The Power of a Fresh Start
July 16th, 1950 – Maracanã Stadium – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
That was the setting for Brazil’s final match of the 1950 World Cup. The 1950 edition of the tournament stands apart from all others in its format for deciding a winner. Instead of a classic final, there was a final group stage to decide the winner. Entering Brazil’s final group stage match, their objective was clear and simple; they topped the group by a point and had a vastly superior goal differential to any of their competitors. All they needed was a draw against second-place Uruguay to secure the trophy. When Brazil’s Friança made it 1-0 in the 47th minute, the job looked to be done and dusted; Brazil was going to be crowned world champions in front of a home crowd. The improbable happened that day though; Uruguay rallied miraculously and won the match 2-1. The Maracanã was stunned.
Brazil never played another World Cup game in their traditional…white shirt. Brazil played in a white shirt with blue trim that day; it was their home kit, before the yellow strip we know and love had ever been thought up. The loss in 1950 started the trickle towards change; although handled rather gracefully in the moment, the loss was traumatic for the country. The white home kit was deemed unpatriotic, and the football federation launched a design competition for a shirt that included the four main colors of the Brazilian flag. The result of that design competition was the iconic yellow shirt that has accented some of the greatest international football teams ever. No one remembers the white kit; no one even knows it existed. All the pain of “El Maracanazo” was erased by the successes that came in yellow. The Brazilian shirt is one associated with winning and beautiful football, more than any other shirt in the world.
It’s incredible how much identity is generated from a shirt alone. Most clubs in the English football leagues have been wearing the same primary color since before the start of World War II. In fact, Nottingham Forest has been wearing red since the 1860s; it’s been a clear identifier of the club and the city for well over a century. For anyone who loves football, the colors of their club alone stir up emotions and memories; whether you’re a Blue, a Red Devil, or a Bee, that’s always the case. Commercialism pushed this phenomenon to be even more specific. As teams began producing distinct kits every single season, each represented a chance for new memories and new hope. Think of your favorite kit your team has ever worn. I’m willing to bet that team was fun and successful even if the jersey isn’t that fashionable. For example, I love Liverpool’s purple and orange kit. It brings back memories of a season where Klopp’s Liverpool started to become a machine; the Reds stormed to a UCL final and had a good league season too. Admittedly though, I don’t think many neutrals would find the kit attractive. The football played in it and the memories associated with the shirt made it special.
As we get ready to start a new season in Europe, I relish the memories that will be associated with the new kits and new faces around the league. I hope that someday we won’t be able to think of Sunderland without seeing a flicker of their new Elvis-inspired pink shirts. I love that the thick Adidas stripes donned by teams like Manchester United, Newcastle, and others this season are now called ugly but might someday be called classic. While few people will have watched much of new arrivals like Brighton’s Luka Vušković before, someday we might all associate him with the Gulls’ shirt. Some shirts separate from the past while others hint at glory of seasons gone by; all of them have the same overarching message: hope. That’s the beauty of a fresh start for a player, for a club, for the fans, for a city, and for a nation. A seemingly insignificant change can break the chains of heartbreak and mediocrity and inspire the next adventure.
Bonus Bit: The Top 5 Kits for the New Premier League Season
Honorable Mention: Hull City, home
- Coventry City, away
- Manchester United, away
- Liverpool, home
- Arsenal, away
- Sunderland, away