MLS released its 2014 information on players' salaries on Thursday, which includes a bevy of interesting tidbits, including just how handsomely Clint Dempsey is compensated by the Seattle Sounders. 

There is hardly a more shocking fact than the one tweeted out by ESPN's SportsCenter on Thursday, illustrating just how wide the chasm remains between the sport's haves and have-nots: 

Although, that is just a tad misleading, because MLS is most certainly growing. 

ESPN FC's full report cites a list released by MLS, listing the salaries of each of its athletes. The report reminds that the sport maintains three designated-player spots for each team that allow an organization to bring in top-tier talent that might warrant compensation that falls outside the salary cap. 

The most recent examples all fill the top of the 2014 heap: 

Toronto made a splash this offseason by bringing in U.S. national team midfielder Michael Bradley from Roma and England veteran Jermain Defoe from Tottenham Hotspur. The duo are the league's highest-paid players after Dempsey, with Bradley earning $6.5 million while Defoe pulls in $6.18 million.

It's important to note Bradley remains the top earner as it pertains to base salary, earning $6 million with Toronto FC—the discrepancy for which is due to, "bonuses for signing, marketing and agent’s fees," via Sports Illustrated. 

NESN's Marcus Kwesi O'Mard culled the same list and came up with the league's top earners according to their guaranteed compensation, which include the likes of Thierry Henry as well as three L.A. Galaxy players enjoying Southern California hospitality: 

Michael Bradley, Toronto FC — $6,500,000
Tim Cahill, New York Red Bulls — $3,625,000
Jermaine Defoe, Toronto FC — $6,180,000
Clint Dempsey, Seattle Sounders — $6,695,189
Marco Di Vaio, Montreal Impact — $2,600,000
Landon Donovan, L.A. Galaxy — $4,583,333.33
Omar Gonzalez, L.A. Galaxy — $1,250,000
Thierry Henry, New York Red Bulls — $4,350,000
Gilberto Junior, Toronto F.C. — $1,205,000
Robbie Keane, L.A. Galaxy — $4,500,000
Obafemi Martins, Seattle Sounders — $1,753,333.33
Pedro Morales, Vancouver Whitecaps — $1,410,900

Sports Illustrated's Liviu Bird brings a wealth of details from the newly acquired data, including a graph that shows just how salaries have risen in the MLS since 2007. 

A quick glimpse at the numbers shows that the sport—or, at the very least, how it compensates its athletes—has grown tremendously in the last seven years. 

In 2007, the average salary for players remained $103,715.18 with the median resting at $70,000. In 2014, those numbers are now $186,258.90 and $80,000 respectively. 

It's a sign of measured and consistent growth, raising the average salary for the majority of players while slowly bringing in marquee names for North American fans to enjoy. 

Bird writes: "A more indicative number is the median, which is up $5,000 from last season. The $80,000 median in 2014 is the highest the league has seen. While the average salary has trended decidedly upward since David Beckham joined the league in 2007, the median has stayed steady."

The numbers tell a story many fans already know: MLS is slowly building a foothold amid the national sports landscape. 

Forbes' Alex Morrell, in speaking with MLS founder/investor Clark Hunt last November, had this to offer:

Now, there are 19 teams – with another New York City team scheduled to launch in 2015 and one in Orlando in the works. And with Hunt selling his second soccer team, Columbus Crew, for an MLS record $68 million this July, ownership is as dispersed and valuable as ever. Average attendance has surged to 18,600, a more than 35% increase from the 2000 nadir of just over 13,700.

Now, this isn't to say that MLS has finally arrived, merely that it is slowly surging to make an impact across all fronts.

Awful Announcing's Matt Yoder notes there is still work to be done in the television ratings department, but there's optimism surrounding the sport's ticket sales: "It’s no secret that MLS’s ratings are well behind other areas of growth for the league. Its average attendance has beaten the NBA and NHL but ratings are well behind the EPL." (That citation seems to have originated from this Wikipedia entry.)

And so, an annual release from MLS and a small tweet from SportsCenter has us rolling once again, proclaiming that the MLS doesn't demand your attention, because it already has it. 

