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USL Top Five – Team Crests

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 04/09/17, 7:57AM EDT

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As USL fans raise their flags, which club crest brings the heat?


Photo courtesy Phoenix Rising FC

Your club’s crest. It’s a point of pride for fans and players alike, and stands as the visual representation of the team to the rest of the league. After last week looking at our Top 5 jersey designs for the 2017 season, this week we again linked up with USL Graphic Designer Enrique Alvarado to pick out our five favorite crests in the USL.

No. 5 – Louisville City FC

Louisville City FC may have taken its purple and gold colors from its original links to Orlando City SC, but the club made the colors its own with a striking design that incorporates the city’s skyline and heritage.

The clever bourbon-barrel lower half of the crest, with the requisite Fleur-de-lis sitting prominently, brings to the fore what the city is known for, and makes a big impression wherever it’s seen.

No. 4 – Tulsa Roughnecks FC

The Roughnecks name goes back to the 1970s when the club was first established, but the modern look created for the club’s entry into the league in 2015 has ideal complimentary colors, and a bold font that doesn’t overpower the overall theme.

With the central oil rig the perfect encapsulation of the Roughnecks who have populated them throughout the years, the blue-collar attitude its fans and players bring has a design to rally around.

No. 3 – Charlotte Independence

The Independence began a new era for professional soccer in Charlotte in 2015, and brought one of the league’s most distinctive crests to provide a rallying point for supporters group Jack’s Militia.

The clever incorporation of the scroll across the front of the crest with the club’s name gets big design points, while the overall color combination – and in particular that of the horse and rider – gives a sense of a club that’s on the move.

No. 2 – Bethlehem Steel FC

From the moment it was introduced, the logo for Steel FC has been a massive hit with fans across the country, not just the Lehigh Valley. Bringing one of the iconic names in American soccer back to life, the dark blue perfectly offsets the snake wrapping itself around the central pillar.

Add in the traditional, 18-panel leather soccer ball in place of one of the rivets at the bottom of the design, and you have an instant classic that has been lauded widely elsewhere.

No. 1 – Phoenix Rising FC

When the club rebrand was unveiled this offseason, it immediately caught the eye with a distinctive, minimalist design that brought life to the club’s new name.

The crest’s combination of a ball and the Phoenix is clever and executed perfectly, while the decision to bring Rising to the fore in a bold white to contrast with dark shield has made Phoenix’s new design quickly one of the most memorable in the USL.

Did we pick one of your favorite USL crests, or do you have another that you think is the best in the league? Let us know on Social Media using the hashtag #RaiseYourFlag over the weekend.

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