Say what you may about Major League Soccer. But one thing that’s true is there have been many remarkable players that have spent time in a league that has tried to claim its space in world soccer. 

From 16 years of MLS come the best 30 players in league history. Some players in this list are a given, while other payers might be a stretch.

Keep in mind that those in this list are players that have devoted their careers to this league, not just use it as a stepping stone to something larger (which I must say isn’t a bad thing necessarily). The players aren't really ranked in any particular order. 

Hopefully, I achieved my goal in compiling a list worthy of discussion. 

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Last season, Dwayne De Rosario (DC) and Chris Wondolowski (SJ) scored 16 goals apiece to share Major League Soccer's Golden Boot.

As the 2012 season prepares to kick off, we take a look at who has a chance to put up big numbers this year.  Can last year's leaders do it again?  Can a youngster step into the spotlight?  Will a new entrant to MLS make a statement?

Here are, in no particular order, the 10 players most likely to lift the award at season's end.

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A long, arduous, demanding season for Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy begins in Toronto, Ontario, Canada against Toronto FC in the first leg of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

The Galaxy, managed by Bruce Arena, finished Group A with a 4-2-0 record (12 points) good for first place due to the head-to-head with Morelia and Alajuelense. As for Toronto FC, managed by Aron Winter, they finished Group C with a 3-1-2 record (10 points), good enough for second place.

The winner of this home-and-home will take on either the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer or Santos Laguna of the Mexican Primera Division.

It is expected to be a sellout crowd, with over 45,000 tickets sold for the first leg. Kickoff is scheduled for March 7 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League and all things world football.

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After a long, busy offseason MLS First Kick week is finally back and ready to get the season started.

This winter featured a number of big moves and transfers that will give the league a completely new look in the next eight months. With so many great new additions, 2012 looks to be the most competitive and entertaining season in league history.

Want to know who is destined for a breakout season in MLS? Click through this slideshow for some preseason predictions.

Enjoy!

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And so it begins. The quest for glory begins for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy as they prepare for a season that is sure to provide excitement at home, on the road, and all points in between.

And the road begins, not with the first match of the MLS season...but with regional action.

The Galaxy take on the champions of Canada, Aron Winter's Toronto FC, at the Rogers Centre in front of a sellout crowd sure to wave their Red and White with pride.

Here are 10 bold predictions for Wednesday's first leg of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal Round.

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One down...up to four, maybe five, to go?

Well, it is safe to say, readers on the View from Victoria Street and Bleacher Report that the Los Angeles Galaxy will not end 2012 without at least one trophy to their name. Sure, it's only a preseason cup, but winning preseason hardware equals massive momentum, according to the mindset of this columnist.

And for Bruce Arena's Galaxy, they got it in the form of a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over the New England Revolution in the Desert Diamond Cup Final in Tucson, AZ.

The shootout came on the heels of what was an abysmal day of finishing. The player that is going to have to endure his share of misfortunes the worst: Jack McBean.

This young man had an embarrassment of chances on goal, and he was unable to finish. Now, it may only be his second year, but McBean has to get one on net if he expects to earn more minutes when the real business begins in a few days.

Also, Michael Stephens did not look sharp. The passing is not even USL Pro-worthy, and he is on the Galaxy's first team. I like to see Stephens work on his passing skills in the Reserve League, because he put on a subpar first-half effort on Saturday.

The upside: the kids. And they are all right, to quote the Offspring. Actually, in that song, they aren't, but that's a different story.

Rookies like Tommy Meyer and Bryan Gaul were in good form, executing the basic fundamentals while creating chances and stopping the Revs' offensive sequences. New England was lucky to have this game go to penalties, because if the Galaxy forwards had finished, the match would have degenerated to a mere formality by halftime.

But the ultimate revelation was Brian Perk. The young man knows how to make stops. That's why he is the backup goalkeeper behind incumbent netminder Josh Saunders. Benny Feilhaber knows how to make a bicycle kick pop, but he sure doesn't know how to convert a penalty when it matters.

Come to think of it, this is the second straight penalty shootout Los Angeles has won, going back to the decider against Melbourne Victory. Are the Galaxy suddenly making a habit of penalty shootouts?

If that's the case, rest assured, this Galaxy team will be able to convert penalties should the situation arise in the next aggregate series, the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal against Toronto FC.

The first leg is scheduled for Mar. 7 at Toronto's Rogers Centre. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel. A preview of this match will be posted this week on the View from Victoria Street and Bleacher Report.

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MLS instituted the Designated Player rule in 2007 to help gin up the offense and, as a result, interest in the league. Since it went into effect, all but one (Red Bull goalie Frank Rost) of the 41 designated players were either midfielders or forwards. 

Whether DPs have influenced fan interest is hard to determine, but there's no doubt the likes of Beckham, Marquez and Henry have boosted scoring in the league. It hasn't happened overnight. From 2008 to 2010, the numbers were pretty flat. DPs had a hand in about 15 percent of the league goals.

Last year, however, not only did the total number of league goals increase 34 percent over 2010, DPs either scored or assisted on 26 percent of them, a suggestion that MLS is also getting better quality players from abroad. Here's the chart: 

With Portland signing the Scottish Premier League's all-time scoring leader, Kris Boyd, plus the Galaxy getting Keane and Beckham back, resigning Edson Buddle and extending Juninho's loan, the impact of DPs on MLS offenses should continue to intensify in 2012. 

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This is Part 14 in a series of players who will play for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012.

One stint in Major League Soccer may not be enough. Sometimes a second stint will come after spending time in the lower leagues of football and reaching success at those levels. Then the big boys will come calling for you to give you another opportunity to shine.

