Not yet a teenager, the US top flight has already made giant strides toward the big time. As the 12th season of Major League Soccer kicks of this weekend, one of the biggest names in world football is expected to line up in southern California and Mexico's most enigmatic and combative creator will try to liven up the crowds in Chicago. The ever-growing league (currently 13 clubs) will also expand into Canada - as Toronto FC becomes the first side located geographically beyond US borders.

Join FIFA.com for a look ahead at what to expect from MLS's ground-breaking 12th year and how the two conferences are shaping up.

The best from the East
Four-time champions DC United will need to shake off the disappointment of  losing to Chivas of Guadalajara  in the semi-finals of the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier this week, and set their sights squarely on achieving on the domestic front. Continued stylish play from evergreen ace striker and captain  Jaime Moreno  and midfield wizard Christian Gomez could well be the keys to success in 2007. "We had a good season last year, but we were disappointed because we didn't hold up the Cup," head coach Tom Soehn - successor to Petr Nowak - said. "We're expecting to be very successful this year."

Freddy Adu, Alecko Eskandarian, Nick Rimando and Brandon Prideaux moved on in the off-season, making room at the capital club for Brazilian pair Luciano Emilio and Fred. Casali Yinka Casal has also been called in from Fulham to strengthen a side aiming to return to former glories after stumbling in the play-offs last season.

Chicago Fire - who reached the play-offs last season only to lose out to New England Revolution - swooped in to secure the services of Mexican  striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco , a move sure to get the large Mexican community in the Windy City out to Toyota Park in droves. "We're adding someone (Blanco) who can make the difference, the final pass, the final play," head coach Dave Sarachan said. "I think our guys will appreciate having him on the field…He's a special player, capable of making the kind of plays that determine matches."  Blanco will be joining up with young US international winger Justin Mapp and striker Chris Rolfe as the Fire - who won the MLS title in their inaugural season in 1998 - try to get hot again.

The New York Red Bulls made some massive investments in the off-season and will be banking on an old, familiar pair in US Soccer circles - new head coach Bruce Arena and former American captain Claudio Reyna, who is returning from over a decade of club football overseas in Europe. Now 33, Reyna will be expected to act as lieutenant to his old University of Virginia and national team coach to get the Red Bulls, who struggled last season, back into title contention. "There's a good balance of young players and experienced guys, it's a good mix. We are heading into the season with optimism,"  Reyna told FIFA.com . Looking to feed current US U-20 international Josmer Altidore up front and gel with enigmatic former US international Clint Mathis in the middle of the park, Reyna could well bring the good times back to his home-town team in his first club stint in his native land.

New England Revolution - the league's perennial nearly men - were pipped at the last in a penalty shoot-out in last year's MLS Cup by Houston Dynamo when victory looked all but assured. Fortunately it's no new feeling for former Liverpool great Steve Nicol's side, who lost a final in similar circumstances the year before, and before that (in 2002) reached the final only to lose out in extra time. This year, however, the Revs will have to do without talisman Clint Dempsey, who has moved on to the English Premiership and Fulham. The shake-up is bound to heap more pressure on midfield bastion  Shalrie Joseph  and striking aces Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan. "It is never fun losing, especially two years in a row, but that's in the past now and we have to focus on what we can do to try and get back there and find a victory," Noonan said. "Our goal is to win it this year."

Columbus Crew will be expected to struggle again in 2007. Led by head coach Sigi Schmid and with relatively few off-season pick-ups of note, the goal-scoring duties will fall on the shoulders of US U-20 striker Danny Szetela and Costa Rican international Andy Herron in Ohio. Similarly, Kansas City are hoping against hope for things to fall into place. Head Coach Curt Onolfo is expected to help turn things around and will be keen to steer the side into the play-offs after two barren years in the trot. Toronto FC - the league's new club branching into uncharted territory up in Canada - will have one of the best new stadia in MLS in their newly constructed  BMO field . Whether or not the likes of speed merchant Edson Buddle, Conor Casey and impressive Irish winger Ronnie O'Brien can spice up the new ground, where a heavy number of season tickets have already been snapped up, will be known soon enough. 

Go West, young men
There is no use talking about the upcoming MLS season without mentioning the arrival of one  David Beckham  to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid (after his contract with the Spanish giants runs out this summer). Set to earn on the order of 125,000 USD per week, Beckham will be the highest-profile foreign player to arrive on US shores since 'O Rei' Pele joined the New York Cosmos back in 1975. "A player like this can do nothing but raise awareness of the game in the States and that is good for our league," Landon Donovan remarked. Will egos clash when glamorous Becks and former golden-boy Donovan line up together at the Home Depot centre? We'll have to wait and see. 

Houston Dynamo are the league's defending champions and will be keen to keep the 'Orange Crush' grinding along. With massive fan support and  having reached the  semis of the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the side will be banking on the continued impressive play up top of Paul Dalglish, Brian Ching and Canadian Player of the Year for 2006,  Dwayne De Rosario , in the midfield. FC Dallas, Houston's Texan neighbours, will be looking to the assurance of Trinidadian former West Ham and Newcastle goalkeeper Shaka Hislop and the continued attacking excellence of Guatemalan goal machine Carlos 'El Pescadito' Ruiz. "I'm looking forward to the start of the season. I think we've had a good preseason and that things are starting to come together at just the right time. We are quietly optimistic," Hislop remarked.

Chivas USA - the American arm of the famous Guadalajara outfit - are looking to step up on recent improvements that saw them reach the play-offs in their second year after a disastrous inaugural season in 2005. With a new youthful squad and the experience of Ante Razov and former Mexico great Claudio Suarez, head coach and former MLS genius Preki (taking over for now-US coach Bob Bradley) will be hoping to start something good at LA's second side. Another expansion outfit - Real Salt Lake - are heading into their second season with high hopes for success in Mormon Country.  Teenage sensation Freddy Adu  will lead the charge after his arrival from DC United, and the goals of veteran striker Jason Kreis could tip the balance for the Utah side.