A plus-20,000 week (Seattle leads the way)
- by Mike Woitalla @MikeWoitalla, Aug 21, 2012
[MLS ATTENDANCE] The Seattle Sounders drew more than 55,000 and nine other games had announced attendances of more than 17,000 as Week 24 games in MLS averaged
21,123, raising the league-wide season average to 18,828. For MLS team attendance rankings ...
* Seattle drew 55,718 for a 2-0 win over Northwest rival Vancouver. It was Seattle's third
50,000-plus crowd this season, all three of which ended in victories.
"It's a tremendous reflection of what Seattle is doing,” Sounders coach Sigi Schmid told MLSSoccer.com. “I told Adrian [Hanauer,
Sounders general manager] if he keeps getting more than 50,000 we'll keep winning because every league game over 50,000 we've won. So we don't mind if in the next game they want to open up some more
seats and get another 55,000 in there."
* Montreal and Real Salt Lake reported sellout crowds in Week 24.
* Toronto hosted two games and exceeded 18,000 in each.
*
Columbus drew 17,019 for a midweek clash with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Crew's 15,075 season average so far is a 24% increase of its 2011 average of 12,185.
* The league-wide average
after 233 games rose to 18,828, an 8% increase over the average of 17,428 after Week 24 in 2011.
* 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 24 Home Games | 2012 Home Average | 2011 Home Average (Final) |
| Chicago (12) | 17,495 | 15,724 | 14,273 |
| Chivas USA (18) | -- | 13,559 | 14,830 |
| Colorado (13) | 15,679 | 15,119 | 14,838 |
| Columbus (14) | 17,019 | 15,075 | 12,185 |
| Dallas (16) | -- | 13,935 | 12,861 |
| D.C. United (17) | 12,312 | 14,022 | 15,196 |
| Houston (4) | 20,567 | 21,088 | 17,694 |
| Kansas City (7) | -- | 19,382 | 17,810 |
| Los Angeles (3) | -- | 22,729 | 23,335 |
| Montreal (2) | 19,431 | 23,328 | -- |
| New England (19) | -- | 12,916 | 13,222 |
| New York (11) | 19,043 | 17,664 | 19,749 |
| Philadelphia (10) | -- | 18,418 | 18,259 |
| Portland (5) | -- | 20,438 | 18,827 |
| Real Salt Lake (9) | 20,281 | 18,794 | 17,591 |
| San Jose (15) | -- | 14,464 | 11,858 |
| Seattle (1) | 55,718 | 42,666 | 38,496 |
| Toronto FC (8) | 18,151; 18,773 | 18,993 | 20,267 |
| Vancouver (6) | 19,006 | 19,409 | 20,406 |
| Leaguewide | 21,123 | 18,828 | 17,872 |
* Attendance figures, provided by MLS, reflect tickets sold and distributed.
How did New York have over 19 thousand when the entire upper tier was empty? I've heard of no-shows but there's no way.
They all decided to go to Seattle!