Comments about ‘Rio Tinto a tough venue for opponents’

I live out of state and watch the game on ESPN. It was an embarrassment to be able to read the salt lake on the seats.

I agree, I was at the game and was bugged that more fans didn't show up. My guess is the forecast for thunderstorms last night scared people away; at least I hope that's all it was because this team is definately worth paying to see and I believe has a legit shot to win it all this year

Brad, you really don't believe Rio Tinto is a tough venue for opponents do you? Please say no.

Get used to it. You will be able to read more and more of the letters until you can see every single seat. Soccer in America doesn't have a chance. Need proof? Beckam, the old has-been, went back to Europe!

Check your facts, Beckham will be back, and will own an MLS team. This man sees the potential, and so do many others. Take off the blinders buddy. MLS is doing great, and expanding!

If MLS doesn't go expansion crazy it'll be a fine league for a very, very long time. I doubt anyone at the game last night didn't enjoy it.

I will buy tickets for Real Salt Lake only once, and that will be for the last game before they abandon the state.

Salt Lake has a great fan base, but weeknights are not good. High school sports, school for kids the next day, and bad weather. Look at the average attendance for RSL over the past few years. Decent attendance. I was dissapointed in the turnout though. Not to mention this economy is hurting most businesses as well. MLS is growing and will continue to grow. Beckham is a decent player, but I don't pay just to watch him. I pay to watch the beautiful game of soccer. The fans that just watch him only care about him and not the game. Go RSL. When you have a great season, the bandwagon fans will jump on. We need to support our teams through the rough and the good times.

"I will buy tickets for Real Salt Lake only once, and that will be for the last game before they abandon the state."

I'm happy to say that you will die without ever seeing RSL play then.

I think with the economy the way it is, ticket prices are just way too high. People will still pay a lot to go and see the jazz play but Real hasn't proven themselves yet for fans to be excited enough to pay 50 bucks for a good ticket.

to your head, Brad? You used to speak for the vast majority of Utahns when you would unabashedly ridicule soccer in Utah. Now you pretend to care? Why? Is your job on the line? How could you abandon your principles?

MLS is here to stay. The weather has been awful recently. Most teams are able to maintain 14-15 K average attendance. The league is only 14 years old, for God's sake. It takes time to develop local talent, bring in more international talent, and improve the level of play. Expansion to soccer-crazy Canada and the Southwest has been excellent so far. The league is doing just fine!!!

Salt Lake, you should be ashamed! Home opener, in the best stadium in the league against the defending champions and you could only sell 11K tickets and only 8K showed up. Pathetic!

I was one of the 8K, drove all the way from Washington just to see the home opener (gladly paid for the stadium with my hotel tax dollars) because I could not get tickets when they played in Seattle, they sold out, the second game of the season, against a non-flagship team. What's the problem. I'm RSL to the core but Salt Lake fans you disapponted me.

Don't give me excuses, I could have stayed home and watched on TV, I could have avoided the rain, I brought my 3 school age children, we were back at the hotel by 9:30 plenty of time to get ready if I had to work the next day. Salt Lake, you've got no excuse, your support was pathetic!

THe fans at the game were great though. I bet the Rio rocks when it's full!

RE: Anonymous | 10:55 a.m. April 7, 2009

That's how we soccer fans roll..... wait.... only 7K showed and that is a high estimate. I heard the final head count was not much more than 5,500. NICE.......

Yep, Soccer is here to stay!!!!!!

From now on we will have 20K fans every game, most will be dressed as empty seats.