"By The Numbers presented by Compass Minerals" is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
Sporting Kansas City will look to overturn a 1-0 deficit in Round One of the Concacaf Champions Cup when Manager Peter Vermes' men visit MLS heavyweights Inter Miami CF in Tuesday's decisive second leg at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The all-important match is slated for 7 p.m. CT with an English-language broadcast on FS2 and a Spanish-language livestream on ViX.
Miami took a narrow aggregate lead in the series last Wednesday when Lionel Messi scored in the 56th minute of a frigid encounter at Children's Mercy Park. That leaves Sporting in a must-win scenario on Tuesday, with the series winner advancing to the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 next week.
As Sporting and Miami prepare for their second meeting in seven days, we take a statistical look at the contest in our newest edition of By The Numbers presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- The winner of the Round One series between Sporting and Miami will advance to face Jamaica Premier League side Cavalier FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16, with the first and second legs scheduled for March 6 and 13, respectively.
- Miami will advance to the Round of 16 with a win or a tie. Sporting will advance to the Round of 16 with a multi-goal win or a one-goal win in which both teams score (i.e., 2-1, 3-2, 4-3).
- If Sporting earns a 1-0 win in regulation, 30 minutes of extra time will be played. If no goals are scored in extra time, a penalty shootout will decide the winner.
- Sporting and Miami have met three previous times in all competitions, with Miami winning by a one-goal margin on each occasion.
- Miami earned a 1-0 road win over Sporting last Wednesday to take a narrow aggregate lead in Round One of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Lionel Messi bagged a 56th-minute goal in the coldest game in the history of both clubs, with kickoff temperatures dropping to 5 degrees at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Last Wednesday’s match saw both teams combine for 0.81 expected goals (0.42 for Miami, 0.39 for Sporting).
- The inaugural meeting between the clubs took place on Sept. 9, 2023, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Miami earned a 3-2 home win behind a Leonardo Campana brace and a Facundo Farias strike. Sporting bookended the scoring with a first-half goal from Daniel Salloi and a late strike from Alan Pulido.
- The most recent MLS regular season meeting took place on April 13, 2024, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Erik Thommy scored two spectacular goals for Sporting, but Miami secured a 3-2 road win behind goals from Messi, Diego Gomez and Luis Suarez.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2024 MLS record: 8-19-7, 31 points (13th in West | 51 GF, 66 GA)
- 2025 MLS opener: Lost 1-0 at Austin FC on Saturday
- Champions Cup appearance: 7th
- 2025 Champions Cup qualification: 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup finalist
- Best Champions Cup finish: 2002 and 2019 (semifinals)
- Sporting is competing in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time since advancing to the semifinals of the 2019 tournament.
- Sporting is competing in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the seventh time in club history after doing so in 2002 (semifinals), 2005 (quarterfinals), 2013-14 (quarterfinals), 2014-15 (group stage), 2016-17 (group stage) and 2019 (semifinals).
- Wednesday will be Sporting’s third competitive match in seven days. The team has never previously played three competitive matches in seven days in the month of February.
- In the past week, Sporting has played its earliest competitive match in club history (Feb. 19) and its earliest MLS regular season match in club history (Feb. 22).
- Newly acquired Designated Player Dejan Joveljic earned his Sporting debut with a start last Wednesday against Miami before coming off the bench in Saturday’s MLS match at Austin. The striker joined Sporting on Feb. 1 in a $4 million move from the LA Galaxy, marking the first cash-for-player trade in MLS history.
- Newly acquired Designated Player Manu Garcia made his club debut last Wednesday against Miami and earned his MLS debut on Saturday versus Austin FC, entering as a second-half substitute in both matches. The Spanish midfielder signed for Sporting earlier this month in a transfer from Greek side Aris Thessaloniki.
- Newly acquired forward Shapi Suleymanov earned his club and MLS debut as a late substitute on Saturday at Austin. The Russian winger signed for Sporting earlier this month in a transfer from Aris Thessaloniki alongside Garcia.
