Some interesting takes here (one US, one Mexico). http://www.soccercleats101.com/2011/06/10/bumpy-pitch-and-nike-team-up-to-create-rivalry-pack/
OK, gotta get back to work (though I do this kind of thing for a living) but here is my update. Heh. Those red stripes could be vertical for those who want to stay closer to current version.
Slightly unrelated, but that red looks better than the red used in the real 3rd, which can tend to look almost magenta, especially when wet.
I threw this together on the Mac version of Paint. I used the United States Army Air Forces roundel used in World War II as inspiration.
Nice. Simple. However, do you NEED a football in a USA logo? After all, all the other US Federation logo's include an object identifying the sport played. USA baseball has a baseball, USA Hockey has a player, etc. Maybe USA Soccer can break with tradition, and NOT! Any combination of stars, stripes, and eagles screams USA. (Just not blue stripes!)
I may sound like a Debby Downer but I love our logo. Not for its looks but what it means. It's become recognizable and I would HATE it to change. So often when BS has threads on badges and kits for the Nats the topic of tradition comes up over and over. 80% of our nation's soccer history has been created with that crest. We've achieved more in the 17 yrs. using that crest than the previous 80 years. Fans have flocked to soccer, have flocked to the national team using that crest. It's become a symbol of our national team and that my friends is tradition. I wouldn't kick and scream if the crest was changed; some folks have created amazing mock ups but I would be really disappointed. The crest has an emotional ties to me and many people.