Such is the case with goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, who earns a second opportunity to play in MLS, this time as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. Gaudette has enjoyed a career that has seen success in Puerto Rico and this season, he looks to improve on his skills as a netminder for MLS's glamor club.

Bill Gaudette was born on Sept. 14, 1981 in Hummelstown, Penn., a small town of 4,360 people outside of the state capital, Harrisburg.

At St. John's University, he led the Red Storm to a 43-13-12 record from 2001 through 2004 while playing for USL Premier Development League side Brooklyn Knights.

Gaudette was selected as the ninth overall draft pick by the Columbus Crew in the 2005 MLS Supplemental draft and was with the club through 2007. However, the lack of playing time forced Gaudette to consider playing at the lower leagues in order to get more minutes.

And that's when Colin Clarke, manager of the Puerto Rico Islanders, stepped in. In 2008, the Islanders acquired Gaudette, and the results were immense. That season, they won the Commisioner's Cup, given to the winner with the best regular season record in the old USL First Division.

Puerto Rico would go on to the USL First Division final, where they would lose to future MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps.

During the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League Gaudette established a reputation as one of the top shot-stoppers in the region. He made saves from all directions and using his athletic ability to pace Puerto Rico to the semifinals of the Championship Round, where they were eliminated by Cruz Azul 4-2 on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate scoreline.

Gaudette would also shine in the10-11 CONCACAF Champions League, primarily in the preliminary round against an opponent that would soon covet him: the Los Angeles Galaxy. Gaudette was unstoppable in the first leg, as Puerto Rico blew apart the G's 4-1. While they did drop the second leg 2-1, the result was more than enough to pace the Islanders to the Group Stage.

In 2010, the Islanders barely made the playoffs in the USSF Division 2 Pro League, but thanks to the clutch shot-stopping ability of Gaudette, they upset the Rochester Rhinos, Whitecaps and Carolina RailHawks en route to the title; the club's first major piece of silverware since winning the CFU Club Championship earlier in the year.

Gaudette would earn nine appearances as a member of the Montreal Impact before considering trying out for the Galaxy, who was in search of a third goalkeeper. After impressing the coaches during preseason, Gaudette was signed to a contract by the club he once vanquished in CONCACAF Champions League play.

To be the best, you have to beat the best. For Gaudette, the opportunity to now play with one of the top clubs in MLS is an honor brought on by hard work and sacrifice in the lower leagues. And now he has an opportunity to make the most of his second opportunity.

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The Los Angeles Galaxy will be playing in the 2012 Desert Diamond Cup final against the New England Revolution, but it is apparent that the MLS Eastern Conference is not the lesser of the two conferences many American soccer fans will conclude it to be.

Goals from Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry paced the Red Bulls to a redeeming 2-1 victory over the Galaxy in Tucson, but a consolation goal from Marcelo Sarvas was enough for LA to get another shot at defeating the New England Revolution in what has been an Eastern-dominated preseason tourney.

My opinion of this match is this: They are saving energy for the final. It is very clear that for the people who watched this on MLSSoccer.com, the Galaxy players were only doing enough to advance to the final.

I didn't see any sense of urgency from the team, but I did see some questionable play from Hector Jimenez. This player, who may only see time with the reserves, has not shined at all this tournament, and it has shown.

It's simple: Let Thierry Henry get his chance to score because his team will not be playing for silverware because we have Sarvas, and they don't. And Thierry is Thierry, and fans came to see this former Arsenal/Barcelona bookend anyway.

Adam Cristman's play on the ball also was poor. Looking at the bigger picture, the loss of Buddle and Donovan due to national team obligations and illness affected the team's performance. But for every dark spot, there is a bright, and that bright spot is Jack McBean.

The more time McBean gets, the better he plays, and McBean was involved in the Sarvas goal late in the second half. Let me tell you, the kid has talent and you will likely see this home-grown player shine in the U.S. Open Cup and any international club friendlies later this year.

Meanwhile, Sean Franklin's play on Wednesday was typical of the one-time Rookie of the Year, doing the little things right, justifying his place in the starting XI week in, week out. Juninho's rust is still showing but it is going to come off because it has to.

With a trophy to play for, expect the Galaxy to treat this match as if it was an MLS Cup final, or a aggregate knockout match in the CONCACAF Champions League, i.e. the upcoming home-and-home with Toronto FC.

Bigger and better trophies are up ahead, but a victory over the New England Revolution in the final will have significant momentum heading into March.

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Bill Gaudette in, Nick Noble out

Any trialist that impresses will get his chance to shine for the long haul. Such is the case with Bill Gaudette, who was signed by the Los Angeles Galaxy after performing well during the preseason.

In response, Nick Noble has been waived from the team.

Gaudette started his MLS career in 2005 with the Columbus Crew after being selected by the club in the first round of the MLS Supplemental Draft. Following a standout four-year career at St. John’s, Gaudette appeared in six games as a rookie in 2005, keeping a clean sheet and earning his first career win in a 1-0 win over Colorado on June 11.

Following the 2007 season, Gaudette signed with the Puerto Rico Islanders, who currently play in the North American Soccer League (NASL). He was instrumental in helping upset the club he now plays for, the Galaxy, in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round.

Gaudette played for the Montreal Impact last season in the NASL last year.

A special on Bill Gaudette will be posted as part of the This is the Los Angeles Galaxy series later this week.

Tough February for Landon Donovan

After leaving Everton with the flu, Landon Donovan has been diagnosed with bronchitis and will not be able to fly with the U.S. Men's National Team ahead of their friendly with Italy.

However, Edson Buddle will be flying with the team, while Donovan is recovering back home. Buddle is expected to return to Los Angeles following the match.

The USA upset Italy for the first time in their history, 1-0, in Genoa.

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