By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #PHIvSKC

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Sporting Kansas City (11-11-5, 38 points) concludes a grueling month of August on Saturday as supporters are treated to a rematch of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. The club's fifth match in 15 days comes against a much-improved Philadelphia Union side at Talen Energy Stadium, with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. CT on 38 The Spot, SKCTV and Sports Radio 810 WHB.
Four days removed from a 3-0 setback to Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the CONCACAF Champions League, Sporting KC looks to climb above .500 in the MLS regular season and further strengthen its playoff position. The Union bagged a 2-1 road win over Columbus Crew SC on Wednesday and enter the weekend as the league's top-scoring team, comfortably above the red line in the Eastern Conference at fourth place.
We take a statistical look at the matchup in our By The Numbers preview...

Head-to-head

• Sporting KC leads the all-time series with a 6-4-5 record in all competitions. The clubs last met in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final at Talen Energy Stadium, a gripping affair that Sporting KC won 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw through regulation.
• The most recent regular season meeting saw Sporting KC overturn a 2-1 deficit in second-half stoppage time to win 3-2 in April 2015 at Children's Mercy Park.
• Sporting KC is 3-2-3 at Talen Energy Stadium in all competitions, including a 2-2-2 regular season mark.
• Both teams have scored in each of the last six meetings across all competitions.
• Sporting KC winger Graham Zusi has five goals and three assists in 11 appearances vs. Philadelphia in all competitions, including an assist in the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final.
• Sporting KC forward Dom Dwyer has scored in three of his last four regular season appearances vs. Philadelphia.
• No player on Philadelphia's current roster has scored an MLS goal against Sporting KC.

Philadelphia Union

• 2016 MLS record: 10-9-7, 37 points (4th in West)
• 2016 MLS home record: 7-3-3 (27 GF, 19 GA)
• Last five games: 2-2-1, 7 points (L-T-W-L-W)
• Last MLS match: Won 2-1 at Columbus Crew SC on Wednesday (Aug. 24)
• Philadelphia is tied for the MLS lead with 1.73 goals per game. The Union also rank second with 2.08 goals per home game.
• Philadelphia has won a league-high eight penalty kicks while conceding just one, the fewest in MLS.
• Philadelphia has allowed 19 goals at home, more than any team in the Western Conference.
• Midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta is sixth in MLS with 54 chacnes created.
• Midfielder Chris Pontius has a team-high 10 goals and five assists.
• Former Sporting KC forward C.J. Sapong is second in MLS with 58 fouls suffered and ranks fourth with 64 aerial duels won.
• Rookie defender Keegan Rosenberry is the only MLS field player to play every regular season minute for his team in 2016. He is tied for the league lead with 2,340 minutes played (26 starts).

Sporting Kansas City

• 2016 MLS record: 11-11-5, 35 points (5th in West)
• 2016 MLS road record: 2-7-4 (9 GF, 16 GA)
• Last five games: 3-1-1, 10 points (W-W-L-T-W)
• Last MLS match: Won 2-0 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday (Aug. 20)
• SKC is third in MLS with 10.5 chances created per game, including a league-best 2.3 chances created off set pieces.
• SKC is 5-2-1 against Eastern Conference opponents this season.
• SKC is winless in 11 straight MLS road games (0-7-4), their longest road winless streak in the regular season since 2008 (13 games).
• SKC leads MLS with 56.2 percent average possession and ranks second with 24.5 touches per game in the opponent's penalty area.
• SKC has won each of the last 10 regular season matches in which Jacob Peterson has scored.
• Midfielder Benny Feilhaber is eighth in MLS with 47 chances created and has three assists in his last four games.
• Defender Jimmy Medranda is second in MLS with 63 tackles won and ranks second with 20 successful crosses from open play. Since May 20, he also leads the league with 54 interceptions.
• Forward Dom Dwyer is sixth in MLS with 12 goals, four shy of the league lead, and ranks second with four multi-goal games.

Milestones and Miscellany

• Matt Besler is one shy of passing Jack Jewsbury for seventh place in Sporting KC history with his 196th regular season appearance for the club.
• Ike Opara is one shy of his 50th MLS appearance for Sporting KC (including playoffs).
• Brad Davis has 40 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: Opta)

Recent #PHIvSKC meetings (all competitions)

• Regular season record vs. Philadelphia: 5-4-4 (6-4-5 in all competitions)
• Regular season road record at Philadelphia: 2-2-2 (3-2-3 in all competitions)