So much has been written about the progress of the USMNT in this World Cup, and only recently, as Pitch Invasion points out, has the coverage started to include Major League Soccer's influence on the team. Even Don Garber was on ESPN this morning discussing the boost this will bring to the domestic league and interest in the sport. Any kind of "World Cup bump" has yet to materialize in 16 years of MLS, but there's no telling what will happen this time around, especially if interest finally hits some kind of critical mass at home. Regardless, things must be kept in perspective. As the league returns to play this week, it must continue to progress on its current course, developing individual talent and maintaining a rising caliber of play.
American fans must still keep in mind that Major League Soccer has always had a strong developmental focus. The death of the reserve league and other related cutbacks have happened, but overall the league has succeeded in giving talented Americans a springboard to bigger and better things. It is hard to argue that Tim Howard or Landon Donovan would have had any kind of European success without a domestic league to provide at least a basic level of professional competition. MLS has been both a safety net and a showcase in this respect, with almost every rising start pegged to go abroad at some point. This will be a part of the American game for some time, and these cases should be seen as victories for the league as well as the national team. However, there is still plenty of room to grow, and as the league progresses, there must still be a clear path to professional soccer for domestic players. There are still few players who can call their MLS service time a "career", with many players, especially young players, having to find other income elsewhere to survive. Professional soccer needs to become a secure and legitimate choice for high school athletes, competitive with rookie contracts in other major sports. Rising investment in youth development and pay scale will help make this a reality, and MLS is already well on this path.
The league as a whole would benefit from a strong development base, eventually seeing a gradual rise in overall talent complemented with international talent (DP or not). Staying on this course will see the league continue to develop its impact on the international stage, and create a virtuous cycle that keeps interest high, revenue up, and attract more talent. This will not happen overnight, and those in charge need to always keep an eye on keeping the balance between (over)paying for talent and developing the national player pool.
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