Math has never been my strong suit, but there is one logic progression that has been spouted so often by so many people in soccer that it has become hard not to believe. A universal theory about American men’s soccer, such as it is, goes something like this:

The greater the number of Americans playing for European club teams, the greater the chances of success for the United States national team. The supposed corollary to that statement is, the greater the number of Americans playing in Major League Soccer, the lower the chances for the national team.

This line of thinking is not complex: One could make the same statement about, say, Italian players in the N.B.A. as opposed to Italy’s professional league. Clearly, it is better to play for the Milwaukee Bucks than for Granarolo Bologna. Ultimately, playing against the best competition on a consistent basis seems to be the best way for a given player to become better. In soccer, the European leagues are of higher quality than M.L.S. — it has been that way for a long time and it remains so.

But what, then, to make of the coming M.L.S. season? The league begins its 19th year Saturday. It has spent the past few weeks on a public-relations tour, sending top players to meet with reporters and spread the gospel about its increasing quality. The most interesting thing about these trips is not what is being said — athlete-speak is athlete-speak — but the number of star players M.L.S. was able to turn out to say it.