Soccer By Ives

Happy New Year from SBI

As 2008 winds to a close and 2009 arrives, it is time to wish everybody a Happy New Year.

Thanks to all of you for making 2008 a special one for Soccer By Ives. For a first year as an independent site, SBI did pretty well and that success is owed to you, the SBI readers. We will be working very hard to make sure 2009 is even better.

So raise your glasses and grab some grapes. Say goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009.

Happy New Year!

What are your Best XI Soccer Moments of 2008?

Another year, another stack of great soccer memories.

Now that 2008 is winding to a close, I can't help but think about all the great soccer moments of the year, all the games and goals and comebacks and stunning finishes. All the unforgettable crowds and inspired players. All the beautiful stadiums and spectacular saves.

It's tough to really think about the whole year and which moments were the best, but for each of us, there are moments that must stand out from the rest.

What are your Best XI Soccer Moments of 2008? Keep in mind that, in this context, Best can mean whatever you want it to mean, it can just as easily just mean Most Memorable.

Read my Best XI moments after the jump, then feel free to share your own (Actually, my list was temporarily erased, I'm working on bringing it back so stay tuned if you hadn't seen it yet).

Share your Best XI Soccer moments of the year below.

It's Q&A Time (New Year's Eve Edition)

Hello all. It is the last day of 2008 and it feels like the perfect opportunity to have the final Q&A of the year, especially since one of my New Year's resolutions is to not take so long to complete the Q&As.

It has been six weeks since our last Q&A, meaning there are plenty of fresh topics to discuss. Among the topics we DON'T need to discuss are: John O'Brien, Promotion/Relegation, Eddie Johnson's future, the Red Bulls stadium/training facility, World/CONCACAF/USA All-Time Best XIs, the U.S. team's starting lineup in any future World Cup, The best American players in any age group younger than 20, my favorite soccer teams, Freddy Adu's national team future or who the next batch of Designated Players will be. (I reserve the right to add this list as I remember other questions that have been asked dozens of times)

Those subjects aside, feel free to send your questions, either soccer-related or general pop culture questions, and I will look to answer them by Jan. 8th, with Jan. 9th being the date for the next Q&A (Yes, the plan is to schedule them in advance so folks can get their questions ready.

Now it's your turn, fire your questions my way.

Your Questions Answered (Part 5 of 5)

Good afternoon all and welcome to the latest installment of Your Questions Answered. This is the fifth and final chapter of the most recent Q&A session (and yes, by recent I mean six weeks ago). It took a while (a long while) but it's finally done.

There are a lot of expansion questions in this batch, as well as questions about promotion/relegation (yes, unfortunately) as well as an Eddie Johnson question (and yes, that's him against Manchester United last year. Let's just say I couldn't find a picture of him in his Cardiff uniform).

Keep on the look out for the new Q&A either tomorrow or Thursday. For now, here are some more of your questions answered:

Cooper, Marshall and Franklin among 25 called in to US national team camp

U.S. Olympic team standouts Sacha Kljestan, Marvell Wynne and Stuart Holden headline a very young group chosen for the first U.S. national team training camp of the new year.

Here is the 25-man roster for the January training camp:

GOALKEEPERS- Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Matt Pickens (out of contract)

DEFENDERS-Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cory Gibbs (Colorado Rapids), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS - Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)

FORWARDS- Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)

Kenny Cooper, Chad Marshall, Sean Franklin, Robbie Rogers and Will Hesmer are just some of the fresh faces included in this MLS-heavy roster. Cory Gibbs joins Brian Ching as two of the only veterans in a very young group.

How do you prefer to crown your league champion?

                                                         Photo by ISIphotos.com

What makes a team a league champion? Is it the team that  played the best throughout the regular season, or the team that reached the playoffs and defeated all comers to lift the trophy?

This debate has raged on in American soccer circles for years as those fans influenced by the European model of naming the best team in the regular season champion square off against those fans who believe the playoffs determine the true league champion.

For those of you who missed it, this debate kicked off on Monday in the comments section of the latest edition of Your Questions Answered, which got me wondering how SBI readers would vote on the subject.

Now is your chance, vote for which system you prefer for naming the MLS champion. Does the regular season's best team deserve the title of league champion, or do you believe the MLS Cup winner deserves the title of league champion? Cast your vote:

Revs sign Videira

When the New England Revolution drafted former Duke standout Mike Videira last year, it was seen as a hopeful pick on a first-round talent who was determined to play in Europe. That second-round pick isn't looking like such a waste now.

