Latest attendance numbers for MLS, the NASL, USL Pro and the NWSL, through games of May 19:

• MLS should hit the 2 million mark in total attendance next Sunday, just slightly behind the pace set last year when the league drew six million fans for the first time ever.
• Chivas USA sits at an announced average of 8,059 after last night’s intimate gathering of 8,125 for its match against Real Salt Lake. I don’t know that the Goats can catch the all-time MLS low of 7,460 per game set by the Miami Fusion in 2000 or Dallas’ 7,906 at Dragon Stadium in 2003, but they’ll probably be only the fourth team in the last ten years to go sub-10k for the season (Dallas 2004, Kansas City 2005, San Jose 2010).
• Most NASL teams are up year-over-year, with only Edmonton (down 29%, but with a finally-expanded stadium available to them) and San Antonio down over the same number of home games from 2012. Just as happened in 2012, San Antonio’s numbers have gone down each game after their opener (though they’re now in a smaller stadium that they control, so they’re very likely better off financially).
• Missing attendance figures are prevalent in USL Pro, so what we can divine from the DIII numbers isn’t as robust as it might otherwise be. MLS’ Seattle Sounders, who are considering putting a future USL Pro team in a suburban location rather than align with an existing team, did draw 2,174 for their reserve team’s match with Orlando on Mother’s Day.
• Portland continues to set the pace in the National Women’s Soccer League, averaging 13,336 after three home matches (which would be the highest average for a women’s pro team since the WUSA’s Washington Freedom averaged 14,421 in 2001). Thanks to the Thorns, the NWSL’s current average (4,366) is ahead of the overall three-year WPS average (3,930), though three current teams are averaging below 2,000 a game. No WUSA team averaged under 4,249 for a season, and the WPS low for a season was magicJack’s 2,033 in 2011. Sky Blue FC’s announced crowd of 688 on May 8 is the smallest in the history of any of the three leagues, smaller than the announced 864 for a WPS match between Atlanta and magicJack on May 28, 2011 in Boca Raton, Florida.

Now that every professional (men’s and women’s) team in MLS, the NASL, USL Pro and the NWSL has had at least one home match, we can take a look at the attendance figures for each team in the various leagues through games of May 5. (As always, corrections are welcome.)

NOTES:

