At halftime of an otherwise unmemorable Major League Soccer All-Star Game on Wednesday night in Kansas City, MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the league's plans to add four more teams by 2020. Considering the league's recent gains on and off the pitch, this was the right move at the right time, with caveats.

Together with New York City FC, which is set to begin play in 2015, the four new franchises will bring the league's total to 24. MLSSoccer.com reports:

The league had previously held to the idea that a 20-team league was the sweet spot for the foreseeable future. MLS has added 10 clubs since the beginning of the 2005 season, and the recent addition of New York City FC—who begin play in 2015—will bring the league to 20.

“These expansion clubs have brought new ideas that have contributed to our strategy for growing the league and the addition of new markets has expanded our geographic reach while increasing our fan base,” Garber said in a league press release.

As the report indicates, Garber's announcement comes in the latter stages of an expansion boom for MLS. Besides the 10 new teams that have joined since 2005, the league has also benefited from the construction of several new, soccer-specific stadiums, including Sporting Park, which hosted Wednesday's All-Star Game.

Attendance, meanwhile, climbed steadily for years, reaching a record peak in 2012 before falling slightly this season, per Soccer America. The 2012 season also brought increased television ratings, per Sporting News, though admittedly those numbers still lag far behind other American sports.

On the pitch, the league's fortunes have followed a similar trajectory over the same period. In 2006, the league approved the so-called "Beckham Rule," which allowed teams to sign star players and pay them outside the strict (and minuscule) salary cap. The rule—formally the Designated Player rule—allowed the Los Angeles Galaxy to sign former Manchester United and Real Madrid superstar David Beckham, who remained with the club until 2012.

Beckham's presence, and the Beckham Rule's increased flexibility, helped raise the league's quality throughout. The Galaxy won consecutive MLS Cups to cap Beckham's tenure stateside, and the league as a whole experienced gains.

"He brought relevancy and credibility, which is something that U.S. soccer, and maybe even more so Major League Soccer, has and continues to crave," former United States international Alexi Lalas told Nancy Armour of the Associated Press.

Taken together, the aggressive expansion, building boom and Beckham Rule propelled MLS to its most prosperous period yet. As such, it's no surprise that Garber and MLS want to expand.

That said, they must do so carefully. The last thing MLS wants is a repeat of the 2002 contraction that saw the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion fold—even if eliminating those teams helped the league in the long run.

Too much of a good thing?

In 2002, one of the benefits of contraction was an immediate reversal of talent dilution across the league. Simply put, there were not enough players with sufficient talent for 12 teams.

That has clearly changed. Now at 19 teams, MLS features a better product on the field than at any other point in its history. But adding five teams—one by 2015 and four more by 2020—could stretch the talent pool again.

But timing is the key here. The expansion will not happen all at once, meaning the league will have time to keep improving and building depth, as it has in recent years. It's a bold strategy on the part of MLS officials to assume that their league will continue to make gains, but that's not a bad thing. Instead, it hints at the faith MLS has in its own product and the future of the sport in America.

Another factor to consider is the identity of team No. 20, NYC FC. Owned by the New York Yankees and Manchester City—two of the richest teams in all of sports—NYC FC is an ideal candidate to continue the building process, from a quality standpoint. This almost surely will not be a poor expansion team struggling to compete. More likely, considering the backers, this will be a team with deep pockets and a determination to make inroads in the New York market.

Rather than diluting the talent pool, NYC FC will have the potential to expand it, thanks to deep pockets and brand recognition piggybacked from the Yankees and City. It stands to reason that MLS sees it this way, too, and is hoping that the league will maintain its progress until 2020, at which point four more teams won't destroy the talent pool.

Again, it's a bold strategy. The 24 teams would make MLS the largest top-flight domestic league in the world, based on number of teams, according to MLSSoccer.com, and bigger does not necessarily mean better in soccer. But MLS has never been better placed to add more teams while maintaining—or even raising—its quality.

The bottom line is that if this works, soccer fans in the U.S. will have an even better product to watch each week. That can only be a good thing.

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Returning players will highlight the MLS Week 23 action. For some, the road back extended way beyond the rigors of a simple Gold Cup celebration.

The MLS All-Stars were toppled 3-1 by AS Roma at Sporting Park Wednesday night. A goal from Omar Gonzalez—one of the worst rappers in recent memory—kept the All-Stars from being shut out in the first minute of stoppage time.

Nine MLS matches will follow this weekend. But with so much action on tap, what warrants your attention?

Read on to find out.

Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, credit all statistics to the official MLS Press Box Stats and Standings.

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In what was less than a competitive match, AS Roma has defeated the MLS All-Stars by a score of 3-1. This was a continuation of a growing tradition in which Major League Soccer throws their All-Stars into the fire against a top European squad.

Unfortunately, it was also another setback for the MLS.

Major League Soccer put forth a cast of stars, albeit one without significant names either on or returning from international leave. With the opportunity to shine against a Serie A squad, players such as Thierry Henry and Marco Di Vaio were expected to make their mark.

It simply wasn't to be, as Alessandro Florenzi led AS Roma to the win.

Florenzi finished with one goal and an assist.

It wasn't pretty for the MLS, as Kevin Strootman scored in the fourth minute to give Roma an early 1-0 lead. Even as they kept the opposition quiet for the remainder of the first half, Roma struck with two quick goals in the second.

The MLS All-Stars, meanwhile, didn't score until Omar Gonzalez scored off of an assist from Camilo Sanvezzo during injury time.

This marks yet another disappointing scoring output from the MLS against a European foe. While this truly is nothing more than a glorified exhibition game, a victory would have been big.

Instead, MLS remains in search of legitimacy.

Searching for Legitimacy

MLS has its fair share of fans, specifically in hotbed locations scattered throughout the country. With an expansion to Canada, it's become clear that there are brighter days on the horizon for an international power looking to find a home in North America.

Losses like this don't do much good for their chances of developing their reputation in a positive manner.

The most common belief about the MLS is that they are a second-tier league, at best, that employs players that aren't good enough to play in elite divisions. While some players may prove that belief to be false, seeing your All-Stars lose to a club from Italy isn't the best way to prove your legitimacy.

Instead, they pander to the critics.

From 2003 to 2008, the MLS actually fared well against the opposition, defeating five clubs from outside the U.S.. Since then, they're 1-3-1, losing by multiple goals in three of the past four seasons.

Either the MLS is getting worse or the opposing teams are taking this game more seriously—we better hope it's the latter.

The Silver Lining

There's no question that the MLS wants to win these games, proving that they belong in some capacity in world football's elite. While this may be a glorified exhibition game, for Major League Soccer, it's a chance to pit their best against a strong international squad.

While the result may have been disappointing, there was another number that may be more important than the loss:

For a league that is desperately pursuing an increase in domestic interest in soccer, that's a very promising sign.

It's no secret that soccer is the least popular "major" sport in the U.S., both in the collegiate and professional ranks. As the NBA, NFL and NHL continue to see an increased interest, and the MLB continues their rapid recovery from controversy, the MLS hasn't been as lucky.

Tonight, they showed that soccer can still turn heads in the U.S.

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In easily the most unique all-star game in all of sports, A.S. Roma defeated the MLS All Stars, 3-1, at Sporting Park in Kansas City on Wednesday night.

The Serie A side took advantage of some shoddy MLS defending, getting goals from Kevin Strootman and Alesandro Florenzi in the opening moments of each half, and the two-goal deficit would prove to be too much for an all-star side that clearly lacked chemistry.

Florenzi was awarded with the MVP award, while Francesco Totti was on a completely different level despite not finding the back of the net:

Things started off just about as bad as can possibly be imagined for the home side. 

With the MLS playing an impossibly high back line, veteran playmaker Totti—a man who has been linked to the MLS this summer—did Francesco Totti things, delivering a beautiful ball into Strootman behind the defense. 

As the Dutch international moved in on goal, Aurelien Collin's attempted recovery tackle deflected off Strootman into the net:

A calamitous mistake in the fourth minute in front of his crowd. Eesh. Collin would do well to forget about this night as soon as possible. 

In the next five minutes, Roma created two more wonderful chance but failed to capitalize when their finishes went awry.

From there, the rest of the first half was a lot of attacking from Roma and inability to possess the ball from the MLS. ESPN's Paul Carr summed it up with this stat:

The start of the second half was a near replay of the first, as Florenzi made an easy run behind the seemingly unaware MLS defense, where Federico Balzaretti found him with a beautiful low cross. From there, it was a simple finish past Nick Rimando:

Little did Roma know, however, their fastest second-half goal in all-star game history was actually a giveaway of its strategy, as Yahoo! Sports' Dirty Tackle noted:

As the clock ticked on, the MLS side began to look more comfortable together, playing with a better sense of urgency. Fueled by a Landon Donovan second-half substitution spark, the blue shirts were able to create several promising chances and more possession in its own half, but they weren't able to break through when it mattered.

