Everything is now bigger and better in MLS

The MLS likes to do things differently to the rest of the footballing world.

This year, 19 teams will compete to topple the LA Galaxy as champions. If you have number OCD then this will likely drive you wild, but it’s brilliant for a growing league and is something that US television has begun to recognise. Indeed, congratulations have to go to Former BBC 5 Live presenter Arlo White who will be the lead anchor for NBC’s new MLS coverage. This all kicks off on March 10th. But the interest in the league starts now.

If you are regular fan of American sports then this won’t be strange to you. But being British, this will appear to be the youth system we are so desperately lacking. For the next four days, the MLS holds its Player Combine. Over Sixty Five people, fifty-two of them College (university) students in their senior year, will have friendly matches for the our days for potential teams to scout their talents. After that, they will be drafted in the MLS Superdraft, due to take place on January 12th.

We’ll be in a better position to tell you who are going to be the future stars for the quickest growing football league in the world after the combine. But one person to keep an eye is a man named A. Wenger. No, not Arsene but Andrew. A defensive midfielder, who appears to be a committed young player in an all round sense. Putting some graft into the back of the field in both defence and moving forward. Just the kind of guy you need if you are a new expansion team like Montreal, who have the first pick.

Or if goals is your fancy how about Darren Mattocks? The young goal scorer has been lighting up the college league and appears to be a dead cert to be picked towards the top of the draft.

All the combine games can be watched online via the MLS website, but with the expanded league, more TV coverage and heads turning towards the talent on display, this will be a huge year for the MLS and a great time to start watching it.