"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.
The 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will conclude with a Hollywood ending for either Sporting Kansas City or LAFC as the clubs meet Wednesday in the tournament final at BMO Stadium near downtown Los Angeles. Kickoff is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT with a free live stream on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV and local radio coverage on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Sporting has a rich history in U.S. Soccer's annual domestic cup competition, having hoisted the Open Cup title on four occasions—including three championships in the last dozen years under Manager Peter Vermes. LAFC, meanwhile, is looking for a first Open Cup trophy after establishing itself as a perennial power in Major League Soccer.
The 2024 MLS campaign has unfolded differently for both teams—Sporting is no longer in playoff contention, while LAFC competes near the top of the Western Conference—but in a one-off cup final, a certain mantra rings true: anything can happen.
On one side, goalkeeper Tim Melia and Sporting are hoping to solidify their place in the Open Cup record books. On the other, LAFC are aiming to rectify their recent woes in cup finals. With $300,000 of prize money and a coveted trophy to play for on Wednesday, we offer a statistical preview of the 2024 Open Cup Final in our newest edition of By The Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting and LAFC are meeting outside of the MLS regular season for the first time.
- Sporting and LAFC most recently met on March 9 at BMO Stadium, scrapping to a 0-0 draw on the third weekend of the MLS regular season. It is one of only four scoreless regular season draws in BMO Stadium history since LAFC entered MLS in 2018.
- Sporting has earned a draw in each of its last two visits to LAFC, including a 1-1 tie in May 2023 that saw Denis Bouanga and Johnny Russel trade goals inside the first 20 minutes.
- Sporting trails the all-time series with a 4-6-2 record in 12 regular season meetings, including an 0-4-2 record since Sept. 3, 2021.
- Sporting last beat LAFC by a 4-1 scoreline on Aug. 4, 2021, at BMO Stadium. The three-goal defeat stands as the second-heaviest home loss in LAFC history.
- Sporting won the first two meetings between the clubs in 2018 prior to losing six of the last 10.
- Sporting is 2-3-2 against LAFC at BMO Stadium with road wins in August 2018 and August 2021.
- Sporting is one of two clubs (Houston) with more than one regular season road win at BMO Stadium. LAFC is 69-15-27 in 11 regular season matches at the venue with 15 losses to 13 different teams.
- LAFC has scored 17 of its 22 goals against Sporting in the second half, including eight past the 75th minute.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has three goals and one assist in 11 appearances against LAFC.
- Sporting forward Alan Pulido has three goals and one assist in six appearances against LAFC.
- Salloi and Pulido’s three goals apiece against LAFC are tied for most all-time in the regular season series between the teams. LAFC forward Carlos Vela has three goals in 10 appearances against Sporting.
- Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia has a 4-4-1 record against LAFC with two shutouts and a 1.77 goals against average.
- LAFC midfielder Eduard Atuesta has one goal and three assists in seven regular season appearances against Sporting.
- LAFC defender Aaron Long has recorded four assists in 186 regular season matches, two of which have come in eight appearances against Sporting.
- LAFC midfielder Ilie Sanchez enjoyed five standout seasons at Sporting from 2017-2021, amassing 11 goals and 13 assists in 171 appearances across all competitions.
- LAFC forward Kei Kamara, who played for Kansas City from 2009-2013, has 10 goal contributions (four goals and six assists) in 17 regular season appearances against Sporting. He has previously faced Sporting as a member of seven different MLS clubs, not including LAFC (Columbus, Houston, New England, Vancouver, Colorado, Montreal and Chicago).
Sporting Kansas City Open Cup Team Stats
- Sporting has prevailed in each of its first four Open Cup final appearances (2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017) and will compete for a record-tying fifth Open Cup title against an LAFC side seeking its first Open Cup trophy.
- Sporting has won six of seven cup finals in club history, hoisting two MLS Cups (2000, 2013) in addition to four Open Cup titles. Kansas City’s lone defeat in a cup final was a 3-2 loss to D.C. United in the 2004 MLS Cup.
- Three of Sporting’s six cup final victories have been decided in a penalty shootout—the 2013 MLS Cup against Real Salt Lake and the 2012 and 2015 Open Cups against Seattle Sounders FC and the Philadelphia Union, respectively.
- Sporting is the visiting team in a cup final for the second time in club history, having won the 2015 Open Cup at the Philadelphia Union. The 2000 MLS Cup against Chicago was played at a neutral venue (RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.) while the 2013 MLS Cup and the 2004, 2012 and 2017 Open Cup finals were played on home soil.
