"By The Numbers" is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
Fresh off a hard-fought draw, Sporting Kansas City will play their second match of a two-game homestand when they host Western Conference club FC Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday, April 30. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and tickets are available for purchase at SeatGeek.com.
These two teams are certainly familiar with one another. Sporting KC has faced Dallas on six occasions in the last two seasons, winning the last two meetings. Exactly 10 days after Saturday’s match, Sporting will welcome Dallas back to Kansas City for a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 matchup.
Below, we provide a statistical preview of Saturday night’s renewal of Sporting Kansas City vs. FC Dallas.
Head-to-Head
- Dallas holds a narrow advantage in the head-to-head regular season series with a 28-27-13 record.
- Sporting did not suffer a defeat against Dallas in 10 matches at Children’s Mercy Park across all competitions from 2012-2018.
- FC Dallas leads MLS with four regular season wins at Children’s Mercy Park since the start of 2018. Real Salt Lake, with two wins, are the only other team with multiple victories at the stadium over the last five seasons.
- Sporting have not beaten Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park since winning 2-0 on Aug. 19, 2017.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has scored three goals in the last two meetings, including a brace when SKC prevailed 3-1 in the most recent meeting last September.
- Sporting forward Johnny Russell has five goals and one assist in nine regular season appearances against Dallas.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2022 MLS record: 2-6-1, 7 points (12th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS home record: 2-1-1, 7 points (3 GF, 2 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 are tied for the MLS lead with three home shutouts this season.
- Sporting have allowed two goals in four previous home matches this season. Only Chicago and Colorado (one each) have conceded fewer home goals in 2022.
- With a shutout against FC Dallas on Saturday, Sporting would have four clean sheets in a stretch of five regular season home matches for the first time since 2017.
- Sporting rank second in MLS with 253 possessions won in the midfield third.
- Since July 2020, Sporting are 22-0-1 in the regular season when leading in the 75th minute.
- Forward Daniel Salloi ranks seventh in MLS with 16 shots from inside the box. Since the start of 2021, he ranks fifth in non-penalty goals (17) and fourth in goals from open play (15) in the regular season.
- Defender Graham Zusi leads MLS with 877 touches, 131 more than any other player. He is also second in distance covered (59.4 miles).
- Midfielder Remi Walter leads MLS in distance covered (64.9 miles) and ranks third among field players in recoveries (81).
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza ranks fourth in MLS with 10 possessions won in the attacking third.
- Since joining MLS in 2018, forward Johnny Russell ranks third in the league with 72 combined goals (41) and assists (31) in the regular season.
FC Dallas
- 2022 MLS record: 4-1-3, 15 points (4th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS road record: 0-1-2, 2 points (0 GF, 1 GA)
- 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: N/A
- All-time Honors: Two Open Cups (1997, 2016), one Supporters' Shield (2016).
- Dallas has a 4-1-3 record and 15 points, their most through eight matches of a regular season since 2017 when they started 5-0-3.
- Dallas’ one loss is tied for the fewest in MLS this season. Their lone defeat was a 1-0 setback at New England on March 5.
- Dallas are unbeaten in seven straight matches across all competitions, including their 2-1 win over FC Tulsa in the U.S. Open Cup Third Round on April 19.
- Dallas ranks third in MLS with 30 team presses per match.
- Dallas have yet to find the back of the net in their three MLS regular season road matches.
- Forward Jesus Ferreira is one off the league lead with five goals.
- Ferreira’s five goals have come in two games—a hat trick in a 4-1 win over Portland on March 19 and a brace in a 3-1 win over Colorado on April 9.
- Midfielder Brandon Servania leads FC Dallas with three assists.
- Defender Jose Antonio Martinez ranks fifth in MLS with 44 clearances.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Sporting are one goal shy of their 700th all-time home goal in the regular season.
- Forward Johnny Russell is one shy of his 100th regular season start for Sporting.
- Defender Graham Zusi is one shy of passing Matt Besler for the most regular season starts in club history at 286.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia is one shy of passing Jimmy Conrad for the ninth-most regular season appearances in club history at 205. He is also five shy of 600 career saves for Sporting in regular season play.
