Queen City SC

A team with a short history, but still have accomplished a lot. The AO group in Cincinnati got together to build the foundation of a USL side. They had very little fan support initially, but made the smart deal to harbor Columbus Crew players, seasoning them until they were ready for MLS. The team played their first season on the campus of Cincinnati at the Ben and Dee Gettler Stadium soccer field. After year one, they knew that this wasn’t going to work for the future. It was just too small, and kinda hard to get to. They couldn’t play in the Bengals stadium because it was too big. They began talking to city council about a small soccer specific stadium. After they initially were turned down, they got backing from local companies, and wanted to pay for it privately. They found a spot along the Ohio River near the rest of the pro stadiums in the city and began building. On the field, the team was about half Crew players, and half young players picked up from college teams. QCSC worked out a deal with local soccer clubs to breed talent for the future. They went out and signed a player from Edmonton who had been cut by the Drillers to put in attack. They also signed a player from El Salvador who was a free agent for their defense. They were showing signs of life, and the influx of talent from Columbus helped out. Their first over .500 season was in 2024, which could be built upon. For the new stadium opening in 2025, the team went out and signed some players. A goalkeeper from Uruguay, a Canadian midfielder, and a player bought from Nashville helped the team out in depth. The players from Columbus they were getting were better and better. Matched with the new support at the new 13,000 seat stadium, the team went on an unbelievable run. They went 14 games without a loss. Eventually, Connecticut cut them down on the road, but the team captivated the city and drew well against the Reds. The team went into the playoffs 2nd, but would host the championship and win for their first trophy in team history. The team has been dismantled by higher up clubs, but the deal with Columbus should help them out and possibly promoted so more talent can come to Cincinnati. The shape and color was something I had in mind from the beginning. The waves and leaf crown are from the city flag. It’s pretty basic, but I felt like it was strong enough the way I had it. The jerseys are pretty simple too.

Columbus Crew

The Crew are one of the most storied franchises in the MLS. The team was sold to a new owner in 2013, with the vision of making Columbus the Green bay Packers of soccer. So after the 2014 season, the Crew rebranded for a simpler design. The logo featured a bright shade of yellow to stand out, with a gear making a C as the center point. But all new uniforms wouldn’t help the play on the field. The team struggled due to big market teams taking all of the free agents. What they needed to do was set up a strong academy system fast. So in 2017, a new facility was built for the senior and junior players outside of town. The best they could do was build through the draft, the last few years the team hadn’t been drafting that well. They signed a new scout and head of youth development to help with the future of the team. The team had another losing season in the MLS, so the head coach was axed. They signed a coach from the USL to come in and turn things around. He had a 5-2-1-2 formation with the idea to bring in players that could help in the front. He signed an rom the Japanese National team, and paired him with the 4th overall pick in the draft. To bolster the back line, an Australian right back that was unsigned by Houston came in and got a starting position. The team showed signs of life, finishing above .500 for the first time in several years. The academy was showing progress of development when a core of 4 players from a state champion high school team joined the academy and turned heads. The spending spree wasn’t done, a midfielder that impressed in Charlotte was signed to help out, but the biggest acquisition in the off season was a goalkeeper from Akron taken 5th overall in the draft. The team had another solid season and went into 2020 as one of the teams to watch in the MLS. They were building an all around team. Going into that 2020 season, they picked up a 23 year old midfielder from Atlanta who was born in Mississippi. They never really had a strong leader, just a bunch of role guys, but after half a season it was apparent that he was a guy to watch. He led Columbus to their first playoff bid in a long time. This galvanized Columbus. The Crew and Blue Jackets were now potential championship contenders, and with their seasons hardly overlapping, the fans didn’t have to choose who to root for. The player began playing some games for the US National Team as the Crew improved. Ultimately, he made the World Cup roster. With the time for the academy to grow, and the increased support, Columbus became self sufficient in players. They eventually sold their free agents, only to replace them by draft picks and great youth players. The system was to bring them in as a reserve for one year, then would be a starter the next. They made a run to the semi finals before losing on a late goal to be denied the MLS cup. After the 2022 season, the Crew sold their big player to Schalke, and used the money to improve facilities at Crew Stadium. They also made a deal with the new Queen City SC out of Cincinnati. The team now added a step to the process, a year in Cincinnati then to the reserves as a way to get experience. The Crew were very talented and deep, but no one took control and that was the big reason they haven’t won a cup. Their players did win a USL title with Queen City, but the team couldn’t sign everyone, and many of that roster was dispersed among US Soccer. I wanted a new crest, but I felt like the 3 burly guy look wasn’t strong. I went with my simple gear logo. The crest is very rigid, and I thought that was better than any curves for a team like this. The kits have darker yellow lines like the crest. Nothing else is really that crazy!

