Is MLS Making Legitimate Progress as a League or Is It Just Treading Water?

David Beckham arrived in 2007 with the ambition to transform MLS into a prominent league. The Englishman's time in the states has come and gone but the question remains—is MLS making progress or remaining the same?

While it may never boast the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, realistic expectations of what MLS can become range greatly. After nearly two decades of play, it is easy to see where the league has made strides and where it has come up short.

Following Beckham's arrival, the league announced expansion teams that began play in San Jose (2008), Seattle (2009), Philadelphia (2010), Vancouver and Portland (2011), and Montreal (2012), increasing the total number of teams to 19.

Each location was purposeful. The Pacific Northwest, a previously untapped market, exploded into a hotbed of MLS rivalries. Their supporters capture a passion rarely found in American professional sports.

Soccer-specific stadiums—a key component to fan experience—have sprung up across the country. Kansas City, Houston, Philadelphia and New Jersey all operate impressive new stadiums, while renovations transformed Montreal, Portland and Vancouver into improved venues for the game.

The league's regular season attendance average increased from a stagnant 15,504 in 2006 to 17,872 in 2011 and a record 18,807 last season. That type of growth, spurred in part by the new additions to the league, indicates a strong foundation from which to build further.

The league is doing just that.

At the MLS All -Star game on Wednesday , MLS commissioner Don Garber announced four more teams are to be added to the league by 2020 . This is in addition to the previously announced New York City FC which will begin play in 2015.

Garber acknowledged that Beckham was crucial to carrying the league to new heights, but that the progress must continue without him:

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There's arguably not a soccer fan on this planet that doesn't know the LA Galaxy and Major League Soccer, and David played a significant role in helping us make that happen. We needed David Beckham in 2007 to help drive our credibility, to help grow our popularity and to show the world really that the United States ... was ready to support a division one league. We don't need anything today to get us to the next level.

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Garber remained steadfast in his decree, citing areas of growth that MLS is working to improve:

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It's a wide variety of initiatives, from player development, from continued investment in our overall player pool, to better and more focused marketing, to smart expansion to a transformation into a digital world where our games are even more available than they are today.

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In these pursuits , MLS has been quite successful. It is growing, not just in attendance but through expansion and accessibility . Even as more fans flock to the stadiums, TV viewership has improved as well.

Becks may be gone, but players like Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane, and Tim Cahill have arrived. These players command respect all over the globe. Their exploits in Europe speak to their past successes, but impressive loan spells indicate that these players are still near their peaks.

These are measurable areas in which the league has made significant progress. Through smart marketing, thoughtful expansion and the attraction of notable talent, MLS has moved forward in developing a well-known league capable of becoming a major player in the American sports scene.

One area that cannot be quantified, however, is the level of play. The credibility of the league has often come under scrutiny, but judging the general caliber of talent is difficult .

The MLS All-Star game has been a useful tool to pit the league's best against one of Europe's elite sides. Though admittedly the powerhouse clubs rarely play their starting lineup or push the tempo in preseason, MLS has enjoyed an impressive record against such opposition.

Yet some cringe worthy drubbings remind the league how far is has to go. Roma dismantled the All-Star's defense on Wednesday, eventually winning 3-1. In 2011, the All-Stars were beaten 4-0 by Manchester United, unable to contain their potent attack. However, that result paled in comparison to United 's 7-0 demolition of the Seattle Sounders that same summer .

While Manchester United are among the world's best, a 7-0 result is embarrassing.

Recent friendlies may reflect improvement, or simply the inconsistency of such matches. Norwich City, a respectable Premier League side, lost 1 -0 to both the Portland Timbers and the San Jose Earthquakes in its preseason tour last month.

Impressive, sure, but friendlies—unless heavily lopsided—are tough indicators of real competition.

Many of the poor results reflect the perception that MLS is a big notch below European leagues. Players like Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley have enjoyed successful careers abroad, but many prominent players in MLS often struggle when they move across the pond.

Brek Shea's £2 .5 million move to Stoke City last year offered excitement, but resulted in just two Premier League appearances. Eddie Johnson, an established star in MLS and a solid performer for the national team, failed miserably after moving to Fulham in 2008 . The striker was unable to find the net for the club, and scored just two in 30 league appearances for Cardiff when on loan.

Those might be extreme examples, but it is hard to watch an MLS star fail to make any sort of impact when moving to Europe, even when loaned out to a lower division side .

While individuals have found mixed success transitioning to tougher competition abroad, teams in MLS must focus on cohesive improvement .

The CONCACAF Champions League offers great competition amongst decent leagues in Central America . Yet MLS often fails to make the grade . The Los Angeles Galaxy won the cup in 2000, but only one team has even made the final since that day.

The league should have aspirations to emulate Europe. Those divisions offer the pinnacle of competition and talent . However , the league must conquer this part of the world before it has any hope of catching up elsewhere.

MLS has made great strides since it began play in 1996, especially in recent years. Fan attendance, viewership and notoriety are all up, and that is no easy task. The league continues to offer solid competition, but has a long way to go to catch up with Europe's elite.