Largest American Soccer Crowds, 2010
Soccer America offers up a list of the top ten attendances at soccer games in the United States this year so far — and it makes for interesting reading:
| 1. | Mexico vs. New Zealand |
Pasadena, Calif. (March 3) |
90,526 |
| 2. | Mexico vs. Ecuador |
East Rutherford, N.J. (May 7) |
77,507 |
| 3. | Mexico vs. Angola |
Houston, Texas (May 13) |
70,099 |
| 4. | Mexico vs. Iceland |
Charlotte, N.C. (March 24) |
63,277 |
| 5. | Mexico vs. Senegal |
Chicago, Ill. (May 10) |
60,610 |
| 6. | USA vs. Turkey |
Philadelphia, Pa. (May 29) |
55,407 |
| 7. | Kansas City Wizards vs. Man. United |
Kansas City, Mo. (July 25) |
52,343 |
| 8. | Seattle Sounders vs. Celtic |
Seattle, Wash. (July 18) |
45,631 |
| 9. | Philadelphia Union vs. Man. United |
Philadelphia, Pa. (July 21) |
44,123 |
| 10. | Seattle Sounders vs. Boca Juniors |
Seattle, Wash. (May 26) |
40,122 |
The fact that Mexico could draw over 90,000 for a game against New Zealand speaks for itself, and I mean that with no slight intended to the 2010 World Cup’s only unbeaten team. This is America: don’t forget it.
At the same time, the 55,407 crowd attending the US men’s team World Cup send-off game against Turkey is nothing to be sniffed at. Interest in the US men’s national team is clearly growing.
This list is also a little different from the 2009 equivalent, when several international club friendlies not featuring MLS teams were amongst the top ten attended games: 81,224 watched Chelsea vs. Inter Milan at the Rose Bowl, 61,572 for Chivas de la Guadalajara vs. Barcelona at Candlestick Park and 57,229 for Chelsea vs. Club America at Cowboys Stadium in last year’s vaunted “Summer of Soccer.”