There is an unfortunate misconception in the soccer world that Major League Soccer is inferior to the rest of world soccer. I have had many conversations with many soccer fans that go like this:

"Oh you're interested in soccer?"

"Yeah! Who's your favorite team?"

"*Insert well known European team here*"

"Oh no way! My favorite team is *insert another well known European team here*"
"Yeah I wish soccer in the US wasn't so terrible."
"Well, in reality, the MLS has seen huge improvements since its inception just 24 years ago."
"Yeah but it's still terrible."

And that's as far as the conversation ever goes. Before I go any further, I want to say that of course, the level of play in the United States won’t be up to the standard set by European nations simply because it hasn’t been around for as long. But with that being considered, the improvements made in US soccer cannot go unnoticed by soccer fans (especially those who reside in the United States).

In the years since we have gotten our own league, we have really improved our world standing in soccer. Right now one of the most promising rising stars in soccer is an American that plays for the German giant Borussia Dortmund. Not only that, but the MLS has been able to host hugely talented players from around the world such as David Beckham, David Villa, and Andrea Pirlo. But with these big names come some big accusations.

Most would assume that having players that are as prominent as these world-renowned giants would promote a healthy view of the program. But as with any big change, the arrival of big talents brought about a vocal minority of cynics who pushed the idea that big players go to the MLS as a comfortable way to retire, rather than an opportunity to get the most out of their final games as a professional. For example, David Beckham played nearly a fifth of all of his professional games at LA Galaxy where he improved their playoff performance in each season until finally winning the tournament in his last two years at the club.

Revisiting the young prodigy Christian Pulisic, who some might say is only good because of his involvement in a club overseas, but in reality, his development as a player has been entirely American up until 2015. While that development might not directly involve MLS intervention, the improvement of the domestic league is what draws in talent and revenue to the United States soccer program as a whole and keeps the cycle running strong.

The fact that the United States is producing such fantastic young talent can only be a good sign, the problem is keeping them satisfied with playing domestically rather than looking to play in other countries. To do this, every American soccer fan owes the MLS more than just saying that it’s “terrible”. If we want to see any improvement in the weekly soccer on American soil we need to cherish and appreciate what we have so that we can see it grow even more than it already has.

An age-old tradition in soccer is to support your local club. Every American has a professional team that is nearest to them so work to support that team! The level of play might not be what you are used to in the Premier League or La Liga, but with enough support, we could have Spanish soccer fans saying that their favorite club is DC United rather than American fans saying their favorite is Real Madrid.