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The SBI Show: Episode 60 (Talking Dempsey’s move to Seattle, MLS Week 23, and more)

DempseySeattleAnthem (Getty)

By IVES GALARCEP

With Clint Dempsey’s move to the Seattle Sounders dominating headlines in the American soccer world, the latest episode of The SBI Show breaks down the historic move along with plenty more from the past weekend.

Episode 60 of The SBI Show breaks down Dempsey’s shocking return to MLS, what it means for the U.S. Men’s National Team captain, and what it means for MLS.

Co-host Garrett Cleverly and I also discuss MLS Week 23 action, and the latest on results and rumors featuring Americans Abroad.

We also discuss the New York Cosmos’ return after nearly 30 decades away, and we also hold our latest installment of The SBI Show Q&A.

Give Episode 60 of The SBI Show a listen after the jump:

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What did you think of Episode 60 of The SBI Show? Agree with our take on Dempsey’s move to Seattle? Not happy with the move? Excited to see Aron Johannsson getting off to a strong start with AZ? See the New York Cosmos succeeding?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Raising the salary cap would do far more for this league than allowing teams that make money sign big name stars to gigantic contracts. Fact.

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  2. In response to Garret’s questiion about where/when we listen to the podcasts — I listen to them on my long drives (4+ hours) for work. I usually start off with the most recent episode, then I like to go back a few and listen to what you guys had to say about past events, and compare them to the actual outcome.

    Had a good laugh, just as you did Ives, at episode 59 and your condemnation of the Dempsey to Seattle deal.

    Anyway, I’ve got to be one of the only people who listens to that many at a time and in that order. Another note on that — I clearly don’t mind the longer episodes! Don’t always feel so limited to the 50-60 min time frame.

    Keep up the great work, love the show.

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    • Me too. I’m currently driving from Portland to Seattle to go sell some beer. And I agree on longer episodes. The show is over before I get to my destination! Keep up the good work boys!

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  3. From the recent interviews with US Soccer folks and MLS folks, it sure seems everyone feels like we’re almost at the “self-sustaining” point. We’ll be cooking with gas, then.

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  4. What can MLS do to make the teams with not so deep of pockets compete in the league. Cause i understand the move they made so CD can go to Seattle but i am just seeing such a gap start with teams that do no have the money that some of these teams do.

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    • They can keep spending money on big name players in their prime who are open to moving to MLS. The end game, of course, being to lure a breakout TV deal – the key to the financial success of any big money league. The unfortunate reality is that the bigger teams in the best locations will have these players first.

      The best thing the (currently) smaller teams can do is operate as efficiently as possible (drafts, negotiations, player selection) and spend their money developing talent in their respective academies. RSL and Colorado appear to be doing this very well at the moment…

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      • True, bigger teams in big city locations will have the upper hand. But the issue isn’t smaller teams not having the financial muscle, it’s about signing the right players. How many DP busts have we seen? Too many to count. That’s not because of lack of money, that’s because teams aren’t signing the right players. The world talent pool for soccer is incredibly large, there’s no reason why smaller teams can’t sign good players. It’s about discovery more than anything.

    • What it boils down to is this. The league can’t hold everyone else back because a small number of teams don’t have the financial muscle. It’s a sink or swim deal. Either you keep up with the rising tide or you get out of the water or find a bigger boat. MLS is trying to do some things to help, but in the end it can’t hold everyone else back.

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      • So they change the rules or make them up as they go along? I mean paying for a players transfer fee seems like a major deal. How can a league hold itself up as a fair, competitive enterprise when they pay to have a really good player go to a team they want.

    • scweeb, if you look at the teams that have won MLS, that are not named la galaxy, it is a bunch of teams with not so deep pockets. Colorado, real salt lake and Columbus all sit below mid level of team values and Columbus is down towards the bottom. they did make good pickups, usually of the international variety. scouting is the answer.

      going forward, academies will be big and teams are going to want to have a good youth system built into their program, and they are also going to want to have a good affiliation with a team in the lower leagues. these are called pipelines.

      pipelines and scouting are going to be key going forward, for any team.

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  5. Couldn’t agree more with yalls comments about FCD – for me the talent is there, but the coaching isn’t. Schellas pushes this team to be aggressively mediocre, and he just seems to get a clean slate every year.

    Also, Dempsey for episode 61 !!

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    • As I’ve already said a million times. I had no idea it was coming, and I wasn’t alone. Even Seattle PLAYERS had no idea, and up until two weeks ago it wasn’t even something Seattle as a team thought it could happen. I have no problem admitting I was wrong, but I’m certainly not going to feel bad for being wrong about something nobody realistically saw coming.

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      • Yeah, I thought your crow was well eaten, Ives–you did it like a man! And FWIW I thought it was totally NEVER gonna happen, either.

  6. I appreciate Ives’ comments, and how he sticks up for Dempsey, but I don’t know how they can say that Dempsey not playing in Europe didn’t effect him in 06′. Uhm, well, we lost in the second round. WE LOST the game in which he scored his goal. We lost because our players weren’t good enough. So I would contend that all indications in fact WERE we would have been better off with more players playing in better leagues.

    How can you say that not playing in Europe has not affected Donovan’s skill? He is our best player, yes, totally naive to not acknowledge he could have been better playing in a league with more skill.

    And before you get all crazy, I am an MLS fan, I watch it, I love it, and it makes me very happy that the gap is closing. Until it does, It makes sense to want our players to play oversees, with better teams, in games that have more at stake, against the actual players and styles we face in the World Cup. How does that not makes sense? Is everyone really content with our WC record, or do we want to actually have a chance at winning one?

    Having said all that, I do think that, considering Dempsey’s age and situation, this move is understandable. I am not debating that.

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    • Comparing Dempsey to the entire rest of the 06 team is silly and a serious reach to make your point. Dempsey has been in Europe for seven years, in the top league doing well and pushing himself and his game. He isn’t suddenly going to cease being a top player, and lose all those gains because he leaves Europe at age 30.

      The Donovan situation is different because he has spent most of his best years playing in MLS a weaker league, and it’s a reasonable argument that he might have been an even better player if he’d spent all those years in Europe.

      Those are two completely different arguments. If Dempsey were 23-24 and about to return to MLS I would understand it far more than I do the outrage about a 30-year-old Dempsey wanting to come back home.

      And yes, it’s totally acceptable and reasonable to want all USMNT players in top leagues, but it’s a bit of a reach to get too crazy when a player makes a reasonable career decision at the age of 30. We’re not talking about Jozy Altidore (23) or Michael Bradley, who both have plenty of years and their best years ahead of them.

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      • Those were my thoughts too. Another bonus to coming back to MLS is taking on a Leadership role which would otherwise not be the case by staying in Europe.. Clint has enough experience of playing with the best but what can he now do to raise the level of play of a Young Sounders Team..

  7. “I know the people there still have to be pinching themselves…”

    Absofreakinglutely. I will be pinching myself for the next freaking 4 years. This is too amazing, and all the haters be damned.

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  8. Expect 68.000 to fill the future home to the USMNT on Clint’s home debut against Portland, August 25th 6pm PST -ESPN

    —ironically not on the the Deuce..

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