"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 3,898 people were involved in alcohol-related crashes in Kansas in 2019? Visit the Drive to Zero Coalition for more information.
Sporting Kansas City will host LIGA MX heavyweights Club Leon in the 2021 Leagues Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday at Children's Mercy Park. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT with tickets available on SeatGeek.com and national coverage on ESPN2, TUDN and the ESPN app. Listeners can also catch the game locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM, while the Sporting KC mobile app will provide additional in-game updates.
Leagues Cup is an annual single-elimination tournament that will again feature premier clubs from MLS and Mexico’s top division and build upon the growing rivalry between both leagues. The edition will see four MLS clubs matched up against four LIGA MX teams in the quarterfinals, which will unfold Tuesday through Thursday of this week.
The tournament will be played in its entirety in the United States, with the semifinals slated for Sept. 14-15 and the Leagues Cup Final, to be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, scheduled for Sept. 22.
With plenty to be excited about on Tuesday night, we take a statistical look at the fixture in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Sporting Kansas City
- MLS record: 10-4-4, 34 points (1st in West)
- Last match: Tied 0-0 at Colorado Rapids on Aug. 7
- Qualified for Leagues Cup: First place finish in Western Conference in 2020
- League Titles: Two (2000, 2013)
- Open Cup Titles: Four (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017)
- International Titles: None
- Sporting are 8-5-6 at home in international competitions, including a 6-2-2 mark at Children's Mercy Park.
- Sporting are 2-1-0 in competitive home matches against Mexican opposition at Children’s Mercy Park, including wins over Cruz Azul (2013-14 CCL quarterfinals) and Deportivo Toluca FC (2019 CCL round of 16) and a loss to CF Monterrey (2019 CCL semifinals).
- Midfielder Ilie Sanchez leads the current Sporting roster with two goals in international tournaments, both coming in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League.
- Defender Graham Zusi leads the current Sporting roster with 13 international appearances for the club. He has tallied three assists in those 13 games, one shy of the club's all-time lead in international competitions.
- Defender Nicolas Isimat-Mirin and forward Alan Pulido have logged 22 club appearances in international competitions, tied for the most on Sporting's current roster.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has a 3-3-0 record in six international appearances, all of which in the Concacaf Champions League. His three shutouts in international competitions are second most in club history behind Eric Kronberg's five.
Club Leon
- LIGA MX record: 2-1-0, 6 points (5th in LIGA MX Apertura)
- Last match: Won 1-0 at Queretaro on Aug. 5
- Qualified for Leagues Cup: 3rd place in 2020-21 LIGA MX aggregate table
- League Titles: Eight (1948, 1949, 1952, 1956, 1992, 2013, 2014, 2020)
- Copa MX Titles: Five (1949, 1958, 1967, 1971, 1972)
- International Titles: None
- Club Leon won its most recent of eight league titles in December 2020, finishing atop the fall season standings with a 12-1-4 record before eliminating Puebla, Chivas and Pumas in the playoffs.
- Club Leon have won two of their first three LIGA MX matches this season, defeating Tijuana 2-1 on July 31 and Queretaro 1-0 on Aug. 5 after taking a 4-0 loss at Pachuca on July 24.
- Defender William Tesillo, winger Angel Mena and winger Elias Hernandez have accounted for Leon's three goals this season.
- Mena amassed 17 goals for Leon during the 2020-21 LIGA MX season and has 51 goals for the team in all competitions since the start of 2019. He recently appeared in five matches for Ecuador at the 2021 Copa America in Brazil.
- Tesillo has been an ever-present fixture for Leon over the last three seasons. The Colombian international started six of seven appearances at the 2021 Copa America as Colombia earned a third-place finish in the tournament.
- Club Leon fell 3-2 on aggregate to Toronto FC in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 in April.
