Hello everybody. It is Thanksgiving Day, one of those rare days during the year when soccer goes on the backburner and there are no major games to watch (Well, unless you count the Mexican League playoff games being played today).
American soccer fans have plenty to be thankful for this year. The U.S. national team won its group at the World Cup, and a new generation of talent is ready to take over. MLS continues to grow and prosper and we are treated to more and more European soccer on TV every week. Life is good for American soccer fans, much better than it has been in the past, and it's something we should all be thankful for.
What will I give thanks for from a soccer standpoint this year? Here are some things that came to my mind this morning:
The SBI Mafia, the readers who make my job worthwile
The SBI writing staff, who have helped take SBI to a new level
Philadelphia's addition to MLS (and the opening of PPL Park)
Barcelona and Real Madrid and the beautiful soccer they both play
The pending arrivals of Portland and Vancouver to MLS
My first visits to Liverpool, Amsterdam and South Africa
My move to Fox Soccer
The opening of Red Bull Arena
My family for being understanding about all the soccer I watch
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Now it's your turn. What will you be giving thanks for as a soccer fan today?
Share yours below (And have a Happy Thanksgiving).
There are so many things to be thankful for….
Having a great soccer league in the US is the top soccer reason.
I am thankful for:
1. LDs goal (and Ian Darke’s awesome call)
2. MLS and those who support it.
3. Soccer year-round
4. This blog.
I am thankful for Ives and SBI. Thier dedication, relentless pursuit of stories and valuable perspectives have made the beautiful game not only more enjoyable but accessible in a way I have yet to see. I am thankful for Landon Donovan’s goal, up and coming talent like Agudelo, the sheer dedication, commitment and passion Bob Bradley has demonstrated for the USNT, Holden’s rise at Bolton, Tim Howard’s weekly heroics, and Michael Bradley’s consistant tenacious effort. I am thankful for my smart, hot, kind Brazilian wife (yes, she has 3 hot sisters, only one is single) and our 2 amazing sons. And finally, I am thankful for the inspiration I get from SBI. It has inspired me to launch a soccer blog of my own focusing on a unique angle that has yet to be covered. More soon! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
That was a wonderful post, Ives. Sometimes certain people give you grief about your site and the posts. But to be honest, I think SBI is what all US and MLS fans and followers really need to be thankful for. It’s a community that we all cherish and can all feel great about being a part of. In the end, each and every one of us visits (sometimes religiously) because we love the sport. We sometimes pretend to be different with our favored clubs and countries, but we’re all in it for the same reason: the game is, indeed, beautiful.
This year we can all be thankful for the 3 F’s: Food, Family, and Football. What else is there?! Keep up the great work, and thanks for all you’ve done.
I’m thankful for everyone on this site. Differences of opinion may occur, but that there are so many other US soccer fans out there is wonderful. Go Yanks and let’s keep building the Army, Outlaws and, of course, Mafia every single day!
Friends and family are pretty great too.
Thankful for
1 Friends and Family!
2 FC Dallas turn around this year!
3 Being able to enjoy all the soccer through SBI and all the other soccer providers we now have.
Thankful for MLS. Those of us who remember the demise of the NASL, also remember the heartbreak.
1. Family and friends
2. The USMNT
3. RBNY
4. Ives
Ives, I’m thankful for that great picture of Tim Leiweke to lead off this post! 😀
I’ll second that!
I’m thankful for froboy and his future Brazilian-American kids 🙂
Ray freaking Hudson.
Happy Thanksgiving to Ives and all at SBI as well as those who post here!
My thanks for:
1- The Howler
2- Michael Bradley’s goal vs Slovenia and my lovely wife who called during an important meeting during that game screaming that we tied the game! Everyone in the meeting knew why I was smiling!
3- Landon’s vs Algeria
1.A very exciting World Cup for the USMNT.
2.Quality of MLS growing every year.
3.And most importantly, Don Garber acknowledging that there needs to be teams in the South. Now just bring me a team in Atlanta and I’ll have much more to be thankful for!!
Happy Thanksgiving, Ives from your homeboy here in East LA. I’m am thankful for your contribution to American soccer journalism eventhough you hate Chivas USA. Lol!
1. Stable domestic league that is growing.
2. Being able to be in the stands for all four USMNT matches in SA.
Even though Thanksgiving was a month ago…:^)
1. Family & friends
2. Good food and wine
3. TFC
4. Watching El Clasico in a few days!
5. The MLS
6. Vancouver & Montreal joining
7. North American football ever improving
8. Ives, a great site to come to
9. Mo & Preki gone
10 Klinsmann restructuring TFC
Live in CO, born in the Netherlands. Am thankful for:
1) My first child, a boy, born June 30.
2) Rapids winning it all, with less talent than the other favored teams. They won with heart and effort.
