Fans flocking to summer MLS action
- by Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla, Jun 25, 2012
[MLS ATTENDANCE] Week 16 featured six midweek and nine weekend games that averaged nearly 20,000 as MLS stayed on track for a record-breaking season. For MLS
team attendance rankings ...
* On Wednesday night, Seattle drew a season-high 46,932 for a 1-1 tie with Kansas City.
* Also drawing big midweek crowds were Houston (21,423),
Vancouver (20,060) and Real Salt Lake (20,382). RSL was the one team that hosted two games in Week 16 and on Saturday drew 18,050.
* The New York Red Bulls drew their biggest crowd ever at
Red Bull Arena, which opened in 2010, when 25,187 came for their 3-2 win on Sunday over D.C. United.
* Montreal drew only 12,397 for its second game at renovated Saputo Stadium.
* The league-wide attendance after 146 games is 18,655, an increase of 6 percent from last year's average of 17,623 after Week 16.
* 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 16 Home Games | 2012 Home Average | 2011 Home Average (Final) |
| Chicago (13) | 17,144 | 14,756 | 14,273 |
| Chivas USA (15) | 10,376 | 13,291 | 14,830 |
| Colorado (12) | 13,080 | 14,892 | 14,838 |
| Columbus (16) | -- | 13,219 | 12,185 |
| D.C. United (14) | -- | 13,668 | 15,196 |
| FC Dallas (17) | 13,846 | 13,255 | 12,861 |
| Houston (4) | 21,423 | 21,916 | 17,694 |
| Kansas City (6) |
-- | 19,364 | 17,810 |
| Los Angeles (3) | 21,529 | 21,982 | 23,335 |
| Montreal (2) | 12,397 | 30,280 | -- |
| New England (18) | -- | 11,819 | 13,222 |
| New York (11) | 25,187 | 17,161 | 19,749 |
| Philadelphia (10) | 18,207 | 18,378 | 18,259 |
| Portland (5) | 20,438 | 20,438 | 18,827 |
| Real Salt Lake
(9) | 20,382; 18,050 | 18,648 | 17,591 |
| San Jose (19) | -- | 11,668 | 11,858 |
| Seattle (1) | 46,932 | 39,590 | 38,496 |
| Toronto FC (8) | 18,877 | 18,888 | 20,267 |
| Vancouver (7) | 20,060 | 19,123 | 20,406 |
| Leaguewide | 19,859 | 18,655 | 17,872 |
* Attendance figures, provided by MLS, reflect tickets sold and distributed.
I'm liking it...
Why are the home crowds for Chivas so terribly low? That makes no sense in Los Angeles. The Home Depot venue is a good one, right? It is ideal size for close viewing of the pitch. I would think that a Chivas side would have some very, very fine, strong support there. Who has insights on this? Please do share if you know. It would be very instructive to hear why Chivas cannot average at least 17-18,000 fans per home match. Thank you.
You might want to verify the reported attendance for Seattle as I don't believe the current configuration supports that many fans.
Being a Wednesday night, and from what I remember from being there, I believe that the attendance was 36,932 and that the reported attendance of 46,932 was a typographical error.
There will be matches that we pull in numbers like 46k and higher, like those included in the four-pack Chelsea package, but as a general, we should be in in the 38k to 39k range.
That wasn't a typo on the Sounders match... I was there. There was a section opened for Farmers or some other insurance company that usually isn't open; the announcers mentioned the extra attendance was due to the business and employees. It was packed... and LOUD, especially because the KC keeper (and the team in general) was wasting time. I was at Chelsea too, which was 52k or 53k, I don't recall the exact number.