On Wednesday, Major League Soccer announced its intention to suspend play during the FIFA World Cup group phase in the 2010 season.

The league, which will grow to 16 teams for next season, will not schedule games during group phase June 11-25, and will also avoid scheduling games on the days of the World Cup semifinal and final matches.

“The decision to stop League play during the group phase of the 2010 FIFA World Cup is part of MLS’ commitment to deepen its connection with the millions of soccer fans in the United States and Canada,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “The World Cup will be a focal point for all MLS fans and several MLS players will compete with their national teams at the tournament.”

The move is an answer to critics who have previously challenged the league for continuing play during World Cup action. The pressure on the league has come from as high as FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

In fairness, the league is not in a situation where it would lose a many players to World Cup sides, however it would be the marquee names that would be lost.

But that’s not the point. World Cup is the game’s biggest stage, and it’s only fitting that all leagues and organizations stand down in that time to focus as much attention as possible on the main event.

The timing couldn’t be better for MLS to make this move. As with Germany in 2006, the South Africa World Cup is a relatively easy time zone for the US market to be able to keep up with the action (considerably better than Korea was, for example).

With MLS expanding and professional soccer growing in acceptance in America, a run by the U.S. side in World Cup could propel the league to even greater heights.

Here’s hoping the league takes advantage of the suspension to host some viewing parties and other World Cup centered events that help sell the game Stateside.