Sounders outdraw baseball's Mariners

• by Mike Woitalla  @MikeWoitalla, Sep 20, 2011

[MLS ATTENDANCE] Ten Week 27 games averaged 19,974, one of the best weekly averages this season, and the Portland Timbers squeezed even more fans than usual in its always soldout Jeld-Wen Field. For MLS attendance rankings ...

* The first-year Portland Timbers sold out at Jen-Weld Field for the 15th straight time and set a club record with 20,323 on hand for its 3-0 win over New England as it expanded its capacity to welcome an extra 1,700 fans.

* Seattle drew the biggest crowd of the week when 36,242 watched down D.C. United, 3-0. The Washington Post's Steven Goff pointed out the Sounders' crowd soundly exceeded the 22,159 turnout at the Seattle Mariners-Texas Rangers game at nearly the same time at nearby Safeco Field. The Sounders are averaging 36,932, the Mariners 23,596. (The Mariners, however, play more home games.)

* Real Salt Lake sold out for the third time this season, with 19,888 attending its 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City.

* The crowd in Dallas (17,019 vs. New York) was its third largest of the season.

* On Saturday, the Philadelphia Union hosted its third game in 10 days and drew 18,906 for its 1-0 win over Columbus. The Union drew 18,504 the previous weekend and 16,148 for a Wednesday evening game Sept. 7.

* MLS's attendance average so far this season is 17,553. 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.

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