After week 26 the numbers look like this…
| 5 year comparison | ||||||||
| WK 26 | 183 GP | YTD | ||||||
| Avg | +/- | GP | Avg | +/- | Avg | +/- | GP | |
| 2005 | 13,173 | 9 | 14,968 | 14,823 | 171 | |||
| 2006 | 15,419 | 17.05% | 7 | 15,310 | 2.29% | 15,014 | 1.29% | 174 |
| 2007 | 23,104 | 49.84% | 7 | 16,553 | 8.12% | 16,526 | 10.07% | 174 |
| 2008 | 16,948 | -26.64% | 6 | 16,417 | -0.82% | 16,875 | 2.11% | 174 |
| 2009 | 14,973 | -11.65% | 8 | 15,710 | -4.31% | 15,699 | -6.97% | 183 |
| YTD – 183 Games | ||||
| Average | Median | %<10K | %>20k | |
| 2005 | 14,968 | 12,494 | 28.57% | 17.03% |
| 2006 | 15,310 | 13,824 | 19.67% | 18.58% |
| 2007 | 16,553 | 15,033 | 8.74% | 27.32% |
| 2008 | 16,417 | 15,038 | 11.48% | 25.14% |
| 2009 | 15,710 | 14,516 | 15.85% | 19.13% |
Here are the attendance comparisons to 2008′s equal number of home games(183):
| MLS Attendance – Equal # of Home Games | |||||||
| 2008 | 2009 | ||||||
| Att | Cap | Att | Att +/- | GP | Cap | Cap | |
| Seattle | 0 | 0.00% | 30,587 | NA | 13 | 94.40% | 32,400 |
| Toronto | 20,110 | 91.50% | 20,324 | 1.07% | 13 | 92.47% | 21,978 |
| LA Galaxy | 25,761 | 95.41% | 19,912 | -22.71% | 12 | 73.75% | 27,000 |
| Real Salt Lake | 15,773 | 77.50% | 16,208 | 2.76% | 13 | 76.04% | 19,340 |
| Houston | 16,155 | 71.80% | 15,938 | -1.35% | 12 | 70.84% | 22,500 |
| ChivasUSA | 15,253 | 56.49% | 15,673 | 2.75% | 11 | 58.05% | 27,000 |
| D.C. United | 19,402 | 86.23% | 15,542 | -19.90% | 12 | 69.07% | 22,500 |
| San Jose | 14,917 | 90.48% | 15,137 | 1.48% | 12 | 77.31% | 10,300 |
| Chicago | 17,257 | 86.29% | 14,113 | -18.22% | 12 | 70.56% | 20,000 |
| Columbus Crew | 13,848 | 69.24% | 13,714 | -0.97% | 12 | 68.57% | 20,000 |
| NE Revolution | 17,751 | 78.89% | 13,221 | -25.52% | 12 | 58.76% | 22,500 |
| Colorado Rapids | 13,565 | 75.00% | 12,476 | -8.02% | 13 | 68.98% | 18,086 |
| N.Y./N.J. Red Bulls | 15,894 | 63.10% | 11,929 | -24.95% | 13 | 47.36% | 25,189 |
| KC Wizards | 11,118 | 107.06% | 10,010 | -9.97% | 11 | 96.39% | 10,385 |
| FC Dallas | 13,494 | 63.67% | 9,311 | -31.00% | 12 | 43.94% | 21,193 |
My disclaimer about the capacity calculations
Observations
Week 26 games drew 1X,XXX. DCU struggled to draw over 8,000 midweek, about half their season average, in another bonehead scheduled match. Starting just 20 minutes after the critical US/T&T contest, it’s no wonder. This match was rescheduled to make room for the Real Madrid friendly on August 9. But DCU and KC both played on Sep 5 and Sep 12, so moving the game to either Tuesday or Thursday would not have disadvantaged one over the other. Moving on. TFC just plain sells out and did so again for the Rapids visit. DC United and Seattle were at it again at RFK in front of over 19,500. They drew over 17,300 for the US Open Cup Final last week(Wed). RBNY were officially eliminated from the playoffs in front of just over 10,200. RSL upped its seasonal average with a turnout of over 17,600. LA’s defense imploded before a sub-par(for LA) 18,148, while Chivas USA took a hit on its YTD average with 11,334 for a noon start. The top of the table tilt at Crew Stadium pulled in
A great time of year. Every game had playoff implications, from the gaggle in the middle to KC holding on mathematically. Also the berth in the CONCACAF Champions League at stake for the winner of the Supporters’ Shield(best regular season record) as Columbus and Houston went head to head.
Player notes:
- San Jose will be without Darren Huckerby for the rest of the season. Huckerby had hip surgery this week.
- San Jose acquired defender Bobby Burling from Chivas USA.
- RBNY signs its first academy player.
- TFC signs its first designated player, Julian de Guzman.
-
DC United acquire Lawson Vaughn.
