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Sporting Kansas City (3-5-5, 14 points) has an immediate chance to bounce back from Wednesday's loss to LA Galaxy when they travel to face rivals Houston Dynamo (7-3-2, 23 points) on Saturday night at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Western Conference clash will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, FOX Sports GO, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM.
Saturday marks the start of a daunting four-game MLS road swing for Sporting, who will be eager to pick up points and improve upon their 11th-place position in the Western Conference table. The Dynamo, meanwhile, have enjoyed a strong start to 2019 and have yet to lose an MLS home match this year. We take a statistical look at the matchup in our newest edition of By The Numbers.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting have lost six of their last eight matches at BBVA Compass Stadium in all competitions, but prevailed by a 1-0 scoreline in their most recent visit on Aug. 4, 2018.
- Houston forward Mauro Manotas has scored seven goals in seven career appearances against Sporting, including four in three games last season.
- Sporting forward Johnny Russell recorded one goal and three assists in two appearances against Houston last season.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi notched a goal and two assists in Sporting's 3-2 home win over Houston in June 2018.
- Sporting have battled Houston 30 times in all competitions since 2011, more than any other opponent, and posted a 10-10-10 record during that stretch.
Houston Dynamo
- 2019 MLS record: 7-3-2 (23 points, 4th in Western Conference)
- 2019 MLS home record: 6-0-2 (15 GF, 8 GA)
- Last MLS match: L 0-1 at Minnesota United FC on May 25
- Last 5 MLS matches: 2-2-1, 7 points (W-L-T-W-L)
- Houston are 6-0-2 in MLS home matches this season, with five of the six wins coming by a single goal.
- Houston have played eight of their first 12 MLS matches at home.
- Houston are one of three MLS teams (LAFC and Philadelphia) to rank in the top five in scoring offense (1.67 goals per game) and scoring defense (1.08 goals per game).
- Houston are second in MLS with 15.2 shots per game but ranks 21st with a shooting accuracy of 39.3%.
- Houston have allowed exactly one goal in nine of 12 MLS matches this season. The Dynamo have kept just one clean sheet this season but boast a solid 1.08 goals against average.
- Houston have conceded twice in the first 30 minutes of matches this season, the fewest in MLS.
- Forward Mauro Manotas is one shy of the league lead with three game-winning goals.
- Winger Alberth Elis is tied for fourth in MLS with six assists, including a league-best three game-winning assists.
- Manotas (six goals, four assists) and Elis (four goals, six assists) have each contributed to half of Houston's 20 goals this season.
- Fourth-year midfielder Memo Rodriguez has already recorded career-highs in goals (five) and assists (two).
Sporting Kansas City
- 2019 MLS record: 3-5-5, 14 points (11th in Western Conference)
- 2019 MLS away record: 0-3-2 (4 GF, 9 GA)
- Last MLS match: L 0-2 vs. LA Galaxy on May 29
- Last 5 MLS matches: 1-3-1, 4 points (L-L-T-W-L)
- Sporting will play their third match in a seven-day span on Saturday, having defeated Seattle 3-2 last Sunday before falling 2-0 to LA Galaxy on Wednesday.
- Sporting are tied for second in MLS with 1.77 goals scored per game.
- Forwards Johnny Russell and Krisztian Nemeth are tied for fifth in MLS with seven goals apiece. Both players will be available for selection on Saturday.
- In addition to scoring seven times, Russell leads the team with five assists in all competitions. He also leads MLS with three goals from outside the box.
- Nemeth has scored a team-best 11 goals in 15 matches across all competitions this season.
- Midfielder Felipe Gutierrez leads Sporting in duels won (66) and tackles won (20) while ranking second on the team in chances created (20). He completed 57 of his 59 passes in Wednesday's loss to LA.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has saved both of the penalties he has faced this season in MLS play.
- Sporting has just one shutout this season, the second-fewest in MLS behind Portland's zero.
- Sporting are the only Western Conference club without an away win this season.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Defender Jimmy Medranda is one shy of his 100th appearance for Sporting in all competitions.
- Midfielder Ilie Sanchez is one shy of his 100th appearance for Sporting in all competitions.
- Forward Daniel Salloi is one shy of his 50th start for Sporting in all competitions.
- Midfielder Benny Feilhaber is one shy of his 250th regular season appearance all-time, including stints with New England, LAFC and Colorado.
Recent #HOUvSKC meetings in all competitions
- Regular season record vs. Houston: 7-10-12
- All-competitions record vs. Houston: 12-16-13
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Result</strong> |
<strong>H/A</strong> |
<strong>Competition</strong> |
<strong>Details</strong> |
06/28/2017 |
W 2-0 |
Away |
Open Cup |
Ike Opara and Gerso Fernandes score second-half goals in Round of 16 matchup |
10/11/2017 |
L 1-2 |
Away |
MLS |
Jimmy Medranda opens scoring, but Houston replies with own goal and Tomas Martinez strike |
10/15/2017 |
T 0-0 |
Home |
MLS |
Sporting racks up 27 shots, but Tyler Deric makes nine saves to help Houston salvage draw |
10/26/2017 |
L 0-1 |
Away |
Playoffs |
Alberth Elis scores in 94th minute to give Houston extra-time victory in Knockout Round |
06/23/2018 |
W 3-2 |
Home |
MLS |
Mauro Manotas bags first-half brace, but hosts rally behind goals from Daniel Salloi, Diego Rubio and Khiry Shelton |
07/18/2018 |
L 2-4 |
Away |
Open Cup |
Johnny Russell and Yohan Croizet score early and late, but Houston advances behind braces from Manotas and Romell Quioto. |
08/04/2018 |
W 1-0 |
Away |
MLS |
Gianluca Busio assists Diego Rubio's second-half winner. |
Team stats (2019 regular season)
MLS rank in parenthesis (source: Opta)
<strong>Category (per game)</strong> |
<strong>Sporting</strong> |
<strong>Houston</strong> |
Goals scored |
1.77 (t-2nd) |
1.67 (t-5th) |
Goals conceded |
1.85 (20th) |
1.08 (t-5th) |
Shots |
14.9 (5th) |
15.2 (2nd) |
Shots on goal |
5.5 (4th) |
4.6 (11th) |
Shooting accuracy |
47.0% (7th) |
39.3% (21st) |
Shot conversion rate |
11.9% (8th) |
11.0% (15th) |
Passing accuracy |
83.7% (4th) |
82.4% (8th) |
Possession |
55.6% (6th) |
49.1% (12th) |
Chances created |
9.7 (12th) |
10.7 (7th) |
Duels won |
47.6 (24th) |
49.8 (19th) |
Tackles won |
9.1 (22nd) |
9.3 (21st) |
Interceptions |
8.8 (22nd) |
8.3 (24th) |
Clearances |
17.1 (17th) |
14.1 (22nd) |
Fouls committed |
12.1 (12th) |
12.9 (5th) |
Fouls suffered |
10.5 (16th) |
12.8 (4th) |
Shots faced |
12.7 (10th) |
13.5 (13th) |
