Good evening folks and Happy New Year to all of you. Along with this being the first day of the new year, today also marks the first birthday of the new Soccer by Ives.
These 12 months have just flown by and as much fun as it was, I'm hoping 2009 will be even better. I do have some changes in store for the site, but none that I will share now. I will say that the look of the site will change and the content will hopefully increase. No, SBI will never get to a point where it regurgitates every soccer story that emerges anywhere in the world, but we will continue to work hard to bring you the most important and most interesting soccer stories, both American and international, and provide you with some perspective and insight into the stories that matter most.
The new year is promising to be an even more exciting one for the American soccer fan than 2008, what with Hexagonal Round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying on the horizon as well as the Confederations Cup, the arrival of the Seattle Sounders to MLS, the next Under-20 World Cup, CONCACAF Champions League and the 2009 MLS season. That's not to mention all the great international soccer news that will emerge in the year before the 2010 World Cup.
I haven't done it in a while, but I feel it is time to once again ask SBI readers what they would like to see more of and less off on the site. What additions would you like to see made to SBI? What aspects of the site can you do without?
Share your thoughts below and be sure to check in on Friday as I return with the latest SBI MLS Mock Draft and hopefully the first completed portion of the latest Q&A.
Ives Galarcep is an American soccer columnist for ESPNsoccernet.com and creator of SoccerByIves.net.
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I'm a huge German Bundesliga fan so I'd like to see as much coverage on the Bundesliga as EPL, La Liga and Serie A get.
Posted by: Freddy | January 01, 2009 at 06:57 PM
Yo Ives, I wanna see more coverage of Latin American soccer. I know most of us tend to jump on Europe's sac (but I understand since many of our U.S. exports ply their trade over there) but it would be interesting to see some insight into Central and South American play.....especially Libertadores since many of us feel that's a much better tournament than Champions Leagu.
Happy New Year and good lcuk.
Posted by: Fredo | January 01, 2009 at 06:58 PM
Hey Ives, an increase in interviews or editorials that you feel like writing would definitely be welcome.
Posted by: Nick | January 01, 2009 at 07:15 PM
Id like to see more on the us youth prospects. for example Ive heard of a player in the sporting or porto youth system cant remember which and Id love to see bios on them. mabye even the youth system in general following the top us youth teams. Im a sucker for looking towards the next generation of Us internationals and mlsers
Posted by: walter | January 01, 2009 at 07:26 PM
Hey Ives, ever been in contact with the World Soccer Daily guys regarding being a MLS/USMNT/North American correspondent for them? At first thought, that sounds like it would be a mutually beneficial venture for both parties.
In terms of the site, I'd love to see a comment system that's less anonymous. By that I mean, allow readers to create their own usernames, avatar's etc. After about 10 months of reading the site, I still have no idea who the regular posters are.
Also, a podcast would be fantastic.
Posted by: Geoff | January 01, 2009 at 07:27 PM
I know its not your style as a trained journalist, and your vision with the site, but it would be great to see a daily post of links to interesting things in the soccer/blogosphere similar to what the big lead does. Maybe not daily, but it would be nice to see, especially to your other designated players blogs
Posted by: patrick | January 01, 2009 at 07:53 PM
Ives i'm just looking forward to the pieces in the summer with WCQ, gold cup, and confed cup.
Can't wait to see your coverage on it.
Also a nice piece on the sinking ship that is the Galaxy, who has jumped and will jump ship and what is in store for them in the future.
Posted by: Reid | January 01, 2009 at 08:01 PM
I enjoy the editorials personally. I think we can all read the big headlines in a variety of places, but what i come here for, personally, is the breaking news, rumors and editorials. I like Nick's idea of player interviews, maybe spotlight various players around the league? not always the big names, but those mls lifers we know little about.
Posted by: J | January 01, 2009 at 08:08 PM
Happy New Year Ives,
I personally would like to see regular updates on the whereabouts of John O'Brien, as well as your views on promotion/relegation between MLS/USL.
