"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 the Portland Timbers at 2 p.m. CT Sunday in a nationally televised clash on FOX and FOX Deportes. The Western Conference Showdown at Children's Mercy Park will also stream for free on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV in both English and Spanish in addition to airing locally on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM with streams available in the Sporting KC app. Tickets are available online at SeatGeek, including the Sporting U Pass featuring $15 Supporters' Stand tickets for college students.
With six of Sporting's next eight MLS matches on home soil, the club will have an opportunity to use Sunday as a summer springboard up the standings. We take a statistical look at the contest in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting leads the all-time regular season series with an 8-7-6 record, including a 4-1-4 record at Children’s Mercy Park. Both clubs have scored 26 goals in 21 meetings (2.48 total goals per game, 1.24 for each team).
- The clubs last met in Week 1 as the Timbers earned a 1-0 home win behind Juan David Mosquera’s early goal on Feb. 27. The match was played on a Monday and postponed two days due to winter weather in the Portland area.
- Sporting are 3-0-4 in their last seven regular season home meetings against Portland, including a 4-1 victory in the most recent contest at Children’s Mercy Park on Aug. 21, 2022. In that game, Sporting received a brace from Willy Agada and additional goals from Andreu Fontas and Erik Thommy.
- Portland’s lone regular season win at Children’s Mercy Park came by a 3-2 scoreline on April 27, 2013.
- Portland are 5-1-3 in the last nine meetings between the clubs, including both legs of the 2018 Western Conference finals as the Timbers prevailed 3-2 on aggregate to reach MLS Cup.
- Neither team has enjoyed a winning streak of longer than two matches in the head-to-head series (including playoffs).
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has four goals and two assists in 12 MLS appearances against Portland (including playoffs).
- Portland midfielder Sebastian Blanco has five goals and three assists in 12 MLS appearances against Sporting (including playoffs) and scored in both meetings last season. Blanco made his return to action in Portland’s 1-0 home loss to Minnesota last Saturday, May 20.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2023 MLS record: 2-8-4, 10 points (13th in West | 9 GF, 21 GA)
- 2023 MLS home record: 1-3-1 (4 GF, 7 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 2-2-1 (L-W-W-T-L)
- Sporting have recorded six goals and 10 assists in their last four MLS matches after recording three goals and one assist in their first 10 league games of the season.
- Sporting are 3-0-0 when scoring multiple goals this season in all competitions and 0-9-4 when scoring one or fewer.
- Sunday begins a stretch that will see Sporting play six of their next eight MLS matches through July 1 at home after hitting the road for nine of their first 14 league games. Sporting’s five home games played are tied for the fewest in MLS.
- Sporting have scored six of their nine regular season goals before the 32nd minute this season. The club’s two second-half goals are five fewer than any other team.
- Sporting have outshot opponents by an average of 12.9 to 11.4 this season.
- Sporting rank fourth in MLS in final third entries per game (59.5) and fifth in successful passes in the final third per game (97.5).
- Sporting rank fourth in MLS in progressive carries per game (20.2) and fifth in progressive passes per game (46.0).
- Sporting have used 29 players in MLS matches this season, the most in the league.
- Since the start of 2020, Sporting are 17-7-6 in the regular season when all three of the club’s Designated Players play in the same match (1.9 goals per game, 1.9 points per game). The team is 25-33-15 without at least one Designated Player during that time (1.3 goals per game, 1.2 points per game). 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.
- Forward Alan Pulido has recorded a goal contribution in three of Sporting’s last four games, tallying a goal and two assists. Pulido has 25 total goal contributions (15 goals, 10 assists) in 33 career regular season starts and Sporting are 12-1-0 when Pulido scores in the regular season.
- Forward Daniel Salloi has scored or assisted on seven of Sporting’s 12 goals this season in all competitions (three goals, four assists). He is tied for fifth in MLS in shots on target (16), sixth in expected assists (3.5), second in progressive carries (54), sixth in carries into the penalty area (19) and fourth in successful crosses from open play (13).
- Midfielder Remi Walter has started 56 consecutive regular season matches for Sporting since Sept. 29, 2021, the second-longest active streak among MLS field players behind Jakob Glesnes (86) and the fourth-longest streak in club history.
- Walter has recorded assists in two of Sporting’s last three matches and is the only Sporting player to start in all 14 MLS games this season. He also leads MLS field players with 117 recoveries and ranks 10th with 74 passes into the final third.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy has one goal and two assists in Sporting’s last four games. Sporting are 4-0-0 when Thommy scores in the regular season all-time. He ranks fifth in MLS in both shots (40) and shots on target (16).
- Defender Dany Rosero, who opened his MLS scoring account in Sporting’s 3-0 win over Minnesota on May 13, has played all 810 MLS minutes since debuting on April 1.
Portland Timbers
- 2023 MLS record: 4-6-4, 16 points (8th in West | 18 GF, 20 GA)
- 2023 MLS away record: 1-4-2 (7 GF, 13 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 2-1-2 (W-T-W-T-L)
- Portland went winless in six from March 4 to April 8, beginning the season 1-4-2, but the Timbers have a 3-1-2 record since then.
- Portland are the only Western Conference club with at least 18 goals scored and 18 goals allowed (18 GF, 20 GA).
- According to Opta, Portland have outperformed their expected goal total by 3.5, the second most in the Western Conference (18 goals, 14.5 expected goals).
- Portland ranks 27th in MLS in average possession (45.4%) and 26th in passing accuracy (73.8%).
- Portland ranks fifth in MLS with 33 combined goals and primary assists. Fifteen of the club’s 18 goals have been assisted.
- Portland rank third in MLS with 15 primary assists and have outperformed their expected assist total by 5.4, the most in MLS (9.6 expected assists).
- Portland have scored seven goals after the 75th minute, tied for the fourth most in MLS. The club has scored 61% of its goals (11 of 18) after the 60th minute.
- Portland are tied for second in MLS with four goals from outside the box.
- Five of Portland’s six losses have come by a one-goal margin. The team’s lone multi-goal loss was a 5-1 setback at Atlanta United FC on March 18.
- Portland are 3-1-1 when scoring first and 1-5-1 when conceding first this season. Similarly, the club is 2-0-1 when up at half time and 0-3-3 when trailing at the break.
- Portland rank fourth in MLS with 13.8 fouls committed per game.
- Portland’s opponents have attempted 18.2 crosses per game, the most in MLS.
- Portland leads MLS with 55 dead-ball passes per game.
- Winger Santiago Moreno is tied for the MLS lead with three game-winning assists and ranks sixth with 33 successful dribbles. He has a team-best five assists on the season.
- Defender Zac McGraw leads MLS with 84 clearances. He also has a league-high seven yellow cards and ranks 10th with 40 aerial duels won.
- Attacking midfielder Evander leads Portland in goals (four), shots (29) and key passes (20) in his debut MLS season.
- Forward Jaroslaw Niezgoda leads MLS with 10 appearances as a substitute this season.
- Midfielder Diego Chara has played all 1,260 minutes this season.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Midfielder Gadi Kinda is one shy of his 50th regular season appearance.
- Forward Daniel has 51 goals in all competitions, one shy of tying Davy Arnaud for fourth most in club history and four behind Johnny Russell in third.
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza has made 285 regular season starts for Sporting, tied with Matt Besler for second most in club history.
- Forward Khiry Shelton is one shy of 100 starts in his MLS regular season career.