3) Netherlands making their 3rd WC final, although I’m embarrassed about the way they played.
4) Landon’s goal and the continued growth of the sport in our country.
i am thankful for the following:
1) mls that started in 1996.
2) the mls that continues to progress now that we are in 2010.
3) the mls that will be there in 2022 that will be even better and will allow me to take my first born to a quality professional game in the USA!
long live the MLS! peace brother!
Happy Thanksgiving, Ives.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!
I’m thankful for:
1.) America..eff ya!!
2.) The USMNT, I feel so much pride and emotion whenever I see those colors, even if it’s just a friendly.
3.) Ives
4.) The Beautiful Game, I might not like the English, but I have to be thankful that they “created” it.
smart man.
In addition to all the well said points above – your skilled insight delivered via this site, your live sessions, and your Fox articles.
Thanks Ives.
KMac
After endless FIFA 11 simulations I’m ready for El Clasico! Vamos Madrid;).
Happy thanksgiving to the SBI mafia!
Interesting Mark Zeigler article in the SD paper today about youth development in this country. He writes about the USWNT but could apply to the men as well. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/24/us-womens-slump-exposes-flawed-youth-soccer-develo/
I am thankful that I support the Greatest Team the World has Ever Seen. GO CREW!
1) To live in the USA, greatest land on earth.
2) To have discovered the beautiful game.
haha, just a brother, I told her when we got engaged that my only necessary prenuptial agreement was that any sons we had would play for the USMNT even if we continue to live in Brazil
Happy Thanksgiving Ives and the SBI Mafia!
Thanks to the USMNT players, coaches, and staff who gave me some great memories this summer.
Thanks to the dedicated American soccer reporters like Ives who allow each of us to follow the great sport.
How about another sister? (in addition to Maka’s gibs)
re: Landon’s goal. Made my whole year.
Also, Stu on the rise at Bolton. A resident Bolton correspondent, an Englishman nonetheless, can be heard on this week’s ESPNSoccernet podcast praising the crap out of him. Feels pretty good.
Most importantly, El Clasico. It’s gonna be the best in years. Last year’s was alright, though Ibra’s goal was fantastic. But as Ives alluded to, the play of Real and Barca has been unbelievable this year, and this match should be epic. Vamos Barca 🙂
I’m thankful for my newborn baby girl that loves to watch EPL with me on Saturday mornings.
Leo, raising the next generation of the SBI Mafia.
Cheers Ives.
Happy thanksgiving to everyone. Have a good one!
Thanks to the great careers of Clint Mathis, Mike Petke, Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Chris Klein, Seth Stammler, Eddie Lewis, the one and only John Wolyniec, arch enemy Jaime Moreno and those retiring from MLS. They have carried the torch and truly endeared me to our American league!
Amen brother.
does she have a sister?
Ives, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well. So many things to be thankful for, but from a football perspective here goes…
1. Renaissance of the Vancouver-Seattle-Portland rivalry in MLS (NASL Sounders fan since ’74. Those Kingdome matches rocked!).
2. Success and emergence of different teams in Europe like Lazio and Blackpool. It shows anything’s possible.
3. Fantastic UEFA matches on TV like Roma/Bayern- Munich, ‘Spurs/weirder-Bremen.
4. The overall rise of soccer’s popularity in the U.S.
Having a USL team about 20 minutes away, great to get out and suppor the local team. It is huge for the city!!
Being able to watch the sport year around.
Internet streams for Arsenal games but I also enjoy watching some more obscure leagues. Very interesting.
Time Warner for finally adding ESPN 3!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I look forward to a day, maybe 20 or 30 or 40 years when we reign supreme of soccer and bring home the first of many World Cup trophys
I love your site Ives I am thankful for all of the updates you give us and I was so happy to meet you in person in Tampa. I am also thankful for god, , family, Jones switching to USA and of course us winning in SA with Juans goal with a C team. 😀
Endless football year round. Red Bull Arena. Thierry Henry’s arrival. Landon’s goal. Ronaldo and Messi. The USMNT’s youth movement!!
Having an MLS team in my city (Real Salt Lake).
And a wife who allows me to get season tickets each year.
1) The opportunity to watch my country in the World Cup, on the world wide stage every 4 years
2) The ability to watch nearly 60 matches a weekend. It wasn’t too long ago that the only soccer to be found wasn’t on english channels
3) Mid week Champions League fixtures
1. All the folks who support the Sounders and make it the club that it is.
2. The 2010 US Open Cup
3. Landon’s Goal
2010 was amazing. Bring on 2011!
My beautiful Brazilian wife and our future Brazilian- American sons that will play for the USMNT
Things I am thankful for:
1) An ever- rising standard of play in MLS
2) Hans Backe
3) Erik Soler
4) Joel Lindpere
5) Shep Messing
To Live in America