[MLS ATTENDANCE] Seattle coach Sigi Schmid hailed his team's fans after a club record 66,452 came out to watch the Sounders beat Northwest
rival Portland, 3-0. For MLS team attendance rankings ...
* "This is what heaven must be like,” Schmid said emotionally. “In my imagination of heaven, this is it:
packed house, beating Portland by three, fans going crazy, it can’t get better than that. This has been the best thing that has happened to me in soccer and I’m thankful every day
I’m here." (video below)
* The crowd of 66,452 was the largest in Sounders club history and upped their 2012 average 43,755.
* The
Sounders, with two home games left, will set the MLS single-season attendance record for a fourth straight year:
2012 -- 43,755 (2 home games left);
2011 -- 38,496;
2010 -- 36,173;
2009 -- 30,897.
* The Sunday night crowd at CenturyLink Field ranks as the second-highest single-game attendance for a regular-season game in league history, trailing the attendance of
69,255 for the Los Angeles Galaxy's inaugural MLS game at the Rose Bowl on April 13, 1996.
* The league-wide average after 303 games is 18,655.
* MLS's highest season attendance averages were 17,872 in 2011 and 17,406 in its inaugural season of 1996.
MLS ATTENDANCE*
| Club (2012 Rank) | Week 31 Home Games | 2012 Home Average | 2011 Home Average (Final) |
| Chicago (12) | 16,375 | 16,183 | 14,273 |
| Chivas USA (19) | 13,009 | 13,153 | 14,830 |
| Colorado (13) | 15,281 | 15,157 | 14,838 |
| Columbus (14) | 13,566 | 14,318 | 12,185 |
| Dallas (15) | -- | 14,099 | 12,861 |
| D.C. United (17) | -- | 13,483 | 15,196 |
| Houston (4) | 21,178 | 20,916 | 17,694 |
| Kansas City (7) | -- | 19,403 | 17,810 |
| Los Angeles (3) | 27,000 | 22,895 | 23,335 |
| Montreal (2) | -- | 22,945 | -- |
| New England (18) | -- | 13,281 | 13,222 |
| New York (11) | 21,157 | 17,848 | 19,749 |
| Philadelphia (10) | 17,079 | 18,023 | 18,259 |
| Portland (5) | -- | 20,438 | 18,827 |
| Real Salt Lake (8) | -- | 18,998 | 17,591 |
| San Jose (16) | -- | 13,542 | 11,858 |
| Seattle (1) | 66,452 | 43,755 | 38,496 |
| Toronto FC (9) | 15,232 | 18,280 | 20,267 |
| Vancouver (6) | 17,777 | 19,380 | 20,406 |
| Leaguewide | 22,191 | 18,655 | 17,872 |
* Attendance figures, provided by MLS, reflect tickets
sold and distributed.
Schmid interview ...
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