It is that time of year again that so many footballers dread. No, not the wait to find out if they'll get any votes at the Player of the Year ceremonies. Pre-season training is just coming a close over here in America as we get ready for our first game of the new season on Friday.

I am maybe exaggerating a little when I say that players dread pre-season training but everyone knows that it’s the time when footballers are put through an intense training schedule in preparation for the upcoming campaign. 

Pre-season in America is different from the way it is back in the UK. To begin with, training in the States takes place in the winter and it lasts for nine weeks. Back home, pre-season lasts for five or six weeks and happens in July. I mentioned in my first blog that when I arrived in Denver last summer, the weather was hard to adjust to and, in the same sense, winter training is as equally difficult. The only thing worse than pre-season training is pre-season training in the cold!

We started back around mid-January and, although most of the players returned fit, we had to go through a tough programme. With below freezing temperatures and double sessions on a plastic turf, it wasn’t long before the adverse effects took their toll on the body. 

Our training programme was developed by Gary Smith, the head coach, along with our new strength and conditioning coach, John Ireland, who is in fact a fellow Scot. With the introduction of another Scotsman to the group, the overall intelligence of the squad increased drastically but, more importantly, the programme allowed the players plenty of recovery which, in turn, enabled us to attain a very good level of fitness.

Included in the programme was some boxing training which was great. Tony Taylor is a professional boxing coach who runs a gym in London and is very good friends with Gary. It is a different type of training which increases the heart rate rapidly, yet it is all upper body work, so the legs have time to recover. The players all responded really well to Tony as he is a character and, for me, it was great to try different methods of training.

After that we had six days in the Arizona sunshine which was pleasant and a welcome break from the blizzard conditions we've got here just now. While we were there we played three games against our fellow MLS teams, with each player playing 45 minutes in each. At that stage of pre-season, it's mostly about the players getting their fitness levels up and the results are not as important. That said, we did perform well in all three matches, drawing two and losing to LA Galaxy. 

After a week back in Denver, we then made the transatlantic crossing to London for a week of practice at the new Arsenal training ground. The complex is really astounding. It's so good in fact, that I am considering taking my family there for next years summer holiday!

Our first match in London was against Arsenal’s reserve team but really it was their youth team as most of the kids were 18 and 19. They only had one player born in the 80s and that was 1989, which made me feel old. 

We won the match 1-0 but the way in which these young kids played was amazing. Every one was fast, strong and very fit. But what was most impressive was the way they passed the ball. They were all very comfortable in possession and weren’t scared to make mistakes. The game was a great test for our team and during the first half I felt tired but, as the second half got underway, I came more and more into the game.

Spending time training at such a place as Arsenal’s complex made me think of the differences between football in the UK compared to the MLS. I know it might seem unfair to draw comparisons with the MLS, and I guess most teams in world football against the global brand that is Arsenal FC, but surely it’s the level that every club wants to reach?

We attended the Arsenal v Porto Champions League match and, although the Arsenal display in beating the Portuguese champions 5-0 was quite amazing, my focus that night was on how I was reminded of what football is really about. The stadium was full of Londoners with red and white scarves, shouting on their team at every opportunity. The atmosphere in that wonderful stadium was so good and as we left afterwards, I could see some of my team-mates beaming at the delight of the experience.

Soccer in America is not like it is in the UK. In most other countries in the world, football is the number one sport and nothing can compete financially or from a supporters perspective. In the States however, American Football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey are the main sporting industries. They are all very well supported but what makes a huge difference is the way they are endorsed. They’re not only sports teams, they are business franchises with massive financial turnovers. Sport in America is big business and in such a financial climate it is difficult for soccer to compete.

I believe however that with the rich sporting history America has, together with the correct infrastructure, the MLS could potentially be one of the best football leagues in the world. All the key elements are in place and its just a matter of bringing them together to create what could be the next footballing superpower.

If America were to win the host bid for the 2018 World Cup, some big changes would have to be made in order that the tournament runs to its full potential. Advertising and marketing are huge factors in making an event like the World Cup successful and the MLS would also have to raise its standards in order for that success to be reached.

Another important point is the way in which American people approach sport. They embrace it with an enthusiasm and an energy and that is so encouraging to any athlete. Recently, I had a guy approach me on the training field asking which sport I played and when I told him, he proclaimed that he too was an athlete and that he played in the ‘Ultimate Frizbee’ league! Really?

Sport here is just so enjoyable and it is for all the family. When the weather is good, fans arrive at the stadium hours before the event. They open their car boots, trunks for my American readers, roll out the barbecues and chill the beers. The kids play together and the adults share food, beer and conversation with the family parked next to them and the experience is really relaxed and enjoyable. It's the way sport should be.

Surely all this is healthy for soccer in America? The prospect of America hosting the 2018 World Cup is exciting to say the least and can you imagine the future MLS playing home to some of the world’s greatest players. The levels to which the MLS could potentially reach are endless and I would really love to see how far they go. Lets hope that the US national team have a great World Cup campaign and that they open the eyes of the many Americans who don’t follow football. A good way to start would be to beat England in their first game!

Anyway back to myself briefly and with pre-season almost over for another year, I feel in the best shape I’ve been in for a long time. As a team, we’re looking fit and strong for the start of the new campaign against Chivas USA and I feel very excited for what lies ahead. With some fine tuning on my own game, I’ll be ready to hopefully have a great season. I hope you'll be following my progress and that I can encourage a few of you to become long-distance Rapids fans.

Jamie Smith contributes a regular blog for STV Sport on his experiences playing in America's Major League Soccer. If you have a question for Jamie, please feel free to leave a comment below.