The Revs announced the signing of Videira on Monday, almost a full year after drafting him with the 18th overall pick in the 2008 MLS Draft.

Videira signed with Scottish Premier League club Hamilton Academical last August, but he never did make a first-team appearance before being let go earlier this month, with injuries limiting him.

An attacking midfielder considered one of the top playmakers in the 2008 draft, Videira slipped in the draft as word spread that he did not intend on signing with MLS. The Revs took a chance on the local product and that chance could wind up paying off handsomly for a club that could use his creativity in midfield.

“When we drafted Michael last year, we were aware of his desire to play abroad,” Revolution Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Burns said. “However, we’re pleased to add him to our roster now that he’s joined Major League Soccer.”

What do you think of the signing? Share your thoughts below.

Your Questions Answered (Part 4 of 5)

                                                                              Photo by ISIphotos.com

Good afternoon folks. As you can tell, it's been a bit of a slow news period. That doesn't mean we won't be able to provide you with some good reading material and updates on both MLS and European soccer as they become available.

Here is part four of the most recent Q&A. Yes, I know, it's taken FOREVER to get to these, but I'm convinced the longer it takes to do these the tougher it gets to finish them (and between fielding more than 120 questions and removing the ones from people trying to ask five and six different questions it can get pretty tough). I'm determined to knock them out though and after this batch, there will be one more part before I post the next Q&A. I am shooting for either a New Year's Eve or New Year's Day Q&A so keep an eye out for that.

For now, here are some more of Your Question Answered. Enjoy:

Gerrard arrested after bar brawl

 

For Steven Gerrard, apparently beating up on Newcastle wasn't enough.

Gerrard was arrested late on Sunday night and charged with assault after alledgedly being involved in a bar fight. He was one of six men arrested after what police called an "early-morning dsturbance."

There aren't that many details on incident, but it looks as though neither Joey Barton and Joe Kinnear were involved in the fracas (Yes, that was a joke).

Gerrard's arrest came just 12 hours after Liverpool's 5-1 thrashing of Newcastle United on Sunday. The incident puts a damper on an otherwise positive weekend that saw the Reds extend their lead atop the EPL standings to three points.

What do you think of the incident? Think Gerrard will be suspended? Will I'm on Setanta Sports do a spoof? Is this the first step in Liverpool's inevitable collapse? (kidding)

Share your thoughts below.

Sources: Opara staying in school

 

                                                                 Photo by ISIphotos.com

Ike Opara was widely-regarded as the best defender, and one of the best players available in the 2009 MLS Draft, but only if he actually entered the draft.

It is looking more and more like Opara won't.

According to multiple sources, the 19-year-old Wake Forest sophomore is set to stay in school, a decision that weakens a decent if unspectacular crop of central defenders in an otherwise strong draft.

Opara has yet to step forward and announce a decision, but one league source told SBI over the weekend that Opara is "100 percent not coming out."

So why would Opara stay in school despite being a consensustop three pick in January's MLS Draft? It's pretty simple really.

Dempsey scores two vs. Chelsea on good day for Americans in England

 

If there was any doubt before, Clint Dempsey provided the clearest evidence to date that he is truly back to his best.

The U.S. national team star scored two goals, including an 89th minute equalizer to help Fulham register a 2-2 tie vs. Chelsea on Sunday.

Dempsey's brace was the highlight of a pretty good day for Americans in England.

Moving to Mexico a trend for European-based Mexicans?

 

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

There's no place like home.

Mexican midfielder Pavel Pardo is the latest poster boy for that notion. The 32-year-old recently inked a deal with Mexican club America, where he played from 1999-2006, from German Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart.

Pardo, who's scored 10 goals for 'El Tricolor', left America for the Bundesliga following the 2006 World Cup. It didn't take long for Pardo to flourish in Germany.

In his first season, Pardo played a vital role in Stuttgart's Bundesliga championship, the club's third league title and first since 1992. In his sophomore season with Stuttgart, the defending champions finished disappointingly in 6th place. Though the team failed to contend for the Bundesliga crown, finishing 24 points behind winners Bayern Munich, Pardo become a mainstay with the club.

But after two solid seasons with Stuttgart, a coaching change and poor form saw Pardo lose his starting role on the team in 2008. With the lack of playing time he was receiving, it came as no surprise that Pardo put pen to paper with his former club earlier this month. Mexican media reported that America had bought back the World Cup veteran for $4 million.

