The Week 13 numbers look like this…

5 year comparison
Week 13 101 GP YTD
Avg +/- GP Avg +/- Avg +/- GP
2006 13,440 9 14,768 14,924 81
2007 11,574 -13.88% 6 15,144 2.55% 15,059 0.90% 85
2008 17,594 52.01% 9 16,339 7.89% 17,285 14.78% 93
2009 16,634 -5.46% 8 15,024 -8.05% 15,082 -12.74% 100
2010 14,965 -10.03% 8 16,353 8.84% 16,353 8.42% 101
YTD – 101 Games
Average Median %<10K %>20k
2006 14,768 13,016 22.33% 15.53%
2007 15,144 14,203 11.88% 21.78%
2008 16,339 15,271 10.89% 25.74%
2009 15,024 14,225 15.84% 16.83%
2010 16,353 14,287 10.89% 21.78%

Here are the attendance comparisons to 2009:

MLS Attendance – Equal # of Home Games
2009 2010
Att Cap % Att Att +/- GP Cap % Cap
Seattle 29,364 90.63% 36,146 23.10% 8 101.82% 35,500
Philadelphia NA NA 26,221 NA 3 83.24% 18,500
Toronto 20,151 91.69% 20,249 0.49% 6 92.13% 21,978
LA Galaxy 19,228 71.21% 19,635 2.12% 6 72.72% 27,000
Houston 15,689 69.73% 16,318 4.01% 8 72.52% 22,500
N.Y./N.J. Red Bulls 10,966 43.54% 16,282 48.48% 7 64.64% 25,189
Real Salt Lake 15,840 74.65% 15,874 0.21% 7 82.08% 19,340
D.C. United 14,303 63.57% 14,734 3.01% 7 65.49% 22,500
ChivasUSA 14,833 54.94% 14,446 -2.61% 6 53.50% 27,000
Columbus Crew 12,417 62.08% 14,426 16.18% 6 72.13% 20,000
Chicago 11,726 58.63% 14,267 21.66% 6 71.33% 20,000
Colorado Rapids 12,211 67.52% 12,787 4.72% 5 70.70% 18,086
NE Revolution 13,242 58.85% 10,603 -19.93% 7 47.12% 22,500
FC Dallas 8,801 41.53% 10,448 18.70% 6 49.30% 21,193
KC Wizards 9,703 93.44% 9,966 2.70% 7 95.96% 10,385
San Jose 10,882 48.00% 9,384 -13.77% 6 91.11% 10,300

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 were played at Lincoln Financial Field. The announced capacity for the Union was published as 38,000 and will be calculated as such.
  • San Jose 4th match in 2009 was at Oakland Alameda Coliseum and drew over 15,800.

    Observations

    RSL opened the ‘second season’ with a turnout of over 16,000. Maybe it was because everyone was drained from the USA/Ghana game, but the Saturday games drew mediocre crowds. 15,300+ in Columbus, a non sellout in Toronto, 13,700+ in Houston, 14,100+ for Chivas USA. KC however had a sellout in the bandbox that is Community America Ballpark. As expected PPL Park in Chester, PA opened with a sellout+. The weekend ended with the Revs pulling in just over 12,300.

    Rookie Watch: Ike Opara and Steve Beitashour both had pretty decent games vs RSL. Danny Mwanga(PHL) capped a good game with a goal. Glad to see Nowak’s experiment of playing him in the midfield is over. Sorry, but can’t speak to other rookie performances. Was just too wiped out to watch MLS matches on Saturday.

