Entering its 21st season, MLS is now old enough to drink, even if some of its brightest prospects can only barely do so themselves. As the 2016 MLS preseason camps open Friday, the league’s old and young stars hope to continue the growth of MLS together.

“This league is not just a retirement league anymore,” Orlando City’s Kaka said at MLS Media Day on Tuesday. “It’s a bridge to go to Europe.”

Kaka, he of the three World Cup appearances and 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year distinction, chose MLS over other leagues to be part of building Orlando City FC from the beginning. The expansion side played its first season last year, finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference.

The former Brazilian captain turned into a mentor for 20-year-old rookie Cyle Larin, who was named MLS Rookie of the Year after being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.

“When I see these guys, I want to be like them,” Larin said of sharing the field against international stars like Kaka. “It motivates me to work harder and score more goals.”

Kaka said he can be quick to critique Larin on the field, but he does so because he sees so much potential for the young striker.

Fabian Castillo, a speedy 23-year-old forward for FC Dallas, said he would be content spending his entire career in MLS, knowing that the league is growing each year.

MLS could have another young star coming at the expense of the European leagues as U.S. under-23 national team member Jordan Morris reportedly declined signing with German club Werder Bremen. Morris was on trial with the Bundesliga club, but the team’s CEO Thomas Eichin announced on the team’s website that the 21-year-old forward “currently sees his future in America.”

Liga MX

The rapid growth of MLS, with the TV deals and new soccer-specific stadiums, is enough to lure some of the top names in the game. However, it proved to be a double-edged sword this offseason when some top players left for other leagues.

The Galaxy lost Omar Gonzalez and Juninho, two players who were critical to their three latest MLS Cups, to Liga MX teams. Gonzalez, whose contract could not fit under the Galaxy’s salary cap, transferred to Pachuca CF, while Juninho transferred to Club Tijuana.

Jorge Villafana joined Santos Laguna from the MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers while Luis Gil (Queretaro) and Luis Silva (Tigres UANL) both moved from Real Salt Lake.

The league added targeted allocation money (TAM) during the offseason to help clubs invest in their players more. Each team will receive $800,000 of additional TAM in 2016 and 2017.

Portland’s Diego Valeri said he believes the league should hold some responsibility in retaining good players, but admitted that sometimes, the decision is out of the league’s hands.

“You can give effort to maintain players, but sometimes, if a player wants to go, you can’t do anything,” Valeri said.

L.A. drama?

The Galaxy are expected to announce multiple new signings, including defender Ashley Cole, whose Roma contract was terminated Tuesday, and Jelle Van Damme, who recently posted a goodbye message to his Belgian club on social media.

The Galaxy’s two midseason international signings last year, Steven Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos, showed inconsistent results as it looked as if they never fully adjusted to MLS play and the team didn’t fully adjust to its new stars.

While Galaxy captain Robbie Keane did not specifically comment about any players possibly coming in, he downplayed the risk of locker room tension, no matter who joins the team.

“I’ll make sure they will (mesh),” Keane said. “It’s very simple. The dressing room, we’ve got experienced guys in there, myself, Stevie. If me and Stevie see things we don’t like, we change it and make sure that dressing room is a good environment.”