Any MLS fans on here?

I'm watching LA Galaxy vs DC United on ESPN right now, altogether have watched MLS since Beckham moved and they started showing it on English TV, and was wondering if anyone else likes watching MLS or even has a team?

I quite like watching NY Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference as a Giants and Mets fan, and look out for LA's results in the Western Conference.

I take an interest in the results due to my betting on it but rarely watch any games live. What is the standard like?

In the years I've been watching it the standard has dramatically improved, it has more foreign players than before, right now I would say it's the 7th best league in the world behind PL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Championship and Portuguese Liga.

When I started watching it there were 12 teams, now there's 18 and next year Montreal are entering the league, so it'll be 19 (16 US, 3 Canadian). And they have there own Champions League http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONCACAF_Champions_League

I know it has its doubters but if you give it a chance it's football after all and the standard is getting so much better, one day, with American ways of doing things, I can see it becoming the biggest league in the world.

I'd love to see it take off in the U.S. I see that clubs have their own stadiums as well now which is a step in the right direction.

Ain't the New York Cosmo's entering the league next year too?

Yeah the stadiums are a big step, the MLS have told teams to build Soccer-specific stadiums.

The NY Cosmos are trying to get planning permission for building a stadium in Queens, and are aiming to be the 20th MLS club by 2013.

Since Beckham the league has been thriving.

Do you think Beckham has made a big impact over there then buddy? I was reading not so long ago that he hasn't made kind of waves that he was expected to.

Be interesting to see if he stays out there when his contract expires.

I don't think it's all Beckham but a lot of it is down to him. Since he joined the league they started showing it Internationally and the added audiences meant more foreign players joined.

Has LA Galaxy ever won a game as for the MLS itself, I'm not a fan, its marketed well though which being American has to be expected, I personally don't think its anywhere near the top 7 leagues in the World

Well seeing as they're top of the league by 8 points then yes.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/standings

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Major_League_Soccer_season

Suprisingly though I think it's something like the 12th best attended league in the world.

I've been to see the New England Revolution play a few times. The standard isn't anything like the Premiership, but it is improving. And the sooner they get their own stadium the better. It looks ridiculous seeing only 12,000 people in Foxboro.

Sorry M-toM, but I'm going to have to disagree with your assertion that the league will become the biggest in the world. Not a chance. For starters, soccer is still seen as predominantly a game played by children and adult women. Yes, this view is changing, but very slowly. I've seen more televised women's soccer over here than I have men's (not including the World Cup).

And of course it will always be playing second fiddle to baseball, football, basketball, and hockey (OK, I can see soccer becoming more popular than hockey in the 'sunbelt' states).

Hey, you're in Leamington Spa. My old stamping ground. Say hi to the Cask and Bottle for me.

I didn't say it will happen soon, I'm just saying eventually it could be, maybe.

I can see it happening. Especially if the US men win a WC. Support for different sports in the US is not exclusive with fans usually supporting more than one. The good thing about sport in america is that no matter what is the most popular other sports will still get good crowds and media coverage. They'd really be moving forward if they overtake NHL.

NHL is atm, money wise, the 4th of the big 4 US sports.

Manning you're a bit of a wet blanket mate i was obviously joking with the Galaxy comment but cheers for the correction

Isn't it the fastest growing sport in America?

Also calamity, you make it sound like a bad point that it is a game played predominately by kids, that's exactly the people you want playing and watching it now, there is no good getting the current generation of adult term for the long term, as when those kids grow up, they'll have grown up, not playing NHL or Ice Hockey but 'soccer'. I think that's how it'll grow.

When was the MLS actually set up? Wasn't in the 1980/90s?

I've just checked, and MLS was formed in 1993.

Certainly didn't mean to make it seem like a bad point, but it's true that most boys drop the game at a young age, and when they go to college, they take up one of the 'big four' instead.

I'm not saying the game won't grow in America. It quite obviously is doing. I just don't think MLS will become as big as the Prem or La Liga etc.

To say where it is at the moment from 1993 is pretty impressive I think, especially when it is taking on a lot of other sports in the US which were very popular.

The MLS's big problem, and this is obvious, is that whenever they breed a half decent player he moves to Europe. How are they going to stop this?

I think it would be foolish for any of us to believe that they will ever be able to compete wages-wise with the big four sports in America so I really struggle find out exactly how they will find some kind of foothold in terms of keeping the sport over there popular.

I'm sure the U.S F.A (or whatever they call it) are frustrated at banging their heads against a brick wall knowing that whatever they do will never be enough to buck the trend, so to speak.

But with all that said you have to admire their persistence.

Soccer is the most popular sport among kids in America up till middle school and high school. If America wants to really develop as a soccer nation, then they need to get proper leagues going in the schools. It is around this age that Basketball,American football and Lacrosse take over. To become successful in soccer they need to establish it in teenagers.