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Entering the weekend, FC Dallas (4-1-2, 14 points) and Sporting Kansas City (4-2-0, 12 points) occupy the top two spots in the MLS Supporters' Shield standings. The clubs square off Sunday at 6 p.m. CT in a nationally televised Western Conference clash on FS1 and FOX Deportes. Sporting KC has won both road games this season, while FC Dallas has more home wins than any other team since 2014. With Brad Davis on the brink of his 400th career MLS appearance, we examine the matchup in our By The Numbers preview...
Head-to-head
- Sporting KC and FC Dallas combined for 20 goals in four meetings across all competitions in 2015, with the home team winning each contest by a multi-goal margin.
- The clubs last met at Toyota Stadium in March 2015, with FC Dallas winning 3-1 behind a goal and an assist from Fabian Castillo.
- Sporting KC responded with three straight wins at Children's Mercy Park, including an emphatic 6-2 win in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 on July 1.
- Sporting KC also claimed a pair of comfortable regular season victories, winning 4-0 on May 29 and 3-1 on Sept. 18.
- Sporting KC has just one win in their last six visits to FC Dallas, coming on June 12, 2011.
- The home side in the series is 5-0-2 over the last seven meetings across all competitions.
- Eleven of the last 13 meetings between the clubs have produced three or more goals.
- Sporting KC has scored in 10 straight games against FC Dallas, while FC Dallas has scored in 14 of its last 15 games against Sporting KC (all competitions).
- Sporting KC striker Dom Dwyer scored five goals in four games against FC Dallas last season, including a club-record four-goals in the Open Cup Round of 16.
- Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber had three goals and four assists in four games against FC Dallas last season.
- Sporting KC winger Graham Zusi has three goals and five assists in seven career regular season starts against FC Dallas.
- FC Dallas defenders Walker Zimmerman (2013), Matt Hedges (2014) and Maynor Figueroa (2015) have each scored regular season goals against Sporting KC.
FC Dallas
- 2016 MLS record: 4-1-2, 14 points (1st in West)
- 2016 MLS home record: 2-0-2 (7 GF, 3 GA)
- FC Dallas has a 27-6-5 regular season home record since 2014, the second-best mark in MLS.
- Not including a 5-0 loss at Houston on March 12, FC Dallas has outscored its opponents 13-4 with a 4-0-2 record.
- Each of FC Dallas' four wins have come by multiple goals.
- FC Dallas leads MLS with 13 goals and is the only team to ahve three players with at least three goals (Maxi Urruti, Michael Barrios and Tesho Akindele, who has scored in three straight games).
- FC Dallas has allowed four goals in the first 15 minutes of matches, most in MLS.
- Despite missing three games through injury, Mauro Diaz leads MLS with four assists.
- Tesho Akindele is one of six MLS players with at least three goals and two assists.
- Walker Zimmerman ranks sixth in MLS in both interceptions (4.6) and clearances (5.8) per game. He also leads the league with 24 aerial duels won.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2016 MLS record: 4-2-0, 12 points (2nd in West)
- 2016 MLS road record: 2-0-0 (3 GF, 0 GA)
- SKC has posted shutout wins in each of their first two road games this season (1-0 at Seattle on March 6; 2-0 at New York on April 9).
- SKC has conceded five goals through six games, tied for third fewest in MLS entering the weekend.
- For the first time since 2011 and just the second time in team history, SKC has had three or fewer shots on goal in four straight games.
- Tim Melia leads MLS with four wins and three shutouts while ranking third in save percentage (83.3) and fourth in saves (25).
- Dom Dwyer is one of two MLS players (Joao Plata) with at least four goals and two assists.
- Saad Abdul-Salaam has tallied an assist in two straight games.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Brad Davis is one shy of his 400th career MLS appearance. He would be the fifth player all-time to reach that milestone and just the third active player, joining Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando.
- Dom Dwyer is one shy of his 50th career goal for Sporting KC in all competitions.
- Graham Zusi has 24 game-winning assists in MLS (including playoffs), one shy of passing Preki for sole possession of first place in club history.
Team stats (2016 regular season)
MLS rank in parenthesis (source: WhoScored.com)
<strong>Category (per game)</strong> |
<strong>Sporting KC</strong> |
<b>FC Dallas</b> |
Goals scored |
1.33 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-10th)</span> |
1.86 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2nd</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
Goals conceded |
0.83 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(3rd</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
1.29 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(12th)</span> |
Shots |
11.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(15</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">t</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">h)</span> |
15.9 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(3rd</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
Passing accuracy |
78.6% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(6th</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
73.8% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(13th)</span> |
Possession |
55.1% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(3rd</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
50.3% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(8</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Tackles |
17.7 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(18th</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
22.9 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(4th)</span> |
Interceptions |
15.8 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(20th)</span> |
24.1 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2nd)</span> |
Fouls committed |
<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">11.2 </span><span style="line-height: 20.8px; font-size: 10px;">(16th)</span> |
<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">12.9 </span><span style="line-height: 20.8px; font-size: 10px;">(11th)</span> |
Shots faced |
12.8 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-12th)</span> |
9.9 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(19th)</span> |
Recent #FCDvSKC regular season meetings
- Regular season record vs. FC Dallas: 22-20-10
- Regular season road record at FC Dallas: 9-12-4 (28 GF, 49 GA)
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Result</strong> |
<strong>Stadium</strong> |
<strong>Details</strong> |
06/22/2013 |
T 2-2 |
Toyota Stadium |
KC takes 2-0 lead; Zimmerman equalizes in 90th min |
03/15/2014 |
T 1-1 |
Children's Mercy Park |
Feilhaber assists Collin; Hedges equalizes in 90th min |
03/14/2015 |
L 1-3 |
Toyota Stadium |
Castillo tallies goal and assist; Feilhaber assists Espinoza |
05/29/2015 |
W 4-0 |
Children's Mercy Park |
Zusi has goal and two assists, Feilhaber goal, Hallisey assist |
07/01/2015<strong>**</strong> |
W 6-2 |
Children's Mercy Park |
Dwyer notches four goals; Barrios and Acosta score for Dallas |
09/18/2015 |
W 3-1 |
Children's Mercy Park |
Feilhaber bags brace, Dwyer adds third; Ulloa scores for Dallas |
**2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16
