The politicians say this is the worst recession since the Great Depression. Unemployment is affecting nearly one in every 10 Americans. Gas prices continue to go up.

All told, MLS is averaging 15,894 fans per game, down 3.45 percent from the 2008 season's average of 16,460. It is tough to be a still-fledgling league in a sport that is still gaining mainstream traction. It is even tougher when the economy is going south.

To be fair, MLS isn't the only league suffering during an economic downturn that shows few signs of getting better -- and it is nowhere near as bad off as other sports. This past regular season, Major League Baseball's attendance was down more than 2,000 fans a game, representing a 6.5 percent decline. The NFL is experiencing a record number of television blackouts resulting from low ticket sales. Horse racing sees smaller crowds and less action at the window.

"The modest decline in MLS ticket sales reflects two things, in my view," said Raymond Sauer, a professor of economics at Clemson and the renowned guru behind the Sports Economist blog. "First, MLS ticket prices are relatively modest in comparison with the more established sports, who became oriented toward the premium end of the market in recent years.

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