"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 4-1 dismantling of the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, Sporting Kansas City will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday when reigonal rival Minnestoa United FC visits Children's Mercy Park. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT with tickets available at SeatGeek.com and live coverage on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Sporting has discovered its home form at the friendly confines of Children's Mercy Park and will view Saturday as a valuable opportunity to gain further momentum ahead of next week's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at LAFC. Minnesota, meanwhile, is clinging to the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference and hoping to claim a third consecutive road win.
With plenty of intrigue surrounding Saturday's fixture, we take a statistical look at the matchup in our newest edition of By The Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting and Minnesota have met 24 times in all competitions since the Loons joined MLS in 2017, the most of any opponent for both teams. Sporting has a 12-8-4 record in the all-time series.
- Sporting leads the all-time regular season series against Minnesota with an 11-6-4 record, including a perfect 9-0-0 record at home.
- Sporting has outscored Minnesota 36-20 in the regular season series, including a 25-3 margin in nine matches at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Sporting has six shutouts in nine regular season home matches against Minnesota.
- Sporting has scored three or more goals in six of nine regular season home matches against Minnesota.
- Seven of Sporting’s nine regular season home wins over Minnesota have come by multiple goals.
- Minnesota won both previous meetings this season at Allianz Field. The Loons prevailed 2-1 on April 27 with goals from Tani Oluwaseyi and Michael Boxall and 3-1 on June 1 with goals from Oluwaseyi, Robin Lod and Kervin Arriaga.
- Sporting had won its previous four regular season meetings against Minnesota from September 2022 to October 2023 before losing the last two.
- Sporting forward Johnny Russell has six goals and 10 assists in 17 regular season appearances against Minnesota. His 16 goal contributions against the Loons are his most versus any MLS opponent in the regular season.
- Sporting forward Khiry Shelton has four goals and one assist in 13 regular season appearances against Minnesota. His four goals against the Loons are his most versus any MLS opponent.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has three goals and five assists in 17 regular season appearances against Minnesota.
- Sporting forward William Agada has two goals in three regular season appearances against Minnesota, scoring a brace in a 4-1 home victory on Sept 17, 2022.
- Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia has a 10-5-2 regular season record against Minnesota, including seven shutouts. His 10 regular season wins against the Loons are tied for his most versus any MLS opponent.
- Minnesota defender Michael Boxall has scored in two of the last three meetings between the clubs.
- Minnesota forward Tani Oluwaseyi has scored in both previous meetings with Sporting this season.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2024 MLS record: 8-15-7, 31 points (12th in West | 49 GF, 56 GA)
- 2024 MLS home record: 6-5-4 (33 GF, 27 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 2-1-2 (T-W-T-L-W)
- Sporting earned a 4-1 home win over the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, scoring four goals in an MLS match for the first time since beating Austin FC by the same scoreline on June 10, 2023.
- Wednesday’s win over Colorado gave Sporting its second straight MLS home win by a three-goal margin, equaling the team’s largest margin of victory in league play this season.
- Sporting is 4-0-1 in the team’s last five MLS home matches since June 29 after starting the season with a 2-5-3 home record.
- Sporting is 7-0-1 in the team’s last eight home matches against American opposition since June 29. Sporting’s lone home loss during this stretch was a 2-1 setback to Toluca in Leagues Cup.
- Sporting has scored three or more goals in 12 of the club’s last 28 regular season home matches since May 13, 2023.
- Sporting has scored multiple goals in 11 of 15 MLS home matches this season and in 15 of 20 home games across all competitions.
- Sporting has scored in 17 straight regular season home matches dating back to Sept. 23, 2023, totaling 38 goals during that stretch (2.24 per match).
- Sporting ranks sixth in MLS this season in non-penalty goals scored (49).
- Sporting’s 1.63 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.
- Forward Alan Pulido and midfielder Erik Thommy scored two goals apiece in Wednesday’s 4-1 home win over the Colorado Rapids. It was the first time that Sporting had multiple players score a brace in the same MLS match since April 27, 2019.
- Pulido is second on the team with eight goals this season in all competitions. His 13 total goal contributions this season (eight goals, five assists) are also tied with Johnny Russell for second most on the team.
- Pulido has five goal contributions in his last five MLS matches (three goals and two assists), including a goal or an assist in his last three home appearances.
- Pulido recorded his seventh multi-goal match in the MLS regular season on Wednesday, tying Preki and teammate Johnny Russell for third most in club history.
- Thommy came off the bench to score both of his goals on Wednesday, becoming the fifth player in club history (and first since 2007) to score multiple goals in an MLS regular season match as a substitute.
- Thommy had his second multi-goal match of the season on Wednesday, his first coming in Sporting’s 3-2 home loss to Inter Miami CF at Arrowhead Stadium on April 13.
- Thommy is third on the team with seven goals in all competitions, each of which have come in the regular season. His seven MLS goals this season are a career-high.
