One way to find out if soccer will ever catch on here in the States is to check out all of the High Schools and Colleges. See how many of the schools have a soccer program and if they do, what following do they have? Meaning do plenty of people come to watch those games? Plus, how does it compare with other sports going on the same time as soccer would. If the numbers are low, then I seriously doubt Pro Soccer Leagues would last for long. You need to have a good ground base of support these days. Another thing, except for a few major cities (NYC, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc.) I think the promoters of Pro Soccer should establish their teams in big cities that does not have a Pro Football franchise, thus less competition. The US does of plenty of different sports, football, baseball, basketball and hockey being the top 4. Others follows in between such as golf, bowling, swimming etc.

Well, if you have the money, go ahead and give it a shot.

MLS may never succeed, but its strategy shows a lot of wisdom.

In the US, there are millions of long-term soccer participants and casual fans, but in spite of that, the sport gets very little media coverage. Unless it can gather more press, MLS will never turn casual fans into core ones, so this is where Adu and Beckham come in. As individuals, they're not going to change things dramatically, but during the long break between World Cups, they help keep soccer on the radar.

In addition, Adu and Beckham aren't marketing gimmicks that alienate core fans. Freddy is a genuinely intriguing prospect, and Beckham at 31 is still an outstanding player. Both of them appeal to a wide range of people. Both of them are wise investments.

Very good responses. I think #2 and #3 are both right in their criticisms. The key is not whether Beckham makes soccer a "major league sport"--the key is whether he's profitable. And the suspicion is that he is profitable. Also, while he's no longer the player he was 2 or 3 years ago, it's still realistic to suspect he will be the best player in our league.

Poster #1 brings up an intriguing point. Though many in the soccer community have never considered the high school and college versions of the game to be particularly relevant, it's intriguing to measure progress by the amateur levels that are not "promoted."

There is some room there for optimism as to the game's growth. The number of high school boys programs has roughly doubled in the 12 years since MLS was founded. On the college level, the University of Virginia this year set an all-time NCAA attendance record for a season. . . until Maryland broke it a week later.

Let's address your "points" one by one, shall we.
1: Presumably, you don't know any soccer fans. The vast majority of soccer fans, die-hard or otherwise, follow European leagues and/or the leagues of their heritage and haven't given MLS a chance. Now, all of these people do know David Beckham, and have likely had their curiosity piqued for the first time.
2: You seem to mistake MLS's plan. They are not aiming for a huge market presence right away. They'll take the slightly elevated ratings they'll get this year, but this move is mainly designed to get the younger generation more interested in soccer, and to keep them playing and following the sport when they get older.
3: Again, you're out of touch with soccer fans. MLS fans that I've spoken to and chatted with on message boards are feeling excited about this move, not alienated. The expanded national TV coverage of games from ESPN2, FSC, HDNet, ABC, and Telefutura, will just make it easier for those fans to watch their favorite teams.

One side-note: Beckham is already profitable for the Galaxy. They are selling tickets and jerseys at a record pace, and have Herbalife paying $3.5-5 million per year to sponsor the front of the jerseys. Herbalife alone nearly covers Beckham's $27 million over the next 5 years from the Galaxy, the $250 mil initially reported was a hype number based on (over)estimated endorsements.

i think major league soccer is on the road to sucess, in my opinion i think the soccer fedration of america should give the opportunity to young college players to play in the league.i think signing beckham a 200 milion soccer contract is not necessary. im a soccer player myself and i think given beckham that much will affect the pay of other individual players in the league.

I agree, but I think it's a bit of a strawman-- in their more sober moments, MLS executives will let you know that they're not trying to be bigger than football and baseball-- generally, they'd be satisfied with a sustainable league that makes a little bit of money. If that's the goal, MLS is actually "succeeding" already.

I also think you're missing the people that MLS is really trying to market to: people who are already soccer fans. There are already enough soccer fans in this country for the league to succeed, but most of them prefer either the European leagues or the Mexican league-- it's them that David Beckham might have a reasonable chance of attracting.

As a British expat I’m certain that Galaxy have started off on the wrong foot with Beckham and it’s not Becks fault.
1st. Finance. I believe that Galaxy could have gained over $40million from the household name of some important International Company. Instead you have a measly $4mill from Herbalife, (who)! Didn’t they pay out $850,000 in one court case. No doubt Herbalife are clapping their hands with glee for doing the best advertising deal of the century, but hardly the kind of Galactic Company to inspire families to send their soccer loving schoolchildren flocking to the ground, or to give much needed financial heart to the MLS club since it doesn’t even cover Becks pay check!!

2nd. Teamwork. Although he is a hard working and talented player who can motivate a team, they also need to be working hard and running into spaces to receive his long accurate passing. How do you motivate players to take Beckham to their hearts when the press have told them he’s worth twenty times one of them?

3rd. Expectations, are ridiculously high because we have seen many times in England that it is team work and team spirit that succeed in soccer, not a single – not even a group of ‘Galactic Stars’. The opposition will sense the international media spotlight on them and they will raise their game when playing against him. Flesh and blood are easily taken down by one ‘accidental’ foul.

4th. Motivation. Hard for Becks to motivate himself, when he’s used to playing in front of 60,000 fanatical fans, at the highest international level of this great game.

5th. Riches to Rags!!! Real Madrid with all their Galactic stars lost every game since deciding not to play him any more. Their mistaken rational seemed rather childish, - “Because he he’s leaving ‘Real Madrid’ for America, of all places!!”
This famous Spanish Club had to swallow their pride and play him again, and so won their first games for weeks. Didn’t Manchester United go through a losing spell when he left? That makes two of the worlds richest clubs, and the worlds toughest leagues.
He is not an awe inspiring dribbler on the ball, just one part of great teams used to playing as one, - when you amputate your big toe you don’t run so good – if you get what I mean…..

Sorry Becks, LA big mistake, sniping press, small minded management, pathetic league, mediocre players, and puny support. Even with your great positive approach, US fans expectations are totally unrealistic, and their jealous sports press are already sharpening their knives. You, and your wife, will be held to blame and ridiculed, by fans who don’t know a real soccer player when they see one. You won’t like it at all matey, please buy yourself out, and please come home to NE England where we’d truly love to see your great talents, and join the ‘Sunderland FC’ revolution! You will be adored for ever for it………