The National Women's Soccer League averaged over 6,000 fans per game during the regular season for the first time in 2018 and saw a nearly 19 percent increase in average attendance from 2017 to 2018.

The league posted a record average attendance of 6,017 fans per game in the regular season this year after seeing an average per game attendance of 5,061 in 2017.

The increase in average attendance was driven by the addition of the Utah Royals as an expansion club in 2018 and the league's decision to play with just nine clubs, instead of 10, following the collapse of the Boston Breakers in the offseason. Despite missing playoffs, the Royals finished second in the NWSL with an average per-game attendance of 9,466 in their inaugural season. The Portland Thorns are the only team in the NWSL that averaged more fans per game (13,320) than the Royals during their inaugural season.

The Thorns, who are touted as the best-supported women's club soccer team in the world, led the league in average attendance for the sixth year in a row in 2018. The Thorns averaged 16,959 fans per game in 2018. While Portland led the NWSL in average attendance, the Thorns saw a 4.067 percent decrease in average attendance from the record 17,678 fans per game that the club averaged in 2017. Portland's average attendance in 2018 was still the second best average attendance in the club's history.

Providence Park, the home of the Thorns, was also the host site for the 2018 NWSL Championship Game. The North Carolina Courage beat the Thorns 3-0 in the championship in front of a sold-out crowd of 21,144 fans in what was the most well-attended women's professional soccer championship match in U.S. history.

Three NWSL clubs saw an increase in average attendance in 2018.

The Chicago Red Stars, who averaged 4,004 fans per game in 2018, saw a 25.20 percent increase in average attendance from 2017, while the Washington Spirit, who averaged 3,892 fans per game in 2018, saw an 11.5 percent increase in average attendance from 2017. The North Carolina Courage, who won the 2018 NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship title, saw an 18.2 percent increase in average attendance from their inaugural season in 2017 as they averaged 5,188 fans per game in 2018.

NWSL Average Per Game Attendance Year Average Attendance 2013 4,271 2014 4,139 2015 5,046 2016 5,558 2017 5,061 2018 6,017

Five clubs saw dips in attendance in 2018.

Along with the Thorns, the Orlando Pride, Seattle Reign, Houston Dash and Sky Blue FC all saw decreases in their average per game attendance numbers this year.

The Pride averaged just 4,837 fans per game in 2018, which was a 21.82 percent decrease from 2017 and a 44.94 percent decrease from the club's inaugural season in 2016.

The Reign, which averaged 3,824 fans per game in 2018, saw a 5.28 percent decrease in average attendance attendance from 2017, while the Dash, which averaged 3,455 fans per game in 2018, saw a 20.19 percent decrease in average attendance attendance from 2017.

Sky Blue FC, which averaged 2,531 fans per game in 2018, had the worst average attendance in the NWSL for the sixth-straight year. Sky Blue, which saw a 3.14 percent decrease in average attendance from 2017, has struggled mightily on and off the field. Sky Blue won just one game in 2018 and the club came under fire earlier this year for horrifying housing situations, poor facilities, and mismanagement. Addressing the situation at Sky Blue could be an offseason priority for the NWSL, which has been more concerned with addressing problems at specific clubs rather than looking toward expansion over the last few years.

Despite the situation at Sky Blue and the decrease in average attendance in certain markets, the overall increase in average attendance league-wide in 2018 was a positive sign for the NWSL, which is the first top-flight women's professional soccer league in the United States to make it past three seasons.

Two previous iterations of women's professional soccer -- the WUSA and WPS -- failed due to overspending and infrastructure issues. While the NWSL continues to face infrastructure and leadership issues of its own, the league remains on stable footing as it prepares for a seventh season in 2019.

2018 NWSL home attendances by team Team Games Played Total Attendance Average Attendance Portland Thorns FC 12 203,511 16,959 Utah Royals FC 12 113,593 9,466 North Carolina Courage 12 62,251 5,188 Orlando Pride 12 58,046 4,837 Chicago Red Stars 12 48,048 4,004 Washington Spirit 12 46,704 3,892 Seattle Reign FC 12 45,885 3,824 Houston Dash 12 41,463 3,455 Sky Blue FC 12 30,372 2,531 League Totals 108 649,873 6,017

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg