1990s.
MIAMI: Also from the Archive Collection—despite the relative lack of Inter Miami archives to draw on—this one is pure Vice City. Beauty.
Oh, and check out the L.A. Galaxy third kit, too. Half-and-halfs are huge right now.
FC BASEL: Flames, and the away kits are strong, too. I particularly like how the name and number sit on the back.
BARCELONA: The Catalans will mark their 125th anniversary with a throwback to the original kits from their first 11 years. It’s also a throwback to the last throwback, in 2008-09, when Barça put half-and-halfs on possibly the greatest team ever assembled and they won the treble.
VERSAILLES: They may not have the footballing pedigree of some of the others here, though their youth programs have a rich legacy: Thierry Henry, Hatem Ben Arfa, and (for the real heads) Jérôme Rothen have matriculated through the academy system. More importantly, though, these kits are fresh:
THE MISSES: It’s not all sunshine and roses, however. Chelsea washed out with this watery thing, I can’t quite get behind Arsenal’s new aways (and not just because they’re very similar to a recent Ajax kit), Crystal Palace have a suboptimal take on the textured colors that are in vogue right now, and Tottenham’s new home kit has all the right ingredients but doesn’t seem to work. Is it the length of the blue sleeves? The Spurs aways are a far better story.
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SATURDAY
CLUB BRUGGE vs UNION SAINT-GILLOISE
1:30pm ET, 6:30pm BST
Why is the Belgian Super Cup in July, you might ask? After scouring the Internet for at least six minutes, I can report that I have absolutely no idea. But this is first against second in the Belgian Pro League last season, and Union won the domestic cup.
NY RED BULLS vs CINCINATTI
7:30pm ET, 12:30am BST
It’s the time to shine for Major League Soccer, and here you have fourth in the Eastern Conference against second. Cincinnati are 10 points clear, however, and they’ve got the league’s standout creative force this season in Lucho Acosta. The Argentine has 17 assists and 82 key passes in 23 matches, plus 11 goals of his own.
In other news, the Philadelphia Union kick off against Nashville at the same time, which could be another chance to get a look at Cavan Sullivan. The 14-year-old made his debut this week and was already snapped up by Manchester City in May, though he won’t be crossing the pond until he turns 18.
PALMEIRAS vs CRUZEIRO
8pm ET, 1pm BST
Endrick has departed Palmeiras, but Estêvão Willian remains. He’s on his way to Chelsea next summer, but for now he’ll stay in São Paulo. He did go off with an injury against league-leaders Botafogo in midweek, so he could be watching from the sidelines here when his squad—currently second in the table—battle sixth-place Cruzeiro.
SUNDAY
PUMAS UNAM vs PACHUCA
7pm ET, 12am BST
Mexico’s unusual league structure means we’re in the Apertura season, a competition that runs from July to December. It’s early days, then, but this is second against eighth, two teams that have each won the Mexican first division seven times.
For Pumas, look for César Huerta, even if he’s coming off a disappointing summer with the national team. For Pachuca, Salomón Rondón is coming off a relatively spectacular Copa América with Venezuela, who took a maximum nine points in Group B, three of which they claimed off Mexico.⚽︎