Indy Eleven

The Eleven started play in 2014, and immediately captured the attention of the city. With such a big following before the team ever kicked off, they sold out almost every game their first year at the IUPUI soccer stadium. In the first off season, they were looking for places to build a new stadium. After a few months of planning, they staked out a place for a 20,000 seat stadium in East Indianapolis set to be completed in 2017. The plans came with a great training ground and 4 more fields for their academy to play. The team wanted to build up for that year, they went out and signed a midfielder away from Colorado, and brought in two defenders from the USL to bide time for their academy to catch up. Along the way, they formed rivalries with teams like Carolina and Tampa Bay. Indy couldn’t be taken lightly, since they hit the ground running. Their goal was to be able to compete with MLS teams and make the jump some day. The club was a great destination for players graduating from the soccer hot bed of Indiana University. The team became very vocal in the community and couldn’t hold everyone at IUPUI. So the opening of the Eleven Grounds was very welcome in the 2017 season. To celebrate, the team went out and purchased a forward from Bolton, a midfielder from a second tier French side, and a backup goalkeeper from Atlanta. They were geared for the championship run with the home grown talent supporting cast. They went on to win the 2017 Soccer Bowl. This caught the attention of a lot of people in the US Soccer community. Rumors had Indy moving to the MLS, but those were squashed eventually. One of their defenders coming from IU worked his way into the USMNT roster for the 2018 World Cup, which was a huge deal. Upon returning home, he got trade offers from MLS sides, and the Eleven eventually dealt him to RSL. The team finally got some young players to come into their system, and got some action in 2019. This included a 20 year old GK from Anderson, IN. He played very well for his inexperience, and carried the team to a playoff birth. The team picked up a 36 year old Spanish player for the 2020 season to play in the middle of the field. Learning from him, the core of young players matured incredibly for the 2021 season, and won the Soccer Bowl title. The Eleven are one club known abroad for the production of soccer talent, mostly the player go to the MLS, but players have been known to be sold to Spain and Germany because there are younger talent coming up to replace them. They haven’t won any titles since 2021, but the Eleven are a candidate for promotion, and could compete in the Championship immediately after they do get promoted. The logo is the same current logo, I almost changed it but it would’ve been pretty similar to Omaha. The kits are pretty simple. Blue sleeves with a checker pattern running down the middle. I based it off an Aston Villa concept I did last year.

Harrisburg City

The Islanders were one of the USL teams in the ruins of the league after many teams moved up to the MLS and NASL. This may have been a good thing for the Islanders. Less competition and watered down talent helped the Islanders in the late teens. A new manager came in for the 2015 season, from Scranton, he wanted to help out a close team. They picked up two midfielders from the NASL looking to play in 2015, and a player from Liberia to put in back. He also started building up an academy system, purchasing the local Harrisburg youth club and rebranding it to match the pro team. They improved immensely, finishing 6 games above .500. They thought they could be better. At open tryouts, a graduate from Penn State came out and turned heads in defense. They signed him to a good contract. They worked out a deal for a striker from Sporting to play on loan there. The team was built up and would win the championship in 2016. Their coach and two defenders made the move to Union. Their assistant coach went in and picked up where the team left off running the same offense as the previous coach. Their academy attracted players from all over the area looking for a break into pro soccer. With a strong class of guys from the youth system, and the new deal with the Union to give youth players first team time, the Islanders won a second title in 3 years in 2018. That year, they signed a deal for a new 8,000 seat stadium not on City Island, and now downtown. The team rebranded to just Harrisburg City for this occasion. They haven’t had much success since then, due to the players moving through the system then jumping to better teams. The expansion of the USL and more teams with money to spend made the league much harder to play in. They probably are in League Two for the near future, but anything is possible. I didn’t want to keep them the Islanders because of Puerto Rico, and I thought the name could work. The kits are pretty basic, with horizontal striping. The logo is a stylized keystone, with two stars for the championships, and Pennsylvania being the 2nd state. I wanted something that could last.

