Frank Myrland

The lack of a side from the south-eastern USA stands out in the MLS. With Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion the league had tried to establish a representative from the area.

Vancouver Whitecaps’ entry into the MLS this season is an important one for the league. As Canada’s second representative, the Whitecaps will play an important role, and with their location on the West Coast, even more so.

DC United used to rule Major League Soccer, but have been in steady decline. The Washington based club though hope former player Ben Olsen can conjure some magic and lead them to glory once more.

Pre-season tours overseas have long been a fixture of a Premier League club’s summer. Trips to North America appear still to have marketing reasons behind them, but the sport as a whole may benefit.

Worries always persist over just how competitive an expansion side in the MLS will be early on, but Philadelphia Union have surely been a worthy addition.

After finishing as runners-up in the Confederations Cup plenty of US fans expected a better showing from the national team. Now a last 16 exit has many looking for answers.

Cuauhtémoc Blanco was one of the oldest players on show at the World Cup, but the Mexican was not just there to make up the numbers. His appearances capped a wonderful career.

The CONCACAF Champions League recently wrapped up another season and yet again Mexican sides dominated. While it may have its share of mismatches, it still plays an important role.

DC United are one of MLS’s most successful clubs and an asset to the league. They are however, in real danger of being left behind as rivals move into soccer-specific stadiums, and they, do not.

The United States should be thankful for MLS. It isn’t easy for a professional league to survive in such a saturated sports market, and a quick look at some of their clubs’ figures paints a mixed picture.