"The most important thing is for us to get three points, and tonight we did that in style." No Beckham, the most important thing is to you is to get your $250 Million, and then leave this crappy league once and for all. MLS is minor league in every aspect. Oh wait, except for maybe the $40 million franchise fee for a new team.

Beckham is arguably more popular that Michael Jordan was in his prime years. This is a good example of how well MLS plays in the U.S. Nobody cares.

They're building a huge soccer-only stadium and a bunch of surrounding condo bunkers to replace the Meadowlands stadium where the game was played last night. It's not the easiest place to get to, and you likely will have to drive through some rough 'hoods to get there. Wonder if that will help attendance.

MK:

Arguable by who? I think most fans that follow the sport would say that he's a fairly washed up dude trying to get some playing time so he can make it to one last world cup. C. Ronaldo and Kaka at Real Madrid is a Jordan situation. Beckham not so much. He has also never been even as close to as dominant as Jordan was. A more apt comparison would be Scottie Pippen. If Pip ever married a spice girl.

--AMA

They only drew 23,000 people. Boo. MLS Fail. Oh wait. It was a Thursday night and they were playing in a dilapidated American Football Stadium that is going to be abandoned by both of their American football teams next year and they are building their own stadium to open next year with a capacity of 25000. That size crowd would bankrupt our planned 21000 seat stadium.

The Red Bulls' record of 2-14 speaks louder than Becks on the field. Regardless of the sport, teams this poor don't attrack the same crowds as they would with winning records. If this were real world football, they would be relegated.

And Becks isn't washed up..to those that really know the sport.

Is Paulson guaranteeing a winning record with the Portland expansion franchise?

It was a Thursday night and they were playing in a dilapidated American Football Stadium that is going to be abandoned by both of their American football teams next year

The list of excuses goes on and on. As it will for the collapse of the Ponzi scheme known as the league, too, no doubt.

Would that be the league with a reasonable salary cap, that only needs 9,000 attendance at games to be profitable?

@AMA:

The term used was popular, not better. It is arguable that Beckham is more popular than Jordan was worldwide. He is a ubiquitous figure in the world recognized by those who do and do not follow soccer alike.

Jack, so you know, the average draw of the Red Bulls right now is below 10,000 because the team is absolutely dire. This game more than doubled the normal attendance. So, maybe the Beckham Experiment is still working, but not to the great effect it was at the outset? The decline is to be expected as the novelty wears out.

It's not the easiest place to get to, and you likely will have to drive through some rough 'hoods to get there. Wonder if that will help attendance.

So, you think using a stadium in the central part of a city with access by public transit might be a better way to go? Brilliant idea.

They were playing in Giants Stadium(Capacity 79,000.) Of course it was going to be 2/3 empty.

What's most troublesome is the downward trend. This is not a business to borrow 30-year money.

Jack -

What's your prediction of MLS folding? What year does that happen?

Long before the "crap stadium" bonds are paid off. Probably some time during the 15-year rent and tax holiday. Maybe sooner.

I was hoping for something more precise. Oh well.

Are you a betting man?

Save your money for "bets" and use it to pay the higher taxes and bond repayments when the team goes bust. Merritt Paulson and Samadumbs will thank you.

Saw the Cosmos play once at Giants Stadium in the early 80's, Chinaglia, Beckenbauer, Alberto were there. Never saw Pele. Not many fans, the lowest sections were mostly full but that was it. Big crowd though for the dying NASL. Why was that?
After the game there was a free Beach Boys Concert. Free is if you pretended you bought a soccer ticket. Or you bought a Beach Boy ticket and the opening act was a pro soccer game.
I dunno which.
The NASL went under in 83'.

Los Angeles drew 66,237 for its 5-4 loss at the Red Bulls two years ago, the largest soccer crowd at Giants Stadium for a U.S. league game in 27 years. Attendance dropped to 46,754 for last year's 2-2 tie and fell by 50 percent to 23,238 Thursday. Eleven of 36 sections in lower deck were covered with navy tarp, and there were only a handful of people in the second deck and none at all in the third.

And that's with the two biggest U.S. cities' teams playing, with at least two of their biggest stars -- just coming off the league's biggest teammate cat fight public drama between those two "stars" -- and after biggest U.S. players' international performance in over half a century just days ago. If this isn't a league in its death throes, what is?

MLS is a sucker play.

"They only drew 23,000 people."

Well, two years ago same game drew 66K, last year they drew 46K and this year 23K. Do I detect a pattern?

Aside from not getting involved in this insanity to start with, intelligent City leaders would insist on a bond (or at least a Paulson family guarantee) to reconvert the stadium to a multi-use facility when the MLS turkey dies. I realize this is not remotely possible in the Fairyland we live in.

A Paulson family guarantee? Good one. Henry is the guy who threatened impending doom if we didn't give him the TARP money, then as soon as he got the money he changed what it would be used for.
The result? Goldman Sachs is thriving. The rest of the country - not so much.

reconvert the stadium to a multi-use facility when the MLS turkey dies

I think PSU may have a problem with that since converting PGE back to a multi-purpose stadium some years from now would force them to withdraw from NCAA Div. 1 football, which they are planning to move into once they have a stadium fulfilling NCAA requirements for Div. 1 football.

But I'm sure everyone here is completely ok with the $200 million dollar publically funded basketball stadium in Eugene that Phil Knight wanted right?