Have you ever thought about the similarities between MLS and Premier League clubs in the modern era? A decade ago it would have been silly to think of parallels between the massively different leagues, but as American soccer has progressed, suddenly its domestic league has started to resemble the EPL more and more.

We are even at a level where teams share a number of characteristics despite being located thousands of miles and an ocean away. I began to look into some of these inter-league parallels and realized there are more comparable teams than what you would initially expect.

Here is a list of each MLS team and the English Premier League club it most reflects. 

Note: This is a subjective list and it is obvious that some comparisons are stronger than others. Nevertheless, if you would have different pairings than the ones on the list, feel free to comment with your opinion. Have fun and enjoy!

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The beautiful game, as it is known throughout the world, has never really found success in the United States. Sure, there have been times when interest has been peaked (around the World Cup especially), but the general trend among most Americans has been a fair disregard of the most popular sport in the world.

This trend of dissatisfaction of soccer between Americans, however, is starting to become alleviated with teams such as the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact recently incorporating themselves into the ranks of Major League Soccer (MLS). Not to say that other teams have not had a fair bit of success in America (look at the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls and the high-profile players they have been able to sign), but the newest additions to the MLS seem to be propelling to heights that may start to dispel the dissatisfaction that Americans have with soccer.

The first of these teams that has helped to reverse the trend of American pessimism towards soccer was the Seattle Sounders. Officially joining Major League Soccer in the 2009 season, the Sounders burst onto the scene with record crowds, superstar players and a playoff appearance. Though they had been a feeder team to the MLS for quite some time and had popular support in the Northwest, the lack of royalty attached to the team always seemed to hold it back; this all changed once new owners came in and fostered a revolution.

Led by Drew Carey (famous for The Drew Carey Show and The Price is Right) and Joe Roth (former head of Disney and Fox Studios), the Sounders ownership group was immediately set up to bring in an atmosphere to Seattle surrounding soccer that would be unrivaled within the United States.

In order to do so, the Seattle ownership group has brought in players of high caliber, including world-renowned goalkeeper and Seattle native Kasey Keller, Freddy Montero, Mauro Rosales, Freddie Ljungberg and Alvaro Fernandez. These players, coupled with the atmosphere the city of Seattle has created for soccer, have revealed a hidden Northwest passion that has ignited the passion of so many; so many being an average attendance of 39,232 roaring, raging and passionate Sounders fans.

In fact, in order to accommodate the demand for tickets at Sounders games, management has had to continue opening different levels of CenturyLink Stadium every season the Sounders have been in MLS. These attendance numbers (which are tops in the MLS) would even be impressive abroad. The Soudners would rank seventh in the Barclays Premier League in attendance, falling just behind Chelsea. Chelsea! 

Yet the Sounders are not the only team aiding in the development of a culture of passion for soccer within the United States.

Just around 173 miles south of Seattle rests the Portland Timbers, MLS's sleeping giants that officially kicked off in the MLS in 2011. Rivaling the atmosphere of Seattle, Portland fans have taken to Jeld Wen field (newly renovated specifically for soccer) to support their franchise in boisterous hoards of fans collectively known as the "Timbers Army."

Though the Timbers missed the playoffs in their first season in MLS, they are building to become one of the powerhouses in the nation. Notable player Alhassan is bringing a winning culture to the Timbers and igniting many passionate fans to take the MAX line straight to the playoffs. The average attendance of Portland is lower than that of Seattle at 18,827, but this is most likely due to the fact that their stadium cannot support the crowds the Sounders are able to. 

Though these two teams are just a fraction of the amount of teams within the MLS, they illustrate a growing trend: a developing passion for soccer in the United States that will only increase as time goes by. Other teams are helping with this as well.

The Montreal Impact, who kicked off their MLS hopes and dreams in 2012, set an attendance record in Canada with an attendance of 58,912. The Vancouver Whitecaps, who joined the MLS in 2011 along with the Portland Timbers, have also found a passionate fanbase that has ignited further passion in the Northwest.

All of these facts added together show a growing interest in soccer within the United States, something that has long been festering in the hearts of many. 

This interest will continue to grow further as more and more people attend professional games within the United States, bolstering revenue for their teams and for the sport in general. As this occurs, not only will teams be able to expand and enhance facilities, they will be able to afford high-profile players from around the world and entice many more world-renowned players to find a home in the US. 

