Jacksonville Armada

The team started playing in the NASL in 2015. The name Armada was chosen over the TeaMen by the team to represent the Spanish influence in Florida. In 2015, the team was in over their head. They weren’t very competitive. They started building their youth club from combining local clubs, so that would start to pay off down the line. Still, the support was there, 8,000 people were showing up to Everbank Field. With support from AO Jacksonville and the First Coast Elite supporters, and momentum from hosting US National games, the club was able to sign a deal for a new stadium near the AA Baseball stadium, and Jaguar’s field. The plans came with new bars and restaurants near the stadium complex. This new increased attention in Duval County. To make sure to get fans before the new stadium, they went out and signed a Spanish midfielder. A former Real Madrid youth product, he was looking to get out of the lower domestic leagues. “The Conquistador” led the team to an over .500 record. The team was still getting its footing in the league. A bitter rivalry between Tampa was formed, even though Tampa was winning championships in the early seasons of the Armada. Duval County Grounds opened in 2018, a 15k seat stadium with a berm seating on the side opposite of the supporters group. The club went out and signed an MLS player from Jacksonville to finish out his career in defense. A player from the Brisbane Roar was signed to play in Jacksonville. That next year, they announced the first Sunshine Shield competition. A round robin tournament between Florida’s 4 big soccer teams. The rivalry doesn’t have the legacy of rivalries like the Cascadia Cup, but the teams are all even in skill. The team was still without a great manager, this was apparent after a series of poor starting line ups resulting in 5 straight goals against before the 15th minute. They picked up an assistant coach from Everton looking for a manager job. Jacksonville still wasn’t producing, and in 2021, they hired a former US national player to coach the team. The first signs of a youth system showed up in 2021 with a striker from the academy earning a starting spot a few games in. A player was stolen from the Rowdies in the off season to help out on the midfield wings. Another place the Armada looked for players was the USL. Chattanooga had a defender that was picked up while he was looking to improve his league. The team had a 10 game streak without a loss to get them into a playoff position. They held on and clinched a playoff spot with a win at Puerto Rico. They didn’t last too long, and were eliminated by the Cosmos. The Armada have the most success in US Open competitions and Sunshine Shield. A win over Atlanta in the first round of the US Open was a huge upset in front of the Jacksonville crowd. The team also boasted the 2024 and 2027 Sunshine Shield trophy. The management needs to be willing to spend some cash to buy players to promote to the Championship. The owner are one of the cheaper ones in the league, but with the new system about to be in place, a few years building up internally might be what the Armada needs. I wanted Redskins colors in my league, and just happened to choose these guys. The name was leaked on the Domestic Soccer thread. The logo is shaped like the placeholder logo they use now, and instead of the statue of Andrew Jackson, I took the conquistador helmet from a concept done by (i think) Jaha. Some Conquistador logo I found on google. The uniform is a sash, just something I wanted to do differently. The Florida teams are REALLY colorful. Maroon/Green/Purple/Pink!

Orlando City

The Lions were the 21st team to jump to the MLS, and the first from the South East in the modern MLS. They went on to win the USL in their last season in 2014. The team brought a lot of players with them to the MLS, but they didn’t transfer to the big leagues that well. After 2 mediocre seasons, Orlando picked up the #1 overall pick in the draft, a midfielder from USF. The Tampa product started on the bench. He demanded a loan to the NASL, or playing time. The coach gave in to shut him up, and his first shot on goal was a 30 yard screamer to the top corner. From there, he started every game the rest of the 2017 season. Orlando City signed an Ireland U-20 product to put at Left Back. They matched the other side with a Right Back from Seattle.They continued to improve, as the crowd fell in love with their #1 pick. He was the first player in team history to start in an All-Star game. A two managers came and went before the 2021 season. A former Premier League manager came to Florida to coach Orlando City. The youth system was finally producing senior team members. They never had a striker to build around. They picked up a Brazilian who was trying to get out of the Brazilian league. He was 28, and with a bunch of young players coming up, the Lions’ had a fast paced offense. The system was to have their stud midfielder get it to the Brazilian up top. That year, the record of goals scored by Orlando City fell. The team wasn’t all that deep. The first playoff run by the team was short lived, a 2-0 loss in the first round. Their midfielder went on to play on the national team in the 2022 World Cup. After a great performance, he was bought by Chelsea. The huge deal gave a lot of money for Orlando City to play with 3 US players, a player from Israel, and a player from Panama came in to compete for the roster. The team was now deep, and the competition for starting spot was insanely fierce. 2023 was the best season yet for them. They sold out every game, and finished 2nd in the East. They rode to the MLS cup, thanks for a 92nd minute header on the road against Philadelphia to advance on the tie breaker. The Galaxy beat them in the finals in LA. That team eventually fell apart, due to the starting spots not being set, and better opportunities. Most of their senior team is from the academy and draft. The logo is custom, since their current is just AWFUL. I wanted to go heavy on the purple, since it is so unique. The home is a mix of Arsenal and the US navy jersey. The clash is just a wild nike concept that is a mix of a few concepts.

Minnesota United

Minnesota United was one of the original NASL franchises that survived the rough period for the league. The Loons were trying to make the jump to the MLS before the league chose San Antonio, and the MLS stopped expansion at 24. The decisive factor was that Minnesota couldn’t get a deal done for a new stadium. They continued playing at the National Sports Center in Blaine, but continued their search in the Twin Cities. Their focus was building up the reserves in the meantime. The team hired a Dutch manager to put at the helm trying to end their 3 season playoff drought in 2016. He brought a former player striker from a 2nd division Dutch side to build around. Complemented by some MLS players, the team missed the playoffs by 2 points to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Soccer Bowl champs that year. Their first home grown player came the next season, a goalkeeper from St. Cloud that made an immediate difference. The team regressed in play, due to a flimsy defense. He threatened to leave the club if there wasn’t a focus on defense in the offseason. The club sniped a free agent center defender from Atlanta, with another youth LB coming up, the team improved slightly. Before the 2018 season, the team found a location in St. Paul for an 18,000 seat stadium, paid for by a large sponsorship deal with 3M, donations from the fans, and from the front office. The stadium was much bigger than the stadium in Blaine, so getting more fans was a priority. The team did more in the community, and ran shuttles to the National Sports Complex from the cities. This increased traffic to the site, and the club grew slightly. The stadium deal turned some heads and 10,000 people were showing up every game in Blaine. The first season was in 2020, and to celebrate, United went out and bought a few good players. A Spanish midfielder was brought in, and an attacking mid from the Charleston Battery was brought up. A few more youth products came in to help. They were selected as the favorite to win the cup. A few mediocre months led to the team sneaking into the playoffs, only to be defeated by Indy in the first round. The team was selling 12,000 tickets a game, which was due to going up against the Twins on a game by game basis. The manager was on a hot seat to produce results in 2021. After a scouting mission, a Ligue 2 midfielder from Cameroon was lured away and offered a starting spot in the Twin Cities. That was the missing piece in the puzzle. The team finished 15 games clear of .500, and coasted to the first seed in the NASL playoffs.The team went on to lift the Soccer Bowl trophy, facing little adversity. The home grown goalkeeper was the league MVP, shutting down almost everyone. He was bought by DC United, leaving a hole in the back. An USL player was brought in as relief. The Loons never experienced the same kind of season. Everything was perfect in 2021, but have fluctuated for the most part. The loyal fans of the Twin Cities have sold out 3M Park the last 5 seasons. The focus has been mostly on youth, to cut down salary, sell the state on pro soccer, and to use the great facility in Blaine to bring up players. An English striker was brought in for the 2030 season, hoping to be the stud in front for United. They are behind about 8 teams in the promotion predictions, but anything is possible. I wanted a plaid team in here somewhere. My idea was to have an all light blue look, but the plaid/no plaid looked weird. From there, I sort of based them off that other decent United club in the UK. The clash kit is pretty similar to the current duds.

