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The SBI Show: Episode 131 (Looking back at MLS Week 6, Americans Abroad, and more)

FedericoHiguain1 (ISIPhotos.com)

By IVES GALARCEP

Clint Dempsey’s red-hot form, MLS expansion talk, and the exploits of some top Americans Abroad headlined the topics discussed in the latest episode of The SBI Show.

Episode 131 takes a look back at MLS Week 6, including Seattle’s stirring comeback against FC Dallas, as well as the Philadelphia Union-Real Salt Lake tilt and D.C. United’s victory against the New York Red Bulls.

Co-host Garrett Cleverly and I also discussed the past week’s top stories in MLS, including the latest on David Beckham’s stadium efforts in Miami, and the pending announcement of an MLS expansion franchise in Atlanta. We also touch on the weekend performances of some Americans Abroad, such as Juan Agudelo and Tim Howard, while also discussing Jozy Altidore’s situation at Sunderland.

Give Episode 131 of The SBI Show a listen after the jump:

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What did you think of the show? Agree or disagree with our MLS Week Six takes? See Atlanta being successful MLS franchise? Think Juan Agudelo can still make the U.S. World Cup team?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Great show. Ives big fan but Agudelo over Wondo and Eddie. Are you kidding me?? Why are people so sold on him. I am a huge fan of him and his potential but a few wonder goals with the red bulls and an odd run of success with the revs? Wondo and Eddie have put in work for club and national team. Was Eddie during hex and now wondo as of late (the last year) with international goals galore. Both these guys deserve to go but both over agudelo.

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  2. Altidore is a player who thrives on confidence. If he can get some service in the friendlies and bag a few goals, he’ll hit form again.

    The US can learn a lot from Atleti. In modern football, pressing high up the pitch has leveled the proverbial playing field. If you can get skilled and quick players to press hard for 90 minutes, you will give even the best teams a hard time. Right now, we can press hard for about 55-65 minutes. If we can play like that for 90 minutes in the WC, pressing as a team, we have a good chance to get out of the group.

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    • More than confidence, he thrives on service. When he wasn’t getting any at Sunderland, this was always going to be the result.

      Like Ives said, he’ll get his feet back under him when he starts training with the Nats regularly in the buildup to the tourney.

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  3. Good show:

    1. Altidore should return to NY Red Bulls.
    2. Great comments/observations on Andrew Wenger. Hoping he emerges in Philly.
    3. Thinking the league as a whole has improved,…NY Red Bulls did not and they are being left behind.

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  4. there is no doubt that altidore is a good player. let sunderland and altidore deal their situation. the question for us USA fans are: how does that situation in the EP affect his WC chances? Will other players current form prevent him from being chosen? If he is chosen how has, does and will he do for the USMNT?

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    • I mean do you justify his selection over others? will he be chosen based on hope? will the USMNT adjust to accommodate him?

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      • It’s really not that complicated. Altidore is playing in a significantly better league than any other striker in the pool. Punishing him for struggling in a better league is pretty dumb. Fact is is still the best forward in the pool. Him not being in form doesn’t make him suddenly worse than players playing in weaker leagues. It doesn’t change the fact he scored 50+ goals in the Dutch League, and led the national team in scoring in the Hex less than a year ago. If he struggles in camp, then the case can be made for not starting him, but it would be outright ridiculous to think leaving him off the World Cup team is an option if he’s healthy.

  5. I thought I was the only one…My wife could care less about soccer and it kills me! I want to share my passion with her for the beautiful game!!! How do you guys cope with a wife like this???

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  6. Ives,

    Will you do a piece on the effect Altidore not working at Sunderland might have on the USA?

    Sunderland has proved that Jozy is not at his best as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1. Wickham also seems to have the same issues. Poyet seems to want to stay with his attacking formation, rather than adapt the formation to how his strikers play best.

    If Klinsman goes with the “if you are not palying regularly for your club team you do not start” idea then the next best striker is Kevin Bacon, who is not known for being the lone striker either.

    Does Klinsman start tinkering with formations to allow his strikeforce to thrive, or does he stick with his preferred way of playing?

    Was the 442 we saw against Mexico, Klinsman starting the process?

    What would he do with Bacon as the #1 striker? EJ? Or could it be Wondo?

    Also you need to get Jozy on as an interview. Once he has left Sunderland and is not constrained by being politically correct….

    Why does he insist on going to horrible BPL teams. Hull, Sunderland?!? When will he learn? Would also be interesting to get his take on being called the “worst striker in the BPL” and “lasy” all the time. How does he stay positive? There has been lots of talk of drinking by the players at Sunderland. Are the other players taking him out to bars all the time?

    Doubt he would say anything really noteworthy until he has retired…

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  7. So i understand what you guys have been saying about Jozy and agree with that i think he gets called into the camps. But let me ask you this what if we get the Jozy that when he isn’t getting service at the beginning of the game he drifts off. Cause i remember when Jozy was on form and we had games that he wasn’t getting service he drifted off and i do not think with the teams we are going to play in the world cup he is going to get the same amount of service he was getting in qualification.
    I think playing that 4-4-2 might give us more flexibility up top and just might gives us more time with the ball and more options of what we can do.

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    • Actually, if the name is being pronounced as a Colombian last name, then AGOO-DAY-LOH is the correct way to say it. AHGU-DEHLO is Americanized.

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      • it’s pronounced ‘deh’ not ‘day’, even sounds that way in the link you send. Not sure where you’re getting DAY, that just doesn’t sound natural at all.

      • You know what? You’re right. It’s pronounced like the e in ‘set’. Learn something new every day.

  8. Yea Garrett, I think Ives is spot on about the Agudelo pronunciation ha. Definitely recall you saying A-gu-DAY-lo once or twice.

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  9. I am so excited that Atlanta will get a team Wednesday! To be able to finally have an MLS team to call my own will be a truly special day and one that I will never forget.

    And I know that Atlanta will be a success!

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  10. ahhhhh! A nice unsung Beatnuts track as the intro. Folks slept on this one! With Greg Nice on the hook, how could anyone???

    Reply

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