2010/11 Third Kit (Replica & Authentic)

As part of the initiative to push US Soccer to more fans in the country, Nike creates some campaigns to promote their jerseys and the development of the sport. In 2011, shortly before the Gold Cup, Nike created the "INDIVISIBLE" campaign. With the campaign came a new 3rd jersey, t-shirt & posters - most of which were made seen during the USA's defeat vs Spain (4-0).

The campaign was aimed at showcasing the team as a collection of individuals that stood together on a football field, rather than being "Donovan" or "Dempsey", they were the USA. The jersey itself is just another color combination on top of the template which was used for that year. I was a big fan of these jerseys, but preferred the 2010/11 Away because of the deep blue color.

On the picture above, you can see I've actually got two of these, the one on the left is a replica (retails for around 85$) and the one of the right is the authentic player issue model (retails for around 150$). I usually only buy replicas but I found the player issue for 30$, so couldn't pass up that deal!

I've taken close-ups of some of their differences, mainly the US Soccer crest. The replica features a stitched crest whereas the player issue has it ironed on for a more seamless look. Also, the authentic jersey features cooling holes on the sides to keep players running longer. As a whole, I was pleased with Nike's effort on this jersey!