- Sporting’s four Open Cup titles are tied for the most among MLS clubs alongside Chicago Fire FC and Seattle Sounders FC. Bethlehem Steel (dissolved in 1930) and Maccabee Los Angeles (dissolved in 1982) won five Open Cup titles each prior to the dawn of the tournament’s modern era in 1995.
- Sporting has outscored opponents 10-2 in its four Open Cup wins this season, defeating Union Omaha (2-1), FC Tulsa (4-0), FC Dallas (2-1) and Indy Eleven (2-0).
- Sporting has trailed just once during its 2024 Open Cup run—for 17 minutes during the club’s 2-1 comeback win at Union Omaha in the Round of 32 on May 8.
- Sporting has outshot its opponents by a combined 90-40 during the 2024 Open Cup, including a 34-18 advantage in shots on goal.
- Since 2012, Sporting has won three Open Cup titles and prevailed in 29 Open Cup matches, both more than any other team in the last 12 years.
- Sporting has a 38-18-8 all-time record in the Open Cup, including a 10-11-5 record away from home.
- Sporting is 1-3-1 in its last five Open Cup away matches since July 2018. The team snapped a four-match road winless streak in the tournament this year with a 2-1 extra-time win over USL League One side Union Omaha on May 8 in the Round of 32.
- Sporting’s last Open Cup road win against an MLS opponent was a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake in the Round of 32 on June 6, 2018.
- Sporting is visiting the state of California for an Open Cup match for the third time in club history. The team lost 2-1 at the San Francisco Bay Seals in the 1997 Round of 16 and fell on penalties to Sacramento Republic following a 0-0 draw in the 2022 Semifinals.
- Sporting owns a 28-7-3 home record in the Open Cup and hasn’t lost at home in the competition since falling to the Portland Timbers in the Round of 16 on June 24, 2014.
- Sporting has prevailed in 16 straight Open Cup home matches, posting a 15-0-1 record since 2015. The lone draw accounts for a shootout win following a 1-1 stalemate against the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2017 semifinals.
- The U.S. Open Cup is named after Lamar Hunt, a co-founder of Major League Soccer who owned the Kansas City Wizards from the club’s formation in 1995 to until 2006.
Sporting Kansas City Open Cup Player Stats
- The following players on Sporting’s current roster have won U.S. Open Cup titles: goalkeeper Tim Melia (2015 and 2017 with SKC), forward Daniel Salloi (2017 with SKC) and midfielder Memo Rodriguez (2018 with Houston).
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has prevailed in 12 of his 13 career Open Cup appearances for Sporting, including penalty shootout wins in the 2015 final and the 2017 semifinal (10-1-2 record).
- Melia is the only two-time Open Cup champion on the current rosters of both Sporting and LAFC.
- Melia’s lone Open Cup defeat with Sporting was a 4-2 loss at Houston in the 2018 quarterfinals.
- Melia’s 13 career Open Cup starts for Sporting are the most on the current roster and tied for sixth most in club history.
- Goalkeeper John Pulskamp has a 6-1-1 record in the Open Cup, posting four shutouts and a 0.56 goals against average in seven tournament appearances.
- Melia (10) and Pulskamp (six) rank first and second in club history, respectfully, in career goalkeeper wins in the Open Cup.
- Forward Daniel Salloi is Sporting’s all-time leader with eight career goals in the Open Cup—including the match-winner in the 2017 final, a 2-1 home victory over the New York Red Bulls at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Salloi is tied for second in club history in Open Cup goal contributions (nine) alongside current teammate Johnny Russell and former teammate Graham Zusi, trailing only Benny Feilhaber (12).
- Salloi has 18 career Open Cup appearances for Sporting, fourth most in club history behind only Roger Espinoza (26), Matt Besler (20 and Graham Zusi (20).
- Melia and Salloi are the only current Sporting players who won the 2017 Open Cup with the club. Melia is the only current Sporting player who also won the 2015 Open Cup with the club.
- Forward Johnny Russell has nine goal contributions (five goals, four assists) in 11 career Open Cup appearances. He is the only player in club history with at least four goals and four assists in the Open Cup.
- Russell is tied for second in club history in Open Cup goal contributions (nine) and third in club history in both goals (five) and assists (four) in the Open Cup.
- Midfielder Jake Davis has recorded three assists in the 2024 Open Cup, including two in Sporting’s 2-0 semifinal win over Indy Eleven on Aug. 27 at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Davis is one of 10 Sporting players all-time with at least three assists for the club in the Open Cup, a list that includes current teammate Johnny Russell (four assists).
