2013 MLS jersey rankings update: LA Galaxy third kit

This should be the final addition to my 2013 MLS jersey rankings. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Galaxy unveiled its new third kit. The internet's reaction has been very polarized. What do you think?

I guess they weren't allowed to smile for the photo shoot.

Detractors are saying it's a super ugly, clown-like color scheme. I absolutely love it. For a team with such a traditional color set otherwise, it's a nice way to jazz things up. Yes, it's a bit gaudy, but it's a third jersey. Third jerseys are meant to be experimental and weird.

The new uniforms are an homage to LA's original, gloriously hideous 1996 kits:

The homage is much more faithful than Sporting KC's new "retro" third jersey. Fashion is cyclical--are we reaching the point where over-the-top '90s designs are back in style? Liverpool, one of the biggest clubs in the world, recently unveiled an incredibly-'90s away kit as well.

Aside from being a throwback, this new LA Galaxy jersey tickles my flag-enthusiast fancy. The seemingly strange color scheme is a reference to the Los Angeles city flag:

I guess they wanted to outdo their LA rivals Chivas USA, who use the city crest on their new away jersey. If more MLS teams incorporated their city and state/provincial flags into their uniforms, I'd be a satisfied man.

Much like Sporting KC's new uniform, I like this new Galaxy kit so much I wish it would replace the comparatively boring (but still well-designed) LA away jersey.

2013 MLS jersey rankings

I've been on a jersey roll lately! I did a Major League Soccer jersey ranking a few years ago, but it's time for a new one, especially when everyone's jersey is lightyears ahead of where they were last time I  did this list.

The MLS season started this past weekend, so there's no better time to rank the league's uniforms for the year. MLS has acknowledged jersey enthusiasts this year, with their first-ever "Jersey Week" revealing all the new kits for the season. Adidas does a great job with its MLS uniforms, so even the "worst" jerseys on this list look great compared to many teams around the world. So let's get started!

Note: there's a new number/name font for the back of MLS jerseys this year. It's a big improvement over the last one.

19. Portland Timbers

It breaks my heart to put Portland dead last. The last two seasons they wore perhaps my all-time favorite Major League Soccer kits. It's as if they didn't really know how to improve upon perfection, so they just went for a huge downgrade.

Both their home and away jerseys look very similar to their last set, but with unnecessary changes. I guess that's the real shame of the soccer world's constant jersey turnover cycle.

Why do they need those arbitrary white stripes on the sides? Why do they need that sci-fi triangle collar thing? That Portland city flag near the waist is nice, but why does it need to be in the shape of Oregon? Isn't that a bit redundant?

18. Montréal Impact

It's a shame that a team with such an iconic French-Canadian identity to capitalize on has such a lackluster uniform for its first couple years in MLS.

Yes, they wear blue and white and they feature the fleur-de-lis everywhere, but I can't help but feel that their shirts look like practice jerseys. And really, "Montréal Impact"? I still can't get over the fact that their team name is incredibly 1990s.

But there's hope! Last week the club unveiled their new third jersey, and it's a work of art. The Inter Milan-style blue-and-black stripes are timeless. One can only hope a shirt like this eventually becomes their home jersey.