By the Numbers presented by Compass Minerals

By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #HOUvSKC

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A fierce MLS rivalry is renewed Saturday as Sporting KC (4-4-2, 14 points) travels to face the Houston Dynamo (1-5-2, 5 points) at BBVA Compass Stadium. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. CT with live television coverage on KMCI 38 The Spot and SKCTV starting at 7 p.m. Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes seeks his 100th MLS coaching win (including playoffs) as opposing forwards Dom Dwyer and Will Bruin look to continue their impressive form in the fixture. We take a statistical look at the matchup in our By The Numbers preview...


Head-to-head


  • Sporting KC has faced Houston 20 times in all competitions since 2011, more than any other opponent (8-5-7 record). This includes five playoff games (2011-13) and two U.S. Open Cup matches (2011, 2015).
  • Sporting KC winger Brad Davis played for Houston from 2006-2015. If he plays Saturday, he will have the most regular season appearances for one team (271) before playing against that same team with a different club in MLS history.
  • The home team in the fixture has just one win in the last nine regular season meetings (1-3-5 record).
  • The teams have drawn six of their last 11 regular season meetings since 2012.
  • The teams met four times across all competitions in 2015. Houston went 1-0-2 in the regular season, while Sporting KC beat the Dynamo in the 2015 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.
  • Sporting KC scored eight goals in four games against Houston last season, six of which came after the 70th minute.
  • Houston holds an 8-5-10 record in the regular season series, including a 4-3-5 mark at home.
  • Sporting KC forward Dom Dwyer has scored in six of his last seven appearances against Houston in all competitions.
  • Houston forward Will Bruin has scored in four of his last five appearances against Sporting KC in all competitions.
  • Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber scored three goals against Houston last season, including a brace in a thrilling 4-4 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium on April 25, 2015. Houston winger Giles Barnes also scored two goals in that game.


Houston Dynamo


  • 2016 MLS record: 1-5-2, 5 points (10th in West)
  • 2016 MLS road record: 1-1-2 (10 GF, 8 GA)
  • Houston ranks third in MLS with 1.75 goals scored per game, inlcuding a league-best 12 goals scored from the run of play.
  • Houston has scored 10 goals in four games at BBVA Compass Stadium this year, posting a 1-1-2 record.
  • Houston is riding a six-game winless run, the longest active skid in MLS.
  • Houston erupted for 11 goals in their first three games (1-1-1) but have scored just three in their last five (0-4-1).
  • Houston is last in MLS with 2.0 goals allowed per game and has an 0-4 record in one-goal games.
  • Houston has dropped 13 points from winning positions in 2016, the most in MLS.
  • Goalkeeper Joe Willis is second in MLS with 36 aves, one off the league lead.
  • Forward Will Bruin leads the team with three goals and is one shy of his 50th career goal in the MLS regular season.


Sporting Kansas City


  • 2016 MLS record: 4-4-2, 14 points (6th in West)
  • 2016 MLS home record: 2-2-1 (5 GF, 4 GA)
  • SKC is one of three teams (LA Galaxy, Toronto FC) with a postiive road goal differential at 5-4. The team is 2-2-1 on the road, tied for the best mark in MLS based on winning percentage (.500).
  • SKC has faced 10.4 shots per game, the fewest in MLS.
  • SKC is looking to avoid its first six-game winless skid since 2011.
  • Defender Nuno Andre Coelho is tied for the MLS lead with 900 minutes played. He ranks second in successful passes (486), sixth in interceptions (35) and 10th in clearances (40).
  • Winger Graham Zusi is tied for fith in MLS with 24 chances created and tied for fourth with three assists.
  • Midfielder Roger Espinoza is sixth in MLS with 402 successful passes and 10th with 27 tackles.


Milestones and Miscellany


  • Manager Peter Vermes is one shy of his 100th MLS coaching win (including playoffs). He would become the sixth coach in MLS history to reach the milestone with a single team.
  • Dom Dwyer is one shy of his 50th career goal for Sporting KC in all competitions.
  • Benny Feilhaber is one shy of his 150th career MLS regular season appearance.
  • Brad Davis has 40 career game-winning assists in the regular season, one shy of tying Landon Donovan and Steve Ralston for the all-time MLS record.


Team stats (2016 regular season)


MLS rank in parenthesis (source: WhoScored.com)

<strong>Category (per game)</strong>
<strong>Sporting KC</strong>
<b>Houston</b>
Goals scored
1.10&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-16th)</span>
1.75&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-3rd</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span>
Goals conceded
1.00&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-3rd</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span>
2.00&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(20th)</span>
Shots
12.3&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(13</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">t</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">h)</span>
11.9&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(16th</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span>
Passing accuracy
77.9%&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(5th</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span>
72.5%&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(18th)</span>
Possession
54.3%&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(4th</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span>
46.2%&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(18</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span>
Tackles
18.8&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(15th</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span>
19.6&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(11th)</span>
Interceptions
19.4&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(14th)</span>
16.9&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(18th)</span>
Fouls committed
<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">11.8&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.8px; font-size: 10px;">(14th)</span>
<span style="line-height: 20.8px;">11.9&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 20.8px; font-size: 10px;">(13th)</span>
Shots faced
10.4&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(1st)</span>
13.9&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 10px;">(14th)</span>

Recent #HOUvSKC regular season meetings


  • Regular season record vs. Houston: 5-8-10
  • All competitions record vs. Houston: 9-11-11
<strong>Date</strong>
<strong>Result</strong>
<strong>Stadium</strong>
<strong>Details</strong>
06/06/2014
W 2-0
BBVA Compass Stadium
Dwyer scores winner, Feilhaber tallies assist
08/29/2014
L 1-3
Children's Mercy Park
Davis assists twice for Houston, Dwyer scores
04/24/2015
T 4-4
BBVA Compass Stadium
Feilhaber (2), Dwyer, Barnes (2) and Bruin score in epic
07/21/2015**
W 3-1
Children's Mercy Park
Bruin nets first, but Dwyer and Feilhaber strike back
08/01/2015
T 1-1
Children's Mercy Park
Feilhaber assists Dwyer early; Davis assists Clark late
09/23/2015
L 0-1
BBVA Compass Stadium
Beasley and Davis assist Bruin