This is the 17th season of MLS. The league is past what Bruce Arena once called "the Wild West years" but this is a significant moment for MLS - it was at this stage in its development that the NASL folded (in 1985). Speaking at his annual pre-season meeting with members of the press, the significance was not lost on Commissioner Don Garber. Asked if the memory of the failed NASL still haunted MLS, Garber was surprisingly frank in his answer:

"I don't think the ghost of NASL will ever leave the offices of Major League Soccer. It always seems to hang above the sport - and I think it will for the next number of years."

As Garber also alluded to in his comments, everything from the league structure to salary caps is a direct result of the lessons learnt from the sprawling NASL project, where teams engaged in a thrilling but short-lived arms race, paced by the Warner Bros plaything the New York Cosmos, before collapsing in short order. As a result, for better or worse, MLS could be called a conservative project, and the fact that it has reached this stage of its growth and still be expanding is a modest vindication of that policy. As Garber also put it:

"Our structure and our overall strategic system prevents it from growing too fast. You could argue that if Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo were playing in the league, the league would be perhaps more popular than it is today - but it would go bankrupt tomorrow."

Happily, when the NASL came up again in the conversation, it was in the context of that expansion: 5.4 million fans attended games last season, with the attendance record set by Seattle Sounders, whose 38,400 average attendance was bettered only by the 1978-80 Cosmos (in that unsustainable Pele/Beckenbauer/Chinaglia era). Assessing the league's potential competitiveness globally, Garber told one journalist that he still saw the project as being about "raising the overall water level for the sport in this country," but he became more expansive when he recalled his emotional reaction at Wednesday night's all-MLS CONCACAF Champions League quarter final. He described this alongside the experience of meeting various fan lobbies in cities like Seattle and Philadelphia, prior to them joining the league (alongside accounts of encounters with longstanding fan groups like Chicago's Section 8 and DC United's Screaming Eagles) - claiming the interest in the sport was "a bit like a tidal wave that's rising."

There are facts to bear this claim out. Earlier this week ESPN released the results of a poll that showed that among 12-24 year olds, soccer was the second most avidly followed sport after NFL. This is the demographic who grew up alongside MLS (some of them are amongst the first generation to come through its academies to join the league). The older fans too have watched a generation of players cycle through the nascent league, and if the MLS executive is understandably cautious about the ghost of business models past, the supporters' own culture and history is beginning to embrace the fact that they are part of a continuum that is here to stay.

Again, for better or worse, that continuum includes the Cosmos, who crop up every time Garber discusses the league's desire for the 20th MLS team to be based in New York. Garber was tight-lipped on this subject. A full-time search for a potential stadium site is underway in conjunction with the mayor's office; 19 sites have been looked at in the metropolitan area within the last 18 months. But as for conversations with prospective team owners, there have been no significant recent conversations with the Cosmos or any other group, as the focus is on finding a viable site for a stadium first, however long that takes. Pre-empting questions on the elephant (or Red Bull) in the room, Garber also insisted that the existing New York team were right behind the effort: "They believe it will create one of the great soccer rivalries in the world."

That's a rivalry for the future though. This year the Canadian rivalries intensify immediately with MLS newcomers Montreal travelling to the newly buoyant Vancouver Whitecaps on opening day, before returning to their home city for its first ever MLS game (more than 50,000 tickets are expected to be sold for that one). Don Garber will likely be there...

"Everytime I attend a big MLS event, I get emotional, because this league had so many challenges 7, 8, or 9 years ago, it would have been impossible to conceive that you'd have 40,000 plus people, on a weeknight, going absolutely nuts for two MLS teams."

This weekend's games

If you've not already done so, why not check out our team by team previews for the coming season then check back here for details of the opening weekend games.

