By IVES GALARCEP
Hello everybody. I want to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you SBI readers out there. We hope you enjoy some time off, quality family time and a few peeks at SBI in between your unwrapping of presents and celebrating.
We will have a few presents for you in terms of posts today to help quench your thirst for soccer so keep an eye out for those, and feel free to throw some story suggestions our way today as we make our way through a second straight day without soccer to watch (the good news is soccer is on the way on Thursday courtesy of the Premier League’s Boxing Day schedule).
Thank you for making SBI part of your Christmas tradition. For those of you who have been around with us for a while, you might know that this is the sixth straight year of our Merry Christmas post, with the familiar Santa playing soccer image. That image has come to symbolize not only the holiday, but also another year of SBI in the books.
The new year is fast approaching, and we at SBI are already working on some fun things for the New Year, but if you find  yourself bored today be sure to check out Episode 99 of The SBI Show and the first SBI 2014 MLS Mock Draft, which both dropped on Tuesday.
On behalf of the entire staff at SBI, thank you for making us a part of your soccer world and please enjoy this special time of year.
Peace, health and happiness to everyone!
Merry Christmas fellas.
Merry Christmas everyone! Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. And if not, I hope you at least survived them!
Merry Christmas, Ives and staff! And here’s to a great 2014!
Merry Christmas Ives, team SBI and the SBI Nation.
——-Santa—-Rudolph—–
-Dasher–Dancer–Prancer–Vixen-
-Comet–Cupid–Donner–Blitzen
————- Frosty —————-
Santa’s form has not been great, and I would rather have him between the posts. You should also consider switching Dasher and Comet as your two strikers, there name calls for them to be our offense.
Santa doesn’t have the speed to get to those balls over the top. I think he would be better as a destroyer at CDM.
And you need Dasher and Comet on the wings with their speed.
Go more 4-2-3-1 with Rudolph up top. With that nose he would be a great target forward to lay balls off for the wingers.
But then again people would complain after a few games that Rudolph is slow and lazy out the door.
A 4-4-2 with this personnel? C’mon man, learn something about the game before posting.
I just feel like this is the XI that will help them qualify out of the always tough Arctic region. Frosty (with top hat) is magical between the sticks. The old CB pairing of The Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge used to be miserly in defense, but they’ve both gone soft – oddly, right about the same time. The Abominable Snowman would have to come off the bench.
I think you want Dasher and Comet on the wings to take advantage of their pace and speed blazing down the flanks. I also want to see Dancer in more of a CAM role to leverage his creativity with the ball.
BEST. POST. EVER.
Lucky that the rest of the team is past the days when they wouldn’t let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.
Its really more of a 4-4-1-1 with Rudolph leading the line and Santa acting as a deep lying provider.
I’m surprised that no one went with a more traditional christmas tree formation – like a 4-2-3-1
me too, especially with such an excellent target man as Rudolph with his big red nose
ives,
just signing on to say thanks for another great year. after 8 (or whatever) years, and however many re-designs, side projects, and new features, yours is still the first site i go to every day.
and thanks to the commenters for keeping the dialog (reasonably) well-informed and (mostly) considerate. 🙂
Nathan
+1
Merry Christmas all my SBI friends and football lovers!
Here is to a great year for everyone and a successful World Cup!!!!!! I can’t wait!!!!! 😀
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Thanks for a very informative and high standard of journalism to ives and staff! Also, happy holidays to all of the posters who frequent the site! Its been a great year to say the least!
Surprised that this post didn’t link to an article on Goal.com, hehe. Ives and staff – thanks for creating one of the best content and discussion sites out there, keep doing what you are doing ANC don’t let the haters get you down.
Looking forward to more great content next year and lots of USMNT coverage in the run up to WC in Brazil.
oh snap 🙂
And remember peeps, it’s a time of year for LOVE, not (Jozy) HATE. Peace out!
HAHAHAHAHAHA
+100000000
and to think just a few years ago we were worried about Michael Bradley hate. I think that situation resolved itself quite well, and I’m sure this one too… with all those drinking the haterade having nothing to say in the end.
Ives and staff….thanks for the gift of your hard work and excellent journalism all year! All the best to you, your families, and all the Fans!
Peace!
KMac
I would like to take a moment to not only acknowledge but cherish the friendships and routine reading/live chat interaction that we have all come to enjoy on this great site. While doing that I want to wish you all as well as Ives and the SBI Staff and their Families a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!. May all fellow readers and Fanaticos have great Holidays and get a chance to spend it with family and loved ones….
As a New Year’s wishlist to look forward to…a more aggressive but well devised Salary Cap increase as well as future restructuring of the league….but best wishes as we start the 19th year of our league in the States, and a new World Cup Year!
You too man!!
Merry Christmas Ives and all! Good podcast today, thanks
Happy Holidays all. My holiday wish for SBI in the New Year is a few more humorous bits like some of the classic you-write-the caption etc. Cheers.
Merry Christmas everyone. I also like the You write the caption.
Merry Christmas to everybody
Merry Christmas, Ives, and to everyone else. 🙂
Is Santa eligible for the US, Canadian, or Russian National team? We’ve been having such good luck with dual-eligible players….also, Happy Holidays.
+1
😀