2000 were sold in the first hour v Mexico. At a MUCH cheaper price.
So what is different this year round? Better chance vs Peru than Mexico? Heightened popularity with Winston and Woodsy? A coach who talks up his chances and team?
All of the above - though see Mexico and Peru as pretty similar in strength.
Also the score being not already 1-5 down would help. Or was the home Mexico game already sold out before, the 1st game at Azteca was played?
Lastly I remember the mood as suddenly getting pretty sombre in 2013, when Reid got injured a few weeks prior to playoff games.
I rate Peru as considerably stronger than Mexico last time.
New FIFA rankings today have Peru as number 10 in the world.
Mexico were only 24th in October 2013.
Peru enter the play-off as fifth best side in CONMEBOL qualifying - that's much superior to Mexico who faced the All Whites as fourth placed in CONCACAF behind USA, Costa Rica and Honduras. There's no comparison really.
Peru are undefeated in their last eight matches and have lost only two of their last twenty matches.
They have a stable side and coaching set-up under Gareca (coach since February 2015) who has led them to the semis of Copa America 2015 and the quarter-finals of Copa America Centenario last year (lost only on pens to Colombia).
Mexico were a shambles when we played them, having not directly qualified from CONCACAF for the first time in their history and having lost some embarrassing qualifiers, including at home.
Mexico had gone through three coaches during qualifying and had just appointed a fourth, Herrera a month before thy played the All Whites. He dropped most of Mexico's foreign stars including even Chicharito and based the side around his domestic champion Club America side.
The Peru side in recent World Cup qualifiers featured 14 - 16 players in the squad who play overseas.
They have players who play for very good teams in decent leagues like Flamengo and Sao Paulo (Brazil), Feyenoord, Watford, Lokomtiv Moscow, Boavista and Vitoria Guimaraes (Portugal), five from the Mexican league.