"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.
Sporting Kansas City will host LAFC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday as Children's Mercy Park hosts Fan Appreciation Night in the club's final home match of the season. Tickets for the rematch of last week's U.S. Open Cup Final are available on SeatGeek. Ticket holders can also take advantage of special Fan Appreciation offers, including 50% off value menu items, 50% off primary kits, free popcorn during pregame, a team poster giveaway on egress courtesy of UMKC, and more!
The Western Conference clash will be available to watch on Apple TV for MLS Season Pass subscribers, while radio coverage will air locally on ESPN Kansas City 94.5 FM and 1510 AM as well as La Grande 1340 AM with live audio streams in the Sporting KC App.
As Sporting and LAFC prepare to lock horns for the second time in 10 days, we take a statistical look at the contest in our newest edition of By The Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting and LAFC recently met on Sept. 25 in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. After Olivier Giroud and Erik Thommy traded second-half goals near the hour mark, LAFC struck through Omar Campos in the 102nd minute and Kei Kamara in the 109th minute to secure a 3-1 extra-time victory and the club’s first Open Cup title.
- The previous regular season meeting between Sporting and LAFC took place on March 9 at BMO Stadium, resulting in a 0-0 draw on the third weekend of the MLS campaign. It is one of only four scoreless regular season draws in BMO Stadium history since LAFC entered MLS in 2018.
- Sporting trails the all-time regular season series with a 4-6-2 record in 12 meetings, including an 0-4-2 record since Sept. 3, 2021.
- LAFC has a 5-0-2 record in the last seven meetings between the clubs in all competitions, including the Open Cup Final victory on Sept. 25.
- 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 has a 2-3-0 home record in five regular season meetings against LAFC at Children’s Mercy Park. The wins came in October 2018 and June 2021, while the losses came in July 2019, July 2022 and June 2023.
- Sporting won the first two MLS meetings between the clubs in 2018 prior to losing six of the last 10.
- In all competitions, LAFC has scored 19 of its 25 goals against Sporting after halftime, including 10 past the 75th minute.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has three goals and two assists in 12 appearances against LAFC across all competitions, including an assist in the Open Cup Final on Sept. 25.
- Sporting forward Alan Pulido has three goals and one assist in six MLS 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 MLS appearances against Sporting.
- Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia has a 4-4-1 MLS 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 MLS appearances against Sporting.
- LAFC defender Aaron Long has recorded four assists in 187 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.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2024 MLS record: 8-17-7, 31 points (13th in West | 50 GF, 61 GA)
- 2024 MLS home record: 6-6-4 (33 GF, 29 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 1-3-1 (T-L-W-L-L)
- Sporting ranks eighth in MLS this season in non-penalty goals scored (50).
- Sporting’s 1.56 goals per match during the 2024 regular season are the club’s fourth most since the Peter Vermes era began in 2009 (Sporting had more goals per match in 2018, 2020 and 2021).
- Sporting has won each of its last seven matches in all competitions when scoring at least twice, dating back to June 29.
- Sporting leads MLS with 13 goals from outside the box during the 2024 regular season.
- Sporting is the only MLS team without a penalty kick goal during the 2024 regular season.
- Sporting has fielded 32 different starting lineups in its last 32 matches across all competitions. Sporting has utilized 36 different starting lineups in 40 total matches this season.
- Sporting suffered a 3-1 extra-time loss to LAFC on Sept. 25 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. It was Sporting’s first cup final defeat since losing the 2004 MLS Cup to D.C. United and dropped Kansas City’s record in cup finals to six wins and two losses.
- Sporting had won each of its first four Open Cup finals prior to Sept. 25, claiming the tournament title in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017.
- Sporting will miss the MLS Cup Playoffs for just the third time in the last 14 seasons since 2011, having previously missed the postseason in 2019 and 2022 during that stretch.
- Forward Stephen Afrifa scored a long-range goal in Sporting’s 3-1 road loss at St. Louis City SC last Saturday. Afrifa ranks fourth on the team with six goals this season in all competitions.
- Midfielder Jake Davis assisted Afrifa’s goal last Saturday and now has six goal contributions in his last six matches across all competitions (one goal, five assists).
- In addition to scoring three goals, Davis ranks second on the team with eight assists this season in all competitions. He has 11 total goal contributions this year after recording just two in his first three seasons from 2021-2023.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy scored a 60th-minute equalizer in the Open Cup Final against LAFC on Sept. 25. Thommy has three goals in his last three matches across all competitions and is tied with Alan Pulido for second on the team with eight goals this season in all competitions.
