from_the_stands wrote:Alviro Patterson wrote:80,000 for an exhibition football match is as good as it gets, very few games exceed those attendance figures when it comes to competitive domestic matches.
I do realize that, but this was the first time (I think) that Real Madrid played out here. And with the Italian diaspora out here, I was expecting a full house. I was a bit disappointed with the large sections of the stadium being empty. We do get a lot of sport in Melbourne, I just thought this would have been bigger than it was. The Liverpool game two years ago was massive. Maybe just bring them out, and maybe United. OK, and Barcelona. I guess at the end of the day, everyone had a run and the clubs sold a few shirts.
I can't help but feel that soccer would have a better chance in Australia if it were played on an oval shaped ground with an oval shaped ball, 18 players per side, field umpires who are visually impaired, and four quarters of 20 minutes plus time on.
Maybe it's down to a lack of a domestic household name. If it was Leeds United visiting the MCG with Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell taking the field, I reckon that would get a greater response.