Omaha ONE FC

The One has a unique history. Using a Bundesliga mentality, a group of fans got together and started up an USL team. They went for the name ONE because of Omaha, NEbraska. The fans were going to be involved heavily in the business. They had 3 owners with 49% of the team, then the fans would own the other 51%. They began play at TD Ameritrade Park, which was only used for 2 weeks every summer. The baseball stadium didn’t provide for the most intimate atmosphere for the team, but the fans were loud. The Prairie Firm showed up with 2,000 fans the first game, a 3-0 win over Charleston. The team grew from there. The team averaged just under 10,000 fans a game their first season. In that offseason, they signed a deal with the Chicago Fire to build up their youth players. In addition to their inaugural roster, they signed a free agent striker from Tampa and a Midfielder from Plymouth Argyle. They improved from the first season, growing the fanbase. Defense was their biggest problem. With no youth candidates to grow any time soon, they dipped into the free agent market. A defender trio from Trinidad, Paraguay, and Florida teamed up to have a very strong back end. Omaha ended up giving the least amount of goals in their 3rd season, and made the playoffs. A fierce rivalry was started with Austin in 2024 when ATX knocked out Omaha on the last day of the season. The rivalry is still very strong to this day. The biggest problem going into the next year was at attack, A potent attack was built with a young player on loan from Chicago, and a Canadian player Edmonton didn’t resign. Trying to get back into the big leagues, he scored 19, leading Omaha to the playoffs again. TD Ameritrade Park would hold 16k people a game, as the team’s following expanded. The more tickets helped the team build up their facilities, and pay for players. They went out and got a Scottish midfielder that would become a cornerstone for Omaha. In his first game, he completed 45/47 of passes, which led to the game winning goal. Their coach was hired by Real Salt Lake, and Omaha brought in an interim manager on short noticed, who was a high school soccer coach from the Prairie Firm. With the support of his fellow fans, he lead Omaha to a winning record. With one season under his belt, his team understood his style and fired on all cylinders. Their youth system was bringing in some pretty good players. To compliment their Scot, a player from Papillion, NE became a starter in his first year. Going into 2029, they had the highest attendance in the USL.5 of their starters were good rookie players. Complemented by international players, the team finished 3rd in the league. They were saved by a late goal, and eventually won in overtime in the semi finals. They ended up winning the championship infront of their home crowd. Omaha is a sexy pick for promotion in the first season of the new system. The name is completely mcrosby’s, who gave me the thumbs up for using it. The logo was a result of me liking AS Monaco’s kits, and I just tried to do some new things. The clash is based on a highlighter uniform that the former team in my home town used to rock.

Dribble!

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Chicago Fire

With the MLS growing rapidly, one of the oldest franchises was looking to stay relevant in the eyes of the fans. The team’s only championship was in 1998, after contending for the playoffs from 2013-2016, they realized that teams like Seattle and Portland were pulling away as more relevant clubs. The New York teams, and the Galaxy were also shining bright in the big cities. Chicago needed to make something happen for the 2017, with 24 teams competing for the MLS title. They went out and signed a 32 year old Fernando Torres to compliment Mike Magee at the top. This was a short term solution, considering their age. They felt like if they had a rotation of young players still needing some seasoning. They added a Colombian national team defender to help in back. The team had a much better starting line up, with players that weren’t super ready in reserve. The team started 6-2-6, which wasn’t good enough. They signed a midfielder from Columbus who was cut mid season to help their biggest hole. The experience helped out the Fire from there on. The team thrashed through the East, and ended up losing to Portland in the MLS cup. Magee and Torres eventually retired, and the Fire were putting their trust into their academy to carry them. With the many young players coming up at once, it was hard to get everyone playing time. They had to sell a few around the league to hold them over. They had 3 straight seasons around .500. That is when a midfielder came up through the system. He grew up in Illinois, and played for his home club. He won the Rookie of the Year in 2023, and became captain of the US U-20 side. He became a field general, controlling the entire team A new manager for the Fire built the team from the middle out. Another US U-20 striker began playing in 2024. The duo contributed to most of the offense for the team and helped Chicago make the playoffs for the first time in 5 seasons. Going into 2016, their young midfielder was named captain, and the money from the players sold to other MLS clubs helped Chicago sign a Polish keeper from a Bundesliga team. The team went out and put another talented striker(this time from Bermuda) at the top. A 6’4” defender was drafted 3rd overall by the Fire, after trading up for the pick. Chicago filled their arsenal, and assaulted the MLS. The team jumped to first place and battled Boston the entire season for supremacy in the league. They won the supporters shield, and their captain won a MVP. A strong attack led the Fire to the MLS, where they beat the Galaxy. Their captain signed a 5 year contract to stay with the team and grow with the league. In 2028, they made the MLS Cup again, losing to bitter foe Boston. A few players were sold off since then, shuffling the Fire back in the standings, but with a strong academy, they’ll be just fine. The homes are pretty close to the current red set. It’s a great look. The road is heavy on the navy, but with a stripe for Chicago’s flag. Nothing too wild.

Rochester Rhinos

The Rhinos are with the Kickers in being an old team that is still playing. They didn’t really have the market to jump to the MLS, however. The rival Kickers made the jump to NASL over the Rhinos, which angered the team. Still playing in the USL, the Rhinos spent a little more money than in the past in 2019 to send a message to the NASL. They signed a former MLS midfielder, a Nigerian striker, and Canadian Keeper trying to break into the National team Roster. In addition to 3 youth players being brought up, the team was by far the strongest USL side that year. In the middle of the season, the Rhinos went 13 games without a loss. They steam rolled over competition, including the upstart Buffalo Athletic. They went on to win the cup in 2019. The NASL issued a statement that they were looking at Rochester as a candidate down the line, once the league was settled after the expansion. Two more seasons, and Rochester made the playoffs each time. A rich business man would come in and buy the team, and jumped to the NASL with the same guys in charge of the soccer side of the team. They rebranded for the move, and were ready to play in a bigger league. To celebrate, the team went out and bought an English defender to help at the back. But the team had trouble their first season in the NASL. Much better clubs would push around the Rhinos. They got a Columbus and Orlando midfielder on loan, just to grow both the players and team. They never earned a trophy in their NASL days. The biggest moment in team history was a stunning run to the Elite 8 of the US Open. The Rhinos might not make the Championship for a few years, but it’s possible if they continue to settle down and work from the ground up. With a history older than most Championship sides, it champs will be something the former US Open Champs have only dreamt about. The logo is new; I used an old Rhino logo as the base, and worked around it. I cleaned it up a lot, and put a soccer ball on its horn like the current logo. I wanted to keep the stripes, because that’s such a classy look.

