"By The Numbers" is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
Sporting Kansas City returns to Children’s Mercy Park for a match with their neighbors to the west, the Colorado Rapids. The contest between MLS charter teams will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT with coverage available on 38 The Spot, in the Sporting KC Mobile app and online at SportingKC.com with tickets on sale at SeatGeek.com.
Sporting has faced Colorado more than any other team in MLS history, with 85 matches in 26 years between the two sides in call competitions. Sporting holds the advantage in the series, despite losing to Colorado on the road earlier this season.
Below, we provide a statistical preview of the midweek matchup at Children’s Mercy Park between Sporting Kansas City and the Colorado Rapids.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting and Colorado have squared off 85 times in all competitions, making the Rapids the most frequent opponent in Kansas City history.
- Sporting holds an all-time series advantage with a 34-30-21 record, including a 28-25-18 mark in the regular season.
- Sporting are 3-1-3 against Colorado over the last seven meetings, including a 2-0-1 record at home.
- Sporting are 22-6-6 at home against Colorado in the regular season, their best home record against any MLS original.
- Forward Daniel Salloi has three goals in five regular season appearances against the Rapids, all of which have come at Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2022 MLS record: 2-7-3, 9 points (13th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS home record: 2-1-2, 8 points (5 GF, 4 GA)
- 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: Lost to Real Salt Lake in Western Conference Semifinals
- All-time Honors: Two MLS Cups (2000, 2013), four Open Cups (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017), one Supporters' Shield (2000).
- Sporting is currently navigating a stretch of seven competitive matches in 22 days between May 7-28, including two in the U.S. Open Cup.
- Sporting’s four clean sheets are tied for second-most in the Western Conference.
- Sporting are 2-2-1 when scoring the first goal this season.
- Sporting rank second in MLS with 76.2 long passes per match.
- Since July 2020, Sporting are 22-0-1 in the regular season when leading in the 75th minute.
- Forward Marinos Tzionis has scored in each of Sporting’s last two matches, a 4-2 win over FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 last Tuesday and a 7-2 loss at the Portland Timbers on Saturday.
- Midfielder Felipe Hernandez assisted both goals in Saturday’s loss to Portland and leads the team with three assists this season.
- Forward Daniel Salloi is tied for second on the team with two goals this season. Since the start of 2021, he ranks fourth in MLS in non-penalty goals (18) and goals from the run of play (16).
- Midfielder Remi Walter leads MLS in distance covered (86.1 miles) and minutes played (1,080) while ranking second among field players in recoveries (111). His two goals this year have equaled his career-high for a single league season dating back to 2013.
Colorado Rapids
- 2022 MLS record: 4-4-3, 15 points (7th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS home record: 0-4-1, 1 point (3 GF, 11 GA)
- 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: Lost to Portland Timbers in Western Conference Semifinals
- All-time Honors: One MLS Cup (2010)
- Colorado are 4-0-2 at home this season but 0-4-1 on the road.
- Colorado are 0-6-1 on the road this season in all competitions, including a Concacaf Champions League loss at Comunicaciones (Guatemala) and an Open Cup loss at Minnesota.
- Colorado have been outscored 11-3 away from home in MLS play and 14-4 away from home in all competitions.
- Colorado has hit the post eight times this season, the most in MLS.
- Colorado has been involved in a single one-goal game this season. All of their wins and three of their four losses have come by more than one goal.
- Forward Diego Rubio leads the team with six goals this season and has hit the post four times, tied for the most in MLS. He is tied for the MLS lead with three match-winning goals.
- Defender Lalas Abubakar is tied for the MLS lead with 11 blocks.
- Goalkeeper William Yarbrough is one off the league lead with five shutouts.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Midfielder Uri Rosell is one shy of his 50th career regular season appearance for Sporting.
- Forward Johnny Russell is currently tied with Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud for third in club history with 43 regular season goals. He is tied with Wolff for fourth in club history with 46 goals in all competitions.
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza’s 298 career regular season appearances are fourth-most in MLS history by a player for one club.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has a goals conceded percentage of 56.7% on penalty kicks (17 of 30) during his MLS career, the lowest clip in league history among keepers who have faced at least 10 penalties.
