The MLS — Major League Soccer — has been around since 1996 and started with only ten teams. Today, the league has doubled to a whopping 20 teams with even more on the way. Last year, Orlando, Florida added a team named Orlando FC and New York added New York City FC. In the upcoming lineup, new teams to make an appearance include Atlanta United FC, Minnesota United FC, Los Angeles FC and David Beckham’s Miami team. While the league has been here for 20 years, it has just recently started to grab a big audience. Soccer is completely different than many other sports and provides a unique experience that no other event can. So what makes the league stand out compared to other sports?

Players. Each soccer team has players from around the world. There are not many legendary soccer players that have come from the U.S. That being said, Landon Donovan and Alexi Lalas are two of the biggest players who were born and raised here. Both are retired as players and now work as soccer analysts.

However, the MLS is looking pretty good with some home-grown players in the lineups. Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley are two of the stand out stars for the US right now and both play in the MLS. If you remember watching the 2014 FIFA World Cup, you probably remember Tim Howard.

He is currently in England playing for Everton, but he is in talks with and could be heading to the MLS very soon. The addition of new teams means the addition of new players. New York FC signed Andrea Pirlo from Italy and David Villa from Spain. They also signed Chelsea star Frank Lampard. These are just a few of the big names that came to the MLS last year, and there are even more names rumored to be heading here soon.

Advertising. The advertising for the MLS has been better now than in previous years. With most games being played on Sunday afternoons, they don’t have much competition with other sports being aired except during NFL season. This allows ESPN and Fox Sports to cover the games.

This year, ESPN was advertising the MLS season almost a month before it actually started. Last year, the United States women played in FIFA World Cup, and as a die hard fan, I noticed that people who aren’t usually soccer fans flocked to the TV during every game. When the women went on to beat China in the final, social media lit up for over a week about the newly crowded champions, adding more attention to the game. While some argue soccer is boring to watch, it is the only sport where you play the game straight through with no stopping except halftime. It's 90 minutes of pure excitement.

Atmosphere. Soccer stadiums are known to be breathtaking because of their unique designs and one-of-a-kind atmosphere. While they aren’t as big as football stadiums and aren’t inside a dome, they offer an experience that no other stadiums do. Not only are the stadiums outright insane, but the overall environment is very exciting.

Soccer fans are easily the most devoted fans in any sport in the world. The cheering sections are unlike any other. With chants, giant banners and 90 minutes of non-stop rooting for the home team, every game is full of adrenaline. Every team has a zone, usually behind the goal, where the craziest fans sit. The section incudes drums, horns and anything else that can make the most noise. In the next few years, the MLS will have some of the most unique stadiums in the world. For example:

Orlando:

Los Angeles:

With the league growing and more soccer stars flocking to the U.S., the game will hopefully become more popular. Soccer is a sport where each player gives their all for 90 minutes and in order to really grasp the experience in full, you just have to be there.