Richmond Kickers

For being one of the older continuous teams in the US, the Richmond Kickers were happy just hanging around in the USL. When the NASL was rebuilding after having teams stolen by the MLS, big market clubs were looking to make the jump from lower leagues like the NPSL. The fear of oversaturating the league with new unproven teams was present in the NASL office. This was when the Kickers front office made a call. The team boasted their almost 26 year history, and a 20,000 seat stadium. This was an easy call for the league to make. As sort of a lifetime achievement award, the Kickers were given the thumbs up on being tier two. They used the mostly the same roster in their first season, and with the new teams like Milwaukee and Detroit still building up, the Kickers were in the middle of the league. That year, a new rivalry was established with the Northern Virginia Cavalry. The Commonwealth Cup would go to the winner on points between the teams. Later, it was a round robin system when Norfolk joined the USL. To compete with the likes of the Indy Eleven, and Cosmos, the Kickers went out and made some moves in the off season. The 2020 season would see a Cuban striker that defected during the Gold Cup, a former MLS defender from Virginia, a 2nd tier Spanish defender signed as a free transfer, and a Danish goal keeper signed as a free agent from Minnesota United. The Kickers were loaded up on talent, and finished 6th in the league after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. They brought in 2 sensational youth midfielders to help connect the sides of the field. The roster was transforming away from their USL side to a more high-caliber attack force. 2021 wasn’t a dream season for them, their Cuban forward tore his ACL, and the Spanish defender was sold to the Flamingos. A bottom half finish wouldn’t deter the team. With a healthy Cuban, and the signing of a talented striker from Cameroon the Kickers were ready to compete. A loan move from the Fire sent a good defender, upset about playing time, to Richmond. He manned the back and helped the Kickers keep the lowest Goals Against Average in the NASL. A loss in the playoffs on PKs knocked them out. After two more seasons, the fan base continued to grow as they had over 16,000 people on average. The Kickers were battling for the playoffs every year, but not winning. The coach was on the hot seat to get things done. He brought in another good class of academy players. The solid core that was playing with them for the last 6 seasons had the right tools, and won the Soccer Bowl. The coach’s job was saved. Two more seasons later, the Kickers returned to the Soccer Bowl, but lost to the Rowdies. The team captivated a city and mixes with the big boys in the US Open, and NASL. They might not have the money to compete in the Championship, but they’re smart play could get them there. The crest is close to the current, but I cleaned it up a bit. The idea was there, but no gradients, and I simplified it a lot. The home is really basic, but I wanted a classy look for the team. I thought black and red on the clash was more unique than black and white, so I made something a 3rd grader would think was cool.

West Texas Wanders

The 5th team in Texas has a weird history. El Paso got a team for the 2025 season. The deal was that West Texas United would play home games at the Sun Bowl, using the lower part bowl of the stadium for fans. The Sun Bowl was being renovated slightly, adding tarp roofing to cover the stands. However, the stadium wasn’t complete in time due to a workers strike. The team scrambled to find a replacement in the city, but nothing could be worked out in such short time. The USL worked on a schedule, giving West Texas 12 straight road games all over the country, this happening when the stadium was finished being repaired. During this time, the English manager they hired jokingly called them the Wanderers, similar to clubs in the UK. The name stuck, and even after their permanent home was finished, they continued play using the nickname. The season wasn’t a successful one, mostly due to the nonstop travel. They worked on a deal with the San Antonio Scorpions to bring up youth players. The club also tried to bring fans from Mexico, thanks to the much better border laws that were made in the last decade. “Los Vagabundos” sent a scout to Mexico to find some talent, and returned with a keeper, and midfielder shuffled back in the depth chart of 2nd level Mexican Soccer. They have basic youth systems, and won’t really be competitive until a few years down the road. A rivalry with Albuquerque is one thing that their fans look forward too. They also love playing bigger clubs in the Lone Star Cup, even though they have yet to win a game. I had the idea walking to class, and it was really easy to make. I felt like a simple logo like that would be classy. The uniform is very basic. I wanted to put a design that looked like a pocket under the crest logo. I ran light stripes across the front, like the USMNT leaked kit. The alternate is green and black hoops because I thought that’d look great.

FC Dallas

For one of the original MLS clubs, FCD has yet to make a huge impact on the American game. Being overshadowed in such a big market, not winning won’t gain any fan interest. After another 5 losing seasons, they were losing fans. Rumors of a club trying to be formed in Ft. Worth sparked some intuition in the front offices. They needed something to happen to claim the whole Dallas-Ft. Worth area as their own. The owners went out and signed a Mexican National Team striker away from his Liga MX team. With the addition of him, and a solid core of youngsters coming up through the ranks, they thought their job was done. After starting out 0-3-2, they axed their manager. The guy to fill the whole on the bench was a Colombian manager, recently fired from the National Team’s spot after not advancing from the Group of Death in the 2018 World Cup. With an extensive knowledge of the Colombian youth ladder, he went out and bought a Midfielder, who he claimed to be the next super star. With another addition of a Right Back picked up from RSL, the team was under new management. After 3 more games, the players started to buy into the system. Being last in the West was a steep mountain to climb, but Dallas started winning thanks to the play of their new toys. Road wins over Sporting, Houston, and Colorado took them out of the basement. The stands still weren’t completely full. A member of the supporters group pitched the idea of a bus route from Frisco to certain areas to make travel for fans easier. Routes to Dallas, Arlington, and Ft. Worth helped out immensely. They started an actual soccer culture. FC Dallas got to .500 that season, and stayed around there and missed the playoffs. A better soccer culture was being built. Former FCD player Brek Shea came back the next season to play for his former club. Another addition to the team earning its footing helped out. They made the playoffs in 2020 before being eliminated by Portland. After that season, their Colombian stud was bought by AS Monaco. They never really returned to the same form. In the 9 seasons since, they have an above .500 record, but only 4 playoff positions. They relied heavily on the development of their own players. When ATX FC was formed, they worked on a deal to be a parent club. Only one or two players became stars from the deal. The same manager is behind the helm, holding the franchise records in wins, seasons, and win percentage. The red homes are close to great. I simplified the stripes, but not make them full hoops. The clash jersey is blue and red, because it’s too similar to the home set in real life.

