Major League Soccer Attendance By The Numbers

By HANK STERN

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While we wait — and wait — for City Hall to land on a deal that allows PGE Park to be revamped so Timbers fans can enjoy Major League Soccer, the latest attendance numbers for MLS offer ammunition for both the deal's supporters and opponents.

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Lending credence to the belief that the league's prospects are strong if and when it comes to Portland is the fact that the expansion franchise in Seattle is leading MLS with nearly 30,000 fans a game.

The flip side of course about Seattle's numbers is that they make up for what has been a sharp attendance decline in many MLS cities so far this season. The overall attendance drop is 5.5 percent compared to the same time last season, but more than half the franchises have recorded drops so far of at least 12 percent, topped by declines exceeding 30 percent in San Jose and Chicago.

Of course, MLS is far from alone in experiencing trouble in its business.

Now back to waiting on City Hall.

WWeek 2015

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