The Spirit on Saturday needed to draw more than 6,000 fans to Audi Field to break even for the yearWASHINGTON SPIRIT
The NWSL Washington Spirit on Saturday played in DC for the "first time in its six-season existence," drawing 7,976 fans to Audi Field, the "largest announced home crowd" in the team's history, according to Steven Goff of the WASHINGTON POST. Attendance for Saturday's game "more than doubled the Spirit's typical crowd" at Maryland SoccerPlex in Montgomery County, where the Spirit have been based since the inaugural '13 season, "averaging between 3,330 and 4,100 spectators annually." But with Audi Field being "almost four times larger, it lacked the SoccerPlex's intimacy." Spirit MF Andi Sullivan said of Saturday's atmosphere, "There were moments where I felt like I could feel the electricity." Spirit Owner Bill Lynch said that he would "probably try to play 'at least a couple games' next year" at the 20,000-seat Audi Field. Lynch said playing games at Audi Field following the Women's FIFA World Cup in France next year "would be a good litmus test for the DC market." Goff noted through surveys and feedback, the Spirit will also have to "determine whether the crowd for the first game at Audi Field was a novelty or indicative of potential bigger audiences than the ones coming to SoccerPlex." Lynch: "I'm a budget-conscious guy, so the numbers have to make sense." The Spirit on Saturday "needed to draw more than 6,000 to break even" for the year. Meanwhile, Lynch said he has had "casual conversations" with DC United's investors about forging a stronger partnership (WASHINGTON POST, 8/26).