ATX FC

Austin was emerging as a new Portland-style city. A lot of hip young people building a community together. As one of the bigger US markets, a lot of people were pushing for a pro soccer team. The Austin Aztex folded in 2015 due to financial issues, leaving the team soccer-free. A group of Longhorns, teamed with soccer fans from the city started a movement for a lower tier side. Something that could organically grow and be uniquely Austin. Almost 8,000 people joined in the movement and a group of investors would buy a team set to play in the USL in 2020. ATX FC won the fan vote for a name. The badge and uniforms were released and the town went nuts for soccer. The first year was played at House Park, former home of the Aztex. Using local player the first year, the team finished .500. They looked at places to build a soccer specific stadium after the first year, thanks to home sell outs of 5,000 every game. The narrowed down list for potential locations was outside of town at the Circuit of the Americas complex, or across the Colorado River from the Austin City Limits festival. The latter was chosen thanks to the proximity to downtown. With the plans to a 15,000 seat stadium(with possible expansion room), the city built a pedestrian bridge for easy access. Fueled by soccer fans, college students on vacation, and people looking to support the team, ATX FC sold out every home game at House Park. The move to the new stadium was an easy one. With the move, the owners attempted to build the team from the top, due to the youth system still gaining talent. MLS players from the area were bought in an attempt to unify everyone. An Argentine player was bought to help out at Mid, and a defender from Trinidad & Tobago plugged the holes in the back. The clubs on the field success never flourished. In their 4th season, they made the playoffs for the first time. A striker who had played abroad, but quit to go to school at UT was brought in as a back up. He returned to form and led the team with 17 goals in 2025. At this point, 14,000 fans was the norm. The support sent a message to the USL and the higher up leagues for a possible move. No jump was made, thanks to the owner not wanting to rush things, and the possible tier system being in place in the near future. The lure of playing in front of such great fans is a big part of signing the players they need. A few years off, and ATX might be playing with the big boys of US Soccer. I loved the colors used on that NHL SuperLeague Ducks concept. I've been meaning to do a stripe pattern like this, but had no way to connect it to a team. I wrote down Austin for these colors, not knowing what I wanted to do. I just kinda kept adding until I thought I was done! The star and curls and rope are my nod to Texas, with "Keep Austin Weird" at the bottom because I thought that'd be hilarious.

San Antonio Scorpions

The Scorpions started playing in the NASL in 2010. Since then, the team has made strides trying to set themselves up for MLS. They made the jump to the big leagues with the Silverbacks. Toyota Field was expanded to 18,000, then the naming rights were bought by Valero. A huge sponsorship deal was made for the oil company, trying to compete with the other giants of Texas soccer. They were fighting for the state of Texas now with Dallas and Houston, both in the Western Conference. The 3 teams established the Lone Star Cup, trying to get the media attention the Cascadia Cup has. The original team was carried over from the NASL side, and they couldn't really cut it consistently with the rest of the league. That off season, the he team also filled holes in an entirely new back line, and signed Georgios Samaras after losing his starting spot at Celtic. The first Designated Player in team history would not disappoint. With World Cup experience, Samaras would lead the Scorpions to the first Lone Star Cup in team history, but would miss the playoffs. The "small" market of San Antonio took to the club, thanks to no competition during the summer. The academy brought up a young keeper, who was born in Mexico. This sat well with the Latino fans who were looking for a player to attach to. The 2018 season would be the best yet. Samaras scored 20 goals and led the team to the Wild Card round of the playoffs. After the 2020 season, Samaras retired. To replace him, the Scorpions signed a top Greek striker, disgruntled by his Greek side not fulfilling his roster. Samaras was the man behind the deal, who helped his international teammate pick a side. In the last decade, the Scorpions have no domestic trophies. Their Greek player earned an MLS top XI and jumped to Spain. Still, their academy goalie has remained consistent going into his 12th year with the team, earning the respect Tim Duncan had during his career. I cleaned up the logo by making it simpler. I think it had potential, but needed some tweaks. They haven't had any actual good jerseys to go off of, but I did like a hooped black kit and based the homes off of that. The clash gave me trouble and I settled on mostly white with red accents.

Vancouver Whitecaps

The Caps are considered outsiders in their own rivalries. The Cascadia Cup has trended south, and the fight for the best Canadian team is gone east. After a 2013 playoff run, the team would miss the playoffs for 3 straight years. A lot of the older players on the playoff roster moved on, and the Whitecaps had an opportunity to raise some strong youngsters from their system. Being BC's team, they had most of Western Canada to draw from. Their main pieces were a goalkeeper and striker, who complimented young American and Canadian national team talent. With the 24 team league starting, the Whitecaps were predicted a 21st place finish in 2017. Their new English manager made a point to improve upon this standing. They got out to a 4-4 start, and was sitting in 8th in the West. The coach called a former midfielder of his, who had been buried on the depth chart at Aston Villa. He persuaded the player to jump to the MLS and get his form back.That was the best signing in Vancouver history. He came in and had an immediate impact on the team as a field general. In his first game, he completed almost every pass, leading the Caps to a 3-0 win over San Antonio. They made a mad charge to the playoffs, with a sturdy midfield and a high functioning attack. For one game against the Sounders, they took off the tarps and sold out BC Place, breaking the attendance record.They would sneak in by 1 point over RSL for the last spot. They were eliminated, but playoff experience was brutal in the development of the team. That next year, they had the same result, a first round exit. They signed a Brazilian RB to help out their needs at wing. Adding accurate crosses to the offense would help out a lot. 20 games in, and the Whitecaps were 8 points up on the playoff cutoff. But their MVP midfielder went up awkwardly for a header in a game against LA and twisted his ankle. They had to throw in a player from their system who wasn't ready, and the midfield became one of the weaker parts of the team. From then, the team slowly disintegrated. Other teams targeted their players and left them high and dry. They had to scramble and play residency players that weren't ready, and fell to the bottom of the MLS. To get the fans back, the Owners pushed a campaign to claim Canada as their own. Using players on their team to draw interest, 6 Canadian National players were brought in after the 2022 season. They had 4 years to get their footing back and compete before most of their team had to leave. They never really panned out, other than winning the Canadian Championship twice. Their manager was fired and they began rebuilding again. I love the crest, so I kept it. The all white look is classy and also stayed. The design I did mimics the crest with the mountains. The clash is different from the all navy look.

Toronto FC

After years of frustration, Toronto FC spent tons of money to fix the soccer culture in the great white north. Bradley, Defoe, and Gilberto would be the keys Toronto needed to make the playoffs. In the hard east, TFC finished 2nd. The team wasn't able to produce in the playoffs however, a 3-1 aggregate loss to the Red Bulls, who won the Cup. The next year, Defoe scored 5 goals in 5 games, and was on pace for the MVP, but a high slide tackle by a Montreal defender blew out his knee. He was done for the year, and after his return, he was never the same and he retired in 2016. The Reds had one playoff run during their big 3 era, but the attendance picked up. Bradley made the bosses go out and pick up Aron Johansson, whose stock was growing from international performances. Defense was always the problem in TO, and the players they brought in never really panned out. They were bringing in atleast two youth players a year, due to one of the best academies in the league. They traded up for the 3rd overall pick to draft a goal keeper from Maryland. With Bradley, Johannsson, Gilberto, and the future of the Canadian National Team all infront of the keeper, the club won the supporters shield in 2017. In 2018, the team had an MLS record 8 internationals in the World Cup. Johannsson had a great World Cup, and was bought by Liverpool for their campaign. One of their Canadian defenders was purchased by Leeds too. They lost a lot of their firepower for the stretch run. At the end of that year, Gilberto went back to Brazil. Bradley was the only huge piece left. After countless trade proposals, no one would go play striker. The team had their worst season with Bradley at mid that year. The 34 year old Bradley retired that year. TFC continued to slide, using mostly their youth team on the field. They signed a 29 year old Italian midfielder as a replacement after he was ran out of town by Napoli supporters. The club had an up and down 2020s. Only 3 playoff runs, but mostly .500 performances. The team is where they are now thanks to being adventurous and spending money in 2014. The red uniform is based off of a concept by Daniel_Ramone93, and I used it because it's fantastic. I wanted the clash to be heavy on the grey, so there is very little red because the bet it looked was with grey stripes.

