The first year had a certain novelty factor that's shown in the ratings but I think the economics of the league are better this go around than in years before.

I think the most important difference from previous soccer leagues is the MLS has so far avoided putting the cart in front of the horse... they've so far avoided paying up for aging stars like Ronaldo and Beckham.

While existing fans might love to see them play in the US, they're on the downsides of their careers and their impact on attendance is fleeting. Just think if the Wizards, for example, hadn't picked up Arenas after MJ was sent packing. MJ had an immediate impact on Wizards ticket sales but the effect would've immediately fizzled had they not replaced him with young talent.

If MLS teams can also finagle financing for new, soccer-only stadiums, they'll be able to tailor their expenses to their income. It's better to nearly sell-out a 40k seat soccer stadium than to half fill a 60k seat football stadium because the 60k seat football stadium has alot more overhead.

The league is going to have to bubble slowly for awhile and wait for the demographics to really catch up.