[MLS ATTENDANCE] The league remains on pace for its best attendance average ever. The 12 games in Week 29 games averaged 18,284 fans as Vancouver sold out its new home and two Wednesday night matches drew unusually big crowds. For MLS attendance rankings ...
* The Vancouver Whitecaps moved into renovated BC Place last weekend and drew a sellout 21,000 crowd -- the max for a soccer setup at the stadium with a 52,000 capacity for Canadian Football League games. The stadium at which the Whitecaps of the old NASL played in 1983 and 1984 was renovated at a cost of more than $500 million. The Caps, new to MLS this season, had been playing at Empire Field, where they'd been averaging just more than 20,000.
* Wednesday night games traditionally don't draw well, but 17,838 in Kansas City watched the home team down Columbus, 2-1, and Real Salt Lake drew 20,762, who saw visiting Chicago win, 3-0.
* On Saturday, the Los Angeles Galaxy sold out for the fifth time this season (a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake). On Sunday, also at the Home Depot Center, Chivas USA drew its third highest crowd of the season (16,134) for a 1-1 tie with Philly.
* New England enjoyed a crowd significantly higher than its average when 21,022 came for the Revs' 2-1 loss to Seattle on Saturday.
* Also improving on its average this season was Columbus, which beat D.C. United, 2-1, in front of 15,566 on Sunday.
* MLS's attendance average so far this season is 17,577. The 2010 season ended with a 16,037 league-wide attendance average.
* MLS's highest attendance came in its inaugural season of 1996 -- 17,406.
MLS ATTENDANCE:
| Club (2011 Rank) |
Week 29 Home Games |
2011 Home Average |
2010 Home Average (Final) |
| Chicago (14) |
-- |
14,137 |
15,814 |
| Chivas USA (13) |
16,134 |
14,373 | 14,576 |
| Colorado (12) |
13,920 | 14,749 | 13,329 |
| Columbus (18) |
15,566 | 12,185 |
14,642 |
| D.C. United (11) |
-- | 15,107 | 14,532 |
| FC Dallas (15) |
-- |
13,026 |
10,815 |
| Houston (10) |
17,544 | 16,924 | 17,310 |
| Kansas City (8) |
17,838 |
17,678 |
10,287 |
| Los Angeles (2) |
27,000 | 23,106 | 21,437 |
| New England (16) |
21,022 |
13,292 |
12,987 |
| New York (5) |
-- |
19,034 | 18,441 |
| Philadelphia (7) |
17,963 | 18,201 | 19,254 |
| Portland (6) |
-- |
18,733 | -- |
| Real Salt Lake (9) |
20,762 | 17,417 |
17,095 |
| San Jose (17) |
10,525 |
11,928 |
9,659 |
| Seattle (1) |
-- |
36,932 | 36,173 |
| Toronto FC (4) |
20,132 |
20,183 |
20,453 |
| Vancouver (3) |
21,000 |
20,608 | -- |
| Leaguewide |
18,284 | 17,577 | 16,037 |
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