San Francisco SC

After the announcement of the 3 tier system, new teams in small markets popped up trying to strike gold in the future. A group of 8 from San Francisco took it upon themselves to bring a team to the city. The Quakes games took an hour to get to, and Sacramento wasn't a realistic option. SFSC started to play the summer of 2025 in Kezar Stadium near downtown. The BayMen Supporters built metal stands behind the goal in addition to the 9,000 seat stands along the sideline. They became known as the Earthquakes "Noisy Neighbors" by San Jose fans, and called names by rival USL teams that had a market to themselves. The team worked out a feeder program with the Earthquakes the second year. That team played well, knocking out Sacramento in the opening round of the US Open Cup. SFSC started to sell out thanks to their team getting exposure from scoring 9 on Halifax. The team didn't make the playoffs, but soccer culture was starting to take off in the city. The owners looked to move out of their small stadium. Candlestick Park was turned into a parking lot, that hosted a weekend flea market. Plans for a 15,000 seat stadium were made, and ground was broke in the winter of 2026. With the plans, a practice facility was constructed on the outside of the stadium, along with offices taking up the south side of the stands. Bay Area player were brought in to play for their new club, and a successful summer camp was held in season, which helped the teams scout players. The Chinese national team keeper was brought in to help attract more fans, the biggest signing in team history was great for the Asian community. "The Great Wall", helped by 5 strong defenders, 3 from San Jose, managed to keep 5 clean sheets in the last 5 games of the season to make the playoffs in 2028. The last game at Kezar Stadium was a loss to Austin. The team is all moved into their new digs, and the movement is starting for a soccer culture. The crest was similar to my Perth concept, with a stand up crest. I didn't want to do the bridge, but I really wanted orange and black for the team. It's the most recognizable part of the city, so I thought it was fitting in a way.

Los Angeles Galaxy

One of the MLS' premier franchises still continues to be an icon. After back to back wins in the MLS, the Galaxy's run ended with a loss to RSL. With Keane and Donovan retiring in back to back seasons, the Galaxy started treading water, and missed the playoffs in 2017. This wasn't cutting it for the owners. They signed Luis Suarez on a deal from Liverpool. The Ballon d'Or winner was an immediate help at attack. The team made the playoffs again, and only continued to get stronger. They signed Cesc Fabregas to help in the back. The stars in front and back were helped by players from their youth system surrounding, and players signed from all over CONCACAF. The team was set for a MLS Cup, but unfortunately they didn't pull through. The manager and most of the staff was fired. Going into 2021, the team was still favorites. They high power team was led by Suarez' MLS record 31 goals. The team lost in the final against Montreal on an own goal on a deflection in the 70th minute. After a first round playoff exit, the team was pissed. They were called chokers by the media and opposing fans. Suarez and Fabregas weren't getting any younger. That was when a talent from SoCal, who was on the U-20 USMNT roster finally got his shot. He had been fermenting in the USL on a contract with the Anaheim Blues, and scorched the competition at midfield. With the whole team firing on all cylinders, the Galaxy won not just one, but two straight MLS cups. Cesc and Suarez retired after the second run. The Galaxy built outward from midfield from their star product. Players from Europe were snatched up to support, and the team continued to dominate. No trophies have been won, but 3 supporters shields were lifted in Carson. The closest they've come to the cup were runner ups in 2026 and 2029. The Galaxy are the champagne of US soccer, and plan to keep it that way. The homes stayed traditionally white, because that's a classic monochrome look. The clash is an homage to the pre-Beckham kits, with stripes on yellow. I wanted a classy and sleek look for them, because they're close to perfection.

Baltimore FC Barons

The Baltimore Bohemians are the current team in the Charm City, but they would fold in 2016. The next shot at Baltimore to get a team was in 2019, when the NASL was picking up teams left and right. A Baltimore bid was placed, but they weren't selected due to a lack of a stadium. The same owners bought an expansion team in the USL to start play in 2021, and named them the Barons, after George Calvert's official title. This was an attempt to make the team represent Baltimore. Under Armour signed a sponsorship deal, and gave them some of the best gear in the USL. Part of the plan was a 12,000 seat stadium close to Camden Yards, which hadn't been approved for the NASL bid. The Barons' started a soccer club for inner city kids, and merged some local teams to get a jump on the development of the academy. Not too much on the field success for the Barons, however. Their first 3 seasons were sub-500, but the Bohemians Supporters Group rallied the troops and the team is gaining some followers, which will help the team in the long run. An Argentine striker was signed, who had played for River Plate several years before, and his flair and knack for scoring goals caught the attention of the city. However, the defense was still letting them down. A Jamaican U-20 Left Back was signed to help at the wings, and a troubled keeper cut by the Impact will be an immediate starter. The team has a new manager, some players from their youth system, and the South American at the top of their formation. Slowly the team on the field is resembling the vision of the owners. The flag is here because it's fantastic. The home is yellow and black, since that is the pattern from Calvert's family crest(who founded Baltimore). Red and white on the clash, to tie it all in. This is heavily inspired by some Terrapins' gear, but who doesn't do that with these concepts?

Charleston Battery

The USL side continue to be a consistent example of a small club that captivates a community. Orlando jumped to the MLS in 2015, taking out one of the biggest competition in the league. This was a golden era for the small USL sides. Charleston and Harrisburg alternated championships from 2015 to 2018. The Battery were led by a young group of guys from South Carolina to championships, players passed over by MLS sides in the draft with a chip on their shoulder. The Carolina Cup captivated the fans, trying to beat the 3 teams from North Carolina in a yearly tournament, giving the fans state pride. The number of Battery fans in the stands doubled, putting Blackbaud Stadium at capacity. They expanded to 10,000 seats, and soccer games became a great summer activity. The group stayed together until 2019, before NASL and MLS sides picked them up. Charleston was joined in the USL by many teams at once. In expansion drafts, the core of Charleston's team was decimated, and they had to start over. The owners built a soccer complex nearby the stadium for the Battery youth team. The team rebranded symbolizing a new Battery, keeping the yellow and black stripes. With teams like Dayton and Connecticut running away from the USL sides, Charleston hasn't won a trophy since 2017. The team is starting to be built for promotion, but that may be a few years away. I wanted to update the cannons in the logo. I simplified the logo and only put Charleston at the top. I wanted thinner stripes like Hull, and that was the only thing I wanted to do with the jerseys.

