For Giorgio Chiellini, all it took was one eye-opening moment for him to realize just how big soccer has gotten in the United States. Shortly after arriving at LAFC in June, following 17 trophy-filled years with Juventus, the legendary Italian defender noticed several people staring at him on the streets of Los Angeles. It was a far cry from his previous experiences in the country.

"Before coming here [to MLS]," Chiellini explained to Susannah Collins and Jillian Sakovits on the latest episode of The Call Up, "less people recognized me. "Soccer is growing a lot. Not just Latins or Italians stopped [to look], but many Americans. This has changed over the last five years.