Portland Thorns: NWSL club's new kit branded 'the worst ever seen' | OneFootball

Portland Thorns have released a new kit for the upcoming NWSL season, and safe to say it’s made quite the splash.

The top tier of women’s football in the United States is set to get back underway on March 25th, with Portland Thorns heading into the season as the defending champions.

They are set to continue wearing their traditional black shirts with red hoops, but the club have also released a distinctive secondary kit which has left fans divided.

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Take a look at the kit in question for yourself.

What does the new Portland Thorns kit look like?

The shirt puts a twist on the Portland Thorns rose and thorn theme by using tattoo-inspired imagery on a cream shirt.

Rose tattoos adorn both shoulders, with thorns and smaller roses snaking down the front.

A dagger goes through the centralised badge, which is the original black, red and green crest used by the Portland Thorns during its early seasons in the NWSL. The club's founding year – 2013 – appears in Roman numerals above the crest.

A press release from Portland Thorns says: “This jersey speaks to both the artistry that our players exhibit on the pitch and the creativity of our incredible fans. Bold, unique, undeniably Portland.”

The kit is completed by dark green shorts and cream socks with a black band and roses on the back.

What have football fans said about the new Portland Thorns kit?

Social media has exploded following the release of the new kit. There are numerous fans who strongly dislike the shirt, with one Twitter user writing: “The shorts and socks I can get down with. The rest is a hard no! Possibly one of the worst kits I’ve ever seen.”

Another posted: “They thought they did something with this, but it’s just ugly. Too busy.”

A third person joked: “From far away in the stands I think it will look great”.

Others referenced the design’s similarity to those put out by tattoo artist Ed Hardy’s clothing brand in the 2000s.

“Just showed my dad the new Thorns kits and he simply said ‘No.’,” one Twitter user wrote. “Also, I love that ‘Ed Hardy’ was trending under Sports earlier and I immediately knew why.”

But not everyone hates the new kit. Some have praised Portland Thorns for their originality.

One social media user commented: “Ya know what. Y'all complain about how all the NWSL kits are boring but then make fun of the first team to try something new. Give em points for creativity at least.”

One thing’s for certain – the new Portland Thorns kit will be causing debate well into the new season.