- Defender Dany Rosero has scored in each of Sporting’s last two Open Cup matches—the winner in a 2-1 extra-time victory over FC Dallas in the quarterfinals and the second goal in a 2-0 semifinal triumph over Indy Eleven in the semifinals.
- Defender Khiry Shelton has four goal contributions (two goals, two assists) in nine Open Cup appearances for Sporting, all coming in the 2022 tournament as Kansas City advanced to the semifinals.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy is the only Sporting player who has started in each of Sporting’s first four Open Cup matches this season. Thommy assisted Johnny Russell’s opening goal in the 2-0 semifinal win over Indy Eleven on Aug. 27.
- Forward Alan Pulido scored the winning goal in the 120th minute of Sporting’s 2-1 extra-time win over Union Omaha in the Round of 32 on May 8. It was Sporting’s latest goal in a competitive match in club history.
- Forward Stephen Afrifa had a goal and an assist in Sporting’s 4-0 win over FC Tulsa in the Open Cup Round of 16 on May 21.
LAFC Team & Player Stats
- LAFC has one win in five cup final appearances, winning the 2022 MLS Cup and losing the 2023 MLS Cup, the 2024 Leagues Cup Final, and the 2020 and 2023 Concacaf Champions League Finals. LAFC also lost the 2023 Campeones Cup.
- LAFC is making its sixth cup final appearance since 2020, more than any other MLS club. LAFC has a 0-5-1 record in six cup final matches (including two losses in the two-legged 2023 Concacaf Champions League Final). The draw accounts for a penalty shootout victory over the Philadelphia Union following a 3-3 tie in the 2022 MLS Cup at BMO Stadium.
- Three current LAFC players have won U.S. Open Cup titles, including two as members of Sporting. Forward Kei Kamara (2012) and midfielder Ilie Sanchez (2017) both won Open Cups with Kansas City, while defender Ryan Hollingshead was a 2016 Open Cup champion with FC Dallas.
- LAFC is 0-3-2 in its last five MLS matches since Aug. 31. The team has led in just one of those five games, a 4-2 road loss to LA Galaxy on Sept. 14.
- LAFC’s two points during their five-game MLS winless run are their fewest over a five-game stretch of the regular season since head coach Steve Cherundolo took the helm in 2022.
- Seven of LAFC’s eight MLS defeats this season have come by two or more goals.
- LAFC is 0-2-2 in the team’s last four MLS home matches since July 13 after starting the season with a 9-0-2 home record.
- LAFC has a 15-2-5 home record in all competitions this season.
- In all competitions this season, LAFC is 23-2-1 when scoring the first goal and 0-7-5 when conceding the first goal.
- In all competitions this season, LAFC is 18-1-0 when leading at halftime and 0-7-5 when trailing at halftime.
- Like Sporting, LAFC has outscored opponents by a combined 10-2 during the 2024 Open Cup, boasting wins over Las Vegas Lights (3-1), Loudoun United (3-0), New Mexico United (3-1) and Seattle Sounders FC (1-0). LAFC has never trailed during the 2024 Open Cup.
- LAFC is appearing in the Open Cup Final for the first team. The club’s previous best finish in the tournament was a semifinal showing in 2018.
- Forward Denis Bouanga is tied for second in the MLS Golden Boot race with 17 goals, including a league-best seven match-winning goals and seven successful penalty kicks from seven attempts. Bouanga also leads MLS in shots (136), shots on goal (53), multi-goal games (five).
- Bouanga leads LAFC with 24 goals in all competitions. His 38 appearances this season in all competitions are tied for the team lead alongside midfielder Ilie Sanchez and attacking midfielder Mateusz Bogusz.
- Bouanga has 27 total goal contributions during the regular season, fifth most in MLS behind Evander (33), Lucho Acosta (30), Chicho Arango (29) and Lionel Messi (29).
- Bouanga leads MLS in non-penalty expected goals (13.0) and total expected goals (18.6).
- Bogusz ranks second on the team with 18 goals in all competitions, including 14 in the regular season.
- Bogusz ranks fourth in MLS with 14 non-penalty goals and has outperformed his expected goal total by 6.3, the most in the league.
- Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is tied for the MLS lead with 10 shutouts during the regular season. Lloris is one of two LAFC players, alongside forward Olivier Giroud, who won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France.
- Defender Aaron Long leads MLS in aerial duel success rate (80.0%), defender Sergi Palencia ranks third in MLS in dribblers tackled (40), and midfielder Ilie Sanchez ranks third in MLS in interceptions (45).
