Anybody ever been to MLS game?

[martyn_bean]

What is the interest there like? Honestly?

Is it still only for hipsters, latinos and girls?

I read an article recently that said mens soccer is now the 5th sport in the U.S in terms of attendance, merchandising and tv money, after NFL, MLB, NBA and college football. Bigger than hockey, really?

I'm going to the Jaguars-49ers game at Wembley on Sunday, thanks for treating us to seeing the 0-7 Jags in the flesh...

[WOLF]

I haven't gone yet, but the sport and league are for real here in Montreal, Canada. Hockey for sure is the #1 sport here, and always will be, but the Impact are keeping prices affordable, and in their second year in the league will be a playoff team with their sights on a playoff run.

There are large ethnic communities here - people from parts of the world where soccer is part of the culture. The squad is owned by Italians (the Saputo family, who own a dairy/food empire), and the stadium is in the Eastern part of Montreal, where there is a big Italian population. They've brought on board many Italian players, specifically Nesta and DiVaio, and have done well at the gate, and on the field, because of it. DiVaio, even at 38, may very well be the best player in MLS this year and is very exciting to watch.

The only knock on the Impact is that they are going with a veteran squad, to get immediate results, and that may hinder their future. Having said that, they do run a good academy, and the winning goal on Saturday was scored by a local kid, a product of that academy.

[martyn_bean]

Nesta is a living legend of the sport, one of the best players to ever play the game.

I'm not knocking it too much, but the fact that a 38 year old is possibly the best forward in the league says nothing for the quality. It's an incremental process obviously.

I don't think soccer is ever going to appeal in a big way to the majority of Americans raised on football and baseball, but the huge swathes of immigrants from parts all over the world that love soccer, it is still a VAST market.

[WOLF]

Nesta is a living legend of the sport, one of the best players to ever play the game.

I'm not knocking it too much, but the fact that a 38 year old is possibly the best forward in the league says nothing for the quality. It's an incremental process obviously.

I don't think soccer is ever going to appeal in a big way to the majority of Americans raised on football and baseball, but the huge swathes of immigrants from parts all over the world that love soccer, it is still a VAST market.

I agree. Smarter clubs, like the Montreal Impact, are accepting that and focusing their efforts on making those communities feel welcome at the stadium, be it with the players they sign, celebrating certain holidays, music played in the stadium, etc. There's no use trying to convert a person who wants to see a high scoring game, vs a tactical game.

While I am no soccer afficienado, it's clear it's a minor league compared to the European leagues. A few players can, or have, played in higher caliber leagues, but most could not. It's a work in progress, but the league seems to be doing well for what it is, and surely won't go belly up like the NASL did in the 80's.

DiVaio does have the league lead in goals, at the age of 38. He's just signed on for one more year, as he's hailed as a king in our Little Italy. You can see his frustration with other players, who just don't see the field like he does, and can't get him the ball when he needs it. Nesta is retiring after the season I believe. His signing was more of a Marketing move, as he can't compete, on a regular basis, anymore.

[David_Lee_Halen]

Out here in LA, I've gone to 2 MLS games, which is probably 2 more games than many people around me have gone to. As far as the hipsters, Latinos and girls thing goes, that sounds about right. I went to an LA Galaxy game, and a Chivas USA game. The opposing teams were Philadelphia and Toronto. The Galaxy game had about 15,000 fans, and the Chivas USA game, about 10,000. Those numbers are bigger than most of your NHL games for attendance of a single game. The stadium also holds more people than a hockey arena, so they can pack a pretty high number of people, upwards of 30,000 or so, for an important game, unlike a hockey arena, which usually tops out at around 15,000 and 20,000 tops.

[ParaDime77]

Went to a Sounder game in Seattle and you would have thought it was the fucking Super Bowl the way people get down for it there in 55 degrees in a misty rain. Awesome experience!

[DaveB]

Considering that I could go see the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL...college sports...high school sports...little league...pop Warner...professional wrestling...amateur wrestling...jello wrestling...jello eating contest...hot dog eating contest...I could watch pigs fucking on any given farm...shovel shit at the same farm...and pretty much any other given activity that I could chose...why would I want to go watch soccer on any level?

