2016 Topps Apex Soccer preview

2016 Topps Apex Soccer follows up the brand’s well-received debut from last season that captured the top stars from Major League Soccer. Apex returns this year with a similar design featuring a player image on an uniquely designed background. Hobby master boxes will contain two autographs plus a crest jumbo relic.

The base set will feature 100 MLS players. Base cards will have three levels of numbered parallels: Green, Red (#’d to 5) and Purple (1/1) plus one-of-one printing plates. Rookie cards, including those of Jordan Morris and Jack Harrison, will feature a special rookie card designation. Topps has also created rookie short prints for first round picks from the 2016 MLS Superdraft.

Apex will also highlight international stars on MLS rosters with Global Influence inserts. You can find autographed versions of these inserts as well. Golazo! inserts capture player celebrations and highly emotional moments from MLS. Both insert sets have numbered parallels similar to the base set plus one-of-one printing plates.

Base autographs in 2016 Apex feature sticker autos and are similar in design to the base set. Autographs will also have Green, Red and Purple numbered parallels. New for this year are 2016 All-Star Autographs. These will feature on-card signatures from MLS all-stars that will face Arsenal in July. Apex Soccer will also have low-numbered dual autos.

Match Die-Cut Auto Relics are a special case hit and include a jumbo-relic along with a player autograph. Red parallels are numbered to five and Purple parallels are one-of-one hits. The one per box Crest Jumbo Relics include a uniform swatch that is shaped like the MLS logo. Red patch parallels are numbered to five. The brand new Red Collar parallels include a multi-colored swatch from a jersey collar. Purple one-of-one parallels will either have an MLS shield patch, team name logo patch from the jersey neck or an Adidas logo patch. One-of-one printing plates will include a multi-color patch piece.