2012 MLS Thread

[Montana Moe]

Originally Posted by seattleflamer

Sounders draw with Timbers in a great rivalry match in Portland. Great atmosphere and the Timber Army are the second best fans in the league. They're expecting 65K for the rematch on October 6 at the Clink.

Quality over quantity, good sir!

As for October 7, I'll be there to celebrate Cascadia Cup victory.

[seattleflamer]

Originally Posted by Montana Moe

Quality over quantity, good sir!

As for October 7, I'll be there to celebrate Cascadia Cup victory.

That one was to see if you were still paying attention but ECS are pretty solid in their own right.

Timbers have 2 kicks at the can. You still have the better chance at home on the 21st against Vancouver since frankly Portland has been awful on the road.

Seattle was very lucky to get a draw in that match. i.e.. non PK call and the post in the final minutes.

[Montana Moe]

Nice write up on Grantland today about the Timbers reserve matches:

The Portland Timbers Reserve League Is Sort of Insane

The reserve team ended their season with a 3-2 victory, averaging 8,200 fans per game over the 10-game season...

"It's the city that comes to reserve matches, not the Timbers Army. But that's great," says Bruce "Obi" Eaton, Timbers Army die-hard. Timbers C.O.O. Mike Golub says local companies often want to buy large blocks of tickets for Timbers matches. He can't accommodate them due to ticket demand — there are 7,500 people on the season-ticket waiting list — but reserve match games offer another option...

The Timbers staff operates the games as full first-team ones, however, meaning concessions are open. As Machicado notes, there are some advantages to the relaxed atmosphere: "Beers are half-price. So that's a good deal."

[seattleflamer]

^^^That is amazing and insane. That is obviously a market that could build a bigger stadium and still sell out.

In that article, there was a link to MLS attendance and how it has surpassed both NBA and NHL in terms of average attendance which shows how increasingly popular pro soccer is in NA.

article

Average attendance for the 18 clubs rose 7.2 percent to 17,872 spectators a game this season, surpassing the league’s previous record of 17,406, which was set during its inaugural season in 1996. The league’s lowest attendance came in 2000 when it averaged just 13,756 fans. Since 2007, its average has consistently stayed between 16,000 and 17,000. The strong showing at the gate brought MLS’s average above the most recent seasons for both the NHL (17,132) and NBA (17,323).

[nik-]

Isn't an MLS game significantly cheaper than NBA or NHL though?

[seattleflamer]

Very affordable and part of the draw for sure. I can get tickets from my HR dept for discounted tix at 25-30 bucks and very good seats versus discounted $65 for the same seats at Seahawks games.

Another factor is some of these stadiums like the Clink have had 60K attend games which skews the attendance upwards.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by nik-

Isn't an MLS game significantly cheaper than NBA or NHL though?

Yes, and there are fewer of them, but it's still a pretty impressive number.

[nik-]

I wish Calgary had an MLS team

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by nik-

I wish Calgary had an MLS team

I'd put money on an MLS-ready stadium in Calgary within the next 20 years. Soccer fields are an ongoing discussion topic among developers and the City.

[Montana Moe]

Timbers general admission tickets are $15. Ticketmaster will add "premium game" fees for the Cascadia matches, as well as when they play the Galaxy.

I paid $90 for two GA tickets to the Galaxy match after all was said and done. The Timbers Army is pretty steadfast in their anti-scalping position, also it's easy to find face value tickets the day of the match if you know where to look.

As for tonight, up 2-0 on the road vs. San Jose, the Timbers park the bus and find a way to come out with a draw...

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I'd put money on an MLS-ready stadium in Calgary within the next 20 years. Soccer fields are an ongoing discussion topic among developers and the City.

I'm very surprised Calgary hasn't gotten another PDL club. It serves the interests of various types of owners (i.e. Saputo v. MLSE).

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by Addick

I'm very surprised Calgary hasn't gotten another PDL club. It serves the interests of various types of owners (i.e. Saputo v. MLSE).

I think a PDL team would also be quite successful in Calgary, and would help build up the appetite for soccer in this town.

[Magnum PEI]

Sounders draw with the Shytecaps. Vancouver was probably the better team in the second half.

[Jimmy Stang]

I think that it was a fair result, to be honest. Vancouver needed the points more than Seattle, and were at home, but I think that both sides will see it as a point gained. For a 0-0 draw, it was actually pretty entertaining.

[seattleflamer]

Record crowd of 67K at the CLink to watch the Sounders keep (for the moment) the Cascadia Cup in the Emerald City. Montero/Johnson combo looked very good. Timbers had their chances but you could see their confidence wane with each missed opportunity.

Sounders move past Galaxy for 3rd. I really wouldn't want to play the Whitecaps in the wildcard game.

Big game for different reasons b/w Whitecaps and Timber in a couple of weeks. Whitecaps get into playoffs while Timbers need at least a draw to win the Cascadia Cup...otherwise it is Sounders for a second year in row.

[Montana Moe]

Great experience traveling to Seattle yesterday. The keg on our bus was empty before we hit Tacoma. The result was not what we wanted, obviously. When we saw the lineup put forward by the Timbers, we knew it was going to be a long night.

Hopefully, the Timbers can secure the Cup with a win in Vancouver later this month.

[Montana Moe]

Big win for the Timbers tonight, Cascadia Cup Champs! I think that may have knocked Vancouver out of the playoffs, as well?

[The Big Chill]

Caps went into tonight up 4 points on Dallas for the last spot, so they are still alive.

[Montana Moe]

Ah, good. I'd like to see them get in over Dallas.

[Wise Gamble]

Caps lose.....Dallas plays Seattle now.