Though this is a daunting challenge that MLS will ultimately have to face, it must market itself properly in order to possibly attract a few top-tier players away from the European market, something that has been don eon the basis of loans in the past. 

Helping garnish future popularity of the sport has been the media markets as well. In fact, NBC Sports has recently decided to broadcast an MLS game every week, just as they do with the NHL. Alongside NBC Broadcasts, local networks are picking up more and more games and ESPN even has a featured game of the week. Continuing exposure of this sport on a consistent and mass level only has benefits for the sport and for the fans around the nation. 

Soccer is no longer the pansy sport that a lot of Americans once thought it to be. It has taken roots in the cities of Seattle, Portland, Montreal and Vancouver B.C. and started to sprout seeds of passion for the world's beautiful game all across the nation. 

No longer will the United States' interest in soccer peak only at times during the World Cup, but there is starting to be a sustained interest in soccer throughout the years. Sure, there is still a lot of work to do, but soccer is definitely on the rise in America and will continue to spread as more and more Americans begin to realize just how physically demanding, entertaining and fun soccer can be to watch and participate in.

Teams such as the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers have exposed a passion for soccer within the Northwest that has begun to change the way Americans view soccer. Who knows, some day we may find ourselves as captivated with the MLS Cup as we are with the Super Bowl and World Series. 

Only time will tell.

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Toronto play host to the San Jose Earthquakes this Saturday at BMO Field.  This will not be Toronto's first home game this year, but their first home MLS competition. 

Toronto will be without captain and star player Torsten Frings this Saturday as he suffered a hamstring injury against Seattle last week.  Frings will be absent from the squad for about six weeks due to this injury.  Julian de Guzman will wear the captain's band for The Reds in Frings' absence. 

Toronto will likely field a young and very inexperienced back four again this week.  Frings had been filling in at central defense the past few CONCACAF and league fixtures due to past injuries to Adrian Cann and Dicoy Williams.  With Frings' injury, Toronto's back four will likely read: Richard Eckersley, Ty Harden, Aaron Maund and Ashtone Morgan.  

Hopefully, Aron Winter chooses to employ much safer tactics for this match as he has been deploying a very nervous and ineffective high offside trap in the past few fixtures.  Toronto escaped lucky against LA Galaxy. However, a speedy Seattle team forced Toronto to pay for running their chances with the offside trap.  

San Jose will come into town with a home win against New England and a road loss in Houston thus far this season.   

Toronto will look to reestablish BMO Field as a fortress, as their home winning ways all but completely subsided during the 2011 season.  

Winter will have some difficult decisions to make in the upcoming weeks, as Toronto will play five games in 14 days, beginning with this Earthquakes match.  

Players to watch:

Ryan Johnson, TFC

Ryan Johnson has been the offensive leader for Toronto so far in 2012.  He has scored in all three of Toronto's last three competitions.  Look for Johnson to be a creative spark-plug in the offensive third. 

Chris Wondolowski, San Jose

Former Golden Boot winner Wondolowski has punished Toronto in the past, he already has one goal to begin the 2012 season.  Look for him to be a threat early and often.  

Forecast:

Despite unusually high temperatures this week in the greater Toronto area, Saturday holds a 70 percent of precipitation with a chance of thunder showers.  Temperatures should be ideal a cool 11 to 15 degrees Celsius.  

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Major League Soccer has made significant strides in the overall quality of play over the course of the last 16 years. The natural progression from start-up league—with all of the inherent handicaps that implies—to established competition has done wonders for the level of play. Based on trends, it's very possible MLS play could reach English Premier League levels within the next 20 years.

Limitations, mostly the small salary budgets imposed on American and Canadian clubs, keep MLS quality from improving in giant strides. Rules that allow for big spending on a handful of players can only do so much, especially when they do nothing to bring up the quality of player at the bottom of the scale.

In order for MLS to reach a better quality of play that could even conceivably rival the Premier League, further movement towards higher spending is a must. More money means attracting better talent. 

But MLS has a few things going for it that don't necessary have to do with big time spending. The influx of Colombians into the league in recent years shows that simply being stable and open to Latin players looking for jobs will attract a better quality player.