- Thommy has 13 goal contributions (five assists) this season in all competitions, tied with Alan Pulido for third most on the team behind William Agada (15) and Johnny Russell (14).
- Forward Johnny Russell leads Sporting with nine assists this season in all competitions. His 14 total goal contributions (five goals) are second most on the team behind William Agada (15).
- Forward Alan Pulido is tied for second on the team with eight goals this season in all competitions. His 13 total goal contributions this season (five assists) are tied with Erik Thommy for third most on the team behind William Agada (15) and Johnny Russell (14).
- Forward William Agada leads Sporting with 11 goals this season in all competitions—nine in the MLS regular season, one in the Open Cup and one in Leagues Cup. He also has a team-leading 15 total goal contributions in all competitions, adding four assists.
- Ten of Agada’s 11 goals this season have come at home. He has scored 20 goals in 34 home appearances at Children’s Mercy Park (including 23 starts) since debuting for the club in July 2022.
- Midfielder Memo Rodriguez leads Sporting with six assists in MLS regular season play, while Pulido, Russell, Salloi and Davis are tied for second with five apiece.
- Defender Dany Rosero has scored seven goals for Sporting in all competitions since joining the club in early 2023, all headers.
LAFC
- 2024 MLS record: 16-8-7, 55 points (2nd in West | 55 GF, 41 GA)
- 2024 MLS away record: 6-6-3 (22 GF, 24 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 2-2-1 (L-T-L-W-W)
- LAFC occupies second place in the Western Conference with 55 points, six points behind crosstown leaders LA Galaxy with a game in hand and three matches remaining.
- LAFC went winless in five matches from Aug. 31 to Sept. 21, posting a 0-3-2 record during that stretch, before winning its last three games in all competitions: a 3-1 extra-time win over Sporting in the Open Cup Final on Sept. 25, a 2-1 road win at 2023 Supporters’ Shield winner last Saturday, and a 1-0 home win over St. Louis City SC on Wednesday.
- LAFC’s 3-1 extra-time victory over Sporting in the Open Cup Final was LAFC’s fourth major trophy since 2019, the most in MLS during that time.
- LAFC has eight wins and one loss in MLS matches decided by a single goal. Seven of LAFC’s eight MLS defeats this season have come by two or more goals.
- In all competitions this season, LAFC is 26-2-1 when scoring the first goal and 0-7-5 when conceding the first goal.
- In all competitions this season, LAFC is 20-1-0 when leading at halftime and 0-7-5 when trailing at halftime.
- LAFC leads MLS with 6.48 shots on target per match during the regular season.
- Forward Denis Bouanga is second in the MLS Golden Boot race with 19 goals, including a league-best nine match-winning goals and seven successful penalty kicks from seven attempts. Bouanga, who has game-winning goals in two straight MLS matches, also leads MLS in shots (144) and shots on goal (58) while ranking second in multi-goal games (five).
- Bouanga leads LAFC with 26 goals in all competitions. His 41 appearances this season in all competitions are tied for the team lead alongside midfielder Ilie Sanchez.
- Bouanga has 29 total goal contributions during the regular season, tied for fifth most in MLS behind Evander (33), Lucho Acosta (32), Lionel Messi (32) and Cucho Hernandez (30).
- Forward Mateusz Bogusz ranks second on the team with 18 goals in all competitions, including 14 in the MLS regular season. In MLS play, Bogusz also leads LAFC in key passes (59) and successful crosses (33).
- Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris leads MLS with 11 shutouts during the regular season while ranking third in wins (16). Lloris is one of two LAFC players, alongside forward Olivier Giroud, who won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Manager Peter Vermes will coach his 600th match for Sporting in all competitions on Saturday, over 15 years after making his Kansas City coaching debut on Aug. 16, 2009.
- Forward Johnny Russell is tied with Dom Dwyer for second in club history with 67 goals in all competitions, 14 behind leader and current Seattle assistant coach Preki.
- Forward Daniel Salloi has 84 goal contributions for Sporting (47 goals, 37 assists) in the regular season, tied with Chris Klein for fourth most in club history.
- Midfielder Remi Walter is one shy of his 100th regular season start for Sporting.
- Midfielder Nemanja Radoja is one shy of his 50th regular season appearance for Sporting.
- Defender Dany Rosero is one shy of his 50th regular season appearance for Sporting.
