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 Stuff

    The 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 Again

    On 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