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“On the Damn Rise” – MLS’s Opening Weekend Fans Attendance Record Blew Soccer Fraternity’s Mind

Published 03/02/2023, 3:59 PM EST

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The MLS new season has begun. Fans are excited to see how teams will perform. Ever since USMNT made their incredible run in the Qatar World Cup, fans were waiting for the next season of MLS to begin. The first day was full of action with 7 matches and 14 teams embarking on their journey for the season.

The Philadelphia Union are currently sitting at the top of the table. They won against Columbus 4-1. The side was looking superb and fans are hoping for a great run from them this year. In the middle of action-packed matches, there were a few stunning last-minute bangers taking the excitement to a whole new level.

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Some games, like that of the DC United vs Toronto went from 1-1 to 3-3 in the last 17 minutes of the game. They scored the last goal just 2 minutes before the final whistle. Atlanta United vs San Jose somehow topped that match. Leading 1-0 and entering the added 10 minutes, San Jose fans began to celebrate the win. To the horror of every single one of those fans, Thiago Almada went Super Saiyan mode and scored two goals in the 90+3rd and 90+7th minute of the game.

The MLS record was broken in the first week of the season

Soccer is gaining speed in the States. Fans like the sport and that is reflecting in the numbers MLS pulled in just the first week. Around 380.5k fans went to see the MLS games on the first weekend of the season. This projects roughly 54.3k fans in attendance on average. This is the highest number the league has ever pulled in the opening weekend. Here is how fans reacted to this record.

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Experts and pundits have predicted this rise in the popularity of soccer. With the amazing run the USMNT had in the WC and players playing big roles in Europe, fans are catching the hype of the sport. We can also credit this exponential rise to the fact that the USA will host the next edition of the FIFA World Cup, along with Mexico and Canada.

With his meteoric and explosive start, Major League Soccer will definitely achieve new heights this season. Fans are expecting high-level play and nail-biters which were served on a hot platter in the first week. This Explosion in popularity can also be credited to the absolute terror USWNT is causing while eying a three-peat in the upcoming FIFA women’s World Cup.

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Soccer will only rise in the nation as they will host some key tournaments in the coming years. Last month, CONCACAF announced that the USA will be hosting the 2024 edition of the Copa America. A couple of years after Copa America, the USA will host the biggest tournament of soccer; the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Written by:

Rishabh Chaudhary

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Rishabh is a soccer writer at EssentiallySports, coming with a year of experience in digital marketing and 19 years of being a sports fan. Like most people in India, he started by watching cricket and then all sports. He writes poetry and songs in his free time and plays FPS games like Valorant and CSGO.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder