By The Numbers: #SKCvLAFC | July 23, 2022

"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 the current Supporters' Shield leaders, LAFC on Saturday, July 3 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the highly anticipated summer showdown are on sale now at SeatGeek.com.

In the short time LAFC has been a Major League Soccer club, Sporting has faced them eight times. Both teams have four wins and there has never been a draw between the two. Earlier this year Sporting slipped to a 3-1 loss at LAFC giving the Black and Gold a two-match win streak, tied for the longest of either side in the series.

Here is a statical look at the always exciting matchup between Sporting Kansas City and LAFC.

Head-to-Head

• Sporting are 2-1-0 in three home matches against LAFC at Children’s Mercy Park, with 2-1 wins in 2018 and 2021 bookending a 5-1 loss in 2019.
• The eight regular season meetings have produced 30 goals, an average of 3.75 per match.
• The clubs last met at Children’s Mercy Park on June 26, 2021. LAFC took a first-half lead but Sporting rallied in the second half on goals from Alan Pulido and Daniel Salloi.
• Salloi has three goals and one assist in seven regular season appearances against LAFC.
• LAFC midfielder Ilie began his MLS career in Kansas City, where he amassed 11 goals and 13 assists in 171 appearances across all competitions from 2017-2021. Ilie leads LAFC field players with 1,659 minutes played.

Sporting Kansas City

• 2022 MLS record: 5-12-5, 20 points (14th in Western Conference)
• 2022 MLS home record: 3-4-2, 11 points (8 GF, 9 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 3-3-1 in their last seven matches across all competitions, outscoring opponents 11-10.
• Sporting erased deficits in back-to-back road matches on July 9 in a 2-1 win at Montreal and on July 13 in a 1-1 draw at Minnesota.
• Sporting rank third in MLS with 25.5 team presses per game.
• Sporting will host eight of their next 11 MLS matches between July 23 and Oct. 2.
• Forward Johnny Russell leads Sporting with eight goals in all competitions, while fellow winger Daniel Salloi ranks second with six.
• Russell has become the first player in Sporting history to score six goals in five straight regular seasons.
• Salloi ranks sixth in MLS with 19 possessions won in the attacking third.
• Midfielder Felipe Hernandez leads Sporting with four assists in all competitions and has appeared in all 22 regular season matches.
• Midfielder Remi Walter leads MLS in distance covered (148.2 miles) and ranks third among field players in recoveries (169). His three goals are a career-high for a single league season dating back to 2013.
• Walter is the only Sporting player to start in all 22 regular season matches this year.
• In a 1-1 draw at Minnesota on July 13, 19-year-old defender Kayden Pierre became the second youngest player in Sporting history to record a primary assist in an MLS match.

LAFC

• 2022 MLS record: 13-4-3, 42 points (1st in Western Conference)
• 2022 MLS road record: 5-3-1, 16 points (14 GF, 10 GA)
• 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: N/A
• All-time Honors: One Supporters’ Shield (2019)
• LAFC lead the Supporters’ Shield standings with 42 points, posting a 13-4-3 record.
• LAFC are tied for the MLS lead in goal differential (+18) and rank second in road goal differential (+4).
• LAFC have been outscored 16-13 in the first half this season.
• LAFC are 3-4-3 when conceding the first goal and have yet to take part in a scoreless draw this season.
• LAFC have led at halftime in just four of 20 matches this season.
• Forward Carlos Vela is tied for seventh in MLS with eight assists. His four game-winning assists are tied for third in the league.
• Vela opened the season with a hat trick and scored again on March 20, but he has just two goals in his last 14 MLS appearances. He ranks sixth in MLS with 49 chances created.
• Forward Cristian Arango ranks fifth in MLS with 55 shot attempts. Arango scored two goals in his first 13 appearances this season but has six goals in his last seven dating back to May 28.
• Arango and midfielder Jose Cifuentes have scored in each of LAFC’s last two matches.
• Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who leads MLS with 13 wins, has five shutouts in 19 appearances this season.

Milestones and Miscellany

• Midfielder Cam Duke is one shy of his 50th appearance for Sporting in all competitions.
• Midfielder Felipe Hernandez is one shy of his 50th MLS appearance for Sporting.
• Forward Johnny Russell ranks third in club history with 46 regular season goals and fourth with 51 goals in all competitions, one shy of tying Davy Arnaud for third.
• Forward Daniel Salloi has 12 career game-winning goals in the regular season, one shy of tying the club record held by Preki and Dom Dwyer.