Poor offense = poor attendance?

I disagree. I think that 95% of our attendance issue is the lack of advertising stemming from the Hunts taking money out of the Wizards.

The offense has been up and down, but in previous seasons we've had problems scoring and the attendance has been fine. I could be wrong, but most people who take the time to go to a soccer game know enough about soccer to realize that it's often low scoring. So they can't be too surprised when the Wizards aren't scoring 5 a game.
That said, we scored 3 last game and have had our share of offense this season. Last night was a poor example of the interest in soccer in KC due to many factors, but I don't think lack of scoring is very high on that list.

Want to see a rant about this subject?
https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=5386810&postcount=28

 

I must admit that without Preki next year I am reconsidering the season tickets we've had for nine years. The team just doesn't have anyone else of his caliber.

 

I respect your opinion, but I sure hope you change your mind about this. Just 6 months ago, I would have given my left arm for just the OPTION to renew my season tickets next year.

 

I think that doing that would be a big mistake. They can and will do fine without him. They have scored and won games before without him spending a single minute on the field. Your giving him to much credit. He plays okay now. Not like he did 15 years ago. He's definatley slower. Other players are amazing to. We have to start depending on others to get the job done.

 

I think the loss of Preki as a starter and Meola's exit from the team could be playing a larger role in the attendance drop than we think. After all, they were pretty much the biggest names on our team.

I think a major problem with the 2005 Wizards is not only the boring and uninspired play, but we have a rather "character-less" team. I always use the 2000 roster as a comparison, and on that team we had all kinds of names like Preki, Molnar, Henderson, and Meola who people recognized, and you knew at least one of those players was going to do something exciting every night. Right now there's no comparison. If I was a marginal soccer fan, I can't think of any of our players, with the exception of maybe Wolff or Klein, who could single-handedly make me want to come to the stadium.

 

Quick antecdote about the relationship offense and attendance:

I go to Mizzou but make at least 6-8 Wizards games a year, and I usually bring at least 2 or 3 college-aged beer-drinking sports-loving friends with me (the kind of people MLS really wants to start pulling in eventually). A lot of these friends now at least kind of keep tabs on the team - ask me how they are doing, if there's a big game to they can come to soon, etc.

This year, I brought a couple new (to the Wizards) guys with me, hoping to get them to at least moderately follow the team like many of my other friends now do. However, the two games I took them to were a 0-0 tie with DC United (one of the worst games I have ever witnessed) and a 2-0 loss to New England (at least we had chances in that one). Now neither of these guys wants to go back - two potential fans lost b/c the Wizards couldn't do anything exciting on offense. Both of these guys even noted that when I am watching 'foreign soccer' on TV (FSC), there's a lot of passing on the ground, but at the Wizards game it seemed we just kicked it as far as we could from the defense (they both even noticed: especially Burciaga).

So anyway, there's my story. Don't know if there are many people out there like this, but seeing a team get shut out and show no creativity the first two times you see them play is not going to win fans over.

 

I agree. It's not the lack of scoring, it's the lack of creativity and exciting play. Even seasoned soccer fans don't want to see a game that is played almost exclusively in the middle 1/3 of the field with a few balls to a target forward to flick on to get into the offensive 1/3. And, basically, that's what we get from the Wizards with rare exception.

The Wizards have no one, Preki excepted, that can make the killer pass or magical dribble that people come to see. It's pretty much a workman like team that plays uninspired soccer.

 

poor marketing budget = poor attendance

 

Well if I can throw the Colorado Rapids into the mix of this conversation ... year after year of uncreative unexciting soccer COMBINED with a drop in marketing (virtually zero) has made attendance continue to drop.

I think both arguments combined with the Wiz are probably correct (though I'm not sure what your marketing efforts are).

And to the guy that can't get those two people back to see a game ... I've lost all my friends from attending games over the course of three completely worthless years of Rapids games. I can't even GIVE them tickets for free to come.

 

The dc game was unbearable. A product of one team (dc) camping in their own half and the other not being able to do anything about it. KC's offense was the best in MLS for a large chunk of the season and has tailed off lately.

Why, you may ask?

Well among the many reasons are a lack of depth on KC's roster. Wolff and Zags disappear to the US Nats for WC Qualifyers and Gold Cup then also-rans replace them. This is backed up by KC Reserve's record of only beating Chivas this season. KC is near bottom of the Reserve standings with hardly any goal scored all season.

Davy Arnaud's spotty play is another reason. He has 3 goals and a whole host of easily spotable mistakes.

Sealy's work rate has improved of late, but will need to find a higher level to be meaningful in MLS.


Not all is horrible with KC's offense. KC is still finishing 31% of chances on net. This is well above MLS average and #2 behind only NE currently. What is lacking is the number of chances, especially lately. Preki, although not MVP caliber, did create things v CLB. He will continue to improve with minutes. Arnaud will put up numbers eventually. Klein is always dangerous. Sasha is having a typical year. Wolff will return. The very second Davy lights up, KC will pile up points. It starts in Denver Monday. COL is reeling, but is something like 8-1 on July 4th combined @ both Mile High's.


Direct to Christhestud: Your frinds were unlucky to see the dc debacle. Just mention that dc isn't a team worth of anyone's support. It's true. Then tell/beg/coherse/kidnap your friends to come back in the fall. 6 of the last 9 are at home and KC should have a full roster after WCQ's end. Meaning KC should be as well rested as can be, playing at home, on a roll, and clicking offensively with the best 11 possible. KC's offense will not suck late season. KC will also be defending the USOC Cup Championship they won last season.

You might also mention the Dallas road trip - they will enjoy it.

 

just like the one last night where he launched the ball 20 yards over the crossbar from only 8-9 yards out! that one made me sick.

 

We were scoring at home early in the year and attendance was dropping every game. We played a 3-3 draw, and attendance still decreased.

 

Note on the 3-3 draw: I was going to take those same two friends to that one instead of the later New England game but I ended up having to work a benefit... damn.

But good point, it seems that in the short-term results have very little to do with attendance, but perhaps if we established a trend of playing creative, attractive soccer over half a year or a year things would build...?

 

More like lack of effort IMO

 

lack of effort = poor marketing budget

 

If a marketing team is creative, they can get the word out on the cheap. Hope it gets better

 

What about if there isn't a marketing team?

 

Then KC & All of MLS might as well fold for incompitency.

 

what about the midfield support (specifically in reference to arnaud, since we're picking on him specifically)?

 

There is no marketing team. So there is no "effort."

It's all part of the Hunt Sports Group firesale.

 

Well then according to aartef KC and all of MLS must fold for incompetency.