    Week 13 Games
    Real Salt Lake 0 RSL – Behind the Shield
    San Jose 0 San Jose Center Line Soccer
    Columbus 2 Columbus Dispatch – Crew XTra
    DC United 0 DCU – Steve Goff – Soccer Insider
    Toronto 0 TFC Connected
    Los Angeles 0 LA – Official Blog
    Kansas City 0 Kansas City – Hillcrest Road
    RBNY 3 Red Bulls Reader
    Houston 2 Soccer y Fútbol – Jose de Jesus Ortiz
    Colorado 2 Undercurrent
    Chivas USA 1 Chicago Fire Confidential
    FC Dallas 2 3rd Degree – Buzz Carrick
    Philadelphia 3 Philadelphia Union Talk
    Seattle 1 Seattle Times
    New England 0 Revolution Soccer
    Chicago 1 Chicago Fire Confidential
    GP W D L GF GA GFA GAA PPG PTS GD
    Los Angeles 14 10 3 1 22 4 1.57 0.29 2.36 33 18
    Real Salt Lake 13 7 3 3 22 11 1.69 0.85 1.85 24 11
    Columbus 12 7 3 2 18 11 1.50 0.92 2.00 24 7
    NY Red Bull 13 8 0 5 17 16 1.31 1.23 1.85 24 1
    Colorado 12 6 3 3 15 11 1.25 0.92 1.75 21 4
    Dallas 12 4 6 2 15 12 1.25 1.00 1.50 18 3
    San Jose 12 5 3 4 15 14 1.25 1.17 1.50 18 1
    Toronto FC 12 5 3 4 15 14 1.25 1.17 1.50 18 1
    Chicago 12 4 5 3 17 16 1.42 1.33 1.42 17 1
    Houston 14 5 2 7 20 21 1.43 1.50 1.21 17 -1
    Seattle 14 4 3 7 15 20 1.07 1.43 1.07 15 -5
    Kansas City 12 3 3 6 11 16 0.92 1.33 1.00 12 -5
    New England 13 3 2 8 13 21 1.00 1.62 0.85 11 -8
    Chivas USA 13 3 1 9 14 20 1.08 1.54 0.77 10 -6
    Philadelphia 11 3 1 7 14 22 1.27 2.00 0.91 10 -8
    DC United 13 3 1 9 10 24 0.77 1.85 0.77 10 -14

    Streaking

    • TFC has not lost at home in 12 straight.
    • RSL are unbeaten in their last 8 regular season games.
    • RSL are unbeaten in their last 17 regular season home games.
    • Chivas USA has lost 6 straight.
    • Colorado are unbeaten in their last 5 games.
    • Dallas are unbeaten in their last 5 road games.
    • Toronto are unbeaten in their last 13 regular season home games(7 in ’09).

    MLS Throw Ins

    • There have been 21 draws compared to 36 in ’09 thru the first 101 matches.
    • There have been 65 clean sheets in the first 101 matches, counting scoreless draws as 2.
    • Through 101 games: goal scoring is down around 6% from 2009, 2.50 vs 2.66.
    • RSL has lost only twice in its last 36 home matches. They lost only once in ’08 and ’09, a feat matched by Houston.

    At the World Cup

    These are the MLS players that were at the World Cup. As of Friday May 28(15 days before the start of the tournament), each of the clubs received $1600 per day per player from FIFA until one day after the last game played by their respective teams at the World Cup.

    On WC Rosters
    Players Team $$$
    Buddle, Donovan LA $99,200
    Bornstein CHV $49,600
    Findley RSL $49,600
    Boyens RBNY $46,400
    Espinoza KC $48,000

    Getting Friendly

    Friendlies
    Opponents Venue Date Friendlies Att
    Colo Colo v FC Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton Alb Sun, June 20 Friendly 5,500
    El Salvador v DCU RFK Stadium, Washington, DC Sat, June 19 Friendly 10,240
    Puntarenas v RSL Rio Tinto Park, Sandy, UT Sat, June 19 Friendly 9,420
    CD Aguila v HOU Robertson Stadium, Houston, TX Sat, June 19 Friendly 11,843
    Cruzeiro v RBNY Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ Fri, June 18 Friendly 7,680
    total 44,683
    average 8,937

    Lamar Hunt US Open Cup

    The MLS play-in matches for the Open are complete. RBNY and DC United will join the top 6 league finishers in 2009 in the tourney proper. Seattle are the defending cup holders, and as such will compete in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League.

    3rd round schedule (All Times ET) June 29

    • 7 pm New York Red Bulls (MLS) v Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) Skyline Sports Complex; Harrisburg, PA.
    • 7:30pm Rochester Rhinos (USSF D-2) v Columbus Crew (MLS) Columbus Crew Stadium; Columbus, OH
    • 8:30pm Charleston Battery (USL-2) v Chicago Fire (MLS) Toyota Park; Bridgeview, IL
    • 8:30pm Miami FC (USSF D-2) v Houston Dynamo (MLS) Carl Lewis Track Stadium; Houston, TX
    • 10:30pm AC St. Louis (USSF D-2) v Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) The Home Depot Center; Carson, CA
    • 10:30pm Austin Aztex (USSF D-2) v Chivas USA (MLS) California State-Fullerton; Fullerton, CA

    June 30

    • 7:30pm Richmond Kickers (USL-2) v D.C. United (MLS) George Mason Stadium; Fairfax, VA
    • 10:30pm Seattle Sounders (MLS) v Portland Timbers (USSF D-2) PGE Park; Portland, OR

    The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup structure

    In case you were wondering, here is the World Cup schedule(June 11-July 11). Note that the latest start time(ET) is 2pm.