"By The Numbers" is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
Sporting Kansas City is back on the road for a midweek matchup in Minnesota against Minnesota United on Wednesday, July 13. Both teams enter the contest coming off wins north of the border. Sporting defeated CF Montreal 2-1 at Stade Saputo in Montreal, Quebec and the Loons got the better of the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at BC Place in Vancouver.
The closest team to Sporting by mileage, Minnesota has become a bit of a rival to Sporting in recent years. The two sides faced off on three occasions last season. The first matchup resulted in a scoreless draw, the second face off went Sporting’s way 4-0 and Minnesota won the final meeting 2-1. The two teams will meet once more in the regular season on Sept. 13 at Children’s Mercy Park.
Here is a statical preview of Sporting Kansas City’s rivalry rumble with Minnesota United FC.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting have faced Minnesota 17 times in all competitions since the Loons joined MLS in 2017, more than any other opponent.
- Sporting have an 8-6-3 record in the all-time series.
- Sporting have won all six regular season home meetings against Minnesota. Their lone regular season road win came by a 2-1 scoreline on Aug. 21, 2020.
- Sporting forward Khiry Shelton has four goals and an assist in seven regular season appearances against Minnesota.
- Sporting forward Johnny Russell has two goals and eight assists in 10 regular season appearances against Minnesota.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2022 MLS record: 5-11-4, 19 points (13th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS road record: 2-7-2, 5 point (10 GF, 25 GA)
- 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: Lost to Real Salt Lake in Western Conference Semifinals
- All-time Honors: Two MLS Cups (2000, 2013), four Open Cups (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017), one Supporters' Shield (2000).
- Sporting have won two of their last three away matches and three of their last five matches in all competitions.
- Sporting are a perfect 4-0-0 this season in midweek matches across all competitions, outscoring opponents 14-4.
- Sporting will play their next two matches on the road before hosting eight of 11 MLS fixtures at Children’s Mercy Park between July 23 and Oct. 2.
- Since July 2020, Sporting are 25-0-1 in the regular season when leading in the 75th minute.
- Sporting will face USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC in the Open Cup semifinals on July 27, marking the first time Sporting has visited a lower-division opponent since June 2016 at then-NASL club Minnesota United.
- Forward Johnny Russell leads Sporting with seven goals in all competitions, while fellow winger Daniel Salloi ranks second with six.
- Midfielder Felipe Hernandez leads Sporting with four assists in all competitions and has appeared in all 20 regular season matches.
- Midfielder Remi Walter leads MLS in distance covered (134.7 miles) and ranks third among field players in recoveries (157). His three goals are a career-high for a single league season dating back to 2013.
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza, who is suspended for Wednesday’s match due to caution accumulation, scored a goal from 44 yards in Sporting’s 2-1 win at Montreal on Saturday. It was the club’s longest goal since 2011 and the longest from the run of play since 2009.
- Right back Kayden Pierre earned his first MLS road start in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Montreal and finished with team-highs in the following categories: touches (60), passing accuracy (92%), duels won (7), recoveries (6), tackles won (3) and fouls suffered (3).
Minnesota United
- 2022 MLS record: 8-8-3, 27 points (6th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS home record: 4-3-2, 14 points (13 GF, 9 GA)
- 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: Lost to the Portland Timbers in Western Conference Round One
- All-time Honors: N/A
- Minnesota have won three straight matches, scoring three goals in each game.
- Minnesota has outscored opponents 19-7 in their eight wins and been outscored 14-4 in their eight losses.
- Minnesota have gone 11 MLS matches without a shutout, last posting a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Chicago on April 23.
- Minnesota have dropped 11 points from winning positions and gained five points from losing positions.
- Saturday’s 3-1 win over Vancouver was Minnesota’s first comeback victory this season.
- Forward Luis Amarilla is tied for the MLS lead with four match-winning goals. Amarilla has scored or assisted in four straight games.
- Midfielder Emanuel Reynoso has four goals during Minnesota’s three-game winning streak. He ranks first in MLS in corner kicks (105), first in dribbles attempted (158) and completed (91), first in duels won (173), third in chances created (51), third in fouls suffered (55) and fourth in fouls committed (34).
- Reynoso leads Minnesota in goals (seven) assists (five) and minutes (1,672), while winger Robin Lod ranks second for Minnesota with six goals.
- Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair ranks third in MLS with 63 saves and eighth in save percentage (73.3%).
Milestones and Miscellany
- Forward Daniel Salloi has 12 career game-winning goals in the regular season, one shy of tying the club record held by Preki and Dom Dwyer.
- Forward Johnny Russell ranks third in club history with 45 regular season goals and fourth with 50 goals in all competitions.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has a penalty kick goals conceded percentage of 54.8% (17 of 31) during his MLS career, the lowest clip in league history among keepers who have faced at least 10 penalties.
- Manager Peter Vermes is the longest tenured head coach with one club in MLS history, having served at the helm since August 2009.