Eastern Conference: the Guardian view

Eastern Conference: the fans' view

Western Conference: the Guardian view

Western Conference: the fans' view

After the success of Toronto's wild night against Los Angeles this Wednesday, in the all-MLS quarter final of the CONCACAF Champions League, the attention remains on Canada for the opening game of the season, as Vancouver Whitecaps (whose off-season rebuilding has seen them as many people's dark horse candidates in the West) welcome Montréal Impact for their first ever MLS game. Apart from being a Canadian battle, it's the battle of the draftees, as Darren Mattocks attempts to show Montréal what they missed in picking Andrew Wenger as number one Superdraft pick ahead of him. We'll have a match report of that historic game later on Saturday night.

Two repeats of MLS Cup wild card games are happening on opening weekend. On Saturday Colorado and Columbus reprise their end of season clash in what promises to be a battle of two physical midfields, and probably the most likely game where the two sides are likely to cancel each other out. On Sunday Dallas host New York, who eliminated them last season. We'll be running our first MLS regular season minute-by-minute liveblog of that game from around 2.30pm EST (half an hour before kick-off) on Sunday. We hope you'll join us on the day and tweet and email your comments during the game. That invitation is particularly extended to Red Bulls striker Luke Rodgers, whose visa approval process inched further forward in London yesterday - but who for now may have nothing better to do but tweet insults to me on Sunday afternoon about my clear Texan bias. My twitter account is @KidWeil, Luke.

The longest away trip of opening weekend belongs to New England, who must travel to San Jose, having drawn the short end of that particular stick in the new lopsided East-West schedule. New England have been in surprisingly good form pre-season and Kelyn Rowe has been a revelation, so don't be surprised if they pull off a result. The most eye-catching game of opening day though, will probably come elsewhere in California, at the Home Depot Center, where Los Angeles play Real Salt Lake in a reprise of their Western Conference final from last year. Los Angeles looked rusty against Toronto on Wednesday night (though a rough looking artificial turf didn't help) and RSL must be hoping they can push them that bit closer this time round (both teams beat the other at home during the 2011 season, for what it's worth).

A close second, in terms of neutral interest, might be the clash between D.C. United and Sporting Kansas City - the only divisional rivalry game taking place this weekend and an early chance to see whether DC can compete with last season's regular season conference winners, who have modestly strengthened for the new campaign. With the East seen as the weaker conference and the overall highest points winner in the league hosting the MLS Cup final, Sporting must be hoping they can host the ultimate game at Livestrong Park. Realizing that ambition starts by taking on a new look DC attack.

MLS cup finalists Houston kick off their campaign on Sunday, at Chivas USA, who have reportedly just confirmed a one year extension to Juan Pablo Angel's contract. Doubtless he and Brian Ching will find much in common to talk about as they trot into position for set pieces. It's the first of a seven-game road trip for Houston, as their stadium nears completion - Chivas USA won't have a better chance to knock them off their stride early and at the very least goalkeeper Dan Kennedy will make them work hard for anything they get.

Finally on Monday night, Portland and Philadelphia should be a great way to round off opening weekend. We'll be liveblogging that game too - probably with a brilliant pre-amble which I haven't thought of won't waste here. Kris Boyd scored the winner in Portland's last pre-season warm-up and it'll be interesting to see if he has found an effective level in MLS. Philadelphia meanwhile recently drew with Orlando City (whose ambitious and vociferous fans may have reminded the Sons of Ben of their own days lobbying Don Garber for a team...). It might take the Union a few games to settle and Portland's not a place to go when you're finding your feet.

If you're in the US and have cable access, all the games are available as part of MLS Direct Kick package which is running a free offer for opening weekend.

On this coming Monday, and each Monday afterwards, we'll try to work out just what we learned from the opening weekend's action - and as of next Friday we'll be previewing the weekends' forthcoming games with the help of our expert local commentators: the fans and writers who know their teams best.

Have your say below the line on this weekend's games and this season. And if there are any talking points that come up that Commissioner Garber addressed in his conference, I'll try to add any relevant statements up as we go.

Enjoy the season!