Meanwhile, the standard of American players can only get better with the next generation spending more time in professional environments. The professionalization of youth soccer in the U.S. worries many in that community, but it will pay massive dividends for MLS as a league.

As MLS grows (and Europe faces financial concerns), the two leagues will draw closer to each other in terms of quality. By taking a hard look at the landscape as it exists now, we can already see harbingers of a possible future where MLS and the EPL are equal footing from a quality perspective. 

Here are eight signs the quality of MLS play could rival the English Premier League in 20 years. 

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Retooling time for Galaxy

With a two-week break in between matches, the Los Angeles Galaxy decided to make the most of their break by getting some much-needed rest.

"It's tough way to start the year, now we get a little reprieve to catch our breath a little," Galaxy captain Landon Donovan told MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno.

Los Angeles's next match is on Saturday, Mar. 31 against the New England Revolution.

"The two-week break that we have now is big for the whole team, to be honest," Galaxy midfielder David Beckham added. "It's been a tough 10 days, two weeks and the last few games that we've had, so it'll be good to be a break."

Game on between Spurs and Galaxy

Meanwhile, the Galaxy's first major international club friendly was announced today.

Los Angeles will take on Harry Redknapp's Tottenham Hotspur on July 24 at the Home Depot Center. Kickoff is scheduled for July 24 at 7:30 p.m. Television coverage is to be announced.

Tottenham Hotspur are currently enjoying one of their finest seasons in recent history, sitting in fourth place in the Premier League with a 16-7-6 record for 54 points.

If Spurs can hold onto that position through the end of the season or move up into the top three, they would qualify for the UEFA Champions League for just the second time in club history after reaching the quarterfinals of the competition in 2010-11.

"Tottenham Hotspur are one of the top clubs in the world and are enjoying a fantastic season in the Premier League," said Galaxy Chief Operating Officer Chris McGowan. "This is sure to be one of the biggest sporting events of the summer here in Southern California and we are excited to be able to share this with Pechanga as our presenting sponsor and soccer fans everywhere."

Now these boys can finish

Back at the Victoria Street proving grounds, Galaxy manager Bruce Arena had rave reviews about the club rediscovering its ability to do one essential thing, and that is to finish their chances.

"I think we’ve played well this year," Arena told the press. "We’ve just missed a couple of key plays. It’s a fine line, but we generated a lot of chances in the four official games we have played this year."

The inability for the Galaxy to finish against Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC proved costly. It took them their third home match of the year against D.C. United to finally put the pieces together.

Michael Stephens, the budding Olympian

As for Michael Stephens, there is one thing on his mind this year, and that is Olympic gold. Stephens sacrioficed playing time with the Los Angeles Galaxy to help the USA qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

“It is tough, obviously,” Stephens recently told Luis Bueno. “It hurts my standing here a little bit. But I think it’s just overall a great honor and something that I don't think that anyone will ever pass up. It’s really exciting for me and a big time for me.”

Key players on the USA Under-23s include Freddy Adu, Brek Shea, Joe Benny Corona and Mix Diskerud.

“Throughout the camps, most of the time I've been used as a sub,” Stephens said, "but obviously, I'll be ready for any minutes that come my way and I'll be ready to go for them."

The USA takes on Cuba this Thursday, Canada on Saturday and El Salvador on Monday in CONCACAF action.

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You have to love the current state of the sport in the U.S. when there are three consecutive days of Major League Soccer action.

There are many matches this weekend worth watching, starting with Houston visiting Seattle Friday evening on NBC Universal Sports, and ending with FC Dallas at Sporting Kansas City on Galavision.

However, this isn't about breaking down teams, but rather the players than can be influential in the end result for some of the teams in action.

So here are my six guys I will be taking a closer look at this weekend, and why you should too. 

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Toronto FC has failed to make the playoffs in its first five seasons in MLS.  While the south end of BMO Field continues to be a loud, boisterous sea of red, the fanbase that is scattered around the rest of the stadium is becoming a bit more fickle.

With 47,658 fans packing the Rogers Centre for a Champions League quarterfinal match, you may think that support for TFC is as strong as ever, but looks can be deceiving. 

A telling tale is that I have been on a waiting list for season seats since the inaugural season, and for the first time ever I had season seats offered to me.

