By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #LAvSKC | April 8, 2018

"By The Numbers" is a season-long series sponsored by The Kansas Department of Transportation, giving a statistical preview of every Sporting KC match.
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50   One alcohol-related fatality occurred every 50 minutes in the U.S. in 2016.

Sporting Kansas City (3-1-1, 10 points) and the LA Galaxy (2-1-1, 7 points) write the 61st regular-season installment of their Western Conference rivalry on a nationally televised stage Sunday night at StubHub Center in Carson, California. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. CT on FS1, while local radio broadcasts will air on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish). All Sporting KC fans are welcome to attend the official watch party for Sunday's match at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District, featuring $5 Corona cans and an all-you-can-eat buffet with bottomless soda and domestic draft beers.

Both sides enter the primetime fixture high on confidence. Sporting KC has collected 10 points from their last four games to take first place in the West, while the Galaxy — boosted by the arrival of international soccer icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic — overcame a three-goal deficit last Saturday to defeat noisy neighbors LAFC 4-3 in one of the greatest games in MLS history. We take a statistical look at the matchup in our newest installment of By The Numbers.

Head-to-Head

• Sporting KC is unbeaten in its last six regular season meetings against LA, going 3-0-3 since October 2015. SKC has outshot LA 91-45 across those six games.
• Sporting KC has emerged with a result in each of their last two trips to StubHub Center, drawing 0-0 in June 2016 and prevailing 2-1 in June 2017. Before then, Sporting KC had not won at LA since August 2010.
• Sporting KC won both meetings by a 2-1 scoreline last season, following up their road victory with a home win on Sept. 24.
• The 60 regular season meetings between the sides have produced just three scoreless draws.
• Forward Ola Kamara has three goals in two career appearances against Sporting KC, all coming as a member of Columbus Crew SC.

LA Galaxy

• 2018 MLS record: 2-1-1, 7 points (3rd in West)
• 2018 MLS home record: 2-0-0 (6 GF, 4 GA)
• Last match: W 4-3 vs. LAFC on March 31
• LA has won both home matches this season after winning just three home games in all of 2017 (3-9-5).
• In their 4-3 win over LAFC last Saturday, LA became the second team ever to overcome a three-goal deficit and win in regulation.
• LA ranks second-to-last in MLS with 10 shots per game, while their 15.3 shots faced per game are fourth most in the league.
• LA is one of four MLS teams yet to score in the first 30 minutes of a match, and four of their seven goals have come after the 60th minute.
• In his MLS debut last Saturday, forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to score the game-tying and game-winning goals. The heroic 19-minute cameo, highlighted by his spectacular equalizer, landed him MLS Player of the Week honors.
• LA midfielder Emmanuel Boateng leads the side with two assists and is one of four players (Perry Kitchen, Rolf Feltscher and Jorgen Skjelvik) to start all four games for the Galaxy.
• LA has played two straight games without the injured Romain Alessandrini, Giovani dos Santos and Jonathan dos Santos. This trio has combined for 22 goals and 17 assists since the start of 2017. All three are day-to-day.
• Goalkeeper David Bingham ranks fourth in MLS with 16 saves.

 Sporting KC

• 2018 MLS record: 3-1-1, 10 points (1st in West)
• 2018 MLS away record: 1-0-1 (6 GF, 5 GA)
• Last match: W 1-0 vs. D.C. United on March 31
• Sporting KC is tied for the MLS lead with 10 goals scored and ranks first with 17.8 shots per game.
• Sporting KC ranks second in MLS with 13.2 chances created per game.
• Sporting KC has scored six goals in two away games this season after scoring 10 goals in 17 road matches last year.
• Sporting KC has scored six road goals over a two-game span for the first time since 2007.
• Sporting KC leads MLS with 164 touches in the opponent's box, 40 more than any other team.
• Sporting KC has allowed just three shots on goal over the last 172 minutes of play.
• Midfielder Felipe Gutierrez leads MLS with five goals. He is the second player in Sporting KC history to score five goals in the first five games of a regular season. Gutierrez also ranks second in MLS in tackles won (16) and 11th in duels won (37).
• Forward Johnny Russell leads MLS with 45 touches in the opponent's box and ranks third with 19 shots.
• Forward Daniel Salloi is tied for second in MLS with three assists.
• Defender Graham Zusi is tied for fifth in MLS with 11 chances created
• Midfielder Ilie ranks third among MLS field players in both passes completed (279) and recoveries (46).

Milestones and Miscellany

• Goalkeeper Tim Melia is one shy of his 100th start and appearance for Sporting KC in all competitions.
• Defender Seth Sinovic is one shy of his 200th start for Sporting KC in all competitions.

Team stats (2018 regular season)

MLS rank in parenthesis (source: Opta)

Recent #LAvSKC regular season meetings

• Regular season record vs. LA: 22-24-14 (73 GF, 89 GA)
• Regular season away record at LA: 6-16-7 (28 GF, 49 GA)