"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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Following a two-week break for the Concacaf Gold Cup group stage, second-place Sporting Kansas City (8-3-2, 26 points) will return to action Wednesday when the San Jose Earthquakes (3-7-3, 12 points) visit Children's Mercy Park at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek.com, including Coca-Cola Family Four Packs that include four general admission tickets in the South Stand, four Coca-Cola products and four Domino's pizzas.
Supporters watching from home can catch Wednesday's encounter live on Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Midwest Plus, BallySports.com and the Bally Sports app with three hours of live coverage beginning at 7 p.m. CT. The contest will also air live locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Riding a three-match winning streak and ranking first in MLS in most attacking metrics, Sporting will look to stay hot against a San Jose side currently mired in an eight-game winless drought that stretches back to mid-May. We take a statistical look at the fixture in the newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting are 7-1-3 against San Jose in the last 11 competitive meetings dating back to September 2016. San Jose's lone win during that stretch was a 4-1 result at Avaya Stadium in April 2019.
- Since August 2004, Sporting have gone 13-1-2 in 16 home matches against San Jose in all competitions. The two draws have been penalty shootout wins in the 2017 U.S. Open Cup semifinals and the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.
- In the most recent meeting on May 22, Sporting emerged 3-1 winners at Avaya Stadium with goals from Jaylin Lindsey, Alan Pulido and Daniel Salloi.
- The last time San Jose visited Children’s Mercy Park, Sporting prevailed 3-0 on penalties following a 3-3 thriller in the first round of the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs last November. Goalkeeper Tim Melia saved all three penalties he faced.
- San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski has scored 11 goals in 21 career MLS matches against Sporting (including playoffs). He has scored in two of his last three appearances in the series.
Sporting Kansas City
- MLS record: 8-3-2, 26 points
- MLS standings: 2nd in West
- MLS home record: 5-0-2 (15 GF, 7 GA)
- Last five matches: 3-1-1, 10 points (T-L-W-W-W)
- Last match: Won 2-0 at LA Galaxy on July 4
- Sporting lead MLS in goals (24), expected goals (26.2) and goals per match (1.85).
- Sporting are 6-1-1 in their last eight matches dating back to May 16. Their six wins, 19 points and 18 goals scored since then are all the most in MLS.
- Sporting are on pace for 68 points in the regular season, which would eclipse the club record of 63 set in 2012.
- Sporting lead MLS in both shots per game (16.8) and chances created per game (11.9).
- Sporting are unbeaten in 10 straight regular season home matches at Children’s Mercy Park since October 2020, outscoring opponents 22-8.
- Sporting has scored in a club-record 22 straight regular season home matches dating back to Aug. 10, 2019.
- Sporting lead MLS this season with 16 points and five wins from losing positions. No other club has more than eight points and two wins from losing positions in 2021.
- Sporting have outscored opponents 11-4 in the final 30 minutes of matches this season.
- Sporting have won three straight matches and are seeking their first four-game winning streak in the regular season since August 2018.
- Sporting leads MLS in passing accuracy at 85.4%.
- Sporting KC Academy products have scored or assisted in Sporting's last eight matches.
- Forward Daniel Salloi ranks fifth in MLS with 10 combined goals (seven) and assists (three). He also leads MLS with four game-winning goals this season.
- Forward Khiry Shelton boasts a 26-9-11 regular season record as a Sporting starter dating back to 2018. Additionally, Sporting are 14-3-6 in the 23 regular season matches Shelton has started at center forward.
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza has an 8-1-2 record as a starter this season and a 16-4-5 record as a starter since the beginning of 2020.
- Defender Andreu Fontas leads MLS by a wide margin in passes (1,038), passes completed (933) and touches (1,178).
San Jose Earthquakes
- MLS record: 3-7-3, 12 points
- MLS standings: 11th in West
- MLS away record: 1-3-3 (6 GF, 12 GA)
- Last five matches: 0-2-3, 3 points (T-L-L-T-T)
- Last match: Tied 1-1 at Colorado Rapids on July 17
- After starting the season 3-1-0, San Jose have gone winless in eight straight since May 12 with a 0-5-3 record.
- San Jose's 23 goals conceded are the most in the Western Conference and the third most in MLS.
- San Jose's one clean sheet this season is tied for the fewest in MLS.
- San Jose's 16.3 shots faced per match are the third most in MLS.
- Since the start of 2018, San Jose's 53 regular season losses (28-23-53 record) and 200 goals conceded (1.92 per game) are the most in MLS.
- San Jose rank second in MLS with 54.9% average possession.
- San Jose rank second in MLS with 51.8% shooting accuracy.
- At just 17 years old, Cade Cowell leads San Jose in both goals (four) and assists (four). He has scored or assisted in three straight matches.
- Midfielder Eric Remedi leads MLS with 53 fouls suffered, nine more than any other player. Remedi is also tied for the MLS lead with seven yellow cards and ranks fifth with 100 duels won.
- Winger Cristian Espinoza is the only San Jose field player to start all 13 matches this season. He ranks second on the team with three assists.
- Forward Chris Wondolowski is Major League Soccer's all-time leading goal scorer with 168 goals in the regular season. He has two goals in 12 appearances this year, nine of which have come as a substitute.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Forward Daniel Salloi is one shy of his 100th regular season appearance for Sporting.
- In a 2-0 win at the LA Galaxy on July 4, defender Graham Zusi became the first Sporting player to log 300 regular season appearances for the club.
