(06-14-2016 01:29 PM)BePcr07 Wrote:  The MLS could definitely be the #4 pro sports league in the US soon. They did a great job maintaining their identity and didn't balloon too quickly. However, lately they have expanded and announced future expansion at an alarming rate. They went back and forth between 10 and 12 teams for their first decade. In the last 10 years we have seen a net of 10 additional teams. There are set plans for 4 more which would make 24. The commissioner has said 28 is the goal. I am worried about the talent pool here as well.

MLS and US Soccer want to use MLS to help grow the sport in different areas all over the U.S. Not only by giving young players a visible pro team in their backyard, but also networking each MLS team with local development programs for young players. The talent pool isn't a problem for them; it's more than large enough to accommodate more teams. Attracting enough talent from that pool based on the limited salaries paid to non-star players is a problem. You can't build and sustain rosters full of "Major League" soccer talent by paying only minor-league baseball salaries. But that issue is not tied to the number of teams in MLS.