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Sporting Kansas City (7-4-6, 27 points) looks to extend its lead atop the Western Conference when the club visits the in-form LA Galaxy (6-5-4, 22 points) at StubHub Center on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Midwest, FOX Sports GO, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Manager Peter Vermes' men will look to improve their road fortunes against a Galaxy side that carries an eight-game unbeaten streak into the weekend. Strangely enough, five of LA's six victories this season have come away from home, with just one win in seven games at StubHub Center. We take a statistical look at Saturday's Western Conference clash in our By The Numbers preview.
Head-to-head
- Sporting KC and LA Galaxy played to three draws in 2016, including a scoreless stalemate at StubHub Center last June.
- Sporting KC is 0-3-1 in its last four matches against LA at StubHub Center. The club's last road win over the Galaxy came in August 2010.
- The home team in the fixture is unbeaten in 10 straight meetings (6-0-4) dating back to 2011.
- Sporting KC has just one loss in the last six regular season meetings (2-1-3) against LA.
- Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber has scored or assisted in four of his last six appearances versus LA.
- LA holds a 24-20-14 record in the regular season series, including a 16-5-7 mark at home.
- The 58 regular season meetings between the sides have produced just three scoreless draws.
LA Galaxy
- 2017 MLS record: 6-5-2, 22 points (5th in West)
- 2017 MLS home record: 1-3-3 (7 GF, 10 GA)
- Last five games: 3-0-2, 11 points (W-W-T-T-W)
- Last MLS match: W 3-1 at Colorado Rapids on Wednesday
- LA began the season 2-5-0 but have four wins and four draws in their last eight games, tied with the Chicago Fire for the longest active unbeaten streak in MLS.
- LA has just one home win (1-3-3) through seven games, the fewest in MLS, but their five road wins (5-2-1) lead the league. No other club has more than three away wins.
- LA has scored 15 goals in its last seven games after scoring just nine in its first eight.
- Midfielder Romain Alessandrini is tied for sixth in MLS with eight goals and tied for third with seven assists. His 15 combined goals and assists are tied for second-most in MLS behind only David Villa (10 goals, six assists).
- Forward Jack McBean scored two goals in Wednesday's win at Colorado, his first MLS goals since March 13, 2013 when he was just 18 years old.
Sporting KC
- 2017 MLS record:7-4-6, 27 points (1st in West)
- 2017 MLS away record: 1-4-4 (3 GF, 8 GA)
- Last five games: 1-2-2, 5 points (L-L-W-T-T)
- Last MLS match: T 0-0 at San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday
- Sporting KC's 0.65 goals against average is on pace to be the lowest single-season mark in MLS history.
- Sporting KC leads MLS with 15.1 shots per game while facing a league-low 8.8 shots per game.
- Sporting KC leads MLS in passing accuracy (83.3%) and ranks second in average possession (58.2%).
- Sporting KC has scored just three goals in nine away games, the second fewest in MLS.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia leads MLS in shutouts (nine), goals against average (0.65) and save percentage (82.8).
- Forward Gerso is second in MLS in dribbles completed (38) and third in touches in the opponent's box (104).
- Midfielder Benny Feilhaber leads MLS with 29 chances created from open play, while Graham Zusi leads MLS defenders in the same category with 24.
- Midfielder Ilie ranks third in MLS in successful passes (1,080) and 11th in duels won (101).
- In center back Ike Opara's 15 starts this season, Sporting KC has posted nine shutouts and allowed just seven goals.
Team stats (2017 regular season)
MLS rank in parenthesis (source: Opta)
<strong>Category (per game)</strong> |
<strong>Sporting KC</strong> |
<strong>LA Galaxy</strong> |
Goals scored |
1.18 (t-15th) |
1.60 (9th) |
Goals conceded |
0.65 (1st) |
1.47 (t-12th) |
Shots |
15.1 (1st) |
12.2 (13th) |
Shots on goal |
5.1 (t-2nd) |
4.3 (15th) |
Shooting accuracy |
44.3 (15th) |
44.8 (14th) |
Passing accuracy |
83.3 (1st) |
77.9 (13th) |
Possession |
58.2 (2nd) |
50.7 (7th) |
Duels won |
50.0 (11th) |
49.7 (12th) |
Tackles won |
11.8 (21st) |
13.7 (11th) |
Interceptions |
11.7 (22nd) |
13.0 (14th) |
Fouls committed |
11.0 (19th) |
13.3 (8th) |
Fouls suffered |
11.9 (8th) |
11.3 (18th) |
Shots faced |
8.8 (1st) |
13.7 (20th) |
Recent #LAvSKC regular season meetings
- Regular season record vs. LA: 20-24-14 (69 GF, 87 GA)
- Regular season away record at LA: 5-16-7 (26 GF, 48 GA)
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Result</strong> |
<strong>H/A</strong> |
<strong>Details</strong> |
04/07/2012 |
W 1-0 |
H |
Matt Besler and Seth Sinovic contribute to shutout |
04/20/2013 |
L 0-2 |
A |
Landon Donovan tallies goal and assist; Robbie Keane assists |
07/19/2014 |
W 2-1 |
H |
Benny Feilhaber and Lawrence Olum score for SKC; Keane scores for LA |
04/18/2015 |
L 1-2 |
A |
Feilhaber and Dom Dwyer assist Krisztian Nemeth; Baggio Husidic scores for LA |
10/25/2015 |
W 2-1 |
H |
Dwyer and Kevin Ellis score for SKC; Giovani dos Santos assists Keane |
05/01/2016 |
T 1-1 |
H |
Brad Davis scores stunner in 30th minute, but dos Santos replies in 42nd |
06/02/2016 |
T 0-0 |
A |
Sporting KC holds LA to MLS record-low one shot attempt |
09/18/2016 |
T 2-2 |
H |
Dwyer and Jake Peterson score, but Landon Donovan stuns with late equalizer |
