CONCACAF
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Through 6 games Sporting KC have yet to yield a 2nd half goal
- Through 4 games New England have yet to yield a 1st half goal
- Through 6 games Dallas has conceded 7 goals, all in the 2nd half and 6 in the final 15 minutes
- Hot Time in Old Town: Scoring Goals in MLS Part 1: The “true goal scorer”
- Bill Archer: Field of Schemes
- Jason Davis: Once Again, it’s MLS in the Champions League – I’ve read a bunch of the post mortem pieces after the last two MLS teams fell out of the CCL. This one works for me.
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- 3rd Degree: The Persistent Plague of MLS
- Scott French: LA Galaxy stunned by sudden departure of AEG CEO/president Tim Leiweke
- Matthew Doyle: Why we often miss the point when we talk formations
- Devin Pleuler: The true measure of passing efficiency has nothing to do with completion rate
Interesting Reads
- Bill Archer: Jack Warner, Daddy Dearest and the Sinking Ship
- SI.com: CONCACAF financial scandal could hurt U.S.
- US Soccer Players: Tell Me About: Belgium’s Playoff System
- SoccerLens: Manchester United’s depth in squad has outdone their rivals
- EPL Talk: Where the Trequartista Fits in With Premier League Sides
- SI.com: CONCACAF wants a bigger say at FIFA
- Soccer Training Info: Barcelona’s Playmaker Factory
- Ginge Talks the Footie: The story surrounding Malaga is fascinating, but no one is telling it
The Business of Soccer
- Owen Gibson: Premier League warned over ‘rich and poor’ split in wake of TV deal
- Owen Gibson: Football League is to lessen the advantage of parachute payments
- SI.com: FIFA makes $89 million profit on $1.16 billion income in 2012
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Grant Wahl: Six reasons why the Red Bulls are MLS’ most intriguing story
- Jason Davis: Increasing the Pressure in Major League Soccer
- Avi Creditor: In ever-changing MLS landscape, the RSL way remains constant
- Soccer Newsday: Has the Market Called Time on Chivas USA?
- Devin Pleuler: Possession trends and what they say about Major League Soccer
Interesting Reads
- Tom Dunmore: A Bohemian Footprint: Supporting American Soccer Nationwide
- Footiebusiness: What American Soccer Can Learn from Japan – an older post, but worth a read.
- Barney Ronay: It takes all sorts to be a football journalist – so now we’re all at it
- Free Beer Movement: Taking the Longer View of MLS, the National Teams, and American Soccer
- Guardian: England risk falling to third in Uefa coefficient rankings
- Best Eleven: FIFA Confederation Ranking Comparison – March 2013
The Business of Soccer
The Dark Side
- Associated Press: Egyptian soccer federation torched
Tournaments
- Jonathan Wilson: The Question: is the away-goals rule counterproductive?
- Guardian: Champions League: how has dominance changed hands between Europe’s top leagues?
- UEFA Champions League: UCL round of 16 concludes
- Europa League: Europa League Update
- CONCACAF Champions League: CCL semifinals set
Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Week 2
The Week 2 numbers look like this…
| 5 year comparison | ||||||||
| Week 2 | 17 GP | YTD | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | +/- | GP | Avg | +/- | Avg | +/- | GP | |
| 2009 | 14,168 | 7 | 15,448 | 15,632 | 14 | |||
| 2010 | 21,275 | 50.16% | 5 | 18,837 | 18,197 | 19,211 | 22.90% | 13 |
| 2011 | 17,202 | -19.15% | 9 | 20,072 | 6.55% | 19,225 | 0.07% | 19 |
| 2012 | 23,386 | 35.95% | 10 | 21,107 | 5.16% | 21,107 | 9.79% | 17 |
| 2013 | 15,938 | -31.85% | 8 | 17,777 | -15.78% | 15,938 | -24.49% | 17 |
| 2009 225 Game Season – 2010 240 Game Season 2011 306 Game Season – 2012-13 323 Game Season |
||||||||
| YTD – 17 Games | ||||
| Average | Median | %<10K | %>18k | |
| 2009 | 15,448 | 14,686 | 11.76% | 23.53% |
| 2010 | 18,837 | 18,197 | 5.88% | 52.94% |
| 2011 | 20,072 | 19,385 | 0.00% | 70.59% |
| 2012 | 21,107 | 19,074 | 5.88% | 58.82% |
| 2013 | 17,777 | 18,078 | 11.76% | 58.82% |
Here are the attendance comparisons to 2012:
Soccer Potpourri
MLS
- Will Parchman: A statistical look at MLS Week 1
- MLSSoccer.com: MLS announces partnership with French Football Federation
- Kyle McCarthy: Buying or selling? MLS seeks the best of both worlds
- SI.com: MLS fills spring training void left by MLB teams in Tucson
- Earl Reed: The Designated Player Rule: How Is It Working?
