I think the MLS needs a big change, you need a proper football league, not a layout similar to NFL, why would a American football fan watch a sport with the same league layout when they could just watch their own sport?
Introduce a proper 20 team league, have a secondary league which you can be relegated to and promoted from, create a better competition. That will bring audiences in, which in turn will create a better love for the sport.
Correct me if I'm wrong but the way I understand the MLS is that its split into western and eastern divisions, the top teams go on to verse each other in knockout games and the winner wins the MLS cup? If so this is what needs binning off. Save stuff like that for a league cup competition.
Do they still do drafts? Bin that off. Save that for other American sports. Bring in what the rest of the world do with football, have leagues, have something to aim for instead of just finishing first. The top 4 teams qualify for the north American champions league, bottom 3 get relegated.
Just my thoughts on it anyway, its probably been mentioned before but if the MLS insist on doing it differently to everyone else then I can only see that as a problem.