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

Considering that I could go see the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL...college sports...high school sports...little league...pop Warner...professional wrestling...amateur wrestling...jello wrestling...jello eating contest...hot dog eating contest...I could watch pigs fucking on any given farm...shovel shit at the same farm...and pretty much any other given activity that I could chose...why would I want to go watch soccer on any level?

Really intelligent post, brah. Right in line with the other drivel you shit out here.

[Mazerati]

soccer is a GREAT sport to bet...you have like 500 games to choose from on a saturday amd if you know what your doing and pick the games you think can go over 2 1/2 goals (which is the average over/under in soccer) there'a a lot of money to be made...the fastest i've hit in over was 8 minutes into a game lol

[pieceofme]

Out here in LA, I've gone to 2 MLS games, which is probably 2 more games than many people around me have gone to. As far as the hipsters, Latinos and girls thing goes, that sounds about right. I went to an LA Galaxy game, and a Chivas USA game. The opposing teams were Philadelphia and Toronto. The Galaxy game had about 15,000 fans, and the Chivas USA game, about 10,000. Those numbers are bigger than most of your NHL games for attendance of a single game. The stadium also holds more people than a hockey arena, so they can pack a pretty high number of people, upwards of 30,000 or so, for an important game, unlike a hockey arena, which usually tops out at around 15,000 and 20,000 tops.

No they are not. Not the 10,000 figure. Maybe Phoenix and my beloved Panthers. But most are at least 15,000. Actually even Panthers games are at least 15,000. Which is incredible considering how awful we've been for most of our history.

As for the original question. No i have not been to an MSL game. Being a fan of football and the premier league I have no interest in seeing a sub-par product even if it is cheap to go to here.

Its reasonably popular but the Canucks are by far the most popular team in town. Actually the Whitecaps get similar attendance to the Lions. Which is pretty impressive considering this is their second season.

[UtahRatt]

Went to a Sounder game in Seattle and you would have thought it was the fucking Super Bowl the way people get down for it there in 55 degrees in a misty rain. Awesome experience!

Real Salt Lake has a good team and a nice stadium I hear rocking as I drive by and I'll see someday but I'd rather catch a Sounder game. Bryant Gumbel HBO sports did a special on the Seattle Sounders, looked like being in England watching an army of Manchester United rabid fans. The Sounders sell more seats then the Mariners and I think their average is almost twice everyone else? They way the owner pulled in Drew Carey and set that team up on a production experience wise right down to the location was brilliant.

[UtahRatt]

Real Salt Lake 2, LA Galaxy 0
Portland Timbers 3, Seattle Sounders FC 2.

Real Salt Lake rose up and eliminated the two-time defending champion LA Galaxy moving onto the MLS Western Conference finals against Portland.

Being an MLS nub I watched both games and caught a couple others this week. Good crowds, pulled up the average and 20 thousand screaming gives me the feeling the MLS or Soccer is here to stay. The games have been entertaining, with the fan involvement a must see live event.


Portland Timbers @ Real Salt Lake - Sunday, November 10, 2013 9:00PM EST

Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City - Saturday, November 9, 2013 2:30PM EST

http://www.mlssoccer.com/

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

Going to the RSL/Timbers game Sunday night. Can't wait, should be a blast.

[UtahRatt]

Going to the RSL/Timbers game Sunday night. Can't wait, should be a blast.

But what colors ya wearing? I'm considering is.

[UtahRatt]

Real Salt Lake 4 Portland Timbers 2 1st leg

That 2nd Timber goal was huge for them....Well huge as in a glimmer of hope because the Timber is going to fall either way.

[WhiteHouseSubsAC]

Game was a blast. Nice crowd, really into it. MLS game play is still a ways behind the European or South American leagues but I was pretty impressed overall. Good ball movement on both sides and a couple of nice goals off set pieces but there wasn't a lot of tactical play going on.

[MurrayFiend]

Considering that I could go see the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL...college sports...high school sports...little league...pop Warner...professional wrestling...amateur wrestling...jello wrestling...jello eating contest...hot dog eating contest...I could watch pigs fucking on any given farm...shovel shit at the same farm...and pretty much any other given activity that I could chose...why would I want to go watch soccer on any level?

Really intelligent post, brah. Right in line with the other drivel you shit out here.

I've thought about going to see one but I think the team here is shite.

[Tenacious_Dio]

Don't have an MLS team around here, but I've tried to get into it. Quality of play just isn't good enough, especially considering that we get the Premier League now.