In the 68th minute, Junior Tallo made it 3-0 after some world-class passing from the Italian side:

Finally, in the 91st minute, the MLS squad broke through. Camilo Sanvezzo of the Vancouver Whitecaps sent it a beautiful curling free kick, where the Los Angeles Galaxy's Omar Gonzalez headed it home.

The MLS stars were able to best EPL side Chelsea last year in a 3-2 thriller, but Roma proved to have too much talent and too much chemistry in the comprehensive victory. 

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The MLS All-Star Game is supposed to be used as a measuring stick for America's top domestic league, gauging how its best does against some of the world's best.

Last season, the All-Stars unleashed a surprising 3-2 victory over a Chelsea club in obvious preseason form. Wednesday night, Serie A giants Roma took the game seriously and brought their A-game in a 3-1 win against the star-studded MLS squad, who failed to measure up to their opponents in any of the 90 minutes played.

The tone was set early in the match by the Italian side, as they exploited the high back line set by the Sporting Kansas City center-back pairing of Aurelien Collin and Matt Besler. As a beautiful run of play was started by Roma 'keeper Morgan De Sanctis, Besler and Collin began to creep up for an offsides trap.

However, that plan backfired as one of Roma's new signings, Kevin Strootman, surged through and into the penalty area. Strootman's shot on goal deflected off Collin's leg and into the back of the net just four minutes into the match.

Strootman deflated all of the positive energy that was flowing throughout Sporting Park in the host town of Kansas City, Kan., who put on a great show in the build-up to the game all week. That, however, could not be reflected by the disorganized MLS side, which failed to record a shot on goal for the first 64 minutes of the match.

By the time that first shot on goal was taken from 40 yards out by Vancouver's Camilo Sanvezzo, Roma had gone ahead by two goals.

In the 47th minute, it was Strootman who started the build-up to the game's second goal. As the Dutch star started the run of play on the left side of the pitch, Houston Dynamo full-back Corey Ashe drifted toward the center of the pitch.

Alessandro Florenzi then sprinted behind Ashe and found himself in position to beat Real Salt Lake's Nick Rimando for the second goal of the night.

Just minutes after the MLS All-Stars began to show signs of promise with former teammates and halftime substitutes Landon Donovan and Mike Magee beginning to link up in the attack, Roma struck the final dagger into the coffin of the All-Stars.

In the 68th minute, Junior Tallo became the game's third goalscorer, and he had Strootman and U.S. international Michael Bradley to thank in becoming just the third African player to score in the MLS All-Star Game.

L.A. Galaxy center-back Omar Gonzalez pulled one back for MLS with a header in stoppage time to carry the game to its final 3-1 score. The level of disappointment felt by the league and its fans, however, will be easily overshadowed by the bold announcement made at halftime by league commissioner Don Garber.

Garber stated that by the end of this current decade, MLS will expand to 24 clubs, which means four, yes four, new expansion franchises will be added to the league by the 2020 season.

To close out the three-day celebration of the league's development and the transformed soccer town of Kansas City, it was only fitting that an announcement about league expansion deflected attention away from an disappointing showing on the pitch by the MLS All-Stars against a Roma side that thoroughly outclassed them.

Follow me on Twitter, @JTansey90.

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If Landon Donovan's name wasn't Landon Donovan, he wouldn't be an MLS All-Star this season. He has barely appeared in half of his team's matches (13 of 22) and his three goals and six assists are good, but not exactly earth-shattering.

And you know what? I couldn't care less. 

His name is Landon Donovan. He remains the greatest and most productive soccer player in United States history. He is fresh off a Gold Cup where he proved to the world—well, proved to the CONCACAF world, at least—that he is still very much in elite form. He could have spent the first half of the MLS season on the sideline watching Glee for all I care—he still would have deserved the MLS All-Star Game selection that he got. 

(OK, maybe not Glee.) 

That's not to say he hasn't been productive on the pitch.

According to WhoScored.com, Donovan has completed 40.8 passes (with a 75 percent completion percentage), 2.1 key passes, 1.8 crosses and 2.1 long balls per match.

The Los Angeles Galaxy have struggled a bit to find cohesiveness with Donovan in the lineup (seven losses in his 13 appearances), but he has been every bit the dynamic playmaker and conductor we know him to be.

Still, that's not why the 31-year-old is a deserving selection this year.

Think of it more as a lifetime achievement award. 

The All-Star Game is about the fans. It's about entertainment and about putting on a show that recognizes the elite athletes of a certain sport. 

As such, who would you choose to replace Robbie Keane? A third- or fourth-year player who has scored a few more goals or tallied a few more assists or won a few more games but is less known to the common fans?

Or Landon Donovan, the greatest player in United States history?

The answer is clear. Donovan is not only deserving because of his talent, but because he's an iconic figure who exemplifies what players in the sport should strive to be. He puts more butts in the seats, makes more people tune in at home and is the best representation of American soccer. 

Besides, who doesn't want to see him face off against Roma's Michael Bradley—another face of United States soccer—in the midfield? Even those who are inherently against all-star games and point to the fact that they "don't matter" couldn't deny how tantalizing and alluring that individual matchup will be.

Don't worry, the younger players who got snubbed in lieu of Donovan will get their chance.

But for now, it's all about showcasing the most recognizable figure in the sport. 

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The MLS All-Stars take on Italian club AS Roma in the 2013 MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday at Sporting Park in Kansas City, hoping to notch their second consecutive victory over international competition.

The MLS All-Stars defeated English club Chelsea last year, 3-2, with United States forward Eddie Johnson being the hero. That was after the All-Stars lost back-to-back contests against Manchester United.

There will be plenty of talent on the pitch on Wednesday, from Landon Donovan to Francesco Totti. Here's a look at the keys to victory for each team.

MLS All-Stars

Be Safe

All-Star head coach Peter Vermes said before the clash on Wednesday, via Franco Panizo of Soccer by Ives:

The game plan is for us to go and try to be smart, don’t give the ball away in easy areas of the field so that we’re not running all over the place. Then the other [thing] is just stay compact and not give too many things away. You can’t go into this game and have this unbelievable game plan because this is our first training together as a team.

The All-Stars have the talent to defeat Roma on Wednesday, but they can't get ahead of themselves on the pitch. All it takes is a couple of mistakes or some miscommunication on the back end for the tide to turn.

Don't forget Roma comes equipped with United States midfielder Michael Bradley, Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi. Totti posted 12 goals and 12 assists in 34 matches (33 starts) in Serie A last season. De Rossi is a complete, versatile player who won Italian Footballer of the Year in 2009. Roma may be the underdog, but that doesn't mean the club doesn't have a chance of winning at Sporting Park.

Keep It Simple

Given the lack of experience the MLS players have together, complicating things in terms of the attack or defense may only cause problems.

The team has several talented scorers in Landon Donovan, Vancouver's Camilo Sanvezzo and Chicago's Mike Magee. Montreal's Marco Di Vaio and Philadelphia's Jack McInerney will also be on the pitch. Sanvezzo and Magee lead MLS this season with 13 goals. Di Vaio and McInerney have posted 11 goals and 10 goals, respectively.

If the All-Stars can just play simple football, they should be able to pull off a victory, as you would think at least one of these men would find a way to make a difference with his touch.

AS Roma

Press the Action

Roma needs to be the aggressor from the start while still being safe on the back end on Wednesday.

The All-Stars have an excellent back line, with Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin, Omar Gonzalez, Tony Beltran and Corey Ashe all available for the clash. Simply playing safe, conservative football against this group likely won't be enough for Roma to push through into the net.

Roma may benefit from being a bit tricky in this match. After all, the club does have the experience working together to do a bit more with its strategy on the attacking end.

Keep It Complicated

Speaking of experience working together, one advantage Roma does have over the All-Stars is that many of its players have been able to develop chemistry throughout the years.

Chemistry can have a way of overcoming a deficit in overall talent, especially when players are telepathically sending messages to one another and keeping the opposing team on its toes.

While the All-Stars may need to be a bit more conservative to avoid making too many mistakes, Roma players have the luxury of employing a game plan they know very well.

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The MLS All-Star game is more than just a showcase of talent for the league, it is also a chance to prove it can hang with some of the top clubs in the world.

After consecutive losses to Manchester United in the annual event, the best in the country were able to defeat Chelsea by a score of 3-2, with Chris Pontius earning the MVP award. The squad will now try to get a winning streak going with the upcoming match against Roma.

While the Serie A club is certainly capable of getting a win, there are a number of MLS players looking to stand out with a strong performance in this one. If the host squad is able to pull out a victory, watch for these players to be named MVP of the match.

Graham Zusi

Over the past year, Graham Zusi has been a breakout star for the United States national team. The midfielder has becoming a regular at World Cup qualifying matches and has shown a great ability to set up plays for teammates.

That skill has been apparent in MLS play for a while, as he led the league in assists during the 2012 season.

With the All-Star game taking place in Kansas City, Zusi will get a chance to play in front of his home crowd and show off the skills that put him in this match in the first place.

He has the ability to get multiple assists in this contest to help his side get a win. 

Thierry Henry

Since coming to the United States after an enormous amount of success with Arsenal and Barcelona, Thierry Henry has continued to excel with the New York Red Bulls.

Last season, the 35-year-old veteran had an impressive 15 goals and 12 assists in 26 matches, and he has not slowed down much this year either.

Despite getting up there in age, this exhibition format will give him the opportunity to showcase his incredible ball skills. While Roma is solid defensively, he should be able to beat anyone one-on-one and get the ball into the net.

Chris Wondolowski

Throughout the Gold Cup, Chris Wondolowski showed his knack for being in the right place at the right time. 

The San Jose Earthquakes star scored five goals in the tournament and did his best to possibly earn a spot on the World Cup roster. He has a great finishing ability near the net and does not waste opportunities when he has them.

With so many talented midfielders and forwards that will be playing alongside him in this match, there will be plenty of chances in front of the net. If Wondolowski takes advantage of these, he will score at least a goal or two to try to win MVP.

Landon Donovan

While Wondolowski had a few impressive moments in the tournament, Landon Donovan once again showed that he was one of the best in CONCACAF with an outstanding showing.

The American had five goals and seven assists in the tournament and is looking to continue this hot streak when he returns to MLS play.

He currently has complete control of the ball and can put it wherever he wants as he sets up teammates for goals. Donovan also has incredible vision with his ability to make passes anywhere on the pitch.

As arguably the most popular player in the match, it would not be surprising to see him earn MVP in this one.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

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MLS All-Stars Brad Davis, Omar Gonzalez, Graham Zusi, Kyle Beckerman, Jack McInerney, Mike Magee and Chris Wondolowski drop the beat in this "rap" (and I use that term loosely!) video called "We're Better Than the Best." Wondo even busts out a few break-dancing moves. 

Go ahead. Judge for yourself. 

Their rap game needs some serious work, but you've got to love the overalls, airbrushed T-shirts and zubaz pants. You've got to give the All-Stars some credit for going along with it, and having some fun. 

h/t to Funnyordie.com

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Major League Soccer's All-Stars ended a three-year losing skid to European clubs with a 3-2 victory over Chelsea last summer. The group now hopes to start a modest winning streak by taking down a talented Roma side.

The Giallorossi finished sixth in Serie A last season. They are led by Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi and Pablo Osvaldo. The squad also features American international Michael Bradley, who's entering a key campaign with the Italian side.

Going up against the best players from the MLS should provide a solid preseason test for Roma. With that in mind, let's examine some players worth watching in the clash, which is set for Wednesday night in Kansas City.

Landon Donovan (MLS)

Donovan is coming off a tremendous showing at the international level. He was the driving force behind an American attack that led the way as the squad won every match en route to the Gold Cup title. His form was a major statement after some time away from the national team.

He must maintain that high level of play moving forward if he wants to get placed in the first-team lineup for the remaining part of qualifying. He gets another chance to shine in the high-profile matchup with Roma before returning to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

When at his best, Donovan is a nightmare for defenders because he distributes just as well as he finishes. So when he's moving forward with pace it's almost a guarantee some type of scoring chance is coming up. Expect to see plenty of that creative play during his time in the All-Star Game.

Thierry Henry (MLS)

At 35, Henry is no longer the unstoppable offensive dynamo he was during his peak seasons with Arsenal. Yet he's still one of the most dangerous attacking players in MLS, as illustrated by his seven goals and five assists this season.

The natural skill remains evident at this point in his career. He just isn't able to maintain top form for extended stretches anymore. But when he's at his best, he can still create highlight-reel plays, and the open style of the All-Star Game is a perfect opportunity to prove that.

Hopefully fans get an opportunity to see Henry and Donovan on the pitch at the same time. They could create some magic working together and put some real pressure on the Roma back line, which obviously won't be in midseason form.

Michael Bradley (Roma)

As previously mentioned, the upcoming season is very important for Bradley. As the American national team continues to illustrate depth, he must prove himself worthy of keeping his starting spot while also helping push Roma up the table.

The most impressive thing about Bradley has always been his work rate. He's willing to run for 90 minutes to do everything from helping defensively to scoring goals at the other end. He finds a way to make an impact no matter the type of game.

Since the All-Star Game is usually more of an attacking-minded clash, he should get a chance to show off his laser of a shot. He's never been a big goal scorer, but when he catches one just right he has the goalkeeper at his mercy.

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