However, Pardo is not the only European-based Mexican who has recently eyed a move back home. In what appears to be becoming more of a trend, Mexican players seem willing to head back to their native land if it means finding more minutes on the field.

What to do when there are no games to watch

Admit it, you're struggling right now.

With none of Europe's major leagues in action today, you are suffering from withdrawal, and trying to figure out what to do with yourself when there are no soccer games to watch. The English Premier League returns on Sunday, but today is a day soccer fans will struggle.

So what can you do? Here are ten suggestions of things to do to help you pass the time and ease your soccer withdrawal:

• Fire up some FIFA 09.

• Catch up on all the soccer on your TIVO, from your episodes of Futbol Mundial to Champions League Magazine, to the Club World Cup matches you said you would eventually watch.

• Reach out to your Facebook friends (and join the SBI group on Facebook if you haven't already).

• Go to the park and kick the ball around (only for those of you lucky enough to live in warm-weather locations).

• Break out that copy of Football Manager 2009 that you've been staring at.

• Go through your jersey collection and see which ones still fit.

• Work on your Neven Subotic dart board/punching bag.

• Start researching travel costs for next year's big soccer events, such as World Cup qualifiers, MLS season openers and the Confederations Cup.

• Read a soccer book or leaf through your old copies of World Soccer and 4-4-2 Magazine.

• Read through the SBI archives to remind yourself of the year's big soccer stories.

• Start preparing for the 2009 MLS Draft by reading the ESPN draft position rankings (goalkeepers and defenders so far) by Buzz Carrick, the Mel Kiper of soccer (and yes, I'll be happy to be the Todd McShay).

Now it's your turn. What are you doing to help pass the time on this day without soccer. Share your suggestions below.

 

Marshall re-signs with Columbus Crew

 

The Columbus Crew took a major step toward repeating as MLS Cup champions on Monday when they re-signed MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall to a new contract. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

Marshall went into the winter a free agent after playing out his MLS contract, but after a trial at German club Mainz 05, Marshall has decided to return to MLS, where he is widely-regarded as the most dominant defender in the league.

Marshall's decision also makes it very likely that he will be included as part of the U.S. national team's upcoming training camp in January.

What do you think of the news? Are you an overjoyed Crew fan? Are you a disappointed U.S. fan who was hoping Marshall would go and play in a big European league? Are you an MLS fan who is once again worried about the Crew being a force again?

Share your thoughts below.

Beasley eyes MLS as Rangers departure looms

 

DaMarcus Beasley could be looking for work soon, and the potential search for employment has him eyeing a return to Major League Soccer.

Rangers is ready to part ways with the U.S. national team winger in January and sources tell SBI that Beasley is looking for a return to MLS, but his asking price might prevent the reunion from happening.

Rangers has been looking for takers for Beasley's services for some time, along with the services of several other players, but has yet to secure a reasonable offer for the former PSV star. If no offers emerge soon, the Glasgow club will release Beasley, which could pave the way for Beasley to make a move back to MLS.

So what is standing in the way of a Beasley return home? The fact that no MLS team is ready to pay the seven-figure salary he is looking for and has grown accustomed to in his five years of playing in Europe's top flight.

CONCACAF Abroad: Weekend Rewind

 

by GIANFRANCO PANIZO

With the German Bundesliga off for the winter break, it was quite the surprise to see four CONCACAF Abroad players score in the penultimate week of the 2008 year.
 
Trinidadians Kenwyne Jones and Jason Scotland enjoyed excellent weekends as they both scored for the second consecutive week. Scotland net the lone goal for Swansea City as they drew level with Blackpool on Saturday. Jones' goal, which came in the 84th minute, makes it his third in two weeks and his fourth in the EPL this season. Not too shabby for a 24-year-old forward.
 
The other two CONCACAF Abroad representatives that scored this past weekend were Grenada's Jason Roberts and Jamaica's Ricardo Gardner, whose impressively struck goal was the eventual game-winner for Bolton against Porsmouth.
 
While most CONCACAF Abroad countries have much to smile about, the Mexican fans might be a little distraught after the majority of their players failed to participate in their respective sides' action. Out of the ten available Mexicans (three were off duty due to the winter break), only three saw time on the field. Though the trifecta of Andres Guardado, Omar Bravo and Guillermo Franco got playing time, they only accumulated 112 minutes this weekend with Guardado amassing for 90 of those minutes.
 
Here's how the rest of the CONCACAF Abroad did this past weekend: