MLS fans vote with their wallets, reject Leagues Cup

It was a stunning sight that unfolded on Saturday at Lumen Field. No, not the Seattle Sounders getting picked apart by LAFC. That’s become commonplace by now. However, the empty seats of fans aren’t regularly associated with one of the best-supported fanbases in MLS. It appears that MLS fans and the Leagues Cup do not mix well together.

Yet, there they were on camera. There were hundreds of empty seats in the Emerald City Supporters’ section and thousands more elsewhere in the stadium. It wasn’t a camera trick. The Sounders’ announced crowd for the quarterfinal with LAFC was 19,643, more than 10,000 people fewer than the Sounders’ usual average.

Philadelphia Union saw a different problem unfold: watching an opponent turn Subaru Park into enemy territory. Union’s attendance is down as it undergoes a poor season, but the Sons of Ben supporters group organized a Leagues Cup boycott and the rest of the Philadelphia fans followed. When the Union faced Cruz Azul, they saw a loud, boisterous stadium — filled with fans of the Mexican giant. When Union advanced to the knockout stages, its opponents didn’t bring anywhere near the same kind of crowd, which left Subaru Park almost empty. Even with Philadelphia still in the mix for a trophy, Union fans can’t be bothered.

And then there was the New England Revolution, where the Midnight Riders only put out a statement against the tournament, stopping short of an organized boycott. The fans got the message anyway: the Revs drew 7,267 against New York City FC. These are not the days when the Revs struggled to get 15,000 to come to Foxborough. New England now averages almost 28,000 fans during the MLS season.

That left one thing clear: the fans’ Leagues Cup boycott has had an impact on the tournament.

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Leagues Cup feels like a tournament created to target fans of Liga MX teams

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Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/mls-fans-vote-with-their-wallets-reject-leagues-cup/

Author : Dan Angell

Publish date : 2024-08-21 21:02:55

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