• MLS, which drew six million fans for the first time ever in 2012, is on pace to do slightly below that (if every team holds its average for the rest of the season), but at 17,272 and playing to about 83% capacity, its numbers are healthier than ever overall. There are still trouble spots (Chivas USA, obviously, but to a lesser extent, Colorado, Columbus and Chicago), but the bright spots are very, very bright.
• Starting the MLS season earlier than ever may be something they want to re-think (if it’s mathematically possible, given all the constraints). This year’s March average (17,803) was well off last year’s record 20,783 and below 2011 (19,225) and 2010 (17,992). The season began on March 2 this year, a week earlier than last year and almost two weeks earlier than the year before. I don’t know if there’s a strong correlation (I’d have to delve deeper into it) but those are the numbers. (Incidentally, the April numbers were right about in line with the last few years.)
• Things are looking up in the early going in the Division II North American Soccer League, with strong showings in Minnesota (though not quite as strong as they wanted), the newly-rebranded United FC is 25% ahead of the former Stars’ numbers from a year ago, when they opened at the Metrodome and then moved back outdoors. They’re playing all but one of their Spring Championship matches indoors this time around.
• In fact, every NASL team but Edmonton (where new stands are finally being constructed at Clarke Stadium) and San Antonio is up year-over-year and the league itself is up about 5%. (In the Scorpions’ case, they couldn’t match last year’s numbers no matter what, as their lovely new yard has a much smaller capacity than the high school football stadium the team played in last year.)
• Orlando continues to set the pace in USL Pro (though their MLS chances took a hit late last week). The Lions drew club regular-season records of 9,140 on April 19 and then 9,589 eight days later (and had bad weather kibosh what could have been a couple of other great crowds). While mainstays Charleston, Richmond and Wilmington will be fine, there are troubling signs in Los Angeles (as usual) and Tampa Bay, while Phoenix has lost half its audience (and its club president) in its first month of play.
• Incidentally, the league numbers you will see for USL Pro throughout this season will include the “crossover” games against MLS Reserve League teams. There have been three so far, with Salt Lake drawing a high of 8,263 for their game against Phoenix, Portland getting 1,803 for VSI Tampa Bay and Colorado getting 307 for Harrisburg’s visit. Without the MLS Reserves, the USL Pro average is 2,614 at the moment.
• The latest attempt at women’s pro soccer, the NWSL, is 14 games in and Portland, Washington and Kansas City have drawn healthy (in Portland’s case, super-healthy) crowds. Boston’s off its former league-leading pace, but the big disappointment was Seattle, which drew just 2,618 for its inaugural against Sky Blue FC Saturday night. The Sounders Women (a different club altogether) led the W-League in attendance last year thanks in part to a star-studded roster, but the Reign is finding the going a bit tougher so far. Saturday will be Western New York’s first Saturday home game with Abby Wambach in the lineup, so we’ll see what happens there.
• And, in case you’re wondering, the PDL season began over the weekend, with the Victoria Highlanders drawing 1,804 for their home opener, a 3-0 win over Kitsap. But LA Misioneros reported 100 for their match against Fresno and the awkwardly-named OC Blues Strikers FC (the former Pali Blues) drew 40 for its opener against Ventura County. The W-League season starts this weekend.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way up front, shall we? There is not currently, nor has there ever been, a full, traditional system of on-field-merit-based promotion and relegation in any American pro soccer endeavor that I’m aware of^[1].

With that said, the essence of promotion and relegation, the ability to move between levels of a nebulous pyramid, does exist, and has for more than a decade^[2]. But more than half of the clubs who have ever moved up to a higher level have struggled and, in many cases, either moved back down or folded altogether within four years. And you can hold up the successful second division organizations that have recently become successful first division organizations as examples of how it could work as long as you also understand that Seattle, Vancouver, Portland and Montreal had, on average, nearly two years to prepare for their first MLS seasons, and didn’t try to make the move over one off-season.

What follows is a list of teams that have moved up, down or both, between levels of the game in this country, since 1995 (I believe it’s comprehensive, but additions and corrections are, of course, always welcome):
(more…)

After a long hiatus (for a number of reasons), here are the final (in most cases) attendance figures for the primary men’s and women’s outdoor soccer leagues in North America for 2011. As always, corrections and additions are welcome. NOTE: I’ve just received more data and updated the USL Pro numbers. The PDL and W-League numbers I’ll update soon.

NOTES:

