"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.
With a three-week break in the rearview mirror, Sporting Kansas City will continue the club's 2023 MLS regular season campaign on Saturday when the San Jose Earthquakes visit Children's Mercy Park. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. CT matchup are available at SeatGeek.com while supplies last.
Saturday's showdown will be broadcast live for free on Apple TV in English and Spanish. Local radio coverage will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM with streams in the Sporting KC app, while pub partners in the Sporting Pub Network will also show the game.
Sporting enter the home stretch of the season desperately needing points in order to climb above the playoff line. The Earthquakes, meanwhile, have their sights set on what once seemed like an unlikely ascent to the top of the Western Conference. We take a statistical look at the matchup in our newest edition of By The Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- San Jose won the first meeting this season by a 3-0 scoreline at PayPal Park on April 15. Cristian Espinoza opened the scoring early before Jeremy Ebobisse bagged a brace, striking on both sides of halftime.
- Sporting are 8-2-5 against San Jose in the last 15 competitive meetings dating back to September 2016.
- The clubs last met in Kansas City on Aug. 27, 2022, when Daniel Salloi scored early to give Sporting a 1-0 victory at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Since August 2004, Sporting have gone 15-1-3 in 19 home matches against San Jose in all competitions (lone loss in August 2015). Two of those three draws account for shootout wins in the 2017 Open Cup semifinals and 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has three goals and two assists in seven career regular season appearances against San Jose.
- San Jose forward Jeremy Ebobisse has three goals in five career regular season starts against Sporting.
- San Jose winger Cristian Espinoza has one goal and five assists in eight career MLS appearances against Sporting (including one playoff match).
- Since August 2004, the home team in the fixture is 25-4-7 across all competitions.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2023 MLS record: 6-11-8, 26 points (11th in West | 31 GF, 36 GA)
- 2023 MLS home record: 5-5-2 (20 GF, 15 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 1-2-2 (L-W-T-T-L)
- Since the start of May, Sporting rank second in MLS with 28 goals scored (1.87 goals per match). The team scored just three goals in its first 10 league matches through the end of April.
- Sporting rank second in the Western Conference with 12 goals scored in the first 30 minutes of matches this season. Three of their five goals in Leagues Cup also came in the opening 30 minutes.
- Forward Alan Pulido has a team-high 10 MLS goals and 11 goals in all competitions this season. His 10 league goals (three shy of the MLS lead) 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). His nine goals since the start of June are the most in MLS and three more than any other player during that time.
- Forward Johnny Russell has scored in two of his last three home appearances at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Among players with at least 600 minutes this season, midfielder Gadi Kinda ranks second in MLS with 0.56 primary assists per 90 minutes (four primary assists in 645 minutes). He also tabbed an assist in Leagues Cup.
- Kinda has 31 goal contributions (14 goals, 17 assists) in 70 career appearances across all competitions. Sporting are 19-3-3 in all competitions when Kinda scores or assists.
- Since the start of 2021, defender Andreu Fontas has more completed passes (5,404) than any other MLS player has attempted passes (Ilie Sanchez 4,803) in the regular season.
- Defender Dany Rosero has accounted for three of Sporting’s five headed goals this season in all competitions, each coming off a set piece.
- Sporting are 4-0-1 in MLS when the center back pairing of Andreu Fontas and Dany Rosero start together at home this season.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy has 10 goal contributions (three goals and seven assists) in all competitions since the start of May, second most on the team behind Alan Pulido (12). His six MLS assists during that time are tied for fourth most in the league. Thommy leads Sporting with eight assists in all competitions.
- Forward Daniel Salloi ranks second in MLS in progressive carries (97), third in successful crosses from open play (20), fifth in expected assists (5.8), 10th in shots on target (24) and 13th in chances created (45). He also ranks second on Sporting with 12 goal contributions this season in all competitions (six goals, six assists).
- Salloi is one of four Western Conference players with eight goals and eight assists since the start of August 2022 alongside Cristian Espinoza (San Jose), Carlos Vela (LAFC) and Ryan Gauld (Vancouver).
- Salloi is one of two MLS players to start 25 matches this season and leads the league with 2,170 minutes played in 2023.
- Midfielder Remi Walter ranks third among MLS field players with 173 recoveries this season.
San Jose Earthquakes
- 2023 MLS record: 9-7-8, 35 points (5th in West | 29 GF, 29 GA)
- 2023 MLS home record: 2-6-4 (11 GF, 20 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 2-1-2 (L-T-T-W-W)
- San Jose are coming off a 1-0 road victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC last Sunday. The Earthquakes are looking to secure back-to-back MLS away wins for the first time since July 2019 when they won at LA Galaxy and Vancouver in consecutive road games.
- San Jose are unbeaten in four regular season matches, going 2-0-2 since the start of July.
- San Jose occupy fifth place in the Western Conference and could jump as high as second with a win on Saturday. The Earthquakes have reached the MLS Cup Playoffs just twice in the previous 10 seasons and fell to Sporting on penalty kicks following a 3-3 draw in their most recent playoff game—a Western Conference first round affair on Nov. 22, 2020.
- Seven of San Jose’s nine wins this season have come by a single goal. Four of their seven losses have also come by a one-goal margin. Of the team’s 24 regular season games played, 19 have been decided by a goal or fewer.
- San Jose are 8-1-4 when scoring first this season and 1-6-1 when conceding first.
- San Jose have led at halftime in just four of their 24 regular season games this year, posting a 3-1-0 record in such matches.
- San Jose have conceded six penalty kicks during the regular season, tied with Chicago Fire FC for the most in MLS.
- Winger Cristian Espinoza leads San Jose in both goals (12) and assists (7). His 12 goals are one off the MLS lead and his 19 total goal contributions are tied for third most in the league.
- Espinoza is tied for the MLS lead with six game-winning goals, having scored the winner in six of San Jose’s nine league wins this year.
- Espinoza has scored in each of San Jose’s last four regular season matches, one shy of tying the longest scoring streak in MLS this year.
- Espinoza ranks third in MLS in chances created (62) and leads the league in successful crosses from open play (31). His 129 attempted crosses from open play are 34 more than any other MLS player.
- Espinoza, forward Jeremy Ebobisse and defender Rodrigues have started all 24 regular season matches for San Jose in 2023.
- Goalkeeper Daniel ranks fifth in MLS with a save percentage of 75.8%.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Sporting are one shy of 1,500 goals scored across all competitions in club history.
- Defender Andreu Fontas is one shy of his 100th career regular season appearance for Sporting.
- Midfielder Felipe Gutierrez is one shy of his 50th career regular season start for Sporting.
- Forward Alan Pulido is one shy of his 50th career start for Sporting in all competitions.
- Forward Daniel Salloi has 43 regular season goals for Sporting, tied with Austin FC coaching duo Davy Arnaud and Josh Wolff for fourth most in club history.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia is 35 minutes shy of 20,000 minutes played in his MLS regular season career.