- Thommy has 12 goal contributions this season in all competitions (seven goals and five assists), fourth most on the team behind William Agada (15), Johnny Russell and Alan Pulido (13 each).
- Forward Daniel Salloi came off the bench to assist of Thommy’s goals on Wednesday. It was the fifth multi-assist match of his MLS regular season career and his first since Oct. 21, 2023.
- 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 (four assists).
- Ten of Agada’s 11 goals this season have come at home. He has scored 20 goals in 33 home appearances at Children’s Mercy Park (including 22 starts) since debuting for the club in July 2022.
- Agada ranks second in MLS in both expected goals per 90 minutes (0.75) and non-penalty expected goals per 90 minutes (0.70). He also ranks fourth in total shots per 90 minutes (4.62) and seventh in total expected goals (12.2).
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia saved an Albert Rusnak penalty kick in Sporting’s 2-0 road loss at Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday. His 17 penalty saves in the regular season since 2015 are the most in MLS during that time.
- Melia has a goals conceded percentage of .575 on penalty kicks (23 of 40), the lowest in MLS regular season history among keepers with at least 15 penalties faced.
- Melia has prevailed in 12 of his 13 career Open Cup appearances for Sporting with a 10-1-2 record, including penalty shootout wins in the 2015 final and the 2017 semifinal.
- Forward Johnny Russell has five goals and a team-best eight assists this season in all competitions. His 13 total goal contributions are tied with Alan Pulido for second most on the team behind William Agada (11 goals, four assists).
- Russell’s five goals this season in all competitions are tied for fourth most on the team alongside Stephen Afrifa (five goals, three assists).
- Midfielder Jake Davis assisted Alan Pulido’s goal on Sept. 7 and has five goal contributions in his last three matches across all competitions (one goal, four assists). He has nine goal contributions on the season (three goals, six assists) and ranks fourth in MLS with 68 tackles.
- Davis has been suspended for each of Sporting’s last two matches and is eligible to return on Saturday against Minnesota.
- Sporting has a 6-2-2 record in Khiry Shelton’s last 10 starts across all competitions. Shelton has been a winger for most of his MLS career but has settled into the right back position in recent months.
- Midfielder Memo Rodriguez leads Sporting with six assists in MLS regular season play, while Pulido, Russell and Salloi are tied for second with five apiece.
- Defender Logan Ndenbe earned his first MLS start on Wednesday since tearing his ACL against St. Louis City SC in the MLS Cup Playoffs on Nov. 5, 2023.
Minnesota United FC
- 2024 MLS record: 11-12-6, 39 points (9th in West | 48 GF, 48 GA)
- 2024 MLS away record: 6-6-2 (25 GF, 26 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 3-2-0 (W-L-W-W-L)
- Minnesota has more away wins (six) than home wins (five) and more away points (20) than home points (19) during the 2024 regular season.
- Minnesota opened the season with an 8-3-5 record before going 0-7-1 from June 15 to July 17, including a run of six straight losses.
- Minnesota has won three of five MLS matches since July 20, including wins in each of its last two away matches—a 2-1 victory at San Jose on Aug. 31 and a 3-1 victory at St. Louis City SC on Sept. 14.
- Minnesota is playing for its third three-match road winning streak in club history, having previously won three straight on the road in 2022 and 2023.
- Minnesota has three clean sheets during the 2024 regular season, tied for third fewest in MLS and ahead of only the San Jose Earthquakes and D.C. United (two each).
- Minnesota currently occupies the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 39 points and an 11-12-6 record. Minnesota made four straight playoff appearances from 2019-2022 before missing the postseason in 2023.
- Minnesota is 8-1-4 when scoring the first goal and 3-11-2 when conceding the first goal this season.
- Minnesota is 7-1-2 when leading at halftime and 1-10-1 when trailing at halftime this season.
- Minnesota has an 11-6-4 record with Dayne St. Clair as its goalkeeper this season. The Loons are 0-6-2 with Clint Irwin (0-4-1) or Alec Smir (0-2-1) as their goalkeeper in 2024.
- Midfielder Robin Lod is tied for ninth in MLS with 12 assists and leads Minnesota with 18 goal contributions during the regular season (six goals and 12 assists).
- Lod had 15 goal contributions (five goals, 10 assists) in his first 14 appearances this season. He has three goal contributions in his last 13 matches since June 15.
- Forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane leads Minnesota with 10 goals this season, setting an MLS career-high. He has four goals in his last five MLS appearances.
- Forward Tani Oluwaseyi is second on the team with eight goals. He has 12 total goal contributions in just 885 minutes played during the regular season.
- Midfielder Joseph Rosales ranks second on the team with 10 assists. His 10 assists are the most among all MLS players with zero goals scored this season.
- Defender Michael Boxall leads Minnesota in regular season appearances (28), starts (28) and minutes (2,475). He ranks second in MLS with 128 clearances.
