On Thursday evening, the San Jose Earthquakes unveiled both a new logo and their 2014 kits during their 40th anniversary celebration. As I correctly predicted, the logo prominently features a blue and black chevron pattern as well as a touch of red (in the “1974” date at the top right of the shield).

So how does the new Earthquakes logo stack up against the logos of its MLS counterparts? To answer this, I bring you my MLS Logo Rankings. Despite spending lots of time looking at each club’s logo side by side, I know that not everyone will agree with my rankings. In addition, come 2015 there will be two new logos that will shake up the current logo hierarchy.

But until then, enjoy my rankings and feel free to tell me where I might have gone wrong.

For all current MLS logos, click here

19. New England Revolution

Even before I began comparing logos, there was no question in my mind as to which club’s crest would finish at the bottom. The most glaring flaw with this logo is that it does not bear either the city or the team name. It used to, but in 2008 the cheesy wordmark below the flag was removed. Right behind this omission is that, unlike virtually every soccer logo on the planet, New England’s logo is not in the form of a shield.

If these are not important enough points for the non-traditionalists, all there is left to say is that the logo looks as if it was painted by a third grader. Wordmark-dropping aside, New England’s crest is one of only two crests of an MLS original to have never been changed. Hopefully a new look, and a new stadium, will eventually come for a side whose on-field play was most certainly deserving in 2013.

18. Chivas USA

Yes, I continue to bash Chivas. I’m sorry. But I continue not to have much choice. Consider first of all that their logo is essentially a mirror image of the logo worn by their parent club, C.D. Guadalajara. That lack of originality alone is a big strike. Other than that, the big thing working against this logo is that it is far too busy. Taking away most of the frill at the top would help immensely. But as long as Jorge Vergara doesn’t remove the shield component of Chivas’ crest, they won’t go any lower in these rankings.

17. Columbus Crew

Columbus’ crest joins New England’s as the only MLS team logo to have not been changed since 1996. But as is the case with New England, brand longevity has not worked in their favour. Just like New England’s logo, the Crew crest does not display the city name. The other big issue I have with Columbus’ logo is the amount of unnecessary detail in the three working-class men. Being able to see the creases in the lead man’s shirt isn’t necessary, and when you look at it up close, it actually looks quite bad.

Crew owner Anthony Precourt has publicly voiced his displeasure of his club’s logo. Nothing will change in 2014, but a redesign ahead of the team’s 20th season is a definite possibility.

16. San Jose Earthquakes

MLS’ newest logo is also one of its worst. First off, the “Earth” part of “Earthquakes” has retired from the crest, yet it still resides in the official team name. Secondly, the axis on which the soccer ball is spinning isn’t centred. I’m no Isaac Newton, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t make any sense. Having such a small amount of red makes it look like somebody spilled ketchup on the design just before it went public. And lastly, those much-discussed chevrons. They look stellar on the new jerseys, but on the logo they make your eyes sore after being exposed for too long. So much potential gone to waste…

15. Colorado Rapids

The Rapids logo has been updated multiple times, but the current incarnation is still a ways away from hitting the nail on the head. The shape is fine, but having it outlined that many times makes it look like a cross-section of a Matryoshka doll. On the soccer ball in the middle of the shield, the bottom two hexagons are M.I.A. Another thing to note: the colour scheme used since 2007 was done to honour two of Colorado’s other sports franchises: the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets. Leaving the Colorado Rockies and the Denver Broncos out in the cold that way was just not nice. For that bad move, no higher than 15th for the Rapids here.

14. Seattle Sounders

I don’t like looking at a team’s logo and seeing a famous building from the team’s city (ie. New York’s Empire State Building, Toronto’s CN Tower). Buildings are temporary, an artificial reflection of culture, and are always being eclipsed by the skyscrapers being built in the Middle East. But there it is, the Space Needle, in all its glory. On top of that, the Sounders couldn’t decide what shape they wanted their shield to be when making the logo, so they threw a bunch of them together. And then they decided to add a banner. But hey, at least the logo wasn’t done in that “electricity yellow” colour from their third jerseys from a few seasons ago.