Philadelphia Union

The Union are showing signs of being a contender for years to come. For such a young team, building through the draft and academy has become vital. The team had the pieces and made the playoffs in 2014 and 2015 led by Jack McInerney and Andre Blake. But they weren’t able to advance past the first round, thanks to one of the weaker defenses in the league. They went out and signed a national team player for Egypt to help out at left back. He only helped a little. The team missed the playoffs. The Son’s of Ben weren’t happy and led to the decision of sacking the manager. A former Mexican team manager was signed. He completely changed the way the team played, for the worst. A 5-4-1 formation with very little offense led to an even worse season. Andre Blake left at the end of the year to play in Miami, and Jack McInerney went to Norwich in the EPL to help his 2018 World Cup stock. An American coach taken from the Harrisburg Islanders to try to turn things around. That year, they drafted the best forward in the draft 3rd overall, and brought up their academy’s crown jewel, a 6’4” goalkeeper from Southern New Jersey. His rookie stats weren’t that great, due to a weak defense. He plead to his new coach, who brought up 2 players from Harrisburg, signed a player from Dundee in Scotland, and a French midfielder from AS Monaco looking for a starting position. The new revamped Union were able to finish 4th in the east, and made it past the first round. A partnership with Harrisburg was formed to train Union players. Union would host a pre season match up, known as the Keystone Cup. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds eventually played in the round robin, before rebranding to 3 Rivers United. Union were considered a favorite for the 2019 season, before their stud midfielder went down with an ankle injury. A few young players were rushed into the lineup, not ready for the big task. The club went out and drafted a midfielder 10th overall in the draft, a player from Duke. Their goalkeeper made the World Cup Roster in 2022, and Union had a few rosters but kept him playing domestically because they needed him. The Union had a few more decent seasons, and after the 2023 season, a change was made. They axed their coach, and signed a coach of Manchester City who had been fired after 10 games. He came in and kicked ass. With the same good core, he complimented it with a young English midfielder who wasn’t resigned by City’s senior team from their academy. He scouted the NASL, and picked up a Canadian striker from Ottawa. That year, they made a run to the playoffs, and lost in the semi finals. spending helped a little bit, but they could do better. Youth talent was brought in on the wings, and they signed a 30 year old Croatian player from Napoli. He was the catalyst of the team. That 2025 team holds the record for lowest GAA in MLS history. The strong defense, paired with a national team goalie, an experienced midfield, and high power attack led Union to their first MLS cup, and the city’s first championship since the 2008 World Series. The team would stay together and lose in the MLS cup two years later to San Jose. Going into 2030, Philly is on the down swing, but that i from a ridiculous high. A playoff appearance has become the norm, and is expected year after year. The identity is close to what they have now. The logo is the same, and the jerseys are pretty close, only the switch to Puma is anything major. The clash stripe was recolored as an inversion of the home.

