"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.
Fresh off a 3-0 home victory over Tulsa Athletic in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, Sporting Kansas City will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when CF Montreal visits Children's Mercy Park for the first time since 2019. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT with tickets available at SeatGeek.com and live broadcasts on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
We take a statistical look at the regular season matchup in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting are 6-1-2 against Montreal in the last nine regular season meetings and own an 8-4-3 edge in the all-time series.
- The most recent meeting saw Sporting earn a 2-1 comeback road win on July 9, 2022, with goals from Roger Espinoza and Remi Walter. Espinoza’s goal was scored by more than 40 yards out.
- Sporting last hosted Montreal on March 30, 2019, when Manager Peter Vermes’ side scored a club-record seven goals in a 7-1 win that equaled the largest margin of victory in team history.
- Sporting are 4-2-1 in seven home meetings against Montreal, scoring 17 goals and conceded seven.
- Montreal last won in Kansas City in June 2013. Sporting are 3-0-1 in the last four meetings at Children’s Mercy Park since 2014.
- Sporting have outscored Montreal 29-15 in 15 regular season meetings.
- Sporting midfielder Roger Espinoza has one goal and five assists in eight career appearances against Montreal.
- Sporting forward Johnny Russell scored twice in the 7-1 home win over Montreal on March 30, 2019.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2023 MLS record: 0-6-3, 3 points (14th in West | 3 GF, 13 GA)
- 2023 MLS home record: 0-2-1 (1 GF, 5 GA)
- Last 5 Matches: 0-4-1 (L-T-L-L-L)
- Sporting collected its first win of the season on Tuesday with a 3-0 home victory over Tulsa Athletic in the third round of the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club has prevailed in 12 straight Open Cup home matches since 2015.
- Sporting outshot Tulsa 39-4 on Tuesday and had 73% of possession, completing 89.5% of their 668 pass attempts.
- Sporting rank fourth in MLS in key passes (88), third in corner kicks (54) and fifth in shooting accuracy (55.7%).
- Sporting lead MLS with 67 shots from outside the box, accounting for 54% of their total shot attempts (the highest percentage in MLS).
- Sporting have had 45 shots blocked this season, the second most in MLS.
- Sporting have outshot opponents by an average of 13.8 to 11.6 this season.
- Sporting lead MLS with 67.1 passes into the final third per game and fourth with 102 successful passes in the final third per game.
- Sporting lead MLS in progressive carries (199) and rank third in progressive passes (407).
- Daniel Salloi, Alan Pulido and Marinos Tzionis scored goals on Tuesday, marking the first time that all three of Sporting’s starting forwards have scored in the same game since Sept. 15, 2021.
- Salloi extended his club-record Open Cup scoring haul to eight career goals in the competition. He has assisted on four of the club’s six goals this season in all competitions.
- Pulido’s goal on Tuesday was his first for the club since Aug. 14, 2021, and his first at Children’s Mercy Park since June 26, 2021.
- Tzionis’ goal on Tuesday was his third career goal for the club and his first since May 14, 2022.
- Goalkeeper John Pulskamp saved a penalty kick in Tuesday’s win and now has a 4-0-1 record with three shutouts in five career Open Cup appearances for Sporting.
- Midfielder Gadi Kinda made his return to competitive action on Tuesday, logging his first appearance for Sporting since Nov. 28, 2021, after overcoming a long-term knee injury.
- Since the start of 2020, Sporting are 15-5-5 in the regular season when the trio of Pulido, Kinda and Johnny Russell play in the same match (2.0 goals per game, 25 games). The team is 25-33-15 without at least one of them during that time (1.3 goals per game, 73 games).
- Midfielder Erik Thommy ranks second in MLS in both shots (32) and shots on target (12). His 16 blocked shot attempts are also the most in MLS.
- Midfielder Remi Walter has started 51 consecutive regular season matches for Sporting since Sept. 29, 2021, the second-longest active streak among MLS field players behind Jakob Glesnes (82) and tied for the sixth-longest streak in club history. Walter is the only player to play all 810 minutes this season.
CF Montreal
- 2023 MLS record: 2-6-0, 6 points (15th in East | 5 GF, 17 GA)
- 2023 MLS away record: 0-5-0 (0 GF, 14 GA)
- Last 5 Matches: 2-3-0 (W-L-L-L-W)
- Montreal finished 2022 with a club-record 20 regular season wins, posting a 20-9-5 record and 65 points, two points shy of Supporters’ Shield winners LAFC.
- Montreal are 0-5-0 on the road this season, scoring zero goals and conceding 14.
- Montreal already have more road losses this season (five) than they did all of last season (four). The club went 11-4-2 away from home in 2022.
- Montreal are one of two MLS teams yet to score away from home this season (Inter Miami CF).
- Montreal have suffered four losses by multiple goals, the most in MLS.
- Montreal rank last in MLS with a minus-12 goals differential (5 GF, 17 GA).
- Montreal rank last in MLS in shots (76) and shots on target (23). They have been outshot by an average of 15.6 to 9.5 this season.
- Montreal’s five goals and two assists are both the second fewest in MLS, ahead of only Sporting.
- Montreal have scored three of their five goals this season in the 90th minute or later.
- Montreal rank worst in MLS in expected goals (6.9 per Opta), expected goals against (15.8 per Opta), interceptions (60), tackles won (66), duels won (344) and touches in the opponent’s box (116).
- Forward Romell Quioto leads Montreal with two goals this season. He scored in Montreal’s 2-1 home loss to Sporting last July.
- Midfielder Mathieu Choiniere leads Montreal with 11 chances created, 10 of which have come from open play. He also leads the team with 11 tackles won.
- Defender Aaron Herrera ranks 10th in MLS with 29 crosses from open play, but he has completed only two of them (6.9%).
Milestones and Miscellany
- Children’s Mercy Park will host its 200th MLS regular season match on Saturday.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia is one shy of 250 appearances for Sporting in all competitions. He would be the ninth player in club history to eclipse that milestone.
- Forward Johnny Russell is one shy of his 50th regular season goal for the club. His 49 regular season goals and 54 goals in all competitions are both third most in club history.
- Midfielder Remi Walter has made 51 straight regular season starts for Sporting, the second-longest active streak among MLS field players behind Philadelphia defender Jakob Glesnes (82). His 51-game streak is tied for the sixth longest in club history (Kevin Hartman 90, Jimmy Nielsen 90, Mark Chung 74, Tony Meola 55, Jimmy Conrad 52, Bo Oshoniyi 51, Ilie Sanchez 51).
- Forward Daniel Salloi has 77 combined goals (50) and assists (27) for Sporting in all competitions, tied with Dom Dwyer for seventh most in club history.