13. Vancouver Whitecaps

Ahh, mountains! So much better than skyscrapers! But that’s it. There is (literally) nothing else on this logo that makes it better than the rest. I may regret putting this one as low as I have though, just because of its unique shape.

12. Montreal Impact

There is lots of history in this logo, both in terms of city and club. But in this case, lots is just a bit too much. The team motto is barely legible and is sometimes excluded altogether. The fleur-de-lis was a must, but making each half of it a different colour was in my opinion a clueless move. I have to say though that this logo is just good enough to be part of my unofficial “good logo club”

11. New York Red Bulls

Those last two words are what keep this logo from going any higher. Red Bull has owned the franchise since 2006 and has done the exact opposite of leave no trace camping so to speak. Great colour scheme, clean, bold, but tainted by a boatload of corporate investment. The “Red Bull” typeface is almost as bad as the thought of it being the team name.

10. Toronto FC

My hometown heroes would have been higher a few years ago, but three of the logos above them have been created since their 2007 introduction. Some of their logo’s elements, mainly the dark grey “T” and the maple leaf made out of pentagonal panels of a soccer ball, are absolutely stellar. But the typeface in the banner is underwhelming, and some critics may argue against the mosaic-like feel of the logo.

9. Sporting Kansas City

This one is another logo that feeds off of history. The double blue stripes forming the Kansas/Missouri state line is a classy look. The “Sporting” wordmark and “SC” sign are both wonderful. But the teardrop shape makes it look like a bloated version of many other logos. Not to mention, it evokes bad memories of the atrocious Kansas City Wiz logo from 1996.

8. Real Salt Lake

The only problem I have with this one is that the shield is just too crowded. The “Real” font is also a bit strange. The club’s alternate logo is much better in my opinion. If that had the team and city name, it would be perfect.

7. FC Dallas

The bull is great and the logo is nice and clean. But I just don’t understand the flame on the bull’s forehead. Unless it’s supposed to represent the stupidly hot temperatures that are typical of Texas in July. Otherwise, I would get rid of it.

6. Philadelphia Union

The only true circular logo in MLS comes just short of the top five. It has a nearly unparalleled historical grounding, topped off with an amazing centrepiece in the rattlesnake. But like Seattle’s logo, this one incorporated one shield too many.

5. Portland Timbers

The double-headed axe is an exceptional centrepiece. Apart from the “N” in “Portland”, the typeface is really solid too. We have now left the good logo club and are entering the “Society of Great Logos”.

4. Los Angeles Galaxy

This one might just be the most iconic logo in MLS, almost entirely because of David Beckham. But to me there really isn’t anything to pick at here. Nice and simple, with a four-pointed star (or quasar for the scientifically inclined) as the bow on top.

3. D.C. United

In terms of being iconic, this one is right there with LA. It has basically been the same since 1996, with only one minor but critical touch-up done in 1998. Now all that’s left for United to obtain is a stadium and a fifth MLS Cup.

2. Chicago Fire

The shape is simple, yet creative and unique. The Chicago Fire Department might want to sue for copyright infringement, but that still makes it tough to overlook the historical nod. On top of the red home jersey, the navy blue sticks out wonderfully. The typeface is also very clean and modern. But not quite number one…

1. Houston Dynamo

At the top of the list stands the logo of the Houston Dynamo. Call me biased (orange is my favourite colour) but in all truth this logo conforms to just about every one of my needs. The city and team names are not just present but prominent. The wordmarks are right there with the best of them. The history is there with the lone star and the “Space City Blue” accents, both of which look great. The soccer ball looks is arguably the best looking one on any MLS logo. The shape of the shield is simple but again very unique. And though it isn’t the simplest of logos, it’s fairly easy to look at. Well done Houston!

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