The MLS is one of the first American-based sports leagues to start up again through the pandemic. The games return on July 8th with the standings still fresh. Contrary to most soccer accounts’ Instagram comments, the MLS is a league all fans should be excited for.
American soccer supporters should begin to feel less distant when comparing themselves to their European counterparts because the MLS has promise of its own.
What is most promising is its setting: America.
Ambition is the biggest factor. Fans need to win. Players need to succeed. In America, ambition is bred.
The American market provides a platform at the fingertips of every franchise. Citizens love sports and hardly waste any time at picking new forms of entertainment. To prove this point, the MLS is the seventh most popular soccer league by attendance worldwide despite its supposedly lackluster quality. In American sports, MLS is third only behind NFL and MLB. This popularity goes hand in hand with the positive direction the MLS is heading.
First and foremost is the league’s expansion. Teams such as NYCFC, Atlanta United, and LAFC, all founded within the past decade, have been very exciting to watch and have all attracted loyal fanbases.
A David Beckham-owned Inter Miami is also a club that draws lots of buzz recently. Constant rumors containing exciting players such as Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, and Edninson Cavani consume the club and excite future spectators.
Players all around look for their chance to shine. In America, the spotlight is rewarding.
Another intriguing aspect of the MLS is the investment in development. Almost every club starts at young ages, akin to those producing talent in Europe. Recently, many clubs have been intermingling with European academies for preseason tournaments.
The overall focus on the youth has increased as well, with more players breaking through, citing Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich as the prime example. Many teenagers are debuting and are looking to do the same.
This ambition comes with the country and is instilled from the youth academies up to the first teams. Every team seeks the chance to succeed and every player wants to make names for themselves. The atmosphere is unmatched and filled with potential to the top.
This ambition carries on, snowballing from season to season and beginning a new chapter with every season. This season is no different, and excitement beckons.
Timid fans should choose a favorite team now; come for the entertainment and stay for the long run to witness just how far ambition will take the MLS.
Image: MLS Communications
