Robbie Keane: "They used to want to be in Spain. Now they want to be here.''

On Sunday, possibly the most hyped-up game in MLS history took place as defending champion LA Galaxy dismantled New York City FC, which unsurprisingly played without superstar Frank Lampard.

The 5-1 final did not do justice as to what a mismatch this was, as Galaxy toyed with the East Coast club - which barely could get control of the ball for the last 20-25 minutes. It's typical with Galaxy matches when they hammer teams, afterward they talk about how great they are and for football in the United States.

League MVP Robbie Keane took it a step further Sunday when he suggested that MLS is one of the hottest leagues in the world and that players want to play there instead of Spain.

“It’s unbelievable, the hype this league has created in the last few years,” Keane told the Associated Press. “It’s getting bigger and bigger. People want to be here. People are calling me every week. This is the league that people want to be in. They used to want to be in Spain. Now they want to be here."

This set MLS fans abuzz with claims that the league will eventually become the world's best. Of course those people forget that certain MLS clubs are simply an embarrassment to the sports world and the cities they claim to hail from. 

What they also fail to understand is that there's a reason the league is attractive for big-name players - besides the big money they get. It's the fact that there is no pressure to succeed in the MLS, as Ives Galarcep pointed out in saying no coach has been fired yet. What sports coaching job do you know that is that secure? It speaks to the fact that soccer isn't serious business here as far as winning and losing.

Still it was nice to see some class players in MLS for one day in a match that was on TV in more than a reportedly 150 countries. As LA boss Bruce Arena said: "I do remember I coached in the opening game of this league in 1996, and we’ve come light years. Today was maybe a bit of recognition of the growth of the league, and certainly we have a long way to go, but we are certainly pleased to have these types of games today and obviously more in the future."