Tampa Bay Rowdies

The new Rowdies started playing again in 2010 as FC Tampa Bay. The club got the rights to the NASL club's name and rebranded. After the club won a Soccer Bowl in 2012, the team continued to build as a club, and as a presence in Tampa Bay. With new owners adding seats along the sideline at Al Lang Field, the club could now seat 10,000 fans of the team. This was only the start. In 2015 and 2016, the club won back to back Soccer Bowls on the shoulders of strong free agent signings. The team could hardly hold the fans. The team needed a bigger stadium to fit the new supporters. After losing the Rays to Tampa in 2015, the city wanted to work with the Rowdies to ensure the club's future was in Pinellas County. A new 15,000 seat soccer specific stadium was in the plans for a renovated waterfront district. The stadium rand the same way as the field currently does, but renovated it for a rectangular field only. This left the great view of the water open at one section of the stadium, while packing 15,000 supporters around the other 80% of the field. For two years, the Rowdies played in places around the Bay, not settling in too long. The club's new stadium didn't mean immediate success on the field. Bitter rivals New York Cosmos won 2 of the next 4 championships. After one overachieving team snuck into the Soccer Bowl in 2023, the Rowdies figured they couldn't compete the way US soccer was trending. They merged with the Tampa USL side, who did have a youth system, and started using that to work players up to the big time. The Rowdies had strong youth players from all around the area join the Rowdies academy. The team's free agent buying ways were slowly coming to an end. The first player though the system was a defender from Clearwater, who earned a NASL best XI honor in his rookie season. Orlando City offered a bigger contract, but the player chose to stay home and grow with the club.The team continued to add free agents from all over the world, US, and local area. The team made it to the 2027 Soccer Bowl final after 4 years of frustration, losing to Cleveland in PKs. The next year, the Rowdies lifted the trophy over Richmond. This team could easily transition to the Championship, provided they take care of business in League One. That story made me seem like a super homer. But this is my favorite team, and I really like their hooped look. I think the jerseys currently are perfect, I replaced the Rowdies' wordmark with Publix as a sponsor. I wanted to make a crest logo instead of just the word Rowdies, so I did a very simplistic design. Not too much to write home about!

Las Vegas Quicksilvers

The NASL was still trying to match the 24 team league the MLS put up. In 2021, a group of Las Vegas business owners wanted to play soccer in Sin City. There was a fan vote contest for the team name. In the poll was Las Vegas United, LVFC, and the Quicksilvers(former name of the NASL club). The Quicksilvers got half of the votes, and the team was announced. They began playing at Sam Boyd Stadium the summer of 2022 on the same field as the original team. The first half of the season was a disappointment, the team had a 5-10-2 record, and only sold 4,000 tickets a game. After the USA won the 2022 World Cup that summer, attendance doubled. The team had a bad first year, but it was okay since the NASL is super competitive. In the off season, the club signed a Midfielder from the Honduras U-20 team, which helped incredibly. They also signed a guy who became famous on YouTube for his ball handling tricks. The Silvers put him up front in a 4-4-2 formation. His play could lead to great opportunities, but he didn't have the stamina, and was sub par at finishing. He was cut that next season. The team never took the time to set up a good youth system, so they didn't have new players come up year after year, which led to spending. The team wasn't performing at the box office, and the owner soon went bankrupt from bad business deals. The team was saved from folding in 2028 by a new regime led by the American Outlaws Las Vegas group, who want to treat the team right. It's going to be a few years with the new owners to turn the team around, but the groundwork is there for the future. I really wanted to bring this team back. The crest shape is taken from a yakball concept that I really liked. I did dual greys because that's an underused color scheme. The q logo idea was taken from the original team, so I used it as the prominent feature in the crest. The clash is blue and white like the clash the old NASL team wore, and I think the shades really compliment eachother pretty well.

Montreal Impact

The Impact were fighting to be the face of Canadian soccer. With Toronto and Vancouver battling in the top league, Montreal took it upon themselves to take the lead. They matched Vancouver's 5th seed in the playoffs in 2013, tying them for the farthest a Canadian club has ever made it in the MLS. This was not good enough. Montreal continued to build a team at the pro level, then used the success there to establish the youth system. In 2016, the Quebecois made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, only to lose to Sporting. The idea to compete, while remaining uniquely Canadian was a crazy idea, but the Impact did it. Players from all over the province went to the city to try to make the squad. The team continued consistent success, but still didn't have any major hardware, other than Canadian Cups. That changed when a French midfielder, formerly a starter of Lyon, was signed in the prime of his career. This was the missing piece. In 2021, with their Frenchman, a tough Scot in defense, and almost half of the starters on the National Team, the Impact went on to win the East, and the MLS Cup over the Galaxy. Things cooled off after the cup run, in 2023, the team missed the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. The Canadians they helped bring up went to play for stronger English sides, helping the national team, but leaving Montreal out to dry. The Impact still have a group of 4 or 5 youth players yearly that can compete for a first team squad, or loaned to Halifax for later. A very streaky team with a whole province behind them, a top half finish in 2030 is the goal for the boys at Saputo Stadium. The black striped look is way better than plain blue, so I wanted to make that the home. Add black and blue striped socks to it, and that was the resulting home uniform. The away is really similar to the set they had in 2013, but that is because it's a great look. Fleur de lis on a stripe up the middle, with some designs on the underarm.

Albuquerque FC

After the announcement of the promotion and relegation system, many teams were created in anticipation, just to get their team started and not missing out on the chance to go big time. One of these teams were based in Albuquerque. A massive fan of the USMNT that lived in Albuquerque had the vision, he wanted to market the team as "New Mexico's Pro Team". After years of frustration, the team finally found the backers they needed. A new Borussia-type crest was made, and the team was ready. They set up shop to play at the soccer complex on UNM's campus. In the team's first year, they would sign all of the graduating seniors from the New Mexico Lobos soccer team, and filled the rest with players scouted from all over the Rockies. A youth team was set up, who had a unique connection with close by Native American towns, allowing young players to play with ABQ. A lot of players of Hispanic heritage began playing for the youth team too. The big club struggled it's first year, the assistant coach of the Lobos was hired as a manager, and he could only do so much. A scout was sent to Mexico, and several players cut by their teams were given a second chance, and would go north of the border to play. Attendance is slowly improving, ABQ averages 5,000 fans a game, which is good for such a young team. The club is still several years off from even making it to League One, but the vision is there, and with support from UNM, local tribes, and the people of New Mexico, the team has a bright future. The logo was a result of me wanting to make a crest with a city's airport code. Add that to the New Mexico flag's symbol, and it was pretty simple to throw together. Red and yellow was the obvious choice for the home set, but I went black instead of inverting the colors.

