Logo contest: Magnus FC

What we do:

We are a youth competitive soccer club. Magnus is Latin for

(Added on 2014-01-21 00:53):

Established 2014.

(Added on 2014-01-21 01:02):

Magnus is Latin for "Great"

Soccer players of all ages.

maroon and gold with white accents.

I would like a design that can be used as a crest on the playing uniform and web site. Something that is "inside" of a shape, like the uploaded logos.

Fill very free to think outside of the box. It does not have to be a traditional soccer shield logo shape. I'm even OK with putting in an outline of a historic Roman Gladiator helmet that might play off the Latin Magnus FC name. An outline of a bull may work as well, because the club is located near diary farms. One of the most important things about the design is it's simplicity, much like the logos I have attached.

We reside in semi arid Southern California, close to dairy farms, orange groves and the Santa Ana river.

No soccer ball in the logo if at all possible.

Hello Designers, I thought I would attempt to explain what stylistically I like about the logos that I uploaded as samples. My hope is that this will aid in the overall process.

Ajax- The artist interpretation of Ajax the mythical Greek hero is brilliant. Each of the 11 lines that make up the figure represents the 11 field players in a soccer match. The open circle somehow works effortlessly. What I love about this work is that the designer made the artwork their own. The result is something timeless yet symbolic.

Juventus- Has Italian sports car written all over it. You could easily swap it with a Lamborghini logo with few qualms from the general public. It's oval shape and vertical lines immediately set it apart from other football logos. It has this air of power and elegance imbedded in it. The bull and crown aren't overpowering, but somehow add to the elegance of the design.

KNVB- This is a "less is more" design piece. I like that the artist incorporated symbolism once again in the crest. The lions mane as 11 locks of hair that symbolize the 11 field players. The lion is a common motif, yet this artist refined it into something special using bold brush strokes. It's clean, memorable, and easily scalable to any size.