By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #SKCvPOR | Western Conference Championship Leg Two

"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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The Western Conference Champion of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs will be decided Thursday night when Sporting Kansas City host the Portland Timbers in the decisive second leg at Children's Mercy Park. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. CT with live coverage on ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes. A limited number of tickets for the monumental clash are available at SeatGeek.com as Sporting KC look to capture their fourth conference title and advance to MLS Cup 2018 against either Atlanta United FC or the New York Red Bulls.

With Sunday's 0-0 draw in the books, Sporting KC and Portland have everything to play for in the return trip to Kansas City. A win for either team would result in an aggregate victory, while another scoreless tie would force extra time. A score-draw (1-1, 2-2, 3-3, etc.) would see the Timbers prevail on away goals. With that in mind, let's take a statistical look at the matchup in our newest edition of By The Numbers.

Head-to-Head

• Including playoffs, Sporting KC have lost just one of their last 12 MLS meetings against Portland (5-1-6).
• Sporting KC have shut out Portland in nine of the last 12 MLS meetings, which have produced just 16 combined goals between the teams.
• Sporting KC are 3-1-2 against Portland at Children's Mercy Park, with the Timbers' lone MLS win coming in 2013.
• Across all competitions, the home team in the series has won just three of the last 14 meetings.
• As a member of Sporting KC, goalkeeper Tim Melia has conceded just two goals in eight MLS appearances against Portland. He has a 0.25 goals against average and a 93.9 save percentage in those eight games.
• These clubs have met once previously in the playoffs. Portland edged Sporting KC 7-6 on penalties following a wild 2-2 draw in the 2015 Knockout Round at Providence Park.
• After playing to a scoreless draw on June 9 in Portland, Sporting KC earned a 3-0 home win over the Timbers on Aug. 18 with a first-half brace from Diego Rubio and a late Johnny Russell strike.

Portland Timbers: At a Glance

• Regular season record: 15-10-9, 54 points (5th in West)
• Regular season away record: 4-8-5 (24 GF, 35 GA)
• Knockout Round Result: Beat Dallas 2-1
• Conference Semifinal Result: Tied Seattle 4-4 on aggregate (W 4-2 in PKs)
• All-time playoff record: 7-4-5 (25 GF, 21 GA)
• All-time playoff away record: 4-2-3 (14 GF, 12 GA)
• Best playoff finish: MLS Cup Champions (2015)

Portland Timbers: Seven Stats that Matter

• Portland are 4-2-3 all-time in road playoff matches, including a 2-1 win at FC Dallas in the single-elimination Knockout Round on Oct. 31.
• Portland held Sporting KC to one shot on target in Sunday's first leg, Sporting KC's fewest in an MLS match since Sept. 6, 2017.
• Since taking a 3-0 loss at Children's Mercy Park on Aug. 18, Portland has scored in seven straight away matches.
• Portland went on an MLS-record 15-game league unbeaten run from April 15 to Aug. 4, then lost four straight before rallying to go 7-4-3 (including playoffs) since Aug. 29.
• Midfielder Diego Valeri leads MLS with 17 chances created during the 2018 playoffs, a remarkable nine more than any other player.
• Midfielder Sebastian Blanco has scored six goals in his last eight matches dating back to Sept. 22, having scored six in his first 27 games of the season.
• Defenders Liam Ridgewell (26) and Jorge Villafana (23) have more clearances than any other players in the 2018 playoffs.

 Sporting KC: At a Glance

• Regular season record:18-8-8, 62 points (1st in West)
• Regular season home record: 10-2-5 (34 GF, 17 GA)
• Knockout Round Result: Bye
• Conference Semifinal Result: Beat RSL 5-3 on aggregate
• All-time playoff record: 17-20-12 (64 GF, 64 GA)
• All-time playoff home record: 15-2-4 (39 GF, 17 GA)
• Best playoff finish: MLS Cup Champions (2000, 2013)

Sporting KC: Seven Stats that Matter

• Since the start of August, Sporting KC are 10-2-4 with 31 goals scored and 13 conceded. No MLS club has fewer losses during that time.
• Sporting KC are 12-2-5 at home this season in all competitions, outscoring opponents 41-21 with an average of 2.2 goals per game.
• Sporting KC are 15-2-4 all-time in home