"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.
As the MLS calendar turns to July, Sporting Kansas City will return to Children's Mercy Park on Saturday for a showdown with Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets for the match are available at SeatGeek, including the Americana Pack, the Coca-Cola Friends & Family 4-Pack and the Sporting U Pass.
In what has become an annual Sporting tradition, the club will honor the service and sacrifice of military families by hosting Sporting Salutes on Saturday in addition to ending the night with a post-match fireworks show. The Western Conference clash will be shown live on Apple TV in English and Spanish for MLS Season Pass subscribers. In addition, local radio coverage will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM with streams in the Sporting KC app.
We take a statistical look at the matchup in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting are 11-6-5 in 22 regular season meetings vs. Vancouver, scoring 41 goals and allowing 24.
- Sporting are 6-2-2 in 10 regular season home games vs. Vancouver, scoring 21 goals and allowing nine.
- Vancouver are 3-0-1 in the last four regular season meetings, including a pair of 1-0 victories in 2022, but suffered a 3-1 road loss to Sporting in the first round of the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Sporting’s four-game winless run against Vancouver is its longest in the regular season series.
- Sporting’s last regular season win against Vancouver came by a 3-0 scoreline on May 16, 2021, at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Sporting went 5-1-1 in seven regular season meetings against Vancouver from April 2018 to May 2021, scoring 21 goals and conceding just five.
- Sporting have gone 6-3-3 in the last 12 meetings across all competitions since 2018, scoring 25 goals and conceding nine.
- Sporting forward Alan Pulido has four goals in three regular season appearances against Vancouver. On Feb. 29, 2020, he scored in his MLS debut to spark a 3-1 opening-day win at BC Place. On May 16, 2021, he struck twice in Sporting’s 3-0 home win at Children’s Mercy Park. On June 3, 2023, he scored Sporting’s go-ahead goal in a 1-1 draw at BC Place.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has three goals and two assists in eight regular season appearances against Vancouver.
- Vancouver forward Brian White has a goal and two assists in five regular season appearances against Sporting.
- Vancouver midfielder Ryan Gauld has two goals in three regular season appearances against Sporting.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2023 MLS record: 5-10-6, 21 points (11th in West | 23 GF, 30 GA)
- 2023 MLS home record: 4-5-1 (15 GF, 13 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 1-2-2 (T-W-L-T-L)
- Since the start of May, Sporting lead the Western Conference in wins (five) and points (18).
- Since the start of May, Sporting are tied for the MLS lead with 20 goals scored (Philadelphia Union).
- In all competitions this season, Sporting are 6-0-1 when scoring multiple goals and 0-11-5 when scoring one or fewer.
- In Sporting’s last 16 home matches since August 2022, the team has scored at least four goals five times and at least three goals seven times (10-5-1 record).
- Sporting have conceded five penalty kicks this season, tied with the San Jose Earthquakes for the most in MLS.
- Sporting are the only team in MLS to have played on every matchday this season.
- Sporting are tied for the MLS lead with 10 goals scored in the first 30 minutes of matches this season.
-  Sporting’s eight goals conceded in the first 30 minutes of matches are also tied for most in MLS.
- Sporting striker Alan Pulido scored in four straight regular season matches from June 3-17, bagging six total goals during that stretch. In doing so, he became the seventh player in Sporting history to score in four straight regular season games and the fourth to score six goals in a four-game span.
- Pulido leads Sporting this season in both MLS goals (seven) and goals across all competitions (eight).
- Pulido leads MLS with seven total goal contributions since the start of June (six goals, one assist) and leads Sporting with 11 goal contributions in all competitions this season (eight goals, three assists).
- Forward Daniel Salloi is one of three Western Conference players with seven goals and seven primary assists since the start of August 2022 alongside Cristian Espinoza (San Jose) and Carlos Vela (LAFC).
- Salloi is second on Sporting with 10 goal contributions this season in all competitions (five goals, five assists). He leads MLS in progressive carries (81), ranks second in successful crosses from open play (17), sixth in expected assists (4.8) and eighth in chances created (38).
- Salloi is the only player in MLS to start 21 matches this season and leads all MLS players with 1,855 minutes played in 2023.
- Salloi and midfielder Erik Thommy are the only players in MLS to play in 21 matches this season. The duo is tied for fifth in MLS with 21 shots on goal this season.
- Thommy ranks seventh in MLS with 55 shots this season and he leads Sporting with six assists in all competitions. Sporting are 5-0-0 when he scores a goal in MLS play dating back to 2022.
- Thommy has two goals and five assists since the start of May. His five assists since the start of May are tied for second most in MLS.
- Midfielder Remi Walter leads MLS field players with 154 recoveries this season.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- 2023 MLS record: 6-5-7, 25 points (9th in West | 30 GF, 23 GA)
- 2023 MLS away record: 1-4-3 (9 GF, 14 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 1-2-2 (L-W-T-T-W)
- Vancouver defeated reigning MLS Cup champion LAFC by a 3-2 scoreline last Saturday to record their first regular season road win of the year (1-4-3 record) and their first-ever victory at BMO Stadium.
- Vancouver rank second in the Western Conference in goals (30) and goals per game (1.67) as well as and third in the West in goal differential (+7).
- Vancouver’s 443-minute shutout streak from March 25 to April 29 remains the longest in MLS this season.
- Vancouver have suffered two losses when leading at halftime this season, tied for the most in MLS (3-2-0 record).
- Midfielder Ryan Gauld has scored in four straight MLS appearances since May 31 after failing to score in his first 12 league games of the season.
- Gauld, who has seven goal contributions (four goals, three assists) during that four-game stretch, leads the team with 37 key passes this season.
- Forward Brian White leads Vancouver with seven regular season goals and is tied for fifth in MLS with 21 shots on target.
- Midfielder Julian Gressel has a team-high five assists and ranks eighth in MLS in expected assists (4.8).
- Midfielder Andres Cubas leads Vancouver in interceptions (33), tackles won (28), recoveries (135).
Milestones and Miscellany
- Sporting are two shy of 350 regular season goals at Children’s Mercy Park and one shy of 450 goals in all competitions at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Forward Alan Pulido is one shy of his 50th regular season appearance for Sporting.
- 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.
