Backpost Reader Tabs World Cup’s Worst Uniforms

Rakish, debonair reader Old27 has found the worst-looking kit at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and, the honor goes to [opens envelope] … Australia!

Let’s have a look:

Yep, that’s pretty bad. Looks like a late-1980s Midwestern U.S. high school jersey.

In the Oz designers’ defense, though, that brutal green-and-yellow color scheme handcuffs you right out of the gate. Maybe they did better with the away shirt:

Oof. No. Wow. They dropped the garish color scheme, yet this one is even worse in its mustard-y beige awfulness. Damn.

This prompted a little research at BP HQ, and based on our findings, we are forced to conclude that the Australians have never gotten a uniform right, in any sport, ever.

Nothing at all against the fine people of Australia, but sheesh, take a look:

Cricket, 2010:

Those are pajamas. Ugly ones, too.

Rugby League, 2008:

We personally would not tell this particular fella that his kit looks like s***, but…his kit looks like s***.

Soccer, 1990:

This one comes from Alex, who calls it the Socceroos “Spew” strip. And we thought the U.S. ‘denim’ shirt from 1994 was bad.

Women’s basketball, 2008:

Spandex? Check. One piece? Check. Awkard, ugly? Check, check.

We’re not sure how to account for this, but hey, if you happen to be a recent graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, the Pratt Institute, or Parsons, and you’re having trouble landing a job in these economic times, we know of a prime opportunity-area for your skill set. Get thee to Australia. You’d be doing us all a favor.

New U.S. Home Shirt Unveiled; Coach Bob Bradley Speaks

It’s deadline-time in day-job land, so that means slim pickings here at Backpost, sorry to say. But hey, look! It’s the new U.S. national team home jersey.

Not bad. We prefer it to the navy away shirt, and the red alternate. Also: it’s made from recycled plastic bottles (really). So it’s got that going for it.

U.S. coach Bob Bradley traveled to New York City for the unveiling, and he spoke extensively to the media, covering just about every major issue associated with the team, with six weeks to go before the June 12 World Cup opener against England, and less than two weeks before he selects his preliminary roster.

Here are Bradley’s comments on in-form American strikers Edson Buddle (seven goals in five games for the L.A. Galaxy this season) and Herculez Gomez (league-leading 10 goals in the 2010 Mexican Clausura), courtesy of Ives Galarcep:

Buddle

“The easy thing to see so far this year is he’s scored some incredible goals. That actually fits if you look over Edson’s career. As a young striker in the league, his talent came through based upon his ability at times to score some great goals, a variety of goals. Goals where he dribbled, goals with his head.

“That part is not new, but it’s been there of late. There’s been a lot of maturing that has taken place in less obvious ways. He seems to be doing a lot of little things that make a difference for his team.”

Gomez

“Herculez we had in in Copa America in 2007 following the Gold Cup when we had almost an entirely different team. We all know, if you go back to his beginnings in MLS, his first year was a year where he came into the scene in LA and what you would say is everything that he touched went into the net. His pure ability to strike a ball was pretty obvious.

“That’s kind of come back a little bit at Puebla.

“Even in the games where he was, a lot of these games he was just a sub, but he came on the field and now a certain ball would pop loose and the next thing you know he’d latch on to it and score a great goal.

“You try to assess those things and project, or factor, or ask yourself what it’s like when the games get better, are enough other pieces of the equation that fit, and see.”

Click here to watch Bradley’s chat with ESPN, and here for the rest of Galarcep’s report on the New York press conference.