Ty HardOn
Posted by: Ty HardOn | January 01, 2009 at 08:15 PM
Ty... I was just thinking about posting that EXACT thing, and you beat me to it. Grrr.
Posted by: Homey | January 01, 2009 at 08:24 PM
Hey Ives,
I like Geoff's idea of making the posts more like a message board.
On a more nosy (and hopefully not too personal note), things going okay with you and the blog? Economy hasn't hit you too hard (well, any harder than the avg person)? I say that hoping it didn't of course...wouldn't want anything happening to this site!!
Posted by: Dannyc58 | January 01, 2009 at 08:29 PM
Happy Anniversary/Birthday to SBI! I love the site - my favorite posts are the write your own captions. It would be great to read interviews with USMNT players on SBI in 2009.
Posted by: Brian | January 01, 2009 at 08:39 PM
I love the site and am addicted to a dose multiple times each day. Happy New Year Ives!
Possibly drop:
Concacaf Abroad, as Yanks Abroad relays all the information I need about players in both europe and central america.
Possibly add:
Podcast could be cool, and I'm biased but more news about the Galaxy would be cool.
Please keep I'm On Setanta Sports :)
Posted by: Steve B | January 01, 2009 at 08:39 PM
Your site is the best Ives... hands down. I would however like to see more coverage on the U.S. youth teams and prospects. U-20 and U-17 really intrigues me. Seeing and hearing about the future of American Soccer is exciting.
Posted by: AltiCooper | January 01, 2009 at 09:30 PM
Ives, love the following so hope you will keep them:
- running commentary on games
- Americans abroad
- Q&As
The things that I could do a little less with:
- The Red Bulls
- This week in the EPL
Additions that might be nice:
- links to streaming videos of games that might be of interest (because they are great or there are Americans playing)
- podcasts on selected topics
Great job! You are the best source of information!
Posted by: beckster | January 01, 2009 at 09:39 PM
i want chime in with the others who'd like more on US youth prospects.
the site is terrific - i wish you a great 09
Posted by: wally | January 01, 2009 at 09:55 PM
Ives,
I would like more of the following:
*coverage/updates/recaps of WCQ matchdays around the world
Less of the following:
RED BULLS
and also less
RED BULLS
Not because I am a RBNY haters, but because I find it is just filler about what you are doing that day. Compared to specific coverage of other MLS teams (not the global MLS coverage you give), I think your coverage of Red Bulls is disproportionate to the demograhpics of your readers.
Otherwise, I still come to your site about 10 times per day.
Posted by: Jason | January 01, 2009 at 10:22 PM
Happy new year Ives,
I'd like to see more stories on Yanks Abroad, especially some of the younger guys. A podcast (which I believe you are working on) would be awesome as well. Hopefully you could get some good guests for that as well.
I could do without the Concacaf Abroad as well as the amount of NYRB material.
Basically the more USMNT material, the better.
Cheers
Posted by: Dave | January 01, 2009 at 10:26 PM
To add a vote countering one of beckster's comments, please keep the red bulls stories and insight. The hometown news is great. I also like the 'more interviews' ideas. People are interested in people, so interviews with players or perhaps even occasional stories/commentaries written by players themselves (thinking mostly MLS here) about their teams, games, life in general, etc. would lead to more and bigger fans of the players and soccer. Maybe 'soccer human interest story' would be a way to describe one component of what interviews or player-written stories would be.
Posted by: dave | January 01, 2009 at 10:27 PM
Hey Ives, how about a Newcomers section for like new players coming into MLS (mostly under the radar) from other countries. Also, Ives, would you ever consider making a SBI ipod application? lol
Posted by: metrostar 4 life | January 01, 2009 at 10:28 PM
I'd like to see a bit better organization so I don't miss posts as they get bumped down. The list of recent posts, for instance, could be at the top left so we can see what you have posted most recently right when we come to the sight. I come daily (ok 2 or 3 times a day) and I never remember that it is there. And if you had SBI reports on MLS games, perhaps they could be under a different column to the right, again at the top for the initial page load.