In relating to the popularity among American youth, Liverpool legend Steve Nicol states in the above video that "the explosion has been incredible."

At some point, it will be superfluous to report similar items with astonishment—if that time hasn't already come to pass. 

Dempsey, Bradley and the like are making handsome sums playing for MLS. Fans are making it all possible by enjoying the games, and the television ratings, one would hope, will follow in time. 

Of course, it will be a slow and measured growth, something MLS has taken great pride in employing. Success is measured in decades not years. 

In 2014, the top salaries in MLB remain comfortably above $20 million, and top base salaries in the NFL are just below that. 

There is no reason to think the MLS will approach that anytime soon, but it's no longer ridiculous to believe it cannot get there at some point in its distant future. 

Hit me up on Twitter: Follow @gabezal

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It looks as if superstar Mike Magee will be playing soccer in Chicago for quite some time.

NBC Sports Soccer’s official Twitter page alerted fans to the news regarding Magee’s contract status on Thursday:

The exact terms of the contract were not disclosed in the immediate aftermath of the signing, but it can be expected that he will receive a significant raise given his recent performance on the pitch.   

Magee won the 2013 MLS Most Valuable Player award after a season that saw him score 21 goals in 32 matches. He began his season playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy, where he scored six goals in the first 10 matches, but he was sent to Chicago in May in exchange for Robbie Rogers.

It was a move that clearly made him happy, which was evident in quotes he made, via Nicholas Mendola of Pro Soccer Talk:

“As a kid, I would have paid to play for the Chicago Fire, so as you can imagine, I’m beyond happy to have signed a new deal. My only goal with this team is to win an MLS Cup.”  

The extension comes at an interesting time because there was recent discussion about the possibility that Magee was holding out during training camp. However, Magee claimed that head coach Frank Yallop was allowing the superstar to miss time early in camp because of personal reasons.

Looking forward, it doesn’t really matter at this point whether the extension came as the result of a holdout or not. Chicago has its man in the defending MVP for the immediate future.

It will be interesting to see how Magee responds to the added pressure that comes with a pay raise. Throw that on top of that the fact that he will be looking to defend his MVP honors, and there is plenty to keep an eye on when the Fire take the field this year.

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Week 5 of play in Major League Soccer produced the third-highest goal total on a single day with 28. 

Thanks to the offensive outburst, plenty of players soared up the latest MLS player power rankings. 

Four of the top five players—and six of the top 10—after Week 5 played a part in a goal scored by their team this weekend. 

Continue reading to see which of those players ended up as the best player in the league after five weeks. 

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The fifth week of play in Major League Soccer saw a few shocking results and plenty of visually pleasing play. 

In a week where only one home team came out victorious, we saw a few rivalry games decided by the play of a few individuals and a team come together with their backs against the wall. 

The six rivalry games did produce some juicy storylines, but so did the other three matches played during Week 5.

Continue reading for the eight biggest takeaways from Week 5 in MLS. 

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Any week that witnesses an eight-goal thriller, a MLS Cup rematch and a few rivalry matches is bound to have some winners and losers.

That is exactly what Week 5 in Major League Soccer produced as the weekend began with a 4-4 draw in the Cascadia Cup and ended with a blowout in the SuperClasico.

Mixed in between were plenty of things that stood out in a good and bad way. 

Continue reading for the Week 5 winners and losers in MLS. 

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During the first rivalry week of the Major League Soccer season, the stars shined bright, while one unexpected star denied the defending MLS Cup champions of a home success. 

Outside of the marquee rivalry showdowns, a few players from Colorado starred north of the border and Toronto dominated in a match it was supposed to lose. 

Continue reading to see which players put on the greatest performances in Week 5 to earn a spot on the MLS Team of the Week. 

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The battle between turf and the New York Red Bulls will be the story to watch in MLS Week 5, but what additional storylines will complete your weekend preview?

In the coming slides, a majority of the nine matches scheduled for this week will be covered in great detail. Each match selected will be dissected from a unique angle to intensify your viewing pleasure.