AFC Cleveland

Cleveland's team was started in 2011, and they've hit the ground running. According to the team, AFC stands for "A Fan's Club". The team is very close with their fans, and try to be as close to their supporters as they can. The team played in the NPSL, selling out their 8,000 seat stadium on the campus of Cleveland State. After 3 losing seasons for the Indians, AFC Cleveland benefited, making Saturday nights a great time to go to a soccer game. The club was one of the first to actually establish a youth system. The movement was started by supporters looking to help the club in the future. In 2018, when the NASL mentioned how they want to get more teams, Cleveland was one that was rumored to make the jump. With Detroit, and Milwaukee, Cleveland made the jump. They paid for expansions to Cleveland State's facilities. For major games, they would play at FirstEnergy Stadium, when the Browns were in the off season. In honor of this, the traditional clash kit became Brown-Orange-Tan, as a reference to the other tenants. Rust Belt Derby games, and bigger NASL games would be used when Cleveland could easily sell 20,000 tickets. The team continued to get better, almost all from within. Akron soccer team worked as a youth team almost, feeding the club with players who didn't get drafted by MLS. It was the closest they could come to playing at home. To help the fans, a bus would run to and from Akron's campus. A new supporters group of Zips was started, opposite of the original fans. The team was competing with the likes of the Cosmos, and Rowdies in the playoffs nearly every year. The new NASL attendance record was set by 32,000 fans sowing up for a Detroit City-AFC game. More and more games were played at the Browns stadium. In 2027, the team finished 8 games over .500 and snuck into the playoffs. The team began a magical run to the championship, and beat the Rowdies in penalty kicks infront of 28,000 people. AFC Cleveland had an article published about the club with the title "Sounders East". They have a shot at promotion, and if they are promoted, they would have the support of the big clubs. This crest kicked my ass. I went with a half and half one like the current, but decided to go stripes. The crest shape is the Houston Dash's crest. The AFCC logo replaced a lion, just because of Dayton's logo. The stripes have a design like Dortmund's puma set, and the clash is just 3 pretty colors together.

Detroit City

Like I said before, the NASL was looking to bring up clubs in big markets stuck in the NPSL. Milwaukee, Detroit, and Cleveland were the first to make the jump. Detroit City started playing in the NPSL in 2012. They played at a downtown high school until the announcement by the NASL. With the economy recovered, a the team received backing from the "Detroit Revival" program, and new sponsors. The ownership group had plans to renovate the Silverdome, but the supporters group was upset with that idea, since it wasn't actually in Detroit. A spot was found on Belle Isle, and a small 13,000 seat stadium was put up over 2 years. They worked with the Grand Prix to preserve the course, provide a better backdrop for the race, and work on a better transportation service to and from the island from the Michigan and Ontario. They drew well for a NASL side. The more open and available location helped Detroit City be one of the best supported NASL sides. That first year wasn't great, due to the carry over from the NPSL team not being able to match other teams physically. City stuck with their manager, who had two huge signings going into 2020. After scouting the Gold Cup, he bought a striker from Honduras, a midfielder from Jamaica, and former U-20 Canadian Keeper for very cheap. The team showed signs of improvement that season, and missed the playoff on a tie breaker. The money and attention the team got that year helped the team financially. The club put up money to improve a park with professional grounds keeping and new nets for inner city kids, and provide as a close practice facility. Two local Detroit players came up through the system and broke their way into their first team in 2024. MLS free agents, and new players together combined for the first real shot to for the championship in 2025. Mid season, Detroit went 10 games without a loss until their best defender, putting a hole in their back 4 and title hopes. The team came back hungrier and won the Soccer Bowl that next season over Indianapolis. The team hasn't been able to recreate the result since, but the stadium was expanded to 18,000 seats to fit the fans. The new scheduling allows fans to make it from Comerica Park to Belle Isle Stadium with time to spare. The support is there, but League One will be incredibly competitive this season. The crest is new, and I used the flag for the inspiration. I put the team nickname on the bottom the jerseys are similar to the current ones, with striping from the flag. The clash currently has off color sleeves, so that is the inspiration behind that. I chose nearby based Meijer as a sponsor for the club too.

Milwaukee Bavarians

In 2018, the NASL was getting back to it's feet. The idea was to build teams from big markets, using the USMNT's World Cup victory as the launching pad. The owner of Miller Beer, caught up in the excitement of the World Cup, decided to throw his hat in the ring. He announced plans for Milwaukee SC to begin play in the NASL. Supporters of the Milwaukee Bavarians quickly stepped in and showed him a very well made power point. The Bavarians' history stretched back to 1929, with German immigrants starting the team. Facinated, and eager to make a fake German product, the Bavarians got the call to the big leagues. A rebrand updated the logo to black and blue, and they were set. They would sell out the 2,200 seat Engelmann Field on the campus of UW-Milwaukee. A key midfielder picked up in a dispersal draft would be the first star in Milwaukee. Despite a 12th place season, the midfielder tied the record of weekly XI appearances. The coach was fired, and the coach of the Duke Blue Devils Men's team was hired. He brought a unique fast paced game to the NASL. A keeper from near by Racine became the starter in 2022, and he lead the league in saves. Still, the Bavarians missed the playoffs. After 3 years of scouting out new stadium locations, a spot near the airport was chosen. Construction began on the 14,000 seat stadium, with room to expand. In the plans was a great training facility a few blocks away. The Bavarians use the Fire as their parent club, with Chicago sending players needing some first team reps north. Milwaukee is a few years off from competing with the best clubs in the country. They need a person at charge that has a soccer pedigree to help in team development.

The logo was fun to do. I used the current crest, with some cues from Bayern. I simplified "soccer club" to SC and put the Bavarian flag in the middle in the colors used. The kits are really clean, with a chest stripe running across.

Buffalo Athletic

FC Buffalo currently plays in the NPSL. The team is one of the few bigger markets in such a small league. In 2019, when Detroit, Cleveland, and Milwaukee jumped from the NPSL to the NASL, FC Buffalo was looking to get out of such a small league. That year, with limited big competition, they would go on to win the NPSL title. The following season in 2020, Buffalo and Chattanooga jumped from the NPSL to the USL. The team rebranded to Buffalo Athletic for the new league. Western New York was now the home of a bitter rivalry. 2019 was also the year the Rochester Rhinos went on to win the USL championship. The Rhinos won a home and home series by a combined total of 6-1. This didn't sit well for the team to the west. Athletic had a rough first year. With new financial backing and a stadium being built closer to downtown, Atletic was looking for new toys. The GM signed a new manager, two players from Norway to help the team and create chemistry in mid. Adding that to a striker on loan from New York City FC, Buffalo swept Rochester in 2021. In their new stadium in 2022, the fanbase exploded with the new closer market. Athletic attracted players from New York and Ontario to play in their system. In 2024, with a strong roster built out of spite, Athletic experienced two of the greatest games in their history. Two wins in the US Open Cup over Chicago at home and DC United on the road made people believe this team was legit. Buffalo went on to beat the Kitsap Pumas, looking for a repeat championship. That was their last season in the USL. The team jumped to the NASL to complete the Rust Belt Derby with Detroit and Cleveland. The team has gotten worse since then. Their Norwegian duo went to play for Portland and the Cosmos, respectively. The team now starts 8 of 11 players from their youth system, but an Englishman now is playing in defense, so they could turn some heads. They're an outside shot to earn promotion, but Buffalo shouldn't be taken lightly. I did a split crest with the lightning bolt and star designs from the city flag. I used black to balance both colors out. The kits are pretty simple, and the first fully yellow home kits of the project so far!