You also have to take into account the opponent they faced at Rogers Centre, the Los Angeles Galaxy, whose star power (Beckham, Keane and Donovan) is likely responsible for filling half of the seats that night.  What are the chances they sell 47,658 seats for the semifinal first leg against Santos Laguna? 

Torsten Frings brings an element of credibility to the team, and his skill and workman-like approach has quickly made him a fan favourite in Toronto.  However, the team still needs a true soccer star for the fans to get behind.

While hard work and determination pull at the hearts of the fans, it's skill, offensive brilliance and goals that captivate the mind.  For the past two decades, Alessandro Del Piero has been doing just that.

I will admit I am not overly familiar with the rules regarding designated players in MLS, but to borrow a basketball analogy, TFC needs to put on a full court press to bring Del Piero to Toronto.

While he and all other stars crossing the Atlantic to play in the MLS will always gravitate to the big markets of LA and New York, Toronto could still make a few strong selling points to the Italian striker.

He is Looking to Move Abroad

Del Piero's contract ends at the end of this season, and speculation is that he is looking outside of Europe for employment, specifically China, Japan, the United States or the Middle East.  While Canada does not figure in, we may be close enough to peak his interest, and he would still get to visit LA and New York at least once per year.

This is Your City

New York and LA boast their own soccer stars (Henry and Beckham, respectively), as well as a variety of stars in basketball (Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul), baseball (Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Matt Kemp) and football (Eli Manning).

Toronto, on the other hand, is devoid of any major sports stars.  Del Piero would easily be the No. 1 star in the city.

Home Away From Home

While the history, architecture and food won't compare to back home, Toronto has one of the largest Italian populations outside of Italy in the world.  Just take a trip into Little Italy during this summer's Euro 2012 tournament, and you will witness the passion for soccer on display.

He could also ask the Raptors' best player and fellow Italian, Andrea Bargnani, how well the fans and citizens of Toronto have treated him over the years. 

Show Me the Money

Toronto FC will need to pay a hefty price to land Del Piero, with other teams vying for his services, but is it not an investment worth making?  You would think jersey sales alone would bring back a return on investment.

When a player like Julian de Guzman makes a shade under $1 million per season, is it out of line to offer the Juventus star an annual salary in the $4-6 million range?

It may be wishful thinking.  It may just be a pipe dream, but big-time soccer stars looking for work don't come around every year.  If you want to prove to the fans that you are serious about winning, then this is a move you have to make.

The Leafs and Raptors continue to disappoint, and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has taken a beating for the way they run their teams, from making poor decisions to being unable or perhaps unwilling to make risky moves.  Fans have become disenchanted with management and think that they are only looking out for their bottom line.

Success in sports is never guaranteed, and nobody knows this better than the fans.  All the fans demand of the players is that they go out there and put in their best efforts.  They just want them to try.  When it comes to bringing a star like Del Piero to BMO Field, they just want management to do one thing: try.

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Major League Soccer clubs Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers have announced they will be hosting La Liga's side Valencia FC in a pair of friendlies set in May.

The historic Spanish club will first travel to the Pacific Northwest to the intimidating confines of JELD-WEN Field to take on the Portland Timbers on May 23. 

Eight days later, on May 31, Houston will host Valencia in its new BBVA Compass Stadium, which is set to open May 12th.

The bout between Houston and Valencia will be part of the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup, which will be entering its fourth edition. 

“We are honored and privileged to be hosting such a prominent international soccer club in Valencia,” said Dynamo president Chris Canetti in a press release. “Their participation in this match helps bring major credibility to the tradition we are building in this event. We expect that the local soccer community will come out in strong support of this match, the first of its kind in our new stadium."

This announcement by Houston and Portland continues the tradition over the last few years of MLS squads welcoming European teams to the U.S. during the later Spring and Summer months for a string of friendly matches.

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Toronto FC, heading into it's sixth season this year, are looking to finally make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Considering the state of the team management over the past five years it's not surprising the team has yet to make the playoffs. In five full seasons, the team has hired six different coaches. With this revolving door at the coaching spot, the team has been subject to constant roster overhauls in order to fit the incoming coaches' preferred style of play.  

