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USL Reaches New Heights, Surges Past 2.5 Million Attendance

By USLSoccer.com Staff, 10/01/18, 12:00PM EDT

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Historic week of action saw second-highest attended week in league’s modern era

TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League continued its historic season in the stands over the past week as the second-highest attended week of action in its modern era saw the league become the first lower division in North American soccer history to surpass 2.5 million in total attendance for the season. As the race for the 2018 USL Cup Playoffs moved toward its climax, fans turned out in large numbers to watch a compelling week of action across the United States and Canada.

The league – which this week was revealed will become the USL Championship in the 2019 season – welcomed 129,889 fans to 22 games over the course of Week 29 of the regular season, bringing the season total to 2,550,938 with two weeks of the regular season remaining. Almost 500,000 fans have attended contests over the past five weeks of the regular season, with the league having surpassed two million in attendance following the conclusion of Week 24.

The week’s attendance is second in the league’s modern era to Week 14 of the 2018 regular season, which saw almost 140,000 fans attend 23 contests. The numbers ensured the USL’s independent clubs continue to average more than 6,000 fans per game this season while the league overall sits just below an average of 5,000 fans per contest.

In addition to the USL surpassing the 2.5 million mark in attendance, FC Cincinnati also made league history as it welcomed the highest attendance in the USL’s modern era for a regular season game as 31,478 fans were on hand to see the club record a league-record 10th consecutive victory before being awarded with the 2018 USL Regular Season Championship following the contest. FCC’s mark of 437,197 in total attendance also set a new mark for single-club attendance as Saturday’s 3-0 win against Indy Eleven marked its regular-season home finale.

The week’s action saw strong attendances elsewhere, with Indy Eleven welcoming 9,123 fans to its clash with the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Wednesday night at Lucas Oil Stadium and both Sacramento Republic FC (11,569) and Phoenix Rising FC (6,377) hosting sellout crowds at Papa Murphy’s Park and the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex on Saturday night.

Elsewhere on Saturday night, North Carolina FC’s largest single-game crowd of the 2018 season at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park of 8,004 was treated to a thrilling 3-2 victory for the hosts that moved NCFC into the playoff positions in the Eastern Conference. NCFC had welcomed 9,505 fans to its home venue on September 8 when it hosted Nashville SC as part of the first doubleheader in club history that also saw 2018 NWSL champions the North Carolina Courage take on the Houston Dash.

Meanwhile, 8,036 fans were on hand at Nashville SC's First Tennessee Park as the hosts played to a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls II in a crucial Eastern Conference contest, while 7,614 fans filled San Antonio FC’s Toyota Field as the home side took a 3-1 victory against Seattle Sounders FC 2 to continue its push for the playoffs.

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