West Texas got nearly five thousand fans for a midweek game last night! (The announced number was 4992.) That's more than most PDL teams can draw in an entire season.
http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2010/05/13/sports/top_stories/5-13_sockers-laredo.txt Daytime, school crowd. "Trauma Awareness Day." Hey, whatever works!
So, in the heart of Friday Night Lights country, they make a bunch of kids go to a soccer game and call it Trauma Awareness Day. Sounds about right.
Charlotte got 1152 Friday night http://www.uslsoccer.com/stats/2010/1570350.html Charleston with 4236 on Saturday http://www.uslsoccer.com/stats/2010/1570351.html Dayton Dutch lions with 2500 http://www.uslsoccer.com/stats/2010/1584496.html Carolina Dynamo 3243 http://www.uslsoccer.com/stats/2010/1584630.html Kitsap with 1700
I wasn't going to bring it up as it was their first match of the season and I was try and find out if there was a youth night or something. But regardless that is a great number for the Dynamo
The Dynamo stadium is great. One of the coolest stadiums in the entire PDL, I think really only Victoria's is better. I believe that is a sellout though. Where is my old USL stadiums thread? I need to bump it.
Do that and I'll add a pic of House Park from one of the recent games. BTW, I'm waiting on the Carolina attendance before I post. I'm not hopeful that I'll find one from Real Maryland's second game this week.
Here we go: US Division 2 Code: % of season completed 18.9% Year Average Median %<2K %>10k 2002 2344 1805 55.3% 2.1% 2003 2625 1474 60.0% 4.0% 2004 3674 3152 23.8% 2.4% 2005 3466 2934 25.8% 3.2% 2006 4035 3369 3.2% 0.0% 2007 3843 3641 19.4% 0.0% 2008 4323 4138 19.4% 6.5% 2009 4334 4078 22.6% 6.5% 2010 4650 2902 32.4% 14.7% Code: Final Numbers Year Average Median %<2K %>10k 2002 3037 2185 40.1% 3.6% 2003 3335 2463 42.9% 4.1% 2004 3878 3107 30.9% 4.5% 2005 4527 3554 19.6% 7.7% 2006 4666 3370 18.5% 10.7% 2007 4771 4274 19.6% 10.1% 2008 5164 4510 10.9% 12.1% 2009 4709 3662 21.2% 13.3% USL2/D3 Pro League Code: % of season completed 26.7% Year Average Median %<1K %>3k 2005 1649 1406 16.7% 12.5% 2006 1863 1498 12.5% 20.8% 2007 1750 1639 26.9% 11.5% 2008 1852 1828 19.2% 15.4% 2009 1513 1232 20.8% 0.0% 2010 1755 1216 37.5% 25.0% Code: Final Numbers Year Average Median %<1K %>3k 2005 1680 1457 21.4% 11.9% 2006 1803 1703 14.1% 11.8% 2007 1575 1423 28.1% 6.3% 2008 1614 1629 26.0% 7.3% 2009 1602 1518 31.8% 7.1% We're rapidly approaching 1/3 of the season complete for USL2, and things don't look any better. Charleston is keeping things from looking abysmal. But it doesn't help that Real Maryland has had the most home games. Things should start looking better as Harrisburg and Pittsburgh get going. As usual, it sure would be nice if Real Maryland was professional enough to report their attendances. On the USSF D2 side of things, it will be interesting to see what happens when Tampa and Puerto Rico have more home games. For now, while the average is kicking butt, the median is stuck in the cellar. It's nice to see Carolina pull an audience that's closer to last year's average. Three Wednesday games this week, in Rochester, Portland and Austin. Then Saturday in Vancouver, Baltimore, Miami and St. Louis. Depending on how Austin does Wednesday, we could see the median move up above 3k.
We had some of that, too, last night. A lot of the audience were kids that had had the Aztex players visit them for fitness events during the school year. But when I did my usual halftime walkabout, it seemed like the crowd (at least on the Lamar stand) was mostly adults. While I wasn't thrilled with the defending, it was nice to provide a goalfest for the record crowd. I heard that the far side stands were mostly sitting on their hands at the first goal, but by the last one were up at the railing, on their feet, yelling at the ref.
Here's hopin they come back for seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, etc. of a RAW goal feast, nix the opposition goals.
US Division 2 Code: % of season completed 22.8% Year Average Median %<2K %>10k 2002 2353 1805 54.4% 1.8% 2003 2785 1583 56.7% 3.3% 2004 3612 3014 25.5% 2.0% 2005 3493 2955 28.9% 2.6% 2006 4151 3470 2.6% 2.6% 2007 4037 3619 23.7% 5.3% 2008 4499 4215 18.9% 8.1% 2009 4319 3874 21.6% 8.1% 2010 4548 3402 31.7% 12.2% Code: Final Numbers Year Average Median %<2K %>10k 2002 3037 2185 40.1% 3.6% 2003 3335 2463 42.9% 4.1% 2004 3878 3107 30.9% 4.5% 2005 4527 3554 19.6% 7.7% 2006 4666 3370 18.5% 10.7% 2007 4771 4274 19.6% 10.1% 2008 5164 4510 10.9% 12.1% 2009 4709 3662 21.2% 13.3% USL2/D3 Pro League Code: % of season completed 33.3% Year Average Median %<1K %>3k 2005 1665 1416 16.7% 13.3% 2006 1854 1498 13.3% 20.0% 2007 1693 1608 24.2% 9.1% 2008 1805 1824 18.2% 12.1% 2009 1624 1346 23.3% 3.3% 2010 1636 1216 40.0% 20.0% Code: Final Numbers Year Average Median %<1K %>3k 2005 1680 1457 21.4% 11.9% 2006 1803 1703 14.1% 11.8% 2007 1575 1423 28.1% 6.3% 2008 1614 1629 26.0% 7.3% 2009 1602 1518 31.8% 7.1% Things are starting to look a little bit better in the D2, with the median finally pushed solidly above 3k. Who knows what's going to happen with St. Louis and Baltimore, but I'll cross that bridge if we come to it. The average is solidly ahead of every other season, but the <2k% shows us that there are still real problems. Hopefully, once Puerto Rico gets rolling, the summer tournament season gets going in Minnesota, Tampa Bay has a few more home games, and, hopefully, hopefully Miami keeps nudging upward everything will start looking better. Upcoming this round are weekday home games for Miami (ugh), Puerto Rico and Tampa Bay, and weekend home games for Rochester, Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Montreal. I expect the median and average to stay the same, but the 2k and 10k figures to improve. As to the USL2, not sure that there's much for me to say anymore. 1/3 of the season is done, and I think it's pretty clear. Pittsburgh disappointed, but Harrisburg helped. But when there's only one helping, it's not much help. And there's not much you can do when Maryland's only drawing 206 to their games -- worst attendance they've ever reported (emphasis on *reported*).
having been to 2 Real Maryland games, I can tell you that their numbers are definitely inflated some. I went to the 2 Richmond games. No way was there more then 300 at either one of them.