With well-known international names arriving in bigger numbers this season, New York City FC feature Spanish World Cup winner David Villa and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, while the most-expensive player in MLS history, former world player of the year Kaka, turned out for Orlando SC. NYCFC and Orlando joined the league in 2014, with Atlanta and LAFC to follow in 2017 as part of the plan to have 24 teams by 2020.
The MLS is in fine health attendance wise as the2014 regular season saw a record average attendance of 19,151, putting it third amongst sports leagues in the USA, ahead of both the NHL and the NBA.
In a piece by BBC Sports Matt Slater ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35012676 ) he confirms the fact writing that the MLS brings down the curtain on its 20th season on Sunday knowing it has never been more popular, relevant or secure. Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber states,"Our ratings are growing and it's our first year having global live match distribution, so we've got a lot of growth in front of us. I think people are intrigued by our structure, this unique system we have with salary caps, union agreements and strict revenue-sharing, this partnership among owners who are competitors on the field. That has created a lot of buzz and it's something for us to be excited about."
For those who still think of the football scene in the USA as a poor imitation of the standard in the British game it is interesting to hear the views of those who know better than most.
Robbie Keane, who claimed the league's MVP award after scoring the winning goal in the last year's MLS Cup final says it is anything but a retirement home for high profile European players playing out the final days of illustrious careers. "There is a lot of pressure on you as a designated player in MLS and I have certainly not taken my foot off the gas for a moment. You can see that, because I have been a part of LA Galaxy teams that have won the MLS Cup a few times which is not easy to win and the standard in MLS is rising all the time."
Steven Gerrard is another who was surprised. “It’s a lot better than I initially thought. A lot of people talk about the MLS, about the level, but for me a lot of them are wrong. Until you come here and sample it yourself, you see how strong it is and how fit and professional the players are."
Landon Donovan says of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, "The Premier League is probably the fastest in the world but the pace [in the US] is faster than you realise. There are a lot of different issues so I think that both of them will come back next year and be more prepared and make a much bigger impact."
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