"By The Numbers" presented by Compass Minerals is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
Hot off a 3-0 win over Minnesota United FC on Saturday at Children's Mercy Park, Sporting Kansas City hits the road this week for two highly anticipated away matches against Western Conference contenders.
Before their looming visit to expansion rivals st. louis city sc on Saturday, Manager Peter Vermes' men will venture to Hollywood for a showdown against reigning MLS Cup champion LAFC at 9:30 p.m. CT Wednesday. The midweek clash will be streamed live on Apple TV, exclusively available to MLS Season Pass subscribers, while also airing locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
With both teams riding momentum despite their opposite positions in the table, we take a statistical look at the contest in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting trails the all-time series with a 4-5-0 record in nine regular season meetings, including three straight losses since Sept. 3, 2021.
- Sporting won the first two meetings between the clubs in 2018 prior to losing five of the past seven since then.
- Sporting are 2-3-0 at BMO Stadium with wins in August 2018 and August 2021.
- Sporting are the only MLS club with more than one regular season road win at BMO Stadium. LAFC are 54-9-20 in 83 regular season matches at the venue with losses to eight different teams.
- Sporting’s four regular season wins against LAFC are tied for third most since the club joined MLS in 2018 (San Jose 6, LA Galaxy 5).
- LAFC won both meetings in 2022 by two-goal margins, prevailing 3-1 at home on April 17 and 2-0 at Children’s Mercy Park on July 23. Now-departed forward Cristian Arango scored in both matches for LAFC.
- LAFC have scored 15 of their 19 goals against Sporting in the second half, including seven past the 75th minute.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has three goals in seven regular season starts against LAFC.
- Sporting forward Alan Pulido has scored two goals in three regular season starts against LAFC, all of which came in 2021.
- Sporting defender Graham Zusi has three assists in seven regular season starts against LAFC.
- LAFC midfielder Ilie Sanchez enjoyed five standout seasons at Sporting from 2017-2021, amassing 11 goals and 13 assists with starts in 161 of 171 total appearances.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2023 MLS record: 2-7-3, 9 points (14th in West | 8 GF, 16 GA)
- 2023 MLS away record: 1-4-2 (4 GF, 9 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 2-3-0 (L-L-L-W-W)
- Sporting’s last seven MLS goals since March 25 have been scored by seven different players. Similarly, their last five primary assists since May 7 have come from five different players.
- Sporting have recorded five goals and eight assists in their last two MLS matches after recording three goals and one assist in their first 10 league games of the season.
- Sporting have scored multiple goals in back-to-back regular season matches after going 12 straight with a goal or fewer dating back to Oct. 2, 2022.
- Sporting are 3-0-0 when scoring multiple goals this season in all competitions and 0-8-3 when scoring one or fewer.
- On Wednesday, Sporting will continue a stretch of five matches in 14 days across all competitions, four of which are on the road and three of which are regular season away games against the top three teams in the Western Conference (at first-place Seattle on May 7, at second-place LAFC on May 17, at third-place st. louis city sc on May 20).
- Sporting have scored four of their eight regular season goals before the 12th minute and six before the 32nd minute. Only Atlanta (five) have scored more goals in the first 15 minutes of matches this season.
- Sporting have outshot opponents by an average of 13.1 to 10.9 this season.
- Sporting rank third in MLS in final third entries per game (62.3) and fourth in successful passes in the final third per game (99.2).
- Since the start of 2020, Sporting are 17-6-5 in the regular season when all three of the club’s Designated Players play in the same match (2.0 goals per game, 28 games). The team is 25-33-15 without at least one Designated Player during that time (1.3 goals per game, 73 games). Sporting’s DPs from 2018-2020 were Alan Pulido, Gadi Kinda and Johnny Russell. The club’s DPs in 2023 are Pulido, Kind and Erik Thommy.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy has one goal and two assists in his last two games. Sporting are 4-0-0 when Thommy scores in the regular season all-time. He is tied for third in MLS in both shots (38) and shots on target (15).
- Forward Alan Pulido has one goal and one assist in his last two games. Sporting are 12-1-0 when Pulido scores in the regular season all-time.
- Pulido has 24 total goal contributions (15 goals, nine assists) in 32 career regular season starts.
- Forward Daniel Salloi ranks third in MLS in progressive carries (47), successful crosses from open play (12) and on target (15). He has scored or assisted on seven of Sporting’s 11goals this season in all competitions (three goals, four assists).
