NWSL Mid-Season Analysis
Because we are at about the halfway point in the inaugural season of the NWSL, I thought it would be a good time to take a step back and judge just how successful the league has been. Weekly average attendance for the league about 3,981 people per game, which is decent but is also aided by the staggering amount of people who show up to watch the Portland Thorns play. (the avg. attendance would be 2,771 without the Thorns) Still though the numbers are positive and the play has been competitive and entertaining to watch for the most part. The refereeing has been spotty with several controversial calls altering the outcome of games, but this is a typical growing pain that new leagues often have to deal with. The standings so far feature Sky Blue FC in first with 27 points and the Portland Thorns a close second with 26 points. FC Kansas City and the Western New York Flash round out the top four and are currently in position to qualify for the playoffs. In 5th place are the Boston Breakers, 6th are the Chicago Red Stars, 7th the Seattle Reign, and in last place the Washington Spirit.
Thanks to Equalizer Soccer we have a complete chart that shows the stats of each team with regards to attendance. As you can see the Emerald City is routinely providing an excellent home crowd for the Thorns which is great to see, and the Washinton Spirit routinely fill their stadium to 95% capacity despite a losing record which is also a positive. The negatives can be found in New Jersey, where Sky Blue FC, the league leaders are suffering from an average attendance of about 1,751 and filling only about 35% of the stadium. This is horrible to see especially considering how well they play.
Overall the league has had an impressive showing in its first year, but there is definitely room for improvement, and every team needs to feel the same support as the Thorns. With enough support and continued competitive play, I believe the league can become a staying power and can even expand to include more teams and better sponsorships and stadiums, however this can't happen without continued and increased support from fans including me. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and hopefully many more years of continued excellence.
Thanks to Equalizer Soccer we have a complete chart that shows the stats of each team with regards to attendance. As you can see the Emerald City is routinely providing an excellent home crowd for the Thorns which is great to see, and the Washinton Spirit routinely fill their stadium to 95% capacity despite a losing record which is also a positive. The negatives can be found in New Jersey, where Sky Blue FC, the league leaders are suffering from an average attendance of about 1,751 and filling only about 35% of the stadium. This is horrible to see especially considering how well they play.
| Average Home Attendance | |||
| Team | Games | Average | Capacity |
| Portland Thorns FC | 6 | 12,857 | 63% |
| FC Kansas City | 7 | 4,378 | 71% |
| Washington Spirit | 5 | 4,268 | 95% |
| Western New York Flash | 6 | 3,632 | 26% |
| Boston Breakers | 7 | 2,242 | 84% |
| Seattle Reign FC | 6 | 1,949 | 54% |
| Sky Blue FC | 7 | 1,751 | 35% |
| Chicago Red Stars | 6 | 1,417 | 40% |
Overall the league has had an impressive showing in its first year, but there is definitely room for improvement, and every team needs to feel the same support as the Thorns. With enough support and continued competitive play, I believe the league can become a staying power and can even expand to include more teams and better sponsorships and stadiums, however this can't happen without continued and increased support from fans including me. I am looking forward to the rest of the season and hopefully many more years of continued excellence.
No comments:
Post a Comment