Top Five! Top Five! TOP FIVE EVERYONE!
The U.S. Open Cup Final has been determined and the two teams remaining are Sporting KC and New York Red Bulls of the MLS. So let's start with Major League Soccer and see who's got the best logo.
Take a look below at how I rank the top 5 logos in the MLS and let me know your thoughts!

TOP 5 MLS LOGOS

1. ?
2. ?
3. LA Galaxy
4. ?
5. Atlanta United FC

Coming in at number five is the team I did my first logo breakdown about; Atlanta United FC.

Check out my in-depth analysis here.

Atlanta is the only circular logo to make the list. As I mentioned before, I'm not against circular logos, they just need to be extra creative. I like the bold and two-tone A smack dab in the middle, but what I particularly like about the A is the anchoring of it to the inner-circle. There is only one thing I don't particularly like about this logo, and it is the reason why I didn't make it any higher on my ranking; the two lines in the black circle just seem a bit lost to me. Other than that, I think it's a strong solid logo.

Another expansion team that recently joined the MLS, Minnesota United FC, comes in at fourth on the list, much different than their current standing the MLS Western Conference.
Three main reasons this logo stood out to me.
1. The asymmetrical shield, which compared to all the rest of the logos in the league, its a bit unorthodox; but that is why it stood out to me. It's different and refreshing.
2. Negative space-I love the wing of the loon(MN's state bird) breaking through the shield and the North Star fits perfectly across from it.
3. Finally, color scheme, the only other team to use a light blue in their crest is the Colorado Rapids. However, I would have liked to seen a little bit more of a separation in tones. The blue is nice and subtle, I think the grey just needs to be slightly darker.

The determining factor in LA Galaxy's logo was the color scheme. Personally I am a big fan of yellow/gold and blue combination, but if I'm being honest, I'm a fan of any light/dark color combination. The use of two-tone gold and two-tone blue, makes this logo really stand out. Many of us would have gone with black rather than blue to portray the night sky, but the dark blue does a good job, and with LAFC coming in 2018, it was a good choice. I'm OK with the font, it doesn't scream space/galaxy to me, but what the font lacks, the star makes up for. Not only does the star fill in the negative space above LA, but it gives us the sense of a night sky full of stars.

Here is an example of a great re-brand. Unveiled back in December of 2015, D.C. United updated their logo.

A perfect upgrade from their old logo. As you can see, they got rid of the generic soccer ball. The new modern eagle is a very clean and smooth. Just like the loon in Minnesota's logo, the eagles wings break from the shield. The only thing I wish they would have done, is kept the gold in the star from the old logo and incorporate that into the color scheme.

Even though I cannot stand Clint Dempsey, I didn't let it affect my love for the Seattle Sounders FC Logo. Seattle's badge and colors fact sheet tells us everything behind the logo here.

It is exactly what I have been preaching; a logo that is different, fresh and defines its city. Like Minnesota, Seattle's shield is one of a kind, though the difference here is it's symmetry. There is a clean use of negative space in between inside shield colors and outline border. By doing so, it causes the colors, which are officially called Sounder Blue and Rave Green to really stand out. Not only does this color scheme work really well together, but it clearly represents the bodies of water and forests that define a big part of Seattle. Finally the clean illustration of the Space Needle ties in the most universally recognized wonder in Seattle.

Want to know how I rate these logos? Here's a little breakdown:

Originality- What makes the logo its own? Does it stand out among the rest, or blend in?
Creativity- Is there that special thing that makes it stand out? What sets it apart from the others in a special way?
Color Scheme- I'm looking for 1-3 colors, maybe four, at the very most five, if they're used well.

Agree? Don't agree? Leave a reply!

The team I have pledged loyalty to in the MLS, Atlanta United FC, is first up, and hits it out the park. RATING: 8/10

Let's start with the color scheme, a crucial element when developing a logo and/or brand. Generally a logo will consist of 1-3 colors, and for the most part, black/white/grey are neutrals that automatically are included in your color scheme. Atlanta United FC decided to go with black combined with a rich red and two-tone gold, a highly strong and visually appealing color palette.