- Midfielder Gadi Kinda has one goal and one assist in his last two games. He has 25 total goal contributions (12 goals, 13 assists) in 47 career regular season appearances.
- Midfielder Remi Walter has started 54 consecutive regular season matches for Sporting since Sept. 29, 2021, the second-longest active streak among MLS field players behind Jakob Glesnes (84) and the fifth-longest streak in club history. Walter is the only Sporting player to play all 1,080 minutes this season.
- Walter leads MLS field players with 110 recoveries and ranks 11th with 22 interceptions.
- Defender Dany Rosero opened his MLS scoring account in Sporting’s 3-0 win over Minnesota on Saturday, giving the club its first goal off a corner kick and first goal from a center back since Sept. 13, 2022.
LAFC
- 2023 MLS record: 6-1-3, 21 points (2nd in West | 20 GF, 8 GA)
- 2023 MLS home record: 4-0-0 (12 GF, 3 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 3-1-1 (W-W-T-L-W)
- Reigning MLS Cup champion and Supporters’ Shield winner LAFC occupy second place in the Western Conference with 21 points (6-1-3 record) and leads the league with 2.1 points per match.
- LAFC are 4-0-0 at home during the 2023 regular season (12 GF, 3 GA) and 6-1-0 at BMO Stadium in all competitions, with the lone loss coming to Costa Rican side Alajuelense in the Concacaf Champions League. LAFC are one of two MLS clubs (FC Cincinnati) with a perfect regular season home record in 2023.
- LAFC are tied for the MLS lead alongside st. louis city sc with 2.0 goals per game. LAFC also leads the league with 3.0 home goals per game.
- LAFC lead MLS with a goal differential of +12 (20 GF, 8 GA).
- LAFC have suffered one regular season defeat this year, tied with FC Cincinnati for the fewest in MLS and two fewer than any other Western Conference club.
- LAFC have been awarded five penalty kicks in 10 regular season matches this season, the most in MLS.
- LAFC lead MLS in shots per game (17.0) and shots on target per game (6.0). The have also faced the fourth fewest shots per game (10.6).
- LAFC are the only MLS club to score at least three goals in all six 15-minute intervals of matches this season.
- LAFC have conceded five of their eight goals after the 60th minute. They have conceded one goal in the opening 30 minutes of matches, tied for the fewest in MLS.
- LAFC are a perfect 6-0-0 when scoring first in the regular season and 10-0-1 when scoring first in all competitions. The team is 0-1-1 in the regular season when conceding first and 0-2-2 when conceding first in all competitions.
- LAFC are looking to become the second MLS team (Seattle in 2022) to win the modern edition of the Concacaf Champions League, with a two-legged matchup against Club Leon in the tournament finals on May 31 and June 4.
- Since the start of 2022, LAFC lead MLS in wins (29) and goals per game (2.02) while ranking second behind Philadelphia in goal differential (+44).
- Since joining the league in 2018, LAFC lead MLS with a .622 regular season winning percentage (85-44-39 record).
- LAFC forward Denis Bouanga leads MLS with nine goals and has scored a team-best 15 goals in all competitions, including six in the Concacaf Champions League. He is also the MLS leader in shots (42) and shots on goal (18)
- LAFC forward Carlos Vela is tied for third in MLS with five assists (including a league-best three game-winning assists) and has scored six goals in all competitions. Since the start of 2018, Vela leads MLS in regular season goals (72) and combined goals and assists (124).
- No LAFC players have started all 10 regular season matches. Bouanga, goalkeeper John McCarthy, defender Diego Palacios and midfielder Ilie Sanchez have all made nine league starts and occupy the club’s top four in MLS minutes played (in that order).
Milestones and Miscellany
- Manager Peter Vermes will coach his 450th MLS regular season match on Wednesday, becoming the third coach to eclipse that total.
- Forward Johnny Russell is one shy of his 50th regular season goal for the club, trailing only Preki (71 goals) and Dom Dwyer (57 goals) on Sporting’s all-time list. His 49 regular season goals and 54 goals in all competitions are both third most in club history.
- Forward Daniel has 51 goals in all competitions, one shy of tying Davy Arnaud for fourth most in club history and three behind Johnny Russell in third.
- Midfielder Remi Walter has made 54 straight regular season starts for Sporting, the second-longest active streak among MLS field players behind Philadelphia defender Jakob Glesnes (84). His 54-game streak is one shy of tying Tony Meola for the fourth longest in club history (Kevin Hartman 90, Jimmy Nielsen 90, Mark Chung 74, Tony Meola 55).
