Will the MLS Playoff see their stands with crowds this season?

How was MLS affected this season?

2020 marks the 25th season of MLS in which the season runs from February to October, with Decision Day presented on October 4.  While it was initially thought that there would be more games than ever before as MLS expanded to 26 clubs, it seems that the pandemic somewhat scuppered these plans. Debuts this year were to include Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC as well as what was supposed to be the most expansive network coverage in history. What we got though was actually a far cry from the plans being talked about at the end of 2019.

While the season was originally supposed to end on October 4, the tournaments were resumed during October and finished on November 8, with the playoffs beginning on November 20 and the Cup being rescheduled for December 12. This year was the first year in MLS that each team did not get the chance to play against each other at least once, due to the impact of the pandemic. During the summer months, FC Dallas and newbie Nashville SC had to withdraw from the tournaments after several members of their teams tested positive for the virus. However, MLS then managed to survive for a total of 3 weeks down in Florida, without a single positive case inside their bubble. 

Unfortunately, the 3 Canadian teams within the league had to pull out due to international travel restrictions, which prevented Canadian players from crossing the border. However, it was announced that the teams would each play at least 6 games against the US teams by September. It was suggested that more details on the Canadian teams’ schedules would be announced as soon as the league could provide more info on how they would accommodate the tough restrictions.

What can fans do while missing out on love games?

While MLS fans have been missing out on a lot of the live games this year, there is still extensive coverage on the network, meaning that while fans may not get to experience the live atmosphere of the stadium, they can still enjoy the games from the comfort of their own homes. 

In addition, fans can still get in on the live action with a range of betting options. This year, fans have been lining up to place their bets as MLS spirits are kept going by the ‘MLS is back’ games. The popularity of betting on the MLS this season has grown due to various states across the US including Pennsylvania have now legalised sports betting activities online. This means citizens living in legal states can now back their local MLS team and try their luck on a sports bet.

MLS is back Games

While the regular season was cancelled, the league managed to play a tournament called ‘MLS is back’ throughout the summer months, with games taking place at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex inside Walt Disney World. Officials were originally not sure whether the tournament would hold up through the events of the summer as cases spiked to record levels, however the tournament ended on a positive note with Orlando City SC and the Portland Timbers competing in the finals.

What impact does empty stands have on MLS?

MLS were not the only ones to have to play on without fans in the stands, as Soccer teams all over the world were affected by cutbacks, cancellations and a ban on fans in the stadium all over the world. As a result, some critics have commented that Soccer has lost its soul, while others are saying that it’s a necessary step in order to keep the games going through 2020. Yet, it led to an interesting question, what impact do fans really have on the live games?

An involuntary experiment with Soccer in Germany demonstrated that when the stand was empty on home turf, the players did not perform as well, with victories slipping by 10 percentage points for Germany’s Bundesliga teams. The results of the experiment showed that the team usually had 43 percentage points with full stands at a home game, yet this fell to 33 percentage points when the stands were empty. While teams usually experience an advantage when playing on their home turf, the team went as far as to say that it was now easier when playing on the road.

What’s more, not only do empty stands affect the performance of the teams, it has a significant impact on franchise earnings, with stadiums losing out on ticket and merchandise sales.  That being said, sales seem to have been bouncing back without major detrimental effects as the games begin to resume, with Austin FC’s single day record for first day jersey sales in November.

Overall, while there were no fans in the stands to spectate at the MLS is back tournament, the League are looking at getting fans back into the stadiums for the end of the year, keeping fans spirits up.