• MLS recorded its highest average attendance since the inaugural season of 1996 (17,872 to 17,406), up about 7% from 2010. Twelve of the 18 teams saw increases from last year (two – Vancouver and Portland, obviously couldn’t, they’re new), however slight in some cases. Kind of puts paid to all that kvetching about the schedule being late, doesn’t it? Anyway, Kansas City set a record by jumping 73% by moving into their new yard (but with only 5% of the league’s games, any one team can’t have a huge effect on the league number anymore). San Jose – thanks in part to a game at Stanford Stadium that drew 41,000+ – was up 23%, and were getting capacity (such as it is) crowds to Buck Shaw by year’s end. Still, they need a new yard. Dallas was up 19% and Colorado 11%, but Chicago (down 10%) and Columbus (down 17%) are concerns. Twelve of the league’s 18 teams (14 of 19 once Montreal officially starts and Houston moves into their new stadium in 2012) play in purpose-built stadiums and Seattle and Vancouver aren’t a concern for now. Portland will actually expand its capacity for next year. So San Jose, New England and DC United are the only real trouble spots as far as stadiums are concerned, and Gillette is only really a concern for Revs fans, not for Bob Kraft. Bottom line: anybody who tells you MLS has widespread attendance problems or that “nobody goes to MLS games” is full of it. The league isn’t going away.
• The NASL completed its season with no teams folding and no major drama (which is harder than you think in the second division). But its 3,770 average was the lowest for a second-division league since the 2003 A-League (which had 19 teams – 11 of whom are either dead or in MLS now). The relocation and re-branding of Miami FC into the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers resulted in a 200% increase in average attendance, but they are still only an average-drawing D2 team (hey, the folks in South Florida will take it…for now). Carolina – with the best team in the league and an experienced GM in Curt Johnson – was up 50%, but Montreal, with a terrible team in their D2 swan song, was off 7%. Minnesota – which won the playoffs – was up 22%, but they were starting from a very low level and still don’t have an owner. And Tampa Bay’s move across the Bay to St. Petersburg was a bad move when it was announced and a bad move when all was said and done (unless you like 22% attendance drops. Seriously, that would have to be some really big cost-savings to offset losing a quarter of your fans).
• USL Pro’s 2,147 average (even with the three Puerto Rico teams that had to be dropped a month into the season and who weren’t drawing at all) was the highest ever for a third-division league in the modern era (thank you, Orlando). But dropping a level may have been one cause for Rochester’s 20% decline in average announced attendance – the Rhinos went from 6,464 in the USSF D2 Pro League in 2010 to 5,139 in USL Pro in 2011. That doesn’t explain why Harrisburg (with a team that went to the final) dropped 16% (from 1,666 to 1,404), though the Islanders had horrific luck with weather early. Pittsburgh was up 20%, Charlotte up 12% and Orlando was up 45% over its numbers in Austin in 2010.
• WPS averaged 5,126 for 18 games post-Women’s World Cup. Which would be great if they could keep that up. It’s virtually impossible to think they will. Still, it was probably enough to convince a couple of investors to step up (supposedly there’s a Connecticut expansion team coming, but magicJack is out and Boston is looking for an owner) to fund a 2012 season. Atlanta was a bright spot (up 31% despite having the absolute worst team in the league and maybe ever), while the move from Washington to Boca Raton was disastrous on so many levels for the former Freedom (down 47%). But Dan Borislow ran his pro team like it was your daughter’s U14 travel team, only with your daughter trying to serve balls in to Abby Wambach. Sky Blue is a mystery (down 36%). Overall, the league was off about 2% from last year, thanks to the late surge. Still, it won’t matter unless there’s a serious change in how this league is perceived (or they stage a Women’s World Cup every year).
• Fresno led the PDL with 4,511 a game (I’m missing one of their attendance figures), but didn’t sell a ticket. The Fuego’s tickets were free to fans this year thanks to a sponsorship deal. Good for the fans, but I’m skeptical about the move. Sponsors come and go. When they can’t find one and have to go back to charging, what happens? It’ll be curious to see. I’m missing several games in the PDL (about 12%), but I don’t think it matters much. 500-550 a game is where this league is and is likely to be.
• Vancouver led the W-League with 1,258 per game (the only team to break four figures), but they’ve said they’re not interested in moving up to WPS (smart move). DC United Women was a success, drawing 803 per game in their first season. Wonder if we’ll see more MLS/W-League cooperation going forward.

This will be the last I’ll have to say on this subject – or any other – for a while. See y’all in 2012.

Seattle Sounders fans who traveled to Sandy, Utah for the first leg of the MLS quarterfinal tie between the Sounders and Real Salt Lake are either showing their disdain for their opponents or signifying the number of goals their team has now scored in five all-time MLS Cup Playoff games since 2009.

