Storylines abound for Major League Soccer’s first week. In no particular order:
Stories from MLS opening week ... and one we’re not talking about
- The resurrection of Charlie Davies’ fallen career.
- A huge crop of quality newbies, probably the best bunch of new faces since the league’s inaugural season (when everyone was a newbie, technically).
- The Vancouver Whitecap’s first match – a big win!
- The Portland Timbers’ first match – a disappointing loss.
- David Beckham’s (presumed) final season in MLS.
- The league’s crackdown on defense by collision.
- Seattle’s growing history of unstable personnel choices.
- Real Salt Lake’s CONCACAF Champions League semifinal appearance and subsequent opening day W in MLS.
There’s more. But it’s beside my point here. You can read about all that in the recaps and analysis already out or due out later today. One of them is mine, the weekly SI.com “Five Things to Know” piece, which should be posted soon. (Updated ... posted here now.)
But what aren’t we talking about? And why is it so significant that we aren’t throwing it around for discussion this morning? Anybody, anybody?
Click on for the answer.
It’s attendance.
It was fairly impressive. Not spectacular, but pretty solid. And that’s why we’re not talking about it.
See, in soccer, we tend to talk about attendance in two forms: when it’s record setting on the high end or when it’s alarming on the low end.
But in this case, after a promising opening week, we found a good place. We just read the box scores and said, “Well, the kids are all right.” Isn’t that a pretty good thing in the big picture?
The highlights: Qwest Field was packed. As usual. Vancouver’s temporary digs (Empire Field) were packed. From now on, I expect to say “as usual” regarding the ‘Caps. The Home Depot Center was sold out, even if a few folks decided not to use their tickets due to awful weather. Same for little Buck Shaw Stadium in San Jose.
Crowds in Dallas and Denver, the league’s attendance underachievers, were above the norm.
Perhaps best of all, there were no dogs.
It’s opening day and the dogs are surely out there. But for now, at least, MLS attendance is a stable place. Here’s the entire rundown over 10 matches in MLS Week 1.
L.A. Galaxy, Home Depot Center – 27,000.
San Jose, Buck Shaw Stadium – 10,525
FC Dallas, Pizza Hut Park – 20,145
Chivas USA, Home Depot Center – 18,122
Colorado Rapids, DSG Park – 17,139
Houston Dynamo, Robertson Stadium – 19,385
D.C. United, RFK Stadium – 18,132
New York Red Bulls, Red Bull Arena – 20,982
Vancouver Whitecapes, Empire Place – 22,592
Seattle Sounders, Qwest Field – 36,443
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