After yesterday’s MLS Cup Final closed the curtain on another Major League Soccer season, it seems as if the league is barreling full speed ahead towards the future. They’ve already unveiled their new league logo a while back, and not even 24 hours after the MLS Cup Final, the league has revealed the 2015 Match Ball.
From MLS’ article on the release:
It’s called NATIVO, and it exemplifies the league’s “Next” identity with its red-white-and-blue color pattern, its US and Canadian iconography, and its name, which gives a nod to “the ball’s stature in the game and pride in the domestic league.”
But the NATIVO’s design, of course, is what fans will notice first, particularly, the incorporation of maple leaf and star imagery, representing MLS’s two countries — the United States and Canada.
Indeed, taking a closer look at the ball, you can clearly see a star streaking out of the blue part of the ball’s design and a maple leaf streaking out of the red side. This can’t be a coincidence, and it’s a nice nod to the fact that this is indeed the top tier league of two countries.
For reference, here’s 2014’s match ball (referred to as Prime), which is basically the Brazuca ball that was used for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with a new paint job.
So, what do you guys think? Is the Nativo design an improvement over the Prime? Or are you the type who doesn’t care about how the ball looks, just as long as it doesn’t go flat on the field? Let us know what you think, either way.
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