A stretch of central Manhattan will be swamped by kilt-clad revellers a week on Sunday when New York's annual Tartan Day Parade brings a sentimental surge of ancestral pride to the Big Apple. If another reminder of the continuing influence of Scots in American life is needed, then the start of the new Major League Soccer season this weekend could not be better timed. There will be no plaid worn or pipes blown for the 11th incarnation of Stateside football's leading competition, yet it has a decidedly Tartan tinge.

Three of the 13 teams competing for this season's title are coached by Scots, including both of last year's finalists, who are again expected to be strong contenders. David Beckham may soon add an entirely new level of glamour and hype to the MLS, but much of its tactical expertise hails from further north in the UK.

Houston Dynamo are the reigning champions after defeating New England Revolution in a penalty shoot-out last November. For Steve Nicol, once of Ayr United, Liverpool and Scotland, it was a third final disappointment in five years with the Massachusetts club. For John Spencer, it was a glorious introduction to life in the dugout.

The ex-Rangers, Motherwell and Chelsea striker, capped 14 times, is assistant to Dominic Kinnear at Houston. The head coach shares his sidekick's Glaswegian heritage, having being born in the city before his parents emigrated to the US.

"It's just a brilliant time to be involved in the game over here," says Spencer, who was in Mexico last night for Houston's Concacaf champions meeting with Pachuca. "To me, the MLS is one of the most exciting and up-and-coming leagues anywhere in the world at the moment. There is a real sense of anticipation about the new season and I think the game now has a good foothold within American culture.

"I've just come into coaching last season, so to have the success and experience I did was fantastic. My last final as a player was a 4-0 defeat from Manchester United with Chelsea in the FA Cup. What happened in November was undoubtedly a much nicer experience."

Maurice Johnston completes the line-up of Scottish coaches. The man most famous for hurdling the Old Firm divide is now charged with leading Toronto FC to a successful start as an MLS franchise. Expanding into Canada is another landmark for the league and Johnston will hope for better fortune than his ill-starred spell with the New York Metrostars. He was sacked last June after the club became Red Bull New York when purchased for $100m by the Austrian energy drinks company.

The greater public expectation of success, though, lies way south of Toronto. Houston begin the defence of their title away to LA Galaxy on Sunday and Spencer is relishing the positive pressure of their situation.

"People look at us as again being one of the top couple of teams this season, probably ourselves and DC United," says Spencer, who first moved to America to play for Colorado Rapids in 2001. "LA Galaxy are also bound to be strong when Beckham joins up after the European season, while Stevie Nicol's teams can never be discounted.

"Houston only came into existence as a club last season after the franchise was moved from California, so to end the season as champions was a great achievement. Paul Dalglish came over from Scotland to join us for the last seven or eight games and did really well, giving us something different up front. The challenge for him is to repeat that now that people know about his strengths.

"Overall, the public reaction in Texas was very positive to what were doing. Our average attendance was around 18,000 and that's pretty good."

MLS organisers hope the Beckham factor will place more backsides on shiny plastic seats. The former England captain could potentially earn £128m over his five-year contract, which is co-funded by the LA Galaxy owners, Anschutz Entertainment Group, and the MLS. He is the most high-profile exponent of the recently introduced designated player rule, which allows clubs to break the previously strict salary cap.

Timothy J Leiweke, president of AEG, believes Beckham will earn his money by having "a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally." AEG also control Spencer's club, as well as Chicago Fire, but the 36-year-old Scot played down the notion of an influx of foreign superstars following in Beckham's wake.

"Designated players are only viable if there is a solid business plan to back them up,"

says Spencer. "Beckham will do so much commercially for AEG, LA Galaxy and the MLS.

"We are obviously close to the border with Mexico and players from that country would be attractive to us. If we could get the kid Giovanni Dos Santos from Barcelona then that would do it, because he could become one of the best in world over the next few years. But there ain't a lot of chance of Barca letting him go.

"The coverage was amazing here when Beckham signed, so it should be something else again when he turns up to play in July. He was on the breakfast TV programme Good Morning America and the importance of that is hard to explain to people outside the States. It just doesn't happen to a soccer player.

"The MLS couldn't have signed a more famous face to promote the game and I'm certain he'll do that superbly. To me, though, the most exciting thing is that he is still a great player."

Beckham won't have checked into his Hollywood lifestyle when Rangers visit LA Galaxy for a friendly match on May 23. He is, though, expected to be drafted into the MLS All-Star game against Celtic in Denver two months later.

The invite which was extended to the Parkhead club, who have spent several recent summers in brand-raising exercises across the Atlantic, is another aspect of the expanding Scottish influence on the MLS.

"I really enjoyed living in Colorado and the Celtic team will love it when they come over," says Spencer. "The All-Star game is a pretty big deal over here and I plan to get on a flight and go. Dominic Kinnear is a major Celtic fan, so he would have dragged me up there in any case."

Spencer and co may never have the Star Spangled Banner replaced with Flower of Scotland but their impact is being felt. Beckham will bring the glitz, the Scots supply the grit.

Familiar faces

  • Steve Nicol - Head coach, New England Revolution, former Ayr United, Liverpool and Scotland defender
  • Maurice Johnston - Head coach, Toronto FC, former Celtic, Rangers, Partick Thistle and Scotland striker
  • John Spencer - Assistant coach, Houston Dynamo, former forward for Rangers, Chelsea, Everton, Motherwell and Scotland
  • David Beckham - Midfielder, LA Galaxy, ex-England captain on £128m contract joins July 1
  • Paul Dalglish - Striker, Houston Dynamo, son of Kenny who played for both Livingston and Hibernian last season
  • Claudio Reyna - Midfielder, Red Bull New York, Ibrox favourite during Dick Advocaat's time, who was captain of the US national side
  • Ronald Waterreus - Goalkeeper, Red Bull New York, Dutchman who displaced Stefan Klos at Rangers
  • Carl Robinson - Midfielder, Toronto FC, current Welsh internationalist previously with Sunderland and Norwich
  • Steve Morrow - Head coach, FC Dallas, former Arsenal and Northern Ireland midfielder
  • Ronnie O'Brien - Midfielder, Toronto FC, winger once of Juventus, who had a loan spell with Dundee United
  • Shaka Hislop - Goalkeeper, FC Dallas, Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper with spells at Newcastle United, West Ham United and Portsmouth