Happy New Year everybody. It is a milestone day. Not just because it is the first day of the year, but because today marks SBI’s 10th birthday.

We launched SBI as an independent website back in 2008, and as we head into our 11th year of operation we will do our best to remain one of your go-to sites for coverage of soccer in the United States and beyond.

The 2017 calendar year was a tough year, with the U.S. Men’s National Team failing to qualify for the World Cup, but there were also plenty of positives. From the arrival of Atlanta United and Minnesota United into MLS, to the U.S. win at the Gold Cup, and the successful World Cup tournaments enjoyed by the U.S. Under-20 and Under-17 teams.

Much like the USMNT, SBI is in a period of transition, looking to return to the level of years past. We are determined to improve and are in search of new contributors to help keep our tradition going by improving the site’s overall coverage of the sport we all love.

The 10th anniversary of the launch of SBI has me nostalgic, thinking about all the outstanding contributors who have passed through and moved on to bigger and better things in the sport. SBI has alumni working in a wide variety of capacities, from editors, to writers, to television producers and communications/PR specialists. The hope is that we can continue to be the place to go for writers trying to develop and improve as they chase the dream of covering the sport of soccer. (If that sounds like you, please feel free to reach out and contact us.)

Today marks the first day of what should be another exciting year for soccer fans. The 2018 World Cup will be here before we know it, and while the USMNT won’t be in it, there will still be plenty of exciting action to follow. We will see the dawn of a new era for the USMNT, as a new coach is hired, and new faces emerge to try to help pick up the pieces. There is a very talented generation of young players ready to break though.

Please feel free to share with us what you would like to see more coverage of, what coverage you are enjoying, and things you would like to see us improve. Our readers have always been a big part of helping us improve and sharpen the work that we do, so thank you for your continued support and feedback over the past decade.

Thanks to all of you who have spent all or part of the past 10 years reading SBI. We are determined to make 2018 an even better year, with even better coverage, so stay tuned.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!