"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 hits the road and will face Nashville SC at brand-new GEODIS Park on Sunday, June 19 at 5 p.m. CT. The match will air nationally on FS1 and Fox Deportes with the official watch party taking place at International Tap House in downtown Kansas City, MO starting at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Sunday marks just the third all-time meeting between Sporting and Nashville and the first in Tennessee. In the most recent meeting on April 9, 2022, Nashville got the better of Sporting 2-1 at Children’s Mercy Park. Before that, Sporting beat Nashville 2-1 at Children’s Mercy Park in 2020. Both teams enter Sunday with three goals scored, three goals conceded and one win apiece.
Below, we provide a statistical preview of Sunday’s nationally televised match between Sporting Kansas City and Nashville SC.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting and Nashville have split their previous two MLS meetings, both of which took place at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Both previous meetings saw the winner overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit to prevail 2-1.
- Sunday will mark Sporting’s inaugural MLS trip to Nashville and to the new GEODIS Park.
- Sporting has not visited Nashville since 1998 when the Kansas City Wizards suffered a 3-1 loss to the Nashville Metros from the second-division A-League in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2022 MLS record: 3-9-4, 13 points (14th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS road record: 0-6-2, 2 points (6 GF, 20 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 remain alive in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, having booked a quarterfinal home match against USL League One side Union Omaha on Wednesday, June 22.
- Since July 2020, Sporting are 23-0-1 in the regular season when leading in the 75th minute.
- Forward Johnny Russell has four goals in his last four matches and leads the team with seven goals this season in all competitions.
- Since the start of 2019, Russell’s five direct free kick goals are the second-most in MLS regular season play behind Lucas Zelarayan (seven).
- Sporting KC Academy products Cam Duke and Felipe Hernandez are tied for the team lead with three assists this season.
- Midfielder Remi Walter leads MLS in distance covered (108.4 miles).
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza, who ranks third in MLS with 17 possessions won in the attacking third, has become the third active MLS player to record an assist in 13 different MLS seasons alongside Kei Kamara and Nashville’s Dax McCarty.
- Manager Peter Vermes is the longest-tenured head coach with one club in MLS history, having served at the helm since August 2009.
- Vermes Has coached in over half of the club’s regular season matches all-time (419 of 836).
Nashville SC
- 2022 MLS record: 6-4-5, 23 points (6th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS home record: 2-0-3 (6 GF, 3 GA)
- 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: Lost to Philadelphia Union in the Eastern Conference Semifinals
- All-time Honors: None
- Nashville are unbeaten in 25 consecutive home matches across all competitions. The club’s last home defeat was a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas on Nov. 4, 2020.
- Nashville are 16-2-17 in 35 competitive home matches dating back to the club’s inaugural season in 2020.
- Nashville are 3-0-2 in their last five matches across all competitions and have joined Sporting in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal field, where they will visit Orlando City SC on June 29.
- Nashville rank third in MLS in shooting accuracy at 53.5%.
- Hany Mukhtar leads Nashville in goals (six), assists (five), shots (55), chances created (23), successful dribbles (27) and minutes (1,272).
- Since the start of 2021, Mukhtar leads MLS with 39 combined goals (22) and assists (17) in the MLS regular season.
- Forward C.J. Sapong, who is second on the team with five goals, ranks third in MLS in duels won (111).
- Defender Walker Zimmerman ranks sixth in MLS in clearances (64) and fifth in possessions won in the defensive third (57).
Milestones and Miscellany
- Manager and Sporting Director Peter Vermes He is slated to coach his 500th match for the club in all competitions on July 3 when Sporting hosts the New York Red Bulls.
- Forward Johnny Russell ranks third in club history with 45 regular season goals and fourth with 50 goals in all competitions.
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza has made 301 career regular season appearances for Sporting, fourth-most all-time among one-club MLS players.
- Forward Daniel Salloi is one shy of his 100th start for Sporting in MLS competitions.