Just minor things actually. Great site! I also like the Ives commentaries and conjectures.
Posted by: wyo fan | January 01, 2009 at 10:33 PM
More Red Bulls coverage.
More USL & PDL coverage.
More on the Business side of MLS.
More on US U-21 sides.
Thanks
Posted by: Smith | January 01, 2009 at 10:41 PM
on a personal note, I'd LOVE to get a blackberry app so I can read your posts easier. THe site doesn't look good on a blackberry internet browser
Posted by: patrick | January 01, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Stay focused on your core of MLS and American players. It is what you do best, and the European stuff can be had elsewhere.
I would agree with a commenter above that a daily highlighting of the most recent posts of your "DP" partners may be of interest, as I tend to come to your site the most often, and those banner links blend into the background for me.
Don't care about a lot of the RBNY posts that have information that would (likely) not be considered interesting enough to be posted for any other MLS team. I know it is what you have the most access to and I can always skip those posts, so it isnt the end of the world.
Posted by: Rich | January 01, 2009 at 10:55 PM
Don't listen to people like Jason Ives your a metro fan at heart rite, so why not cover them as much as u do, i for one know that if it wasn't for your great coverage on the mls and red bulls i wouldn't visit the site nearly as much. I would like to see a rumors part of the site like the one at metrofanatic.com. Maybe a rumor section that has all the big and little rumors surrounding mls team but in particular the redbulls and possibly a link leading the reader to were you found the rumor. But anyway great site again and thanks for the coverage of the bulls.
Posted by: lou | January 01, 2009 at 11:05 PM
Oh and one more thing i would also suggest some things like Smith said.
Posted by: lou | January 01, 2009 at 11:07 PM
For the most part I skip the stories on European leagues minus any info regarding AMerican players. If there is one European league I'm intersted in it's the Bundesliga.
Stuff I salivate over: MLS, USL, USMNT, Nats Abroad.
Stuff that piiques my interest: Mexican and SOuth American leagues.
This site rocks hard!
Posted by: biological | January 01, 2009 at 11:33 PM
I mainly view this page (multiple times a day) for the Red Bull coverage so please don't lower that! Also, love the opinion and editorial type articles.. we can get the facts anywhere.
Posted by: Steve | January 01, 2009 at 11:47 PM
yo ives! your site is the best- first site i check when i sit down.
concacaf abroad is the only thing i don't particularly care about.
keep up the great work!!!
Posted by: peter | January 01, 2009 at 11:51 PM
I would like to see more original reporting and more interviews with the likes of Donovan/Dempsey/Adu/Altidore/etc., and less opinion-based prose about stuff you saw on Gol/Setanta/FSC. (We get those channels too, after all.) There is a dearth of probing, reliable, journalistically sound soccer coverage in America, and the mainstream outlets rarely bring us closer to the players. This is the gap SBI should fill. We could use more player/manager quotes and scoops from SBI and less of the from-the-hip , op-ed material that currently defines this site.
Posted by: john godfrey | January 01, 2009 at 11:56 PM
More of your own original stuff. Editorials, interviews, features, things that you can't get anywhere else, etc. Breaking news is nice but really only if it comes with some analysis, since I don't really care about getting news five minutes before I can get it from some other site. I come here, as always, for your perspective.
Posted by: Joamiq | January 02, 2009 at 12:10 AM
Ives
I don't know if it is possible, but I would like to see more posts regarding transfer rumors involving American players and the MLS.
Posted by: Gabe | January 02, 2009 at 12:25 AM
Is getting a player like Manso for the Red Bulls asking too much?