- Sporting has a 12-11-6 record in the Concacaf Champions Cup, scoring 40 goals (1.38 per match) and conceding 42 goals (1.45 per match).
- Sporting’s last win in the Concacaf Champions Cup came on March 14, 2019, when Kansas City earned a 3-0 home victory over Panamanian side Independiente to seal a 4-2 aggregate triumph in the quarterfinals.
- Sporting has a 5-11-4 away record in international competitions, including a 4-8-2 road mark in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
- Sporting’s last away win in the Concacaf Champions Cup came on Feb. 28, 2019, when Kansas City cruised to a 2-0 victory at Toluca to seal a 5-0 aggregate triumph in the Round of 16.
Inter Miami CF
- 2024 MLS record: 22-4-8, 74 points (1st in East | 79 GF, 49 GA)
- 2025 MLS Opener: Tied 2-2 vs. New York City FC on Saturday
- Champions Cup appearance: 2nd
- 2025 Champions Cup qualification: 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield champion
- Best Champions Cup finish: 2024 (quarterfinals)
- Miami opened its 2025 MLS campaign with a 2-2 home draw against New York City FC on Saturday at Chase Stadium.
- Defender Tomas Aviles scored early on Saturday before receiving a red card in the 23rd minute. After seeing a 1-0 lead turn into a 2-1 deficit, Miami salvaged a 100th-minute equalizer from MLS debutant Telasco Segovia on Lionel Messi’s second assist of the game.
- Despite playing a man down for 67 minutes plus stoppage time on Saturday, Miami had 58% possession and outshot NYCFC 15-8, including a 6-5 edge in shots on target.
- Miami has won a major trophy in each of the previous two seasons—the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield.
- The 2024 campaign saw Miami set an MLS record with 74 regular season points (22-4-8 record).
- Miami led MLS in points (74), wins (22), away wins (11) and goals (79) during the 2024 regular season.
- Miami was 11-2-4 at home and 11-2-4 on the road during the 2024 regular season.
- Miami’s 22 wins during the 2024 regular season tied an MLS record for the non-shootout era (since 2000).
- From 2023 to 2024, Miami jumped from 27th to first in the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings.
- After winning Leagues Cup in 2023, Miami made its Concacaf Champions Cup debut in 2024 by eliminating Nashville SC in the Round of 16 and falling to CF Monterrey in the quarterfinals.
- Miami is one of two MLS teams (alongside Seattle Sounders FC) slated to participate in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Miami clinched its place in the tournament by winning the 2024 Supporters’ Shield.
- Messi was named the 2024 MLS MVP after leading the league in total goal contributions (36), ranking second in goals (20) and third in assists (16) despite playing only 19 games.
- Messi had 42 total goal contributions (23 goals and 19 assists) in 25 appearances for Miami last season across all competitions.
- Messi has scored 35 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions since joining Miami midway through the 2023 season.
- Messi has five goal contributions (three goals, two assists) in five Concacaf Champions Cup appearances.
- Forward Luis Suarez was tied with Messi for second in MLS with 20 goals during the 2024 regular season.
- Suarez had 38 total goal contributions (25 goals and 13 assists) in 37 appearances for Miami last season across all competitions.
- Last year Messi and Suarez became the first pair of teammates in MLS history to bag 20 goals in the same regular season.
- Defender Jordi Alba finished eighth in MLS with 14 assists during the 2024 regular season. Across all competitions, Alba led Miami last year with 21 total assists while also scoring five goals.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Forward Daniel Salloi has played in 12 competitive international matches for Sporting, tied for fifth most in club history and one shy of tying former teammate Graham Zusi for fourth most.
- The following five SKC players are awaiting their club debuts: Ian James, Jack Kortkamp, Jansen Miller, Ryan Schewe and Mason Toye.
- The following six SKC players are awaiting their Concacaf Champions Cup debuts: Ian James, Jack Kortkamp, Jansen Miller, Ryan Schewe, Khiry Shelton and Shapi Suleymanov.
