"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.
Two of the most in-form teams in the Western Conference are on a collision course Wednesday as Sporting Kansas City welcomes longtime rival Real Salt Lake to Children's Mercy Park for a 7:30 p.m. CT kickoff in the Soccer Capital of America. Tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek.com with live broadcasts on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Sporting have slowly climbed their way up the standings after a slow start to 2023 and lead the league in goals scored since the start of May. Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, enters the midweek clash on a remarkable 10-game road unbeaten run in all competitions.
With a regular season break looming for the start of Leagues Cup, we take a statistical look at the matchup in our newest edition of By The Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Since the start of May, Real Salt Lake (23 points) and Sporting (22 points) have collected the most points in the Western Conference. Their six wins during that time are also tied for most in the West.
- Sporting and RSL split the 2022 series with the home side winning both games. Sporting prevailed 1-0 on March 26 behind Johnny Russell’s late goal before RSL won 3-0 on July 17 with goals from Savarino, Pablo Ruiz and current Vancouver forward Sergio Cordova.
- Real Salt Lake leads the all-time regular season series with a 16-12-8 record through 36 meetings.
- Sporting are 7-5-5 in 17 regular season home meetings against Real Salt Lake.
- Sporting are 4-11-5 in their last 20 regular season meetings against Real Salt Lake since 2014, including a 2-4-3 record at home.
- Sporting notably defeated Real Salt Lake in the 2013 MLS Cup at Children’s Mercy Park, prevailing 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, and also eliminated RSL in the 2018 Western Conference Semifinals, winning 5-3 on aggregate goals.
- The most recent playoff match at Children’s Mercy Park saw Real Salt Lake earn a 2-1 comeback win over Sporting in the Western Conference Semifinals on Nov. 28, 2021.
- Sporting forward Johnny Russell has five goals and four assists in 12 appearances against RSL across all competitions.
- Recently acquired RSL forward Cristian Arango has three goals in three regular season appearances against Sporting.
- RSL midfielder Damir Kreilach has three goals and six assists in 12 MLS appearances against Sporting (including playoffs).
Sporting Kansas City
- 2023 MLS record: 6-10-7, 25 points (10th in West | 28 GF, 32 GA)
- 2023 MLS home record: 5-5-1 (18 GF, 13 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 1-2-2 (L-T-L-W-T)
- Since the start of May, Sporting lead MLS with 25 goals scored (1.92 goals per match). The club scored just three goals in its first 10 matches through the end of April.
- In all competitions this season, Sporting are 7-0-2 when scoring multiple goals and 0-11-5 when scoring one or fewer.
- Sporting have earned four home wins by a three goal margin in 2023, tied for the most in a single regular season in club history (2013).
- Sporting have scored at least three goals in eight of its last 17 MLS home matches since August 2022, winning all eight. The team has five four-goal games during that stretch.
- Sporting lead the Western Conference with 11 goals scored in the first 30 minutes of matches this season.
- Sporting have a 5-3-3 record when scoring first this season, the second worst in MLS ahead of only Colorado (2-3-1).
- Since Aug. 14, 2021, Sporting are 5-1-4 in the regular season with all three Designated Players in the starting lineup. Alan Pulido, Johnny Russell and Gadi Kinda were DPs from 2021-2022. Pulido, Kinda and Erik Thommy are DPs in 2023.
- Sporting have used 21 different lineups in 25 matches this season across all competitions. In 2022, Sporting used 32 different lineups in 38 matches across all competitions.
- Forward Alan Pulido has a team-high 10 MLS goals and 11 goals in all competitions this season. His 10 league goals (tied for third most in MLS) and 11 goals in all competitions are his most for Sporting in a single season since joining the club in 2020.
- Pulido leads Sporting with 14 total goal contributions in all competitions this year (11 goals, three assists).
- Pulido is the third player in club history to score nine goals in a seven-game stretch of the regular season, having done so from June 3 to July 8. His nine goals since the start of June are the most in MLS during that time.
- Among players with at least 500 minutes this season, midfielder Gadi Kinda ranks second in MLS with 0.62 primary assists per 90 minutes (four primary assists in 579 minutes).
- Since the start of 2020, Sporting are 22-10-8 when both Pulido and Kinda play in the regular season (1.85 points per game, 1.88 goals per game). The club is 14-20-12 in games without both (1.17 points per game, 1.22 goals per game).
- Sporting are 4-0-0 when the center back pairing of Andreu Fontas and Dany Rosero start together at home this season.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy has eight goal contributions (three goals and five assists) since the start of May, second most on the team behind Alan Pulido (12). His five assists during that time are tied for fifth most in MLS.
- Thommy leads Sporting with six assists in all competitions while ranking eighth in MLS in shots (59) and 10th in shots on target (22). Sporting owns a perfect 6-0-0 record when Thommy scores a goal dating back to his arrival in June 2022.
- Forward Daniel ranks third in MLS in progressive carries (88), fourth in successful crosses from open play (18), fifth in expected assists (5.3), seventh in shots on target (23) and 12th in chances created (42). He also ranks second on Sporting with 10 goal contributions this season in all competitions (five goals, five assists).
- Salloi is the only player in MLS to start 23 matches this season and he leads all MLS players with 1,994 minutes played in 2023.
Real Salt Lake
- 2023 MLS record: 8-9-4, 28 points (4th in West | 30 GF, 31 GA)
- 2023 MLS away record: 6-3-2 (15 GF, 15 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 4-0-1 (W-W-T-W-W)
- RSL boast the most away wins and the best road record in MLS, going 6-3-2 on their travels this season. Their six away wins tie a club record in a single regular season.
- RSL have won four straight regular season road matches for the first time in club history, a streak that began on June 3.
- RSL are unbeaten in their last seven regular season road matches (5-0-2) and have not lost in their last 10 away games in all competitions (8-0-2). The club last lost away from home on April 15.
- RSL’s seven-game road unbeaten run is tied for their longest in a single regular season in club history (unbeaten in last seven away games of 2010).
- During the club’s 10-game road unbeaten run in all competitions, RSL have outscored opponents 20-6.
- RSL lead MLS with 1.36 road goals per match (15 goals in 11 games).
- Since the start of June, RSL have the best record (5-0-2) and the most points (17) in MLS.
- RSL’s seven-game unbeaten run is tied with LA Galaxy for the second longest active streak in MLS behind only Columbus (eight games).
- RSL are one of two MLS teams (FC Dallas) with zero penalty kicks taken this season.
- RSL lead MLS in shots on target per game (5.7) and rank second in total shots per game (15.3).
- RSL are 10-0-1 when scoring first this season in all competitions (7-0-1 in MLS matches).
- RSL are 8-0-0 when leading at halftime this season in all competitions (5-0-0 in MLS matches).
- Midfielder Pablo Ruiz has set MLS career-highs in goals (four) and assists (five). He ranks fifth in MLS with 12 successful through balls and seventh with a dribble success rate of 76.5%.
- Forward Jefferson Savarino leads RSL with five MLS goals, while four other players have scored four (Glad, Ruiz, Danny Musovski and Damir Kreilach). RSL are the only team in MLS to have five players with at least four league goals this season.
- Forward Anderson Julio has scored off the bench in each of the last two matches.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Manager Peter Vermes has won a combined 295 MLS matches as a player or a coach, tied with Bruce Arena for the most in league history (regular season and playoffs).
- Forward Daniel Salloi has 42 regular season goals for Sporting, sixth most in club history and one shy of Davy Arnaud and Josh Wolff in fourth.