Week 26 Games DC United 1 DCU – Steve Goff – Soccer Insider Kansas City 0 Kansas City – Hillcrest Road Toronto 3 TFC Connected Colorado 2 Undercurrent RBNY 0 Red Bulls Reader Kansas City 1 Kansas City – Hillcrest Road DC United 1 DCU – Steve Goff – Soccer Insider Seattle 2 Seattle Times Real Salt Lake 1 RSL – Behind the Shield Chicago 1 Chicago Fire Confidential Los Angeles 3 LA – Official Blog FC Dallas 6 3rd Degree – Buzz Carrick Chivas USA 2 Chivas USA – MLSNet New England 0 Revolution Soccer Columbus 2 Columbus Dispatch – Crew XTra Houston 1 Soccer y Fútbol – Barnard Fallas
So How Are They Doing?Points after 183 Games Pts GP PPG GD H/A Columbus 42 24 1.75 10 2/4 Houston 40 26 1.54 8 3/1 Chicago 39 25 1.56 5 3/2 Los Angeles 38 25 1.52 2 3/2 Seattle 37 25 1.48 7 2/3 Colorado 36 24 1.50 8 3/3 DC United 36 26 1.38 1 3/1 Chivas USA 36 23 1.57 1 4/3 Real Salt Lake 34 25 1.36 8 2/3 Toronto FC 34 25 1.36 -3 2/3 New England 33 23 1.43 -4 3/4 Dallas 27 24 1.13 -1 3/3 Kansas City 27 24 1.13 -7 4/2 San Jose 20 22 0.91 -13 4/4 NY Red Bull 16 25 0.64 -22 2/3
Games in hand will be critical. New England’s loss to Chivas USA hurt, but with 3 games in hand over DCU may still have a good chance to make the playoffs. DCU, however, will play 3 of its last 4 at RFK. And all San Jose has to do is win out with games in hand on every other team. OK, so I made a funny. Columbus is poised to win the Supporters’ Shield with its 2 games in hand. Remaining games, home and away are in the last column.
Streaking - LA is unbeaten in 6 road games.
- Columbus(12 games) are unbeaten at home.
- FC Dallas has won 4 straight at home.
- RBNY and San Jose are winless on the road.
- Colorado has not won on the road in 5 straight(4 losses on the bounce).
- TFC has not lost home in 5 straight.
- RSL is unbeaten in 8 home games.
Just Some StuffThe CONCACAF Champions League group phase began last week. DC United, Houston and Columbus are representing MLS in the regional club championship. RBNY and Toronto FC were eliminated in the preliminaries.
After 2 group play matches in the CONCACAF Champions League Houston has 4 points, Columbus has 3 points, while DC United sit last in Group B with 0 points.
CONCACAF Champions League Sep 15-16 Sep 22-24 Group Game 3 Group Game 4 Houston plays Sep 15, 22 Columbus plays Sep 16, 23 DCU plays Sep 16, 24
USMNT/MLS Scheduling – FUBAR Once AgainOn October 10, when the US plays its penultimate WC qualifier in Honduras, MLS once again has matches scheduled. San Jose at TFC at 4pm ET, Columbus at New England at 7:30pm ET and the Wizards at Chivas USA at 10:30pm ET. The time of the US match has been tentatively set for 8pm ET. It may not matter, however, for as of this writing, the game will not be televised in the US. Yeah, unbelievable, I know, but the rights are held outside of the US and therefore are beyond the control of anyone in the US soccer or broadcasting world.
On October 14 the US Men play their final WC qualifer at 8pm ET. RBNY play Real Salt Lake in Utah at 10pm ET.
Young Guns Head to Egypt For The FIFA U-20 World Cup
MLS Players on the US U-20 roster include:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Josh Lambo (FC Dallas)
DEFENDERS (6): Kyle Davies (FC Dallas)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Danny Cruz (Houston Dynamo), Jorge Flores (Chivas USA), Gerson Mayén (Chivas USA)
FORWARDS (4): Peri Marosevic (FC Dallas), Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
The 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup runs from Sept. 24-Oct. 16 in Egypt. The U.S. will open against Germany on Sept. 26(10am ET) before facing Cameroon on Sept. 29(12:45pm ET) and rounding out group play against Korea Republic on Oct. 2(12:45pm ET).
FC Dallas will lose 4 players to the FIFA U-20 World Cup. During that time FCD has matches on Sep 26, 30, Oct 9 and Oct 17. It might not seem like much now, but if they make an improbable run for the playoffs, those matches will be the ones that determines if they make it for the first time in 3 years. Anthony Wallace was an original selection but has been replaced by Chivas USA’s Gerson Mayén due to injury.
FIFA U-20 World Cup TV Schedule
how many showed up in dallas for the beckham/galaxy game?
9595 according to MLS:
http://web.mlsnet.com/schedule/scoreboard/season.jsp?team=t104
my bad, I thought 6-3 game was in dallas.
Mitch,
No worries.
In case you missed it, you can see some numbers I posted on the Beckham road show …
click here