Chivas San Diego

The Goats are already considered the 2nd team in Los Angeles. Having to be guests in the StubHub Center wasn't good enough for the owners, so they looked for new stadium locations. When the Raiders moved to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, the plan was to move to Farmers Stadium along with them, and draw the crowd from the downtown area. The lease was signed and Chivas was set for the move, but at the last minute, the Raiders pulled out of the deal, stranding Chivas. For two seasons, they would play in Harder Stadium on the campus of UC-Santa Barbara. The team didn't want to make this their permanent home, so they looked south. The idea was to give San Diego their own team, and hopefully draw fans across the border that were fans of Guadalajara. Everything was in order. They would use Qualcomm Stadium for two years while a soccer specific stadium would be built in near by Chula Vista. A deal with Guadalajara had their youth system funnel straight to San Diego. The first year in their stadium was promising. 2020, new players, new facility, new coaches. The team would start their year off with sell out home wins against the Galaxy and Earthquakes. From their, the team posted a sub-500 record. In 2021, the team had a very good year. Chivas were on pace for the playoffs when the Mexican National Team fired their head coach after he failed to qualify for the World Cup. Rumors circulated on who would take the spot, and the day before a game against Miami, the Chivas boss jumped to coach El Tri. This pissed fans off, but it would get worse. Guadalajara was caught up in a match fixing scandal. The team was relegated from Liga MX, and brought up their seasoned San Diego prospects. Chivas scrambled to replace them, their talent pool was watered down by sharing the area with Tijuana's team. Worse players were sent by the parent club to season, making Chivas bottom feeders. They had to rely on the draft and youth system to bolster their team while most of the money went into fixing Guadalajara. The club finished 20th in the MLS in 2029, so relegation is possible for them. The uniforms are pretty similar, I think they own red and white stripes. I thought sublimated navy looked pretty good for them too.

Carolina Railhawks

One of the premier teams in the NASL is still around. They won the 2014 NASL Soccer Bowl with the strong team that got the most total points in 2013, but then took a dip when more and more teams were added. From 2014 to 2016, the team would be the team to beat, however only one championship was brought to Cary, NC. The team would lose players to expansion drafts watering down the Railhawks. In 2020, the once proud Railhawks drew only 4,000 a game, which was good fo a team competing for the wooden spoon. That year, the team would be bought by North Carolina business man. The team would change from navy to grey, and from there it only got better. Players from the Research Triangle, which is rich in soccer tradition, and newly signed free agents would help the team make the playoffs in 2021. A bitter rivalry with Charlotte would be started after both teams would fight to get players form other cities in North Carolina. The team would get a Brazilian goalie from an MLS side to man the team's net, complete with one of the best young defensive back 4, the Railhawks would go on to win the 2024 Soccer Bowl. The team still is almost guaranteed a top half finish year after year, and is a sexy pick for promotion in 2030. I went all orange on the home like the current team. The grey was added because I thought that the light grey would look great with a dark grey pant, better than navy atleast. The chevrons have a gradient effect, just kinda threw that in because I thought it looked nice.

Chattanooga FC

CFC started playing in the NPSL in 2009. Since then, they have shattered records for average attendance and single game attendance. The team won their first NPSL championship in 2014, after 5 successful seasons. Playing in UT-Chattanooga's football stadium, the 20,688 seat stadium became more and more filled as the city recognized that they have something pretty special. The attendance would reach and average of 8,000, which is sensational for a team that plays some road games in high schools around the country. When the USL lost a few teams to the NASL, Chattanooga was one of the teams that jumped up due to their pedigree. At first, they couldn't really compete, but the fans still showed up. A youth initiative started to produce starters from local teams. Chattanooga and other cities like Harrisburg and Wilmington would be compared to Green Bay with the Packers. A super small market with a big local supporting. The team hasn't been able to win any USL hardware, but with the chance to buy players with the possibility of reaching the MLS, they can always improve on their mid table standing and make anything happen. The kits were inspired by the ones they wore a few years ago. The clash has stripes in two colors that match the home. Nothing crazy, but I really wanted this team in my league

Sporting Kansas City

The 2013 Champions were once on the brink of folding, playing in an independent league ballpark as the Kansas City Wizards. The team rebranded and have rocketed to the top of US soccer. After winning the CONCACAF Champions League title, the team was on the top. With a packed schedule, the 2014 season wasn't a repeat season. That season, they sold Graham Zusi to Swansea after a great World Cup. They used that money to get two younger players that replaced and combined to have better numbers than Zusi's. The team lost in the MLS Cup in 2016 to Portland, but would go on to win the Cup two years later over Houston. The Cauldron would spur the team from a 2-0 halftime deficit. The rivalry between them and Houston leaned toward the Texas side for several years after that, but the premier rivalry in the MLS is still kicking. Sporting's youth system produced some very good players in the late teens, a midfielder and defender would be included in the US World Cup winning roster in 2022. Sporting would go on to lose in the MLS Cup the following year with the same core. The defender was bought by Napoli after the 2023 season, taking a chunk out of their roster. After several years of mid table performances, the team is hoping to regear and take back the MLS Cup in 2030. The crest is the same for SKC. The home kit is all light blue again, with the sweet argyle pattern across the chest. The clash is black, like what they wore this past year, with a line depicting the border between Kansas and Missouri. One of my good friends that works for Sporting helped me design this one!

Houston Dynamo

This team might have one of the most storied histories in US soccer. Almost a playoff certainty year in and year out, the Dynamo are starting to pull away and be associated with US soccer. The scouts have gotten their NCAA draft picks correct 100% of the time, bringing in great talent. Add top players from colleges to one of the strongest youth systems in the country constantly fill the senior squad with talent. The club's rivalry with Sporting Kansas City made the decision to drop light blue from the kits, with the quote "Light blue will never flourish in Houston" tightly associated. The team made the switch to black to match their crest. The move was made going into 2019, after Sporting defeated Houston in the MLS cup in 2018. In 2019, Houston upset Real Salt Lake in the MLS cup, bringing home the 3rd trophy to Texas. The core of both team's led the team to a third straight MLS cup appearance in 2020. The club went on a slump for a few years, and by slump I mean they only made the playoffs 5 of 8 times from 2021 to the 2028 season with no championship games. This was due to the league becoming stronger, and the one table system was started in 2021. A newly revamped Dynamo team, lead by a new manager snatched up by from the Las Vegas Quicksilvers would go on to win the MLS cup in 2029. The kits are similar to the current with sublimated designs.The 4 stars on the back represent the cups won. I loved the way BerlinWall used black in his Houston concept so I brought it back here. I really thought this uniform looked great with the contrast of the colors.