The Week 6 numbers look like this…

  5 year comparison
  Week 6 45 GP YTD
  Avg +/- GP Avg +/- Avg +/- GP
 2006   13,990     6   16,045     16,760     34 
 2007   14,450   3.29%   6   15,124   -5.74%   14,943   -10.84%   38 
 2008   15,769   9.12%   7   15,613   3.23%   16,909   13.16%   42 
 2009   15,873   0.66%   9   15,015   -3.83%   15,015   -11.21%   45 
 2010   15,552   -2.02%   8   16,818   12.01%   16,818   12.01%   45 
YTD – 45 Games
  Average Median %<10K %>20k
 2006    16,045     15,968    20.45%   20.45% 
 2007    15,124     14,173    13.33%   20.00% 
 2008    15,613     15,024    13.33%   28.89% 
 2009    15,015     14,051    15.56%   17.78% 
 2010    16,818     14,389    13.33%   24.44% 

Here are the attendance comparisons to 2009:

MLS Attendance – Equal # of Home Games
  2009 2010  
  Att Cap % Att Att +/- GP Cap % Cap
 Seattle  29,664   91.55%   36,113   21.74%   4   101.73%   35,500 
 Philadelphia NA NA  34,870  NA  1   91.76%   18,500 
 Toronto  20,282   92.28%   20,186   -0.47%   2   91.85%   21,978 
 LA Galaxy  19,761   73.19%   19,245   -2.61%   4   71.28%   27,000 
 N.Y./N.J. Red Bulls  10,424   41.38%   17,953   72.22%   3   71.27%   25,189 
 D.C. United  14,310   63.60%   17,053   19.17%   3   75.79%   22,500 
 Houston  16,297   72.43%   16,385   0.54%   4   72.82%   22,500 
 Real Salt Lake  11,800   45.52%   16,315   38.26%   2   84.36%   19,340 
 ChivasUSA  14,914   55.24%   15,213   2.00%   3   56.34%   27,000 
 Chicago  10,901   54.51%   14,937   37.03%   3   74.69%   20,000 
 Columbus Crew  11,076   55.38%   13,929   25.76%   2   69.65%   20,000 
 Colorado Rapids  12,033   66.53%   10,785   -10.37%   2   59.63%   18,086 
 NE Revolution  10,368   46.08%   10,332   -0.34%   3   45.92%   22,500 
 KC Wizards  9,231   88.88%   10,219   10.71%   3   98.40%   10,385 
 San Jose  9,743   27.80%   9,448   -3.02%   3   91.73%   10,300 
 FC Dallas  9,747   45.99%   9,028   -7.38%   3   42.60%   21,193 

My disclaimer about the capacity calculations

For my calculations, I’ve taken the 3 teams playing in Amercan football stadiums, DCU in RFK, Houston in Robertson and New England in Foxboro and assigned maximum capacities at 22,500. I took the 22,500 number from an approximate average of the soccer specific stadiums in use.

  • Philly’s first two home games will be at Lincoln Financial Field. The announced capacity for the Union was published as 38,000 and will be calculated as such.

    Observations

    Another Saturday with all teams playing. Starting on a warm day in DC, a disappointing crowd of under 12,100 after two very strong home attendances. A typically tiny crowd at New England. OK, tiny might be a tad strong, just over 10,000. A decent crowd in Houston, over 16,000. BTW, congrats to Houston getting a stadium. A slightly less than average turnout in Chicago, 13,200+. Don’t know if it was the weather, but Salt Lake only saw 12,600+. This for a team that are now unbeaten at home in its last 12 matches. San Jose had good weather, but didn’t fill Buck Shaw. LA drew under 15,500, the lowest attendance for the Galaxy since June 18, 2003. Up the coast in Seattle, meanwhile, the Sounders fell 22 short of their all-time high with well over 36,000 in the house. This was the first week that attendance was down on a week-to-week basis.

    Rookies are still making their marks. Zack Schilawski scored his 4th goal of the season. Jack McInerney scored his first pro goal as did Sammy Appiah of Houston.

    How do you spell top of the table? First in offense(1.67), first in defense(0.33). Meet the Galaxy.

    Week 7 seems to be one of those where the league is preparing for the 2 week layoff during the World Cup. There are 11 matches, 4 on Wednesday and 7 on Saturday. Playing twice this week are ChivasUSA, DCU, FCD, Houston, LA and the Revs.

    Streaking

    • FC Dallas have not lost at home in its last 11(7 wins).
    • Colorado has not lost at home in 7 straight.
    • TFC has not lost at home in 8 straight.
    • TFC is winless in 12 straight road games(3 draws). Note: This is a correction from last week.
    • RSL are unbeaten in their last 12 regular season home games.

    MLS Throw Ins

    • The Phildelphia Union have drawn first half red cards in 3 of their 5 matches.
    • There have been 9 draws compared to 15 in ’09 thru the first 45 matches.
    • There have been 24 clean sheets in the first 45 matches
    • Through 45 games: goal scoring is slightly down from 2009, 2.53 vs 2.62.
    • RSL has lost only twice in its last 32 home matches. They lost only once in ’08 and ’09, a feat matched by Houston.

    Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

    The MLS play-in matches for the Open have begun for the teams that did not finish in the top 6 in 2009. The next match will be played on May12. All times are ET. Seattle are the defending cup holders, and as such will compete in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League. Two teams will emerge from the group of Colorado, RSL, DCU, the Revs and RBNY to join the 6 that automatically qualified.

    • Colorado Rapids defeated the Kansas City Wizards 2-1.
    • Real Salt Lake beat the San Jose Earthquakes on PK’s 5-3 after playing to a 3-3 score.
    • New York Red Bulls downed Philadelphia 2-1.
    • DC United beat FC Dallas 4-2, the 2nd year in a row that DCU eliminates FCD.
    • New England Revolution at New York on Wednesday, May 12