The Sounders go back home down 0-3 on aggregate, the biggest hole dug by any of the eight remaining playoff teams. Kansas City leads Colorado 2-0 after a win tonight, Los Angeles is up 1-0 after a scuffle-marred win over New York and Houston leads Philadelphia 2-1 after winning this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the NSC Minnesota Stars – a team without an owner, which was .500 and in sixth place in the league standings and averaged 1,600 fans per game during the regular season – won the North American Soccer League title 3-1 on aggregate with a 0-0 draw against the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers in the second leg of the finals Saturday night. Of course, they would be promoted to MLS and the Vancouver Whitecaps should be demoted, if the proles had their way. Never mind the whole “no owner, can’t draw, didn’t pay $40 million” thing.

Might be the last one for a while, but here’s the latest list of attendance figures for the prominent leagues (if a team’s not listed, either they haven’t had a home game yet or I have no figures for them).

All the leagues are up and running now, so here’s a look at where the crowds are going in the prominent soccer leagues in the US and Canada as of yesterday’s games:

Thanks to those of you who pointed out some typos and transpositions in last week’s tables. Here’s the latest offering, through games of yesterday:

NOTES:

• Now every team in the NASL has had at least one home game. The real surprise is Ft. Lauderdale, where, if they can keep up the type of boost their rebranding has apparently played a part in, they might be the flagship franchise. The others are about what you’d expect. Montreal is going to lead the league. I don’t know why people are crowing about Atlanta drawing at least 3k to their first three games – that’s better than Atlanta got before their hiatus, but it’s still below the historical average for Division II (3,434 from 1994-2010). And the Silverbacks are being outdrawn by the WPS team that plays 27 miles away. Edmonton drew 2,631 to their home league opener at 3,500-seat Foote Field, but their 5-0 defeat won’t help them sell tickets going forward. And Tampa Bay’s average attendance is off 41 percent from a year ago when they were playing on the other side of the Bay. Which is odd, because I was assured they’d be huge in St. Petersburg and sell out every game.
• Speaking of the NASL, now that every team has had a home game, we can look at something I’m trying out: projecting the league attendance based on the number of remaining home games for each club and their projected totals. Basically, it asks the question, “if every team in the league keeps its current average for the remainder of its home games, what would the league attendance be?” As different teams have different numbers of games left at any given point in the season, it’s a way to look at where we are and how outlier teams like Montreal can impact the sample. The NASL projects out to a total of 397,474, an average of 3,312. Which would be the lowest for a DII league since 2002. I’ll keep an eye on this as the season goes along and project for the other leagues once everybody has a home game.
• Despite what you might have heard somewhere, D3 numbers aren’t particularly harder to come by this year than in previous years. The only missing games are from the Caribbean teams, which comes as no surprise to anyone who understands that, infrastructurally, those teams are going to be behind the times. Charleston continues to draw well (4,079 this weekend), showing there are places where the level of play is less important than just having an established team. FC New York, which many (including me) doubted would ever play a game, announced 2,011 (could have been a deliberately made-up number) for its home opener. Wilmington drew 2,984 for its second home game. And Los Angeles drew 696 for its home debut. Obviously, that’s a tough market.
• WPS had a rough weekend, with the new Western New York Flash drawing just 2,164 for its home inaugural in Rochester. It’s time for us now to admit that Marta, as great as she is, does not resonate. She does not sell tickets. It’s not happening. And magicJack drew just 1,008 (The Sun-Sentinel’s Jeff Rusnak said the actual crowd was about half that, right after he was denied the opportunity to interview players and coaches). More on magicJack later, but that’s not a good sign. At all.
• MLS passed the one million mark in attendance for the season as of the Columbus game Saturday (which drew just 11,298 to Crew Stadium – Massive Club, right?) and is averaging 17,639. Final numbers for April show an average of 16,858 – down quite a bit from March’s 19,225. Still, the league is going to draw over four million when all is said and done.
• Dallas announced a season-high 21,867 for its rain-interrupted match against the Galaxy last night. It’s the Hoops’ second announced crowd over 20k for the season, and in neither case did they have anything like 20k in the building.
• And here’s an interesting note from the PDL, which began its season with two games this past weekend (not enough to do a chart on): the Fresno Fuego, which has been near the top of the PDL attendance standings in recent years, will charge no admission price for its tickets this season. A sponsor is picking up the cost, meaning the club is getting something out of the deal. You used to see this done on an occasional basis throughout a minor-league baseball season, but I’ve never heard of a team doing it for an entire season (though it’s only eight games). The Fuego announced a crowd of 7,853 for a 0-0 draw against LA Blues 23. Overall, I’m not a fan of this strategy, because sponsors come and go. People who care about your team should care enough to pay to watch it play. I think they’re conditioning their market to pay nothing for their tickets. We’ll see how it plays out.

