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[Blue & Gold]

MLS overtakes NBA for 3rd place behind the NFL & MLB.A disclaimer @ the bottom of the article:"Critics will say these numbers are deceiving, since soccer stadiums are much bigger than basketball and hockey arenas. Also, the soccer season is shorter than the never-ending schedules in sports like hockey and hoops. Yet this is still a big step for passionate soccer fans who daydream about the MLS being a relevant sport for Americans."

[tpsjugglerdude]

Glad MLS could pass the NBA during their lockout...

[bobbyake]

Portland and Vancouver were great additions. Montreal will help boost it even more and so will Orlando which does extremely well for a lower division team.

[johnnyzip84]

Portland and Vancouver were great additions. Montreal will help boost it even more and so will Orlando which does extremely well for a lower division team.

No doubt concerning the Timbers, Whitecaps and Impact. The Cascadia Cup makes games between Vancouver, Portland an Seattle relevant regardless of records. And of course expect the Toronto/Montreal rivalry to be a great one.Has Orlando been granted an expansion franchise? If not, are the Cosmos still in the running for team #20?

[bobbyake]

Portland and Vancouver were great additions. Montreal will help boost it even more and so will Orlando which does extremely well for a lower division team.

No doubt concerning the Timbers, Whitecaps and Impact. The Cascadia Cup makes games between Vancouver, Portland an Seattle relevant regardless of records.Has Orlando been granted an expansion franchise? If not, are the Cosmos still in the running for team #20?

I believe they're top of the list. check this list out for attendance, http://www.kenn.com/the_blog/?m=201110Heck, I'll just show them:It would be nice if we could get our PDL team above 200 next year. If they pulled in the numbers that UA gets, we could easily see a NASL or USL Pro team in Akron.

[bisbee]

rather than touting attendance figures i would like the situation to be that our level of play was improving dramatically on the international scene.

[bobbyake]

rather than touting attendance figures i would like the situation to be that our level of play was improving dramatically on the international scene.

MLS growth is a positive step towards improving that quality as it should trickle down to the youth leagues growing as well.

[Crew8]

Surprised to see that ASA avg. attendance was 186. I honestly thought it was lower. I read an article a few days ago the team directly above ASA, RC Foxes board members were going to a vote if or not to keep the PDL team around. I really thought ASA would've drew a few more, with 5 Zips playing for the squad last summer, and with players like Meves and Holmes as opponents. ASA, purchased from the Cleveland Internationals where players like Nagbe, Ubiparipovic, Zakuani, Zemanski, and Nanchoff once played. Developmental teams are important for the growth of skill, players need to playing year round. I hope to see ASA back next summer.

[MDZip]

Interesting side note for me. I saw that Real Maryland Monarchs only reported one game and thought maybe they had folded. I went and checked and found they dropped from Professional status. A year ago I agreed to host a couple of their players (one played at Akron for a year) for a couple weeks while they found more permanent housing. Two weeks turned into two months and while they were nice enough guys all it did was put a drain on my budget while adding nothing. Apparently that's how they housed all of their players. When that is part of your business strategy, I can see why you might not stay in business.

[Z.I.P.]

"Critics will say these numbers are deceiving, since soccer stadiums are much bigger than basketball and hockey arenas. Also, the soccer season is shorter than the never-ending schedules in sports like hockey and hoops. Yet this is still a big step for passionate soccer fans who daydream about the MLS being a relevant sport for Americans."

I have to take issue with this statement! I am hoping and wishing that football ("soccer" for Skipzip) NEVER grows to be the type of Big Time Professional Sport that the "relevant" sports are -- and that it is never ruined the way those other sports have been ruined by "relevance", i.e., Big Money, celebrity and the swagger that those exhibition pro leagues consist of. A try out in Sporting KC is as close as TO should come to our league. We don't need that. As far as Bisbee's comment about the bigger issue being competing against international competition -- by clubs and the USA MNT, I couldn't agree more, but we can compete against the world -- some day, without developing Cristiano Ronaldos and that little man who coaches him.Nuff said?