RATING SYSTEM

ORIGINALITY 7
CREATIVITY 7
COLOR SCHEME 10
OVERALL 8/10

Using the gold in the foreground, and the red-and-black-striped background, the contrast causes the anchored A to really stand out. Obviously the A represents ATLANTA, the circle represents UNITED and of course FC for FOOTBALL CLUB, don't think that needs mentioning, but just in case. One thing people might not notice is, by anchoring the A to the inside of the logo, we get the correlation of unity and commitment, a clever and distinctive touch. We see this happening in the most recent years with new logos and company re-brands, simplify, but every corner of the logo has meaning to it.

Remember Columbus Crew SC's re-brand back in 2014? Pretty much the same thing, simple shapes but they each hold meaning. Though unlike ATL(being an expansion team, they were able to start with a clean slate), Columbus Crew SC re-branded from an already established brand. Columbus had evolved into a more business white collar city, and no longer the blue collar city the three workers represented on the original shield. This was something the new owner, Anthony Precourt, wanted to fix right away.
(check out what the new owner said here)

We see Atlanta integrating a little bit of that by keeping it simple with its circular shape, but the logo still engages the fans with a great color scheme. According to their brand narrative, the symbolism behind the colors is as follows:

Black is a symbol of strength and power
Victory red represents pride and passion
Gold epitomizes our commitment to excellence

However, a great logo or brand doesn't just work as a simple logo on a white background. How do these colors translate to the uniform? Well, I'd have to say they look pretty damn good.

Mirroring the logo, the home jersey features bold black and red stripes, as well as the shoulders. The traditional three stripes Adidas uses on the shoulders is a nice way to break up the front and back. The gold sponsor logo is a satisfying touch to keep the whole kit in brand colors. Of course, the logo – bold and shiny – on the left chest is a great way to hide the fact it's still just a circle. And, having the MLS logo on the sleeve in Atlanta United FC colors really brings the uniform together.

I have been a fútbol/football/soccer fan since the day I was born, but never really followed the MLS. Growing up in Illinois I occasionally rooted for the Chicago Fire, especially when Jorge Campos and Cuauhtémoc Blanco had their stints. I just haven't been much of a MLS fan. This year, I decided I needed to start following soccer domestically, and being a designer, what better way to make that decision than deciding on logo and brand. Besides the club's awesome color scheme, I really like what Atlanta United is doing in terms of its signings and overall foundation – not to mention the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium that should be finishing up this season.

What I would have liked to have seen is the circle be made more into a shape. Since Atlanta was a railroad town, and the players hit a stake in at the end of the game in a track, why not have the circle be the shape of the top of railroad stake? It's simple and has meaning behind it. Not to mention, it would help differentiate them from the other teams that use a circle for a logo, such as New York City FC, Columbus Crew SC or the Philadelphia Union. Sort of like the Chicago Fire's logo, it's a circle but in the shape of a fire department badge. Overall, I'm still very satisfied with Atlanta United FC's logo, there could be some minor adjustments made but yet it's a strong logo for me.

RATING SYSTEM
ORIGINALITY 7
CREATIVITY 7
COLOR SCHEME 10
OVERALL 8/10

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Next I'll be reviewing Fresno Football Club, newly added franchise for the 2018 season with the USL.
Be on a lookout for it!

Want to know how I rate these logos? Here's a little breakdown:

Originality- What makes the logo its own? Does it stand out among the rest, or blend in? I like to think that there was some extra work making it one of its own.
Creativity- Is there that special thing that makes it stand out? What sets it apart from the others in a special way? I want to see something that hasn't been done before, or some type of special modification. In this case, the integration of the A into the circle shied is what I find intriguing.
Color Scheme- I'm looking for 1-3 colors, maybe four, at the very most five, if they're used well.

Agree? Don't agree? Leave a reply!