The Gold Cup starts this weekend.

As the United States men’s soccer team takes to the field against rivals from North America, Central America and the Caribbean in this regional summer tournament, it will be doing so in the below jersey.

It’s pretty sweet, in our humble opinion. We dig the navy and red hoops. The US crest, while still not the awesome rampant eagle design we hope it would be, has a classic Captain America-feel that is better than some of the clip art designs of crests past.

Still, we’re not sure General Patton would approve of the stars running down the sleeve panels. After all, “Old Blood and Guts” believed stars needed to be earned, and the U.S. men’s team has never prevailed at a World Cup – the traditional reason for starring a jersey.

Of course, we get that the stars are a patriotic reference to our flag, and we’re not here to nitpick. We are, however, here to point out that this Nike jersey is infused with AeroSwift performance technology. That should interest promotional product distributors who want to stay on top of apparel trends.

Top suppliers say that apparel enhanced with performance features that also boast fashionable style and easy wearability are the trend in branded clothing for the foreseeable future. In many ways, this new USA Jersey from Nike embodies that idea. The jersey wicks sweat away from the skin 20% faster than recent Nike predecessors from just a few years ago, while also drying 25% faster. Plus, the kit tops are 10% lighter, with 50% more stretch. And, the yarn has a brushed quality that feels better against the skin. Comfort, style, and performance – boom!

It’s also worth noting, too, that soccer’s popularity is soaring in the U.S. – a trend that presents opportunity for distributors. As this awesome breakdown notes, youth soccer participation is outpacing youth participation in other leading sports, the number of professional teams here are growing, and the valuation of those pro teams is on the rise. Studies have also shown that soccer is among the top couple most popular sports with Millennials and younger groups. What does it all mean? Chances to score sales with soccer organizations -- and to orchestrate soccer-related promotions for other clients -- are likely to grow for promotional product distributors.

But enough shop talk. Have a couple chuckles checking out three of the most hideous soccer jerseys of all time below. If you like what you see, view the full slideshow here.

Club: Reggina Calcio, from Italy. (Haha…D’uh, heck?)

Club: Athletic Club, also commonly known as Athletic Bilbao, from Basque Country, Spain.
(“Now, class, this is what blood platelets look like under the microscope.”)

Club: Norwich City F.C., from England. (“Yay, I’m a tablecloth!”)

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