"By The Numbers" is a season-long series presented by the Kansas Department of Transportation that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
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A compelling Rivalry Week showdown awaits Saturday afternoon as second-place Sporting Kansas City (11-4-5, 38 points) locks horns with Minnesota United FC (7-6-6, 27 points) at Allianz Field. The Western Conference clash will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT with national coverage on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and the ESPN app as well as local radio broadcasts on Sportst Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Sporting moved into second place in the West following a 1-1 home draw against the Portland Timbers on Wednesday and will play their seventh competitive match in a 22-day period when they meet the Loons this weekend. Minnesota has weathered a tumultuous start to 2021 by climbing above the playoff line and will look to end Sporting's impressive road unbeaten run in the first of three head-to-head meetings between the clubs this season.
With plenty to be excited about on Saturday, we take a statistical look at the fixture in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting are 7-5-2 against Minnesota in all competitions since the Loons joined MLS in 2017.
- Sporting leads the all-time regular season series against Minnesota with a 6-3-2 record, including a 1-2-2 mark on the road.
- Sporting won two of three regular season meetings in 2020, including a 2-1 triumph the last time the clubs met at Allianz Field exactly one year ago (Aug. 21, 2020).
- Sporting captain Johnny Russell has a goal and five assists in seven regular season appearances against Minnesota.
- Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia has a 6-2-1 regular season record against Minnesota, posting four shutouts and a 0.67 goals against average.
- Minnesota won the lone playoff meeting between the clubs by a 3-0 scoreline last December at Children’s Mercy Park, with Loons midfielder Emanuel Reynoso assisting all three goals.
- Sporting and Minnesota will meet three times in the last two and a half months of the season, squaring off on Saturday, Sept. 15 in Kansas City and Oct. 31 back at Allianz Field.
Sporting Kansas City
- MLS record: 11-4-5, 38 points
- MLS standings: 2nd in West
- MLS away record: 6-3-1 (18 GF, 10 GA)
- Last five matches: 2-1-2, 8 points (L-W-T-W-T)
- Last match: Tied 1-1 vs. Portland Timbers on Aug. 18
- Sporting are tied for the MLS lead with six road wins this season (6-3-1 record).
- Sporting's 11-5-3 regular season road record since the start of 2020 is the best in MLS. During that time, they have outscored opponents 32-19.
- Sporting are 4-0-1 in their last five away matches, scoring 11 goals and conceding two.
- Sporting have taken 13 points during a five-game away stretch for only the third time ever.
- Sporting’s club record for longest road unbeaten run in a single regular season is six matches, a mark that can be equaled with a win or a draw on Saturday.
- Sporting rank second in MLS in goals (36) and goals per match (1.80). They have been shut out just twice this season.
- Sporting rank second in MLS with a plus-15 goal differential (36 scored, 21 conceded).
- Sporting are 9-2-4 in their last 15 matches since May 16.
- Sporting are on pace for 65 points in the regular season, which would eclipse the club record of 63 set in 2012.
- Sporting rank third in MLS in shots per match (15.1) and chances created per match (11.1).
- Sporting lead MLS with 18 points and five wins from losing positions this season.
- Sporting rank second in MLS in passing accuracy (85.5%) and third in possession (54.3%).
- Sporting KC Academy products have accounted for 18 of 36 goals and 12 of 34 assists this season.
- Forward Daniel Salloi leads MLS with 18 combined goals (12) and assists (6).
- Salloi has become the third player in Sporting history to record 12 goals and six assists in a single regular season for the club (Preki in 1996, 1997 and 2003; Eddie Johnson in 2007).
- Salloi has scored or assisted in six straight MLS matches, two shy of tying the club record set by Diego Rubio in 2018.
- Forward Alan Pulido leads MLS with 0.97 combined goals and assists per 90 minutes since the start of 2020 (regular season).
- Pulido has tallied eight goals and three assists in just 11 starts this season. He has scored or assisted in each of his last four starts.
- Forward Johnny Russell has scored or assisted in four of his last six appearances.
- Midfielder Remi Walter has started Sporting's last eight matches since July 21. During that time, he has completed 94% of his passes (300 of 319) while winning 62% of his duels (32 of 52) and 71% of his tackles (12 of 17).
- Defender Andreu Fontas leads MLS by a wide margin in passes (1,610) and passes completed (1,446) while also ranking second in touches (1,832).
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza and defender Luis Martins are the only Sporting players to feature in all 20 MLS matches this season.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has posted shutouts in each of his last two away appearances (Aug. 7 at Colorado and Aug. 14 at FC Dallas). He ranks fourth in MLS with a 0.93 goals against average.
Minnesota United FC
- MLS record: 7-6-6, 27 points
- MLS standings: 6th in West
- MLS home record: 6-3-1 (12 GF, 7 GA)
- Last five matches: 1-1-3, 6 points (T-T-W-L-T)
- Last match: Tied 1-1 at San Jose Earthquakes on Aug. 17
- Minnesota began the season 0-4-0 but have gone 7-2-6 since then to climb from 13th to sixth in the West.
- Minnesota have allowed just seven goals in 10 home matches this season, posting five shutouts at Allianz Field.
- Minnesota rank second in MLS in both chances created per match (11.3) and shots per match (15.3).
- Fifteen of Minnesota's 19 matches this season have been decided by one goal or less.
- Minnesota have avoided defeat in six of the 11 matches that they have conceded first, going 1-5-5 in those games.
- Midfielder Robin Lod ranks fifth in MLS with four game-winning goals.
- Lod leads Minnesota with six goals and has scored in four of his last five appearances. No other Minnesota player has more than two goals this season.
- Midfielder Emanuel Reynoso ranks fourth in MLS with 57 shots but has just two goals on the season. He also ranks second in MLS in duels won (166) and third in fouls suffered (56).
- Reynoso leads Minnesota with six assists this season. He notably had seven assists during the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs, including three in the Loons' 3-0 win over Sporting in the conference semifinals.
- Reynoso ranks second in MLS with 60 chances created. No other Minnesota player has more than 19.
- In 15 starts this season, goalkeeper Tyler Miller has a 7-2-6 record and six shutouts. He ranks second in MLS with a 0.87 goals against average.
- Six different Minnesota players have two goals apiece: Reynoso, Ramon Abila, Hassani Dotson, Franco Fragapane, Adrien Hunou, Brent Kallman.
Milestones and Miscellany
- On Wednesday, defender Graham Zusi became Major League Soccer’s all-time appearance leader among one-club players with his 307th regular season game in a Sporting uniform.
- Forward Johnny Russell is one shy of tying Zusi for ninth place on Sporting's all-time regular season goals chart with 29.
