By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #SKCvLAFC | July 3, 2019

"By The Numbers" is a season-long series sponsored by The Kansas Department of Transportation that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match.
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155  Crashes involving alcohol in Kansas during the Independence Day holiday from 2013-2017.

With a grueling month-long road swing in the rearview mirror, Sporting Kansas City (4-6-7, 19 points) finally returns to Children's Mercy Park to kick off the second half of the 2019 regular season against MLS Supporters' Shield leaders Los Angeles Football Club (11-2-4, 37 points).

Tickets for the Western Conference tilt are available at SeatGeek.com, including a limited-time Americana ticket package featuring an all-inclusive tailgate buffet and on-field access to the postmatch fireworks show. Fans can also catch the action live on FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, FOX Sports GO, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM.

LAFC have enjoyed a rampant start to 2019 and remain on course to eclipse the 34-game record for most points in an MLS regular season. Sporting, meanwhile, are at the foot of the Western Conference table and will view Wednesday as an opportunity to knock off an elite foe, regain confidence and right the ship heading into July. We take a statistical look at the contest in our newest edition of By The Numbers.

Head-to-Head

• Sporting and LAFC met on opening weekend of the 2019 regular season in Los Angeles. Krisztian Nemeth fired the visitors into an early lead, but Diego Rossi scored just after halftime and Adama Diomande bagged a 94th-minute winner to decide the Week 1 thriller.
• LAFC are the first opponent Sporting have played twice this season.
• Sporting swept the 2018 regular season series, prevailing 2-0 at LAFC behind Gerso Fernandes and Ilie Sanchez goals before claiming a 2-1 home win on Decision Day, which saw Daniel Salloi and Roger Espinoza overcome a Carlos Vela penalty kick.
• After posting a remarkable 10-0-4 MLS record against the three California clubs from June 2016 to the end of 2018, Sporting have gone 0-3-0 versus that trio this season (LAFC, LA Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes).

Los Angeles Football Club

• 2019 MLS record: 11-2-4 (37 points, 1st in Western Conference)
• 2019 MLS away record: 4-2-3 (19 GF, 8 GA)
• Last MLS match: L 0-1 at Colorado Rapids on June 29
• Last 5 MLS matches: 3-1-1, 10 points (W-T-W-W-L)
• LAFC are on pace for 74 points, which would set an MLS single-season record.
• LAFC lead MLS in both scoring offense (2.29 goals per game) and scoring defense (0.82 goals per game).
• LAFC's plus-25 goal differential is 15 goals better than any other team in MLS.
• LAFC lead MLS in chances created (13.4), shots (18.4) and shots on target (6.4) per game while also ranking first in fewest shots faced (9.2) per game.
• LAFC lead MLS in road goals (19) and have a league-best plus-11 goal differential.
• LAFC's two losses this season have come against Vancouver and Colorado, both of which are below the playoff line in the West.
• MLS MVP frontrunner Carlos Vela leads MLS with 16 goals and ranks second with 10 assists. He also leads the league with 89 shots (21 more than any other player) and 35 shots on target (eight more than any other player).
• Forward Diego Rossi, who has eight goals of his own, ranks second in MLS with 27 shots on target.
• Midfielder Latif Blessing leads MLS in duels won (149), ranks second in tackles won (37) and ranks third in both fouls committed (35) and fouls suffered (49).

Sporting Kansas City 

• 2019 MLS record: 4-6-7, 19 points (12th in Western Conference)
• 2019 MLS home record: 3-2-3 (19 GF, 15 GA)
• Last MLS match: W 1-0 at Columbus Crew SC on June 23
• Last 5 MLS matches: 2-1-2, 8 points (W-L-T-T-W)
• Sporting rank second in MLS with 2.38 goals per home game.
• Sporting are playing their first home match since May 29, having played five straight road games in all competitions.
• Sporting are tied for the MLS lead with five penalty kick goals.
• Sporting's two shutouts this season are the second-fewest in MLS, ahead of Houston's one.
• Sporting are the only MLS team to have three players with seven league goals. Felipe Gutierrez, Krisztian Nemeth and Johnny Russell are tied for the team lead, marking the first time in club history that three players have hit seven MLS goals before the end of June.
• Midfielder Felipe Gutierrez ranks third in MLS with 36 tackles won.
• Midfielder Ilie Sanchez is the only Sporting player to appear in all 23 matches this season (including Concacaf Champions League).
• Goalkeeper Tim Melia has saved both of the penalties he has faced this season in MLS play.

Milestones and Miscellany

• On Wednesday, Manager Peter Vermes will coach his 400th match for Sporting in all competitions.
• Defender Seth Sinovic is one shy of his 250th career appearance for the club in all competitions.
• Sporting are one shy of their 200th regular season home win all-time.

Recent #SKCvLAFC meetings

• Regular season record vs. LAFC 2-1-0 (5 GF, 3 GA)
• Regular season home record vs. LAFC: 1-0-0 (2 GF, 1 GA)

Team stats (2019 regular season)

MLS rank in parenthesis (through July 2)