[bobbyake]

"Critics will say these numbers are deceiving, since soccer stadiums are much bigger than basketball and hockey arenas. Also, the soccer season is shorter than the never-ending schedules in sports like hockey and hoops. Yet this is still a big step for passionate soccer fans who daydream about the MLS being a relevant sport for Americans."

I have to take issue with this statement! I am hoping and wishing that football ("soccer" for Skipzip) NEVER grows to be the type of Big Time Professional Sport that the "relevant" sports are -- and that it is never ruined the way those other sports have been ruined by "relevance", i.e., Big Money, celebrity and the swagger that those exhibition pro leagues consist of. A try out in Sporting KC is as close as TO should come to our league. We don't need that. As far as Bisbee's comment about the bigger issue being competing against international competition -- by clubs and the USA MNT, I couldn't agree more, but we can compete against the world -- some day, without developing Cristiano Ronaldos and that little man who coaches him.Nuff said?

Soccer in Europe is bigger than American football in the US. I don't share the same worries as you.

[Blue & Gold]

Portland and Vancouver were great additions. Montreal will help boost it even more and so will Orlando which does extremely well for a lower division team.

No doubt concerning the Timbers, Whitecaps and Impact. The Cascadia Cup makes games between Vancouver, Portland an Seattle relevant regardless of records.Has Orlando been granted an expansion franchise? If not, are the Cosmos still in the running for team #20?

I believe they're top of the list. check this list out for attendance, http://www.kenn.com/the_blog/?m=201110Heck, I'll just show them:It would be nice if we could get our PDL team above 200 next year. If they pulled in the numbers that UA gets, we could easily see a NASL or USL Pro team in Akron.

I didn't understand this hierarchy. After simply seeing this list the Akron Summit Assault already seems more interesting to me. I'd almost guarantee that no one but hard core soccer fans understand this.

[bobbyake]

wikipedia breaks it down http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_soccer_pyramidAkron Summit Assault could play in the US Open against MLS teams if they qualify. 9 PDL teams can qualify for the US Open Cup http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Lamar_Hunt_U.S._Open_Cup

[Crew8]

wikipedia breaks it down http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_soccer_pyramidAkron Summit Assault could play in the US Open against MLS teams if they qualify. 9 PDL teams can qualify for the US Open Cup http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Lamar_Hunt_U.S._Open_Cup

I believe its the first 6 regular season games in the PDL which qualifies a team for the US Open Cup. Finish in the top of your standings after 6, maybe 5 games, you receive an invitation to the US Open Cup.

[Crew8]

"Critics will say these numbers are deceiving, since soccer stadiums are much bigger than basketball and hockey arenas. Also, the soccer season is shorter than the never-ending schedules in sports like hockey and hoops. Yet this is still a big step for passionate soccer fans who daydream about the MLS being a relevant sport for Americans."

I have to take issue with this statement! I am hoping and wishing that football ("soccer" for Skipzip) NEVER grows to be the type of Big Time Professional Sport that the "relevant" sports are -- and that it is never ruined the way those other sports have been ruined by "relevance", i.e., Big Money, celebrity and the swagger that those exhibition pro leagues consist of. A try out in Sporting KC is as close as TO should come to our league. We don't need that. As far as Bisbee's comment about the bigger issue being competing against international competition -- by clubs and the USA MNT, I couldn't agree more, but we can compete against the world -- some day, without developing Cristiano Ronaldos and that little man who coaches him.Nuff said?

I understand your concern, its one of the many reasons I have no desire to follow the NFL, NBA, College Football, and many more. Although I do want to see the game grow, and I hope it never comes down that path of entertainment, celebrity, BS in the USA. And if it ever did, I think some supporter groups would turn on their team in a heartbeat. Soccer is a different culture. I certainly can easily be wrong, and money powers everything.