"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.
Traffic Safety By The Numbers: Did you know that over 24,000 crashes have been caused by drunk driving in Kansas since 2010? Visit the Drive to Zero Coalition for more information.
Second-place Sporting Kansas City (11-4-6, 39 points) will return to world-class Children's Mercy Park on Saturday for a pivotal Western Conference clash against the third-place Colorado Rapids (11-4-4, 37 points) at 8 p.m. CT.
Tickets for the marquee matchup are available at SeatGeek.com and the first 10,000 fans through the stadium gates will receive a vintage Sporting KC poster courtesy of match sponsor Children's Mercy. Saturday will also see Sporting celebrate Retro Night, featuring a wide selection of throwback merchandise from the Since '96 Collection (jersey, T-shirt, long sleeve T-shirt, jacket and headwear) and additional items with the classic Wiz logo and rainbow elements.
This high-stakes battle between red-hot MLS originals could go a long way in shaping the playoff picture in the West. Sporting have lost just twice in their last 16 matches, while the ever-improving Rapids have rattled off three consecutive wins to turn soccer heads across the country.
With plenty to be excited about on Saturday, we take a statistical look at the Retro Night fixture in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting and Colorado have squared off 83 times in all competitions, making the Rapids the most frequent opponent in Kansas City history.
- Sporting holds a series advantage with 34 wins, 29 losses and 20 ties, including a 28-24-17 record in the regular season.
- In 33 regular season home games against Colorado, Sporting are 22-6-5 with 71 goals scored and 34 conceded.
- Sporting are 3-0-2 against Colorado over the last three seasons, including a 3-1 home win on June 23 and a 0-0 road draw on Aug. 7.
- In the 3-1 home win on June 23, Sporting forward Daniel Salloi recorded two goals and an assist. Colorado defender Keegan Rosenberry salvaged a late consolation goal for the visitors.
- In the 0-0 draw on Aug. 7, Sporting secured their first of three straight road shutouts, a streak that will remain active heading into September.
- Sporting have outscored Colorado 7-1 in each of the last two meeting at Children's Mercy Park, including a 4-0 triumph on Oct. 24, 2020.
Sporting Kansas City
- MLS record: 11-4-6, 39 points
- MLS standings: 2nd in West
- MLS home record: 5-1-4 (18 GF, 11 GA)
- Last five matches: 2-0-3, 9 points (W-T-W-T-T)
- Last match: Tied 0-0 at Minnesota United FC on Aug. 21
- Sporting have lost just twice in their last 16 matches, going 9-2-5 since May 16.
- Sporting are unbeaten in their last five matches since Aug. 4, claiming two wins and three draws.
- Sporting have scored in a club-record 25 straight regular season home matches dating back to Aug. 10, 2019, the longest active streak in MLS.
- Sporting are winless in their last four home matches across all competitions, taking two draws and two losses, but have just one loss in 10 league fixtures at Children's Mercy Park (5-1-4 record).
- Sporting rank second in MLS with 36 goals and third with a plus-15 goal differential.
- Sporting are on pace for 64 points in the regular season, which would eclipse the club record of 63 set in 2012.
- Sporting lead MLS with 18 points and five wins from losing positions this season.
- Sporting have earned shutouts in three of their last four matches since Aug. 7.
- 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 MLS season for the club (Preki in 1996, 1997 and 2003; Eddie Johnson in 2007).
- Forward Alan Pulido has tallied eight goals and three assists in just 12 starts this season. He has scored or assisted in four of his last five starts.
- Defender Andreu Fontas leads MLS by a wide margin in passes (1,647), passes completed (1,473) and touches (1,883).
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza and defender Luis Martins are the only Sporting players to feature in all 21 MLS matches this season.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has posted shutouts in three of his last four appearances. He ranks third in MLS with a 0.88 goals against average.
Colorado Rapids
- MLS record: 11-4-4, 37 points
- MLS standings: 3rd in West
- MLS away record: 5-3-1 (11 GF, 10 GA)
- Last five matches: 4-0-1, 13 points (W-T-W-W-W)
- Last match: Won 2-1 vs. Real Salt Lake on Aug. 28
- Colorado are 4-0-1 in their last five matches, with the lone draw coming against Sporting in a 0-0 stalemate on Aug. 7.
- Colorado are one of four MLS clubs (alongside Sporting, Seattle and New England) to boast a winning road record (5-3-1).
- Colorado are on a three-game road winning streak, defeating Austin, Houston and the LA Galaxy since July 31. Colorado last won three straight regular season road matches in 2000 and haven't won four straight away games since the MLS shootout era in 1999.
- Colorado's 37 points through 19 matches are tied for the most in club history since the dawn of the non-shootout era in 2000. The Rapids had a 10-2-7 record through 19 matches in 2016.
- Colorado's seven goals during their current three-game winning streak have been scored by seven different players.
- Colorado head coach Robin Fraser has a 24-12-8 regular season record since taking the helm in August 2019.
- Colorado have outscored opponents 17-6 in the second half this season.
- Colorado have conceded just one goal after the 75th minute this season, the fewest in MLS.
- Colorado are 5-1 in one-goal games, the second best record in MLS.
- Midfielder Michael Barrios leads Colorado with five goals, while forwards Diego Rubio and Andre Shinyashiki have four apiece.
- Midfielder Jack Price is tied for fourth in MLS with seven assists.
- Goalkeeper William Yarbrough is tied for the MLS lead in both wins (11) and shutouts (eight) and has a 1.00 goals against average.
- Yarbrough and defenders Keegan Rosenberry and Auston Trusty have started all 19 matches for Colorado this season.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Forward Johnny Russell is one shy of tying defender Graham Zusi for ninth place on Sporting's all-time regular season goals chart with 29.