- Steve Goff: Major League Soccer’s second generation
- Matthew Doyle: Why we often miss the point when we talk formations
- Alex Labidou: Five observations from MLS Commissioner Don Garber’s press conference
- Tropics of Meta: An MLS Moment: What the Chivas USA Controversy Tells US About the State of US Soccer
Interesting Reads
Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Week 1
Welcome to the 5th year of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’, posts predominantly about weekly MLS attendance. This series was begun when MLS 2.0 was just gaining momentum. David Beckham’s influence was rippling throughout the league, in global exposure of MLS, merchandise sales and gate attendance wherever he played. It’s now fair to say that the league is well established, having survived the financial turmoil of its early years and now in the top ten worldwide in average attendance. With gate numbers pretty solid for 75% of the teams, attendance is less an issue when it comes to projecting the future success of MLS.
As I wrote several times when I was posting for Major League Soccer Talk, TV Fees – The Key to MLS’ Future, MLS FutureWatch – Salaries, The CBA and TV, for example, television rights fees are the next major hurdle. MLS rights fees are a pittance compared to other ‘big’ soccer leagues and compared to the traditional ‘big 4′ sports in the USA. While many teams have local broadcasting deals, the big bucks are in national network contracts. Only when these fees increase will the league be able to compete for the likes of Van Persie, Hulk, Neymar and others while they are in their prime. We are years away from that time, but I believe MLS will eventually be on equal footing to attract major talent.
With that said, I haven’t decided if ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ will continue to appear weekly. I will still be collecting the data, but the relevance seems less consequential to me. I can see quarterly posts as a possibility, but I’d like to hear from you, my readers. Should ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ continue to appear weekly and if so, why? Please leave your comments.
Thanks very much for visiting OLR and be assured that the attendance and other data will continue to be updated and available via the menus at the top of the page.
Note: Player data for 2013 will be uploaded when a fair sampling of players have reached the 700 minute benchmark I’ve arbitrarily set.
And now on to the stuff you came here for…
The Week 1 numbers look like this…
| 5 year comparison | ||||||||
| Week 1 | 9 GP | YTD | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | +/- | GP | Avg | +/- | Avg | +/- | GP | |
| 2009 | 17,095 | 7 | 16,694 | 17,095 | 7 | |||
| 2010 | 17,921 | 4.83% | 8 | 17,952 | 7.53% | 17,921 | 4.83% | 8 |
| 2011 | 21,046 | 17.43% | 10 | 20,384 | 13.55% | 21,046 | 17.43% | 10 |
| 2012 | 17,851 | -15.18% | 7 | 22,701 | 11.37% | 17,851 | -15.18% | 7 |
| 2013 | 19,411 | 8.74% | 9 | 19,411 | -14.49% | 19,411 | 8.74% | 9 |
| 2009 225 Game Season – 2010 240 Game Season 2011 306 Game Season – 2012-13 323 Game Season |
||||||||
| YTD – 9 Games | ||||
| Average | Median | %<10K | %>18k | |
| 2009 | 16,694 | 15,905 | 0.00% | 22.22% |
| 2010 | 17,952 | 18,197 | 11.11% | 55.56% |
| 2011 | 20,384 | 19,385 | 0.00% | 77.78% |
| 2012 | 22,701 | 20,438 | 0.00% | 55.56% |
| 2013 | 19,411 | 20,019 | 11.11% | 77.78% |
Here are the attendance comparisons to 2012:
Take Me Out to the Ballgame – 2013 Prequel
With the 2013 MLS season just around the corner, here’s a look back at recent MLS attendance and a few other things. I’ll have my annual crystal ball post online later this week.