Posted by: VictorM | January 02, 2009 at 12:26 AM
A rumors section would be cool
I know its tough but a video section would be cool too
And the podcast
Posted by: ccfc0123 | January 02, 2009 at 05:02 AM
First, I love this blog. Unconditionally.
But, honestly, if I wanted to read about European soccer, there's a million other places I can go look. S365 used to be a cool place to go, but their focus away from American soccer just turned me off, and I haven't visited that place in a long time.
Not that you're not looking for the right balance, but I don't think we're there yet, IMO.
As for the American/MLS/CONCACAF coverage that is here: wonderful. More of it.
Posted by: Roehl | January 02, 2009 at 06:16 AM
I think someone already mentioned, but some kind of filter that detects whether or not you're trying to read on a mobile browser that reformats the content to fit shrunken screens would be awesome.
Some of us spend a lot of time on the go and getting our fix between airport gates would great.
Posted by: Brant | January 02, 2009 at 07:09 AM
hi ives
I would like to hear more about USL soccer leagues 1 & 2 as well as more MLS transfer talk.
Posted by: Andrew M | January 02, 2009 at 07:44 AM
Concentrate on MLS & other North American coverage. There are lots of other resources for European news. SBI should be the place that all MLS fans turn first knowing that you will also have breaking news.
Bring back the Jersey flavor. I just noticed it was missing.
Posted by: seven | January 02, 2009 at 07:47 AM
Ives,
Your site (as well as maybe one or two other blogs) are the only place to come for frequent and in-depth MLS coverage. While some of these comments have been asking for more European coverage, I think what you have now is just perfect.
Every morning your major European stories of the day recap the major events without spending too much time on the speculation and rumors that are rampant in the tabloids over there. Since regularly coming to your site, I no longer go to places like soccernet or BBC. I stand that anybody who wants in-depth coverage and speculation on Europe (excluding our expats) will always be best served on a site that specialized in that.
So really, I think the MLS coverage and other USMNT coverage here is as thorough and complete as anywhere, and I would hope that you keep that the base of the blog. It's always important to know what's going on elsewhere, but the major draw should always be home, in the USA.
If not, we'd have nowhere else to go!
Posted by: Chrös | January 02, 2009 at 09:25 AM
Ives,
Love the site. My advice is to focus on MLS, US national teams, CONCACAF, and regional players abroad. There are many sources of European and South American news (I don't read you for that) so I think where you really add value is the regional coverage that you provide, especially your insider coverage of MLS.
A good website understands and plays to its stengths and for MLS coverage, you are second to none.
Looking forward to regualr SBI visits in 2009.
Posted by: Schteve Town | January 02, 2009 at 09:36 AM
Ives,
Start merchandising!! i want a t-shirt with the soccer by ives logo.
Posted by: RedStateJIm | January 02, 2009 at 09:47 AM
I think the people complaining about the European soccer coverage don't realize what that coverage does for some people. Not everybody has the time to go checking out a dozen different soccer sites. Some of us have the time to check out maybe one or two sites while we're living our busy lives and this site helps keep me up to date on all the big international soccer news.
Never make European soccer coverage as big as the American stuff, but keep it on the menu. For some of us, it's great to be able to get all our major news in one place.
Posted by: Steve T | January 02, 2009 at 09:55 AM
Ives,
Happy New Year and congrats on your site's anniversary. I have seen a couple of request for a forum like board and even though I would love something like that, it rapidly becomes a nuisance for users with threads getting out of control, and a nightmare for admins trying to keep some sanity, and trying not to cross the censorship line.
However, if you are still interested, there are third party offerings like Disqus (www.disqus.com) that integrate with the most popular blogging software. The advantage is that good users build their own 'online brand' and get to be known as such, and the losers are easily recognizable and usually dropped by meritocracy. In the end, the data is still yours. BTW, I am in no way associated with such company, I just like their model for building online communities.
Hope the best for your site.
