MLS Commissioner Don Garber believes the Seattle Sounders were a complete success in just their first season in the competition.

The Sounders were a hit with the Seattle people, attracting record average attendances on their way to the MLS play-offs and the impact of the franchise was very positive for football in the US according to Garber.

"The launch of the Sounders will go down as one of the key moments in the history of this sport in this country,” Garber said in his State of the League address.

“The credibility that we have, the awareness that we have of the great success in Seattle -- on the field and off the field -- gives us something that we have never had before, and is a real indication as to what this sport can be in this country.

“That team was just plain relevant. People cared about it, from the governor to the mayor to the man on the street to those people who love the game.”

Garber hopes that established MLS clubs can follow in the footsteps of the Sounders.

“That's what we need: We need more relevance for our teams, and we now have a great case study,” he added.

“That was an important lesson to our clubs, particularly some of the clubs that have been around for a while and are struggling in their markets."