| 5 year comparison | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | +/- | GP | ||||||
| 2008 | 16,460 | 210 | ||||||
| 2009 | 16,037 | -2.57% | 225 | |||||
| 2010 | 16,675 | 3.98% | 240 | |||||
| 2011 | 17,869 | 7.16% | 306 | |||||
| 2012 | 18,798 | 5.20% | 323 | |||||
| 2008 210 Game Season – 2009 225 Game Season 2010 240 Game Season – 2011 306 Game Season 2012 323 Game Season |
||||||||
| 5 year comparison | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Median | %<10K | %>18k | |
| 2008 | 16,460 | 15,188 | 10.95% | 33.81% |
| 2009 | 16,037 | 14,686 | 14.67% | 31.11% |
| 2010 | 16,675 | 15,332 | 7.50% | 36.25% |
| 2011 | 17,869 | 17,639 | 5.56% | 48.69% |
| 2012 | 18,798 | 18,393 | 1.86% | 54.18% |
| MLS Attendance – Equal # of Home Games | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2012 | ||||||
| Att | Cap | Att | Att +/- | GP | % of Cap | Cap | |
| Seattle | 38,495 | ?? | 43,104 | 11.97% | 17 | 96.66% | 44,594 |
| LA Galaxy | 23,335 | 86.43% | 23,136 | -0.85% | 17 | 85.69% | 27,000 |
| Montréal | NA | NA | 22,772 | NA | 17 | 71.15% | 32,005 |
| Houston | 17,694 | 80.28% | 20,946 | 18.38% | 17 | 95.04% | 22,039 |
| Portland | 18,827 | 101.07% | 20,438 | 8.56% | 17 | 100.00% | 20,438 |
| Vancouver | 20,408 | 97.18% | 19,475 | -4.57% | 17 | 92.74% | 21,000 |
| Sporting KC | 17,810 | 96.44% | 19,404 | 8.95% | 17 | 105.08% | 18,467 |
| Salt Lake | 17,594 | 87.94% | 19,087 | 8.49% | 17 | 95.40% | 20,008 |
| Red Bulls | 19,691 | 78.17% | 18,281 | -7.16% | 17 | 72.58% | 25,189 |
| Toronto | 20,267 | 92.21% | 18,155 | -10.42% | 17 | 82.60% | 21,978 |
| Philadelphia | 18,258 | 98.69% | 18,053 | -1.12% | 17 | 97.58% | 18,500 |
| Chicago | 14,273 | 78.92% | 16,407 | 14.95% | 17 | 82.03% | 20,000 |
| Colorado | 14,838 | 74.19% | 15,175 | 2.27% | 17 | 83.90% | 18,086 |
| Columbus | 12,185 | 59.57% | 14,397 | 18.15% | 17 | 70.38% | 20,455 |
| FC Dallas | 12,861 | 54.92% | 14,139 | 9.94% | 17 | 66.72% | 21,193 |
| NE Revs | 13,222 | 58.76% | 14,001 | 5.90% | 17 | 62.23% | 22,500 |
| D.C. United | 15,196 | 77.35% | 13,846 | -8.88% | 17 | 70.47% | 19,647 |
| San Jose | 11,858 | 112.67% | 13,293 | 12.10% | 17 | 86.81% | 15,313 |
| ChivasUSA | 14,830 | 68.41% | 13,056 | -11.96% | 17 | 69.45% | 18,800 |
Soccer Potpourri
Interesting Reads
- Spiegel Online: Neo-Nazis Make Inroads with ‘Ultra’ Soccer Fans
- AP via NY Times: A Sport With Foul Fans Cannot Be Beautiful
The Business of Soccer
- Guardian: Players’ union Fifpro attacks clubs over ‘blackmail behaviour’
- Goal: A New Stadium in Pittsburgh
- US Soccer Players: Traffic to market Gold Cup and CCL – A story without a lot of coverage, but this seems like a big deal to me, with Soccer United Marketing(SUM) being pushed aside by Traffic. This is one I’ll be following.
League Winners
- J-League:
Hiroshima win maiden J-League title - K-League:
Seoul seal K-League title - Finland: HJK Helsinki take Finnish title
- Norway: Molde repeat as Norwegian Champ
- Sweden: Elfsborg seal Swedish title
- Argentina: Velez Sarsfield Close In on Argentine Title
- Mexico: Tijuana, Toluca will face off in Liga MX final
Tournaments
- UEFA Champions League: UCL Update
- Europa League: Europa League Update
- Copa Sudamericana: São Paulo, Universidad Católica level after 1st leg of final
- AFC Champions League: Ulsan Hyundai win 2012 AFC Champions League
- Carribean Cup: Carribean Cup Finals set
MLS End of Year Bits with Numbers
CCL Impact on MLS Performance
| CCL Impact on MLS Performance – ’12-13 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Begins | After Group Play | ||||
| GP | PPG | GP | PPG | +/- | |
| Los Angeles | 23 | 1.43 | 34 | 1.59 | 10.70% |
| Seattle | 21 | 1.62 | 34 | 1.65 | 1.73% |
| Houston | 22 | 1.68 | 34 | 1.56 | -7.31% |
| Real Salt Lake | 23 | 1.83 | 34 | 1.68 | -8.19% |
| Toronto FC | 21 | 0.90 | 34 | 0.68 | -25.23% |
Day by Day Breakdown