Sporting Set New Attendance Record

For the fourth straight year, Sporting KC has set a new record attendance for the club. This year, Sporting KC broke the 20,000 per game average for the first time in club history, averaging 20,003 per game in the 2014 season. Sporting sold out all 17 league home games increasing their record to 53 in MLS play (league and playoffs). The last time Sporting failed to sell out was March 25th of 2012 against FC Dallas. Sporting was even able to sell out games going up against Royals playoff run including Game 1 of the ALCS and Game 5 of the World Series (a game that would have clinched the World Series if the Royals had won).

The team topped the record set last year by just under 300 people per game, drawing over 20,000 seven times over the course of the season.

Here's the list of 19 prior seasons.

2014 - 20,003
2013 - 19,709
2012 - 19,404
2011 - 17,810
2003 - 15,573
2004 - 14,816
1996 - 12,986
2002 - 12,287
2007 - 11,586
2006 - 11,083
2001 - 10,954
2008 - 10,716
2010 - 10,286
2009 - 10,053
2000 - 9,882
1999 - 9,849
2005 - 9,691
1997 - 9,058
1998 - 8,073

In terms of Sporting's ranking in MLS, Sporting actually fell in the rankings compared to last year, going from 7th to 8th in the league. A larger stadium and better attendance for Salt Lake allowed them to jump over Kansas City. MLS as a whole also set a new record attendance this year, 19,148 per game. And that's with Chivas USA setting the league record for the lowest single game attendance, 3,702 earlier this season. A new record should likely be set again next year with Chivas USA gone and New York City and Orlando City joining the league.

Here's the full list of attendance this year.

Seattle - 43,734
Toronto - 22,086
Los Angeles - 21,258
Portland - 20,806
Vancouver - 20,408
Salt Lake - 20,351
Houston - 20,117
Kansas City - 20,003
New York - 19,421
Philadelphia - 17,631
Montreal - 17,421
DC - 17,030
Columbus - 16,881
Dallas - 16,817
New England - 16,681
Chicago - 16,076
Colorado - 15,082
San Jose - 14,947
Chivas - 7,063