Cheers
Posted by: Pico | January 02, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Suggestion For Q&A posts:
1. Cap the number of questions you answer (10, 20, 25, or some reasonable number) - this way questions don't "fall out of date" so to speak and will be easier on your end as well.
2. If there is a question that is repeated or answered previously, just skip it.
Just my 2 cents. Keep up the good work and looking forward to what SBI has in store for '09.
Posted by: mikemc | January 02, 2009 at 11:28 AM
HAPPY HAPPY B. DAY!!!
LOVE YA MUCH!!!
Please E-MAil me your cell so we can catch up at the combine in Ft. Lauderdale, I may have a suprise well known guest!
Posted by: martha in miami | January 02, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Ives, You forgot to add the US-17 World Cup come September 09....your site rocks, i make it a point of duty to visit at least three times a day for juicy soccer updates
Posted by: Kutama Nenty | January 02, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Add tracking of playing time % for CONCACAF abroad players. Crowdsource it on a shared spreadsheet even.
Occaisional coverage of the none major leagues (Asia, Africa, third tier Europe, that kind fo thing). There are leagues that MLS is mining, or should be mining and I would love to read more about them.
Posted by: Dave Clark | January 02, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Happy birthday SBI!
I agree with the posters who have said they'd like to see more of your original content. I enjoy your analysis on the soccer world.
I like the practice report info on RBNY and would like to see more features on the players.
Posted by: inkedAG | January 02, 2009 at 01:42 PM
I would like to see more coverage of lower level leagues and colleges on your site. I like to read coverage about all levels of US soccer.
I really do enjoy your editorials when you give us insight into something we would not be able to get much information on from other sources. A post I particularly enjoyed liked that was your perspective on players being scouted by the MLS in a Caribbean tournament. Well done keep up the good insightful work.
Posted by: CSD | January 02, 2009 at 02:33 PM
My "most frequented soccer site"...so keep up the great work. Here's my two cents*
*current value is actually 1.5 cents
I realize you need space for advertisements but I've never used the archives, catagories, or blog roll on the sides of the main column...maybe those can be put in a pull-down menu with the redesign.
With the Hex coming up it would be great to have more info included with CONCACAF abroad such as ages and which players will likely be on the field, maybe even just focus on the five opponents
I always enjoy the polls and surveys
More news on youth players and youth development
Some interviews
Yanks-Abroad did(does?) a "23tickets" about once every 3 months on the likelyhood of different players making it to SA2010. I don't even have cable much less all the soccer channels so it would be great to monitor the stock of different players.
Again, keep up the great work. I appreciate the site and all the effort that goes into it.
Posted by: Thomas | January 02, 2009 at 02:35 PM
Please keep the focus on the US football experience in the MLS, in international club and national team competitions, and players abroad. This is the value-added core of your appeal. Please try to do more coverage of USL-1. Thanks for a great site.
Posted by: Don | January 02, 2009 at 03:37 PM
Happy birthday, dude.(And I'm at least three debates up on you now, thanks to the lovely poll on who should get the title!)
J
Posted by: jloome | January 02, 2009 at 04:04 PM
JLoome, I easily won our debate, but the pool did turn out in your favor (though it's an unscientific poll and was probably infiltrated by Eurosnob hackers. LOL)
Posted by: Ives | January 03, 2009 at 03:28 AM
Ives,
A bit late to this thread... Great site, keep it up. I guess you need to decide if you want to do a few things well or a lot of things mediocre. As you know, it's hard, if not impossible to everything well. For me I get what I need here - USMNT! Keep it up and keep it simple is my vote.
Posted by: milkshake of despair | January 03, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Soccer by Ives has been great! Please keep up all the great work, we need more quality soccer reporting in the US, covering US and WW professional soccer. SBI contributes well to the greater cause.
MLS, US players overseas, International stories... all great. Happy new year!
cheers
Posted by: Soccer balls | January 04, 2009 at 03:51 AM