New York Red Bulls

New York’s team is a contender currently in MLS. After winning the Supporters Shield in 2013, the Red Bulls went out to try to improve upon their performance the season before. Stars like Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry would be complimented all around, and the Red Bulls defeated Real Salt Lake for their first title in MLS history. Henry announced he would retire after the 2015 season, a season in which NYCFC started playing. The Henry led Red Bulls lost in the MLS cup to the Sounders. He retired, but would be hired for a front office job. From there, NYRB wouldn’t get back to the promise land. With City buying better talent, the market was starting to swing away from the New Jersey side. On top of that, the Cosmos were building a new stadium in Queens. With Henry’s contract gone, the club went to Europe to look for a new replacement. Many people wanted Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the club settled for a 30 year old Mario Gomez. The Designated Player contract was a decent signing, but instead of growing the game like Henry did, Gomez was there to compete. The academy was focusing on New Jersey, which the Red Bulls had almost all to themselves. To help out with Gomez, the team brought US striker Jozy Altidore over. The 2016 campaign was alright, but a playoff appearance wasn’t good for the now-spoiled Red Bull fans. Defense is what let them down in the season, Cahill retired at the end of the year, so they had very little big talent to replace the hole. The team went out and bought an Italian defender trying to break into the National Team. With a chip on his shoulder, he played above expectation and got a bid to the MLS All-Star Game. The rest of the team was filled with cast offs from MLS teams, so a first round playoff exit was all the Red Bulls could muster. The New York teams were all competing at such a high level, the Red Bulls wanted to win everyone back. They hosted the first Big Apple Open between the teams, which ended up a disaster. Defeated, they almost rebranded as the New Jersey Red Bulls, and almost the Metrostars. They decided to stick it out and fight. A new defender came up through the system, son of Italian immigrants, he joined the academy at 14 in 2014 and became a star. At 18, he became a starter in the back line for the Red Bulls. The presence in back helped stopped the flood gates. He became a fan favorite, and got national attention choosing to play for the US. Slowly, more quality talent came up through the system and helped the Red Bulls all over. Back ups to the aging Gomez helped in attack, but the player controlling the field was the Italian they brought in. midfield was a big hole to fill. They were connected with a free agent from San Jose, but instead stole a Cosmos player in the off season. Their young star started playing for the US National team, and was a starter at 22 on the 2022 World Cup roster. His great tournament led to calls from Serie A sides from all over. NYRB eventually sold him to his father’s favorite team, Inter Milan. The money from the contract led to some turn over and the purchasing of some more defending talent. The Red Bulls had several playoff appearances, but the stiff competition in the Championship diminished their results in the playoffs. With the designated player rule gone, and the salary cap raised much higher, the Red Bulls have a lot of room to grow and earn back the Big Apple. Most of this concept is the same as the current. The logo and homes are the same, and the clash is similar, except with the front of the kit looking like a Red Bull can.

Puerto Rico Islanders

Going into the 2013 NASL season, the Islanders were put on hiatus to figure out financial problems. With the folding of the Strikers after Miami was established in the MLS, the Ponce De Leon Cup was over. In 2018, when the NASL was trying to bring up established team, rumbling from the island territory was the owners would get the band back together in San Juan. The big backing behind the reincarnation was Puerto Rico’s push for statehood. The Islanders started play in 2020, a completely Puerto Rican roster was constructed for the inaugural season, with a new crest, uniforms, and minor renovations to Estadio Juan Ramon. The best players on the Island would be attracted to the team due to the rising stock of US Soccer. The Puerto Rican National Team coach was hired for the job, with the role of building up the small island nation’s team, and using the extra time with the Islanders as practice for FIFA games. This was short lived, because Puerto Rico was voted into the United States as the 51st state in 2021. They would begin play in the US Open Cup in 2022. They motioned to FIFA to have them continue playing as Puerto Rico, in the way Wales and Scotland are separate from the UK. The motion was accepted due to special circumstances, but players could choose to play for the US or Puerto Rico. They continued to play in the NASL. WIth the large number of upstart teams, the competition was fierce, but years behind the established NASL teams. In the early years, the biggest achievement was denying defending champ Indianapolis a playoff spot in 2021. The team represented the best chance to play big league soccer, so new young talent jumped to the Islander’s programs, supplying the team with talent immediately. As the team matured, their play improved. But due to the team not being able to get top players to come play on the island, they had to rely mostly from internal. They signed two 35 year old MLS players, who saw the new gig as a paid vacation. They became the biggest team in the Caribbean, attracting a striker from Jamaica, and a defender from Bermuda. They helped only a little bit. The NASL became very strong as the 2030 season approached. Some very talented players came through the system, and the Islanders would sell them often to flip the price and have a big return on them. The team is still growing the game in Puerto Rico, building a respectable national team. Due to the new US Soccer rules, the 15 domestic player minimum would limit the Islander’s ability to retain the US players, meaning most of the players are planning on doing double duty in playing or the national team and Islanders. They still can’t compete in League Two, and might fall into relegation, but their time will come. The logo is an old logo I recreated. It has the lookouts on Spanish forts overlooking the Caribbean. Orange is the main focus here to match their old duds. The clash is a combination of the colors in the crest.