"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 68 fatal alcohol-related car crashes took place in Kansas in 2019? Visit the Drive to Zero Coalition for more information.
Following a restful week off, Sporting Kansas City (15-6-7, 52 points) will continue their pursuit of first place in the Western Conference on Sunday night with a visit to Vancouver Whitecaps FC (9-9-10, 37 points) at BC Place. Kickoff is slated for 9 p.m. CT with live coverage on Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Midwest, BallySports.com and the Bally Sports app as well as ESPN 94.5 FM and La Grande 1340 AM.
Five points behind Western Conference leaders Seattle Sounders FC, second-place Sporting will look to keep pace against a Whitecaps side that sits just a point below the playoff line. As postseason implications abound, we take a statistical look at the matchup in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by the Kansas Department of Transportation.
Sporting can clinch a berth in the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs if...
- Sporting wins or draws at Vancouver on Sunday, OR
- Minnesota United FC loses or ties at Austin FC on Saturday (8 p.m. CT), OR
- LA Galaxy loses vs. Portland Timbers on Saturday (9:30 p.m. CT)
Head-to-Head
- Sporting are 11-3-4 against Vancouver in the MLS regular season, including a 3-1 road victory in the 2020 season opener that saw Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda score on their MLS debuts.
- Sporting are 5-2-2 in nine regular season road matches at Vancouver all-time.
- Sporting have outscored Vancouver 39-19 across the 18 meetings in the regular season series.
- Sporting have gone 5-0-1 in the last six regular season meetings against Vancouver, scoring 20 goals and conceding just three.
- Sporting have prevailed in each of their last three visits to BC Place since 2018, scoring 10 goals and conceding just two.
- The clubs most recently met on May 16 at Children's Mercy Park when Alan Pulido bagged a brace and Daniel Salloi scored a goal to spark a 3-0 home win.
- Vancouver last beat Sporting by a 1-0 scoreline on Sept. 30, 2017, at Children's Mercy Park.
- Sporting are 13-7-9 in the regular season on Canadian soil, including all visits to Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto.
Sporting Kansas City
- MLS record: 15-6-7, 52 points
- MLS standings: 2nd in West
- MLS away record: 7-4-2 (21 GF, 15 GA)
- Last five matches: 4-1-0, 12 points (W-W-L-W-W)
- Last match: Won 4-2 vs. Houston Dynamo FC on Oct. 3
- Sporting are averaging 1.86 points per match, the highest regular season clip in club history.
- Sporting's seven away wins this season (7-4-2 record) are one shy of tying the club record during the non-shootout era.
- Sporting rank second in MLS with 51 goals and 1.82 goals per match.
- Sporting lead MLS with 11 wins by multiple goals.
- Sporting have scored three or more goals on nine occasions in 2021, tying the single-season club record.
- Sporting are 15-0-0 this season when scoring twice and 0-6-7 when scoring one or fewer goals.
- Sporting’s five wins when allowing the first goal are the most in MLS (5-4-4 record).
- Forward Johnny Russell has scored in five consecutive MLS matches, the longest active streak in MLS and tied with Preki (1996) for the longest in club history.
- Russell's seven goals since Aug. 28 are tied for the most in MLS.
- Forward Daniel Salloi’s 16 goals are the second-most in MLS. His 16 non-penalty goals are three more than any other player and Sporting are 11-0-3 this season when he scores.
- Salloi’s 23 goal contributions (16 goals, seven assists) are the most in MLS.
- Russell and Salloi are two of five MLS players with at least 10 goals and seven assists this season.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia ranks third in MLS with 13 wins. His .696 winning percentage this year (13-4-6) is the best by a Sporting keeper in an MLS season during the non-shootout era (since 2000).
- Defender Andreu Fontas leads MLS by a wide margin in passes (2,316), passes successful (2,081) and touches (2,614). He also leads MLS in goals added, an advanced statistic that measures a player's on-ball contribution in attack and defense.
- Defender Luis Martins is the only Sporting player to appear in all 28 regular season matches this season.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- MLS record: 9-9-10, 37 points
- MLS standings: 8th in West
- MLS home record: 8-4-2 (20 GF, 14 GA)
- Last five matches: 2-1-2, 8 points (T-W-T-W-L)
- Last match: Lost 4-1 at Seattle Sounders FC on Oct. 9
- Vancouver are 4-2-2 since interim head coach Vanni Sartini was appointed on Aug. 27.
- Vancouver had lost just once in 15 regular season matches (7-1-7 record) from July 17 to Oct. 2 before falling 4-1 at Seattle last Saturday.
- Vancouver have won five of their last six home matches, outscoring opponents 12-4 at BC Place during that stretch.
- Eight of Vancouver's nine wins this season have come at home.
- Vancouver have posted shutouts in three of their last four matches.
- Vancouver are 5-0-2 when scoring the first goal and 4-9-5 when allowing the first goal. They have conceded the first goal in 18 of 28 matches this season.
- Vancouver rank second in MLS with 18 points from losing positions, trailing only Sporting with 19.
- Vancouver are one of four MLS clubs with 10 or more ties this season.
- Before conceding four goals at Seattle last Saturday, Vancouver had gone 337 minutes without allowing a goal, the fifth-longest shutout streak in MLS this season.
- Vancouver are the only MLS team without a goal in the first 15 minutes of a match this season. However, their 12 goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half are most in MLS.
- Forward Brian White has scored nine goals in his last 10 appearances dating back to Aug. 18.
- Among players with double-digit goals, White leads MLS with a shot conversion rate of 27.8%.
- Forward Cristian Dajome has eight goals and four assists this season and ranks third in MLS with 79 fouls suffered.
- Midfielder Janio Bikel has appeared in all 28 regular season matches this season and ranks second in MLS with 67 fouls committed.
- Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau carries a 332-minute shutout streak into Sunday, the longest active streak in MLS and the seventh longest in the league this season.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Manager Peter Vermes’ next regular season coaching win will pass Dominic Kinnear for fourth most in MLS history.
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza is one shy of his 250th regular season start for Sporting.
- Forward Daniel Salloi’s next game-winning goal will tie Chris Klein for third-most in club history and the most in a single season in club history.
- Salloi’s next non-penalty goal will set a new single-season team record and a new league record for most non-penalty goals in a season by a Homegrown Player.
- Sporting defender Graham Zusi’s next game-winning assist will tie him for sixth-most in MLS history with Preki and Kyle Beckerman.
