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.
American soccer fans have plenty to be thankful for, from a growing and strengthening Major League Soccer to a continuously growing number of soccer television viewing options. The U.S. national team is ushering in a new era as a generation of young players prepare to take their places on the squad, while new soccer stadiums continue to pop up around the country.
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 and Fox Soccer readers who make my job worthwile
The SBI editorial staff, who help keep this site running at a high level
My first trip to London, three weeks I won't soon forget
Portland and Vancouver's arrivals to MLS
The opening of Livestrong Sporting Park
The construction of Houston's new stadium
The impending arrival of the Montreal Impact to MLS
MLS Cup Week in LA, which included spending time with the SBI editorial staff, meeting a bunch of readers and enjoying one heck of an SBI MLS Cup Party.
The brilliance of Lionel Messi
The end of the Jack Warner era in CONCACAF
Getting the chance to do some TV work for Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer securing the rights to World Cup 2018-2022
My family for being understanding about all the trips I take and 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).
+1000, well said as a fellow pioneer(or old guy!)
Thank you Ives for your insightful and top shelf quality work – you and your team are my must read everyday.
I hope you and your family had a fantastic holiday.
I, too, am thankful for this site.
This is LA….Our City, Our Ho-oooooo-me
The euro-softies blow
Thanks for the top notch MLS coverage, and thanks for the countless hours the writers of this site put in, I know how much work it is!
Happy thanksgiving Ives! I am thankful for the documentary on Jay DeMerit, the hirking of Klinsmann, and watching USA tie Argentina earlier in the year in Jersey.
Donovan’s goal against Algeria.
Yeah, it was last year, but it was great enough to count for two years.
Ives,
You freakin rock man! Thanks for everything on this site!
Thankful to the space pilgrims that work the stuffing mines.
I am thankful fo rlive Q&A during mundane work days! Thanks SBI!
Save the political gripes for a site where it’s relevant, Generic Internet Commenter.
I am not thankful for Fox. Not with all there pandering, misinformation and reactionary agenda.
Real Salt Lake having a decent year considering injuries, call ups, etc. Thank you Jason, Garth, Dave, and Bill! A wife that’s almost into soccer as much as I am, and of course, soccerbyives.net the only site on the Internet I have to read daily!
….The realization, that after seeing the large influx of Germaricans to the USMNT, that we truly need a large Military presence in Brazil.
The end of the Jack Warner era in CONCACAF
Haha… truth
Thankful for “Soccer made in Germany” and the plan to bring it back to TV. … But seriously, I’m thankful that it’s not the only option for soccer in this country any more.
As an Arsenal fan, I am thankful for Robin Van Persie. And all that other daily stuff.
Thanks to Ives and the SBI staff….
The SBI weekly YA round up…
…Deuce provin it every season at Fulham…
…MLS more consistently in conversation (or even rumor mill) for greats like Del Piero, Drogba, and Guti..
…Bob Bradley coaching Eygpt National team…
and of course SBI for providing a community to help grow the support for soccer here in the States.
Happy Thanksgiving folks.
Everything is on the up new stadiums, teams, DP, a new crop of Generation Adidas players, more USMNT players getting looks by better and better clubs for trials or training, more TV money coming into the league, multiple teams doing well down in Mexico, attendance is up, TV viewing is (slowly) up, this year is the first year I have run into several other people in MLS kits walking around town (LA, Seattle, DC) so I am not the only one..which is not as easy here as it might be for some people since I am in the South East, more bars showing MLS games this season then I have found willing in the past…..the only downer for the year is Seattle put in new turf instead of grass…but at least it was new turf so there is that…all and all plenty to be thankful for and plenty to be excited about next year.
Newcastle’s incredible start to the season
The influx of Germanicans to the USMNT, giving us some great new competition for roster spots
My son’s continued growing love for the game, both playing and watching
The great coaches he has helping him develop that love for the game
The friends I have on the team I play for (we’re pretty good on the field and undefeated at the bar!)
The old friends that soccer has allowed me to reconnect with (some going back 20 years to college…!)
All of the viewing options we’ve got on TV, including Fox showing EPL games on the main network on days they don’t have the late NFL games
The great season by the Railhawks, and the chance to see a LOT of their games
thankful for SBI keeping me well informed!
Also thankful for Barca showing me what the meaning of the beautiful game is – they are incredible.
Thankful for MLS and US soccer giving me an escape from the day to day stresses in my life.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Ives,
I, too, am thankful for this site. And for the legion of soccer fans that now follow it and the American game in general. As a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, I would never have dreamed that soccer would be so big in the US, or that we would have a healthy professional league, and least of all that our national team would be as strong as it is. I spent the 80s following other countries’ teams – Denmark, Germany, Holland among others – never really thinking that we would compete with them. Say what you want about our weaknesses, but I am thrilled that we have come as far as we have in a relatively short time.
Most of all, though, I am thankful to have a wonderful family and that we have a stnadard of living that permits me to enjoy life to the fullest, including some soccer here and there.
Thanks for all your work Ives. This is the one web page that I visit at least a dozen times per day. Happy Thanksgiving.
The legend that is Landon Donovan. And that amazing turkey gif.
I’m thankful for this site! Happy Thanksgiving, Ives!