Is the MLS expanding next year?

Discussion in 'MLS: Expansion' started by ryankozlowski, Jul 12, 2005.

  1. Airblair

    Airblair Member

    Dec 8, 1999
    Redwood City
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Some quick back-of-the-envelope figures from your data:

    --take out Chivas' and RSL's crowds this year and MLS is averaging 14,106 fans per game for the other 10 teams so far.

    --according to www.kenn.com, last year through July the league had played 92 matches. They drew a total of 1,415,935 fans, for an average of 15,390 per game.

    --The Freddy Effect? Again, according to kenn.com, 5 of the 10 best crowds last year came when DC United was the visiting team. Take those 5 games out of the overall 2004 totals and you have 145 games that drew 2,176,627 fans, for an average of 15,011 fans. But that doesn't figure the full "Freddy Effect", you'd have to also subtract all the DCU road games, and I have work to do.
     
  2. Airblair

    Airblair Member

    Dec 8, 1999
    Redwood City
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, and re: Houston. Give 'em an expansion team for next year and promote the A-league winner for the other team, for just one year, and get another expansion team in 2007.
     
  3. caputobd

    caputobd New Member

    Aug 10, 2001
    Chicago, IL
    I hardly think that Chivas has helped to bump the numbers up a bit. 11,849 is over 2k below the league average. If you take out their inaugural match (18k+) and a "home game" against the Galaxy (21k), then you have an average of about 9,700. Pathetic for a team that was supposed to have such a GREAT following.

    Numbers are clearly down compared to last year in large part because of the Adu factor. I think it would be more fitting to compare the numbers to the 2003 season to find out if we have grown at all. Can someone pull those numbers since I don't know where to find them?
     
  4. Airblair

    Airblair Member

    Dec 8, 1999
    Redwood City
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  5. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    Of course it didn't end up diluting the talent, since none of the talent actually went to the two new teams.

    (I couldn't resist that one.)
     
  6. uclacarlos

    uclacarlos Member+

    Aug 10, 2003
    east coast
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    Spain
    Sooo, are you going to throw out every other team's home opener as well?

    And again, the Chivas-LA match was legitimately 80% Chivas fans. That's a legit # that they earned. Don't take it away from them.
     

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