Here’s the first full rundown of attendance figures for the various levels for 2011. Not every team has had a home game yet, so there are some zeros and there are a few games for which attendance figures aren’t available (yet).

NOTES:

• MLS has four teams averaging more than 20,000 a game and Toronto is just under that. It seems likely Toronto will finish above 20k (they historically do) but it seems unlikely that DC United will, so four is probably about what can be expected.
• WPS’ Atlanta Beat, playing on the same weekend as their NASL counterparts, outdrew the Silverbacks each of the first two weeks. Yesterday’s figure for the Beat is unavailable, but probably didn’t beat the ‘Backs’ announced 3,227.
• Montreal set a new NASL record with an announced crowd of 12,060 (tix distributed, I’m guessing) for its home opener against Tampa Bay. It was the earliest home opener in the Impact’s 19-year history. They’ll absolutely lead the league in attendance. The three teams that have yet to have home matches aren’t likely to help much (Edmonton, Minnesota and Puerto Rico).
• Until someone changes it, Antigua Barracuda FC’s home opener crowd will be listed as 6,000. for consistency’s sake, I go with what’s on the USL website unless there’s compelling evidence to the contrary. The local newspaper said “about 3,500,” and someone who I know who was there said “about 4,500.” The Sticky Wicket Stadium (great name) supposedly seats 5,000 in the main stand. BFC hasn’t announced an attendance figure for its last two games yet.
• The former Washington Freedom, who moved to Boca Raton and are now called “magicJack,” drew an all-time WPS/WUSA low of 1,224 for their home opener. Supposedly there were only 500 available seats in the “grandstand” at Florida Atlantic University because they took the rest of the bleachers across campus to the FAU spring football game.
• Western New York has their home opener in Rochester this Sunday. And magicJack will be back at it again, hosting Philadelphia. I’m not optimistic.
• The PDL season starts this weekend, with Fresno hosting the new LA Blues 23 on Friday in the first match. The W-League doesn’t start until May 14.
  

Just so people don’t keep commenting in the post from two weeks ago, here are this weekend’s soccer scores and crowds for reflection and dissection:

MLS
Friday
Seattle 1, COLORADO 0 (14,185)
Saturday
Chivas USA 2, SAN JOSE 1 (10,525)
Columbus 1, TORONTO 1 (20,145)
Dallas 2, VANCOUVER 1 (21,000)
NEW ENGLAND 3, Kansas City 2 (11,414)
Houston 1, CHICAGO 1 (12,473)
LOS ANGELES 3, Portland 0 (23,719)

NASL
Saturday
Tampa Bay 0, MONTREAL 0 (12,060)
Fort Lauderdale 2, ATLANTA 1 (3,227)

USL-Pro
Thursday
Sevilla Puerto Rico 1, ANTIGUA 0
Friday
Puerto Rico United 2, ORLANDO 2 (7,279)

Saturday
RICHMOND 2, Charleston 1 (1,833)
New York 0, CHARLOTTE 0 (1,076)
PITTSBURGH 1, Harrisburg 0 (1,004)
Rochester 3, DAYTON 2 (625)
Los Angeles 1, RIVER PLATE PUERTO RICO 1 (128)
ANTIGUA 3, Sevilla Puerto Rico 2

WPS
Saturday
MAGICJACK 1, Boston 0 (1,224)

Sunday
Western New York 2, ATLANTA 2