Crowd Count: MLS on verge of breaking attendance mark

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Oct 19, 2016

MLS heads into Decision Day with a good chance to break its league attendance record for a third year in a row.

The league averages 21,489 fans per game, below last year's record of 21,574, but the top six teams in average attendance are all at home on Sunday.  In addition, a crowd of more than 37,000 is expected in New England, double its current average. If the 10 home teams hit their season average, the league will surpass the 2015 mark.

MLS surpassed 20,000 fans a game for the first time in 2015 when it broke its attendance record for the fourth time in five years.

Nine teams enter the final weekend with an average of 20,000 or more fans. The Revs will become the 10th if they hit the 37,000 mark on Sunday against Montreal. They have not averaged 20,000 fans a game since 1997.

Montreal and the New York Red Bulls have replaced Real Salt Lake, San Jose and Houston among the league's elite with average attendance of 20,000-plus.

MLS Attendance:
YEAR AVG.
1996 - 17,406
1997 - 14,603
1998 - 14,312
1999 - 14,282
2000 - 13,756
2001 - 14,961
2002 - 15,821
2003 - 14,898
2004 - 15,559
2005 - 15,108
2006 - 15,504
2007 - 16,770
2008 - 16,460
2009 - 16,037
2010 - 16,675
2011 - 17,872
2012 - 18,807
2013 - 18,594
2014 - 19,147
2015 - 21.574
2016 - 21,489 (current)