By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #RSLvSKC

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A pair of Western Conference rivals square off Sunday in the penultimate weekend of the 2016 MLS regular season as Sporting KC (12-13-7, 43 points) visits Real Salt Lake (12-11-9, 45 points). The Final Push to the Playoffs sees both sides battling for their playoff lives: Sporting KC holds the sixth and final playoff spot in the West, while Real Salt Lake is just two points ahead in fifth.

Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. CT with live coverage on 38 The Spot, SKCTV, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM. No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.) will host an official watch party for the match, offering $7 specialty cocktails from Till Vodka. We take a look at the pivotal matchup in our By The Numbers preview...

Playoff scenarios

• Sporting KC will clinch a playoff spot on Sunday if they beat Real Salt Lake AND the Portland Timbers lose or tie vs. Colorado Rapids. Click here for more in playoff scenarios
• Real Salt Lake will clinch a playoff spot on Sunday with a win. Click here to view the current MLS standings.

Head-to-head

• Sporting KC is 0-4-2 in its last six regular season meetings against Real Salt Lake dating back to 2014, including a pair of 2-1 losses at Rio Tinto Stadium last summer.
• Sporting KC last beat Real Salt Lake in the regular season on July 27, 2013, when Ike Opara headed home a Graham Zusi corner kick in the 97th minute to secure a 2-1 victory.
• Outside of regular season play, Sporting KC has defeated Real Salt Lake in each of the last two meetings. Peter Vermes' men beat RSL in the 2013 MLS Cup and the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals.
• RSL won each of the previous two meetings between the clubs this season, both of which at Children's Mercy Park. Sporting KC fell 2-1 on April 2 and suffered a 3-1 setback on May 21.
• On April 2, RSL took the lead through Justen Glad and Luke Mulholland before Benny Feilhaber converted a late penalty kick.
• On May 21, RSL took a 2-0 halftime lead through Burrito Martinez and an own goal. Dom Dwyer cut into the deficit in the 50th minute, but Yura Movsisyan restored the two-goal cushion three minutes later.
• Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber has three goals and two assists in his last five appearances vs. RSL in all competitions.
• Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia is 0-5-0 against RSL in the regular season.

Real Salt Lake

• 2016 MLS record: 12-11-9, 45 points (5th in West)
• 2016 MLS home record: 8-1-7 (22 GF, 14 GA)
• Last five games: 0-3-2, 2 points (T-L-L-T-L)
• Last MLS match: Lost 2-1 at San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 1
• RSL has just one home defeat this season (8-1-7), tied for the second-fewest in MLS.
• RSL is winless in its last five MLS matches (0-3-2), having failed to score in three of them.
• RSL is winless in three straight home games (0-1-2) and is looking to avoid getting shut out in three straight league game at home for the first time since July 2006.
• RSL leads MLS with nine penalty kicks won, converting six of them.
• Midfielder Burrito Martinez leads MLS with 79 fouls suffered. He also ranks second in both duels won (218) and dribbles completed (65).
• RSL is one of three teams in MLS to have three players with at least seven regular season goals. Joao Plata and Yura Movsisyan are tied for the team lead with nine., while Burrito Martinez has seven.

Sporting Kansas City

• 2016 MLS record: 12-13-7, 43 points (6th in West)
• 2016 MLS road record: 3-9-4 (12 GF, 22 GA)
• Last five games: 1-2-2, 5 points (L-T-T-W-L)
• Last MLS match: Lost 3-1 at New England Revolution on Oct. 1
• Sporting KC is seeking a club-record sixth straight appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Five other MLS clubs have accomplished that feat.
• After starting 2016 with two straight MLS road wins, Sporting KC has won just once in its last 14 away contests (1-9-4).
• SKC leads MLS with 72 chances created from set pieces and ranks second with 11 assists from set plays.
• Forward Dom Dwyer is tied for third in MLS with 16 goals and ranks third with 113 shot attempts. He has scored in four straight league appearances for the third time in his career. Dwyer has never scored in five consecutive league games but has the chance to do so Sunday.
• Midfielder Benny Feilhaber has eight assists in his last nine MLS appearances. He is tied for third in MLS with 12 assists this season, and his 27 assists since the start of 2015 are second-most in the league.
• Midfielder Roger Espinoza ranks among the top 10 MLS midfielders in each of the following: duels won (2nd), tackles won (10th), recoveries (10th), touches (10th) and successful passes in the attacking third (5th).
• Defender Saad Abdul-Salaam is tied for the lead among MLS defenders with six assists.

Milestones and Miscellany

• Midfielder Paulo Nagamura is one shy of his 100th career start for Sporting KC in all competitions.
• Midfielder Soni Mustivar is one shy of his 50th career MLS appearance for Sporting KC (including playoffs).
• Midfielder Benny Feilhaber is one shy of his 50th career assist for Sporting KC in all competitions. He would be the fourth player in team history to reach that milestone.

Team stats (2016 regular season)

MLS rank in parenthesis (source: Opta)

Recent #RSLvSKC meetings

• Regular season record vs. Real Salt Lake: 8-9-5 (27 GF, 29 GA)
• Regular season road record at Real Salt Lake: 3-6-1 (13 GF, 17 GA)