Check out a potential leak of the new U.S. Soccer crest

There have long been rumors that the United States would be getting a new crest in 2016. The rebranding would coincide with the 2016 Copa America, which would just so happen to be the biggest tournament the country would host since the 1994 World Cup. It'd bring incredible attention and hype to the team, making it the perfect time to release a new crest.

According to Footy Headlines, this will be that new crest.

That crest is believable. It drops the cartoonish soccer ball and three stars on the current crest, which are two of the biggest criticisms of it. It also strengthens the shades of blue and red to create a more iconic crest. But along with the changes, it maintains the shape of the current crest and the stripes so it's not a complete departure from what they have now.

Footy Headlines has gotten leaks of crests and kits before so it wouldn't be out of nowhere if they nailed this one. They have also gotten some wrong, though, so it's not something to take to the bank.

It will be interesting to see if U.S. Soccer's plans change if next year's Copa America is canceled, as has been rumored. If the federation (with substantial push and help from Nike) doesn't have that giant stage to debut the new crest, it may be pushed back, potentially as much as a year. They could opt to make the change around a Mexico World Cup qualifier then, or something else with a high profile if Copa America isn't an option.

If they are indeed committed to a new crest then that is coming, regardless of Copa America. It's just a matter of when, and what it will be. This is the first rumored crest, and it's definitely better than the current one.