For the first time in the 25-year history of Major League Soccer, the month of February will mark the start of regular season play. On Saturday, clubs across the United States and Canada will step between the white lines with hopes of collecting three points to begin 2020.
A delectable opening day of MLS action will see Sporting Kansas City visit Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 9:30 p.m. CT, giving supporters their first real look at Manager Peter Vermes’ side since last October.
As the anticipated date approaches, SportingKC.com is rolling out a 28-day countdown to first kick, offering a comprehensive preview of the season ahead. From key storylines and positional breakdowns to new fan initiatives and perks at Children’s Mercy Park, our Countdown to Kickoff series highlights the many reasons to be pumped for Sporting’s 2020 campaign. To visit the series homepage as it expands, head to SportingKC.com/countdown.
Saturday will see Sporting Kansas City open an MLS campaign on Canadian soil for the first time ever. And if recent history is any indication, Manager Peter Vermes and his players will have no complaints about it.
For starters, Sporting's 30 regular season wins over Canadian opponents are the most in MLS. The club boasts a combined 30-11-15 all-time record against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact.
Additionally, Sporting's 12 regular season wins in Canada (12-7-9) are second behind D.C. United for the most among U.S.-based MLS clubs. This haul includes a solid 4-2-2 mark in Vancouver, where Sporting's 2020 ledger begins this weekend.
MOST REGULAR SEASON WINS VS. CANADIAN OPPONENTS ALL-TIME (W-L-T)
- 30 -- Sporting Kansas City (30-11-15)
- 28 -- New York Red Bulls (28-19-14)
- 27 -- New England Revolution (27-19-16)
- 26 -- FC Dallas (26-9-13)
- 26 -- D.C. United (26-18-17)
- 26 -- Columbus Crew SC (26-21-18)
MOST REGULAR SEASON WINS ON CANADIAN SOIL (W-L-T)
- 13 -- D.C. United (13-12-8)
- 12 -- Sporting Kansas City (12-7-9)
- 10 -- Seattle Sounders FC (10-7-7)
- 8 -- New York City FC (8-3-2)
- 8 -- Columbus Crew SC (8-12-10)
- 8 -- New England Revolution (8-12-9)