So, what exactly warrants your attention in Week 5?

Read on to find out.

Note: Unless otherwise mentioned, credit all statistics to Squawka. All data collected is licensed from Opta Sports.

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In the above clip, Chivas USA defender Bobby Burling powers home a late header to win their MLS season opener against Chicago Fire.

The goal was especially poignant to Burling, as he dedicated it to his late friend, Tommy 'Tomcat' Phillips, who had died of a rare form of kidney cancer, aged just 28, two weeks before.

Burling planned to reveal a tribute t-shirt during the game at some point, but, having already been booked, he would have been sent off for doing so in celebration, so opted not to.

Instead, Burling will be auctioning off the t-shirt he had on, along with the Chivas jersey he wore in the match and the match ball, at a pub crawl to pay tribute to Phillips in May.

All monies raised will be added to an endowment set up in Phillips' name by his friends and relatives, which has already seen almost $60,000 donated to cancer research.

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Heading into Saturday night's Texas derby at BBVA Compass Stadium, the pressure will be on both the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas to prove that a hot start can turn into a big result early in the season.

Both sides got off to blazing starts in the month of March with 16 combined points earned from seven games played between the two sides.

Houston has been one of the most consistent franchises in the league over the last five years, and in its first two games, it proved that this year will be no different.

The Dynamo thrashed New England in Week 1 at home before beating Montreal the next week by a 1-0 score.

After a bye week, Dominic Kinnear's club faced a trip up to BC Place to take on Vancouver, a game which resulted in a 2-1 loss.

That result could have been much different had Houston put away another chance or two on the treacherous turf up in British Columbia.

FC Dallas has come out of the gates on fire for the second consecutive season, as the team is currently in pole position to win the Supporters' Shield.

New manager Oscar Pareja ignited his team with a spark in Week 1 against Montreal and it has not faded away in four weeks of play.

Wins over Chivas USA and Portland, as well as a draw on the road against Sporting Kansas City, have handed the team plenty of confidence heading into one of the most difficult stadiums in Major League Soccer to earn a point in.

The matchup between the two sides will see a team with a very creative and fluid attack go up against a gritty midfield that has a few playmakers as well.

FC Dallas' trio of Mauro Diaz, Fabian Castillo and Blas Perez has combined beautifully during the first four games of the season to produce some visually appealing soccer that any fan around the league would love to watch.

The trio has combined for six goals and one assist, with Diaz becoming the breakout star because of his creative abilities behind Perez in the attack.

Pareja has also received strong production in defense, as just five goals have been conceded by the back line led by center-back Matt Hedges.

Houston boasts some similarities to FC Dallas since it has an explosive forward on its roster in Will Bruin, who showed during the first two weeks of the season that he is out to prove a point in 2014.

While the output of Brad Davis and Boniek Garcia may be subtler than the flashy display of the FC Dallas midfielders, the pair is still able to provide Bruin and Giles Barnes with plenty of quality chances.

The most striking similarity between the two sides may be at the full-back position, as both teams contain a pair of defenders that are not afraid to move forward in attack, while having a strong defensive game at the same time.

Houston's Kofi Sarkodie and Corey Ashe will be household names in a year or two, while Jair Benitez and Kellyn Acosta are also eager to be mentioned by more players and fans across the league for their play.

The terrific defensive contributions from each back four has let the attack flow freely and not chase in desperation from behind.

Thanks to all of the impressive play in March from all the players on both teams, Saturday's clash will be a must-see match that could teach us a lot about how both clubs will do against the league's best in 2014.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. 

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Major League Soccer is in its 19th season, and the beautiful game has never been in stronger position in the USA. Last season, the average attendance was higher than the English Championship, and internationally renowned players such as Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane flourished.

The American top flight aspires to be among the world's biggest leagues by 2022, but in its current state, this seems like a very ambitious target. MLS still has a reputation of being a "retirement league" for pros in their autumn years, and the standard is unquestionably lower than Europe's elite divisions.

Here are five ways in which Major League Soccer might attract more big stars—and therefore get closer to reaching its 2022 target.  

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