With some stability finally in place in the team's management, as well as a set system and a core of good young players, things are starting to look up for Toronto FC. The team has solid goaltending with Stefan Frei and Milos Kocic who fills in nicely as his understudy. Defence has been a constant concern for quite some time, however. The midfield showed promise with de Guzman, Silva, and (until his injury) club captain Torsten Frings. The team also had some quality options up front in Plata, Koevermans, as well as Johnson who got off to a great start.

However, the team still has a long way to go if they ever want to become MLS champions, something fans have been dreaming of since the team's inception. While the team currently has the maximum three designated players, there are some players the team could add to help this season. 

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MLS may have a new aging superstar join its ranks this summer if circulating reports are true. According to Goal.com, various media outlets and his own agent; Michael Ballack is looking to spend the last two years of his career in MLS.

This should come as no surprise considering Ballack’s age and his coming to the end of his Bayer Leverkusen contract.

It has also been reported that Adidas was pushing Ballack towards the move to help carry their brand in MLS. There are many factors working towards this move, but his landing spot is still very much the question.

According to Goal.com, the New York Red Bulls, Seattle Sounders, Philadelphia Union, Montreal Impact, and Chicago Fire have all been rumored to have interest in the former captain of the German National Team.

According to reports, the German midfielder wants to move to a team which can compete for the MLS Cup right now. He is also seeking a contract in the neighborhood of Thierry Henry and David Beckham in regards to monetary value. With this in mind, the chances of some interested parties become very slim.

The New York Red Bulls seem to be the most logical destination for Ballack. With Henry already in the fold, there is talent in New York, and they came into the season touted as an MLS Cup contender.

The monetary figure would be no issue with Red Bull management. New York also has history on its side when you consider Franz Beckenbauer once ruled the soccer kingdom in New York.

Following the Kaiser’s footsteps to play in New York would seem to be ideal, but it also has its drawbacks. There would inevitably be some comparisons to deal with between the current Red Bull squad and Beckenbauer’s Cosmos.

Ballack will come armed with enough expectations as it is. Ballack’s agent recently called out the Red Bulls for their apparent interest in Stephen Ireland. The comments made and with Ireland potentially being courted could spell the end of Ballack to NYRB before it starts.

Seattle is a team which checks off the competitive now box. Potentially helping the transition would be Seattle’s German-American coach Sigi Schmid. The tremendous support in Seattle would also make Ballack feel at home.

The problem is with Seattle already having three designated players on the books. To add another would require moving one or paying the additional $250,000 fee for another DP. Seattle also appears to be pretty settled in midfield, and it makes one wonder if his addition would really be a subtraction for the Sounders.

Philadelphia may have had a better chance in the Ballack sweepstakes if they had not moved so many key players from last year’s playoff squad.

While Philadelphia desperately needs a true face of the franchise, it is hard to see Ballack coming to a squad which boasts Freddy Adu as the most recognized player. This is not to take a shot at Adu, but early impressions from this season have not been good.

A run of good form from the team could help put them back into the race for Michael’s signature.

As a franchise in its inaugural season, Montreal would love to give their fans even more to cheer about. Putting up the funds and convincing Ballack to come to the Impact would send a statement to everyone regarding their intentions for this team.

The problem for Montreal is the competing for the MLS Cup. Montreal filled out their roster with some solid MLS-experienced players. They would be better off chasing a couple of DPs similar to Eric Hassli and Kris Boyd which they could bring into the fold for longer than two years.

A play for an aging big name is not needed since the crowds will come to see them play the first year or two regardless of the names.

If there is a dark horse in this race, it is the Chicago Fire. A move to Chicago may be the most intriguing option for Ballack.

With a large contingent of German population around Chicago, he would have a huge following from the get-go. Chicago is building a good nucleus, but lacks one or two pieces before they are legitimate contenders.

Ballack may be the key piece to getting them to that point. Chicago’s management are willing to put a good deal of cash for the right player. They have seen what a good DP choice can do for a team (Cuauhtemoc Blanco), and while Ballack is not as charismatic as Blanco, he does affect games in many ways.

There are other teams who may jump into the race in order to push themselves to the top. Until a decision is made, speculation will continue to swirl.

It would be nice to see Ballack in MLS, but it would also be nice to see a big name DP who was still in his prime. Perhaps MLS will get there eventually, but until then we will have to be happy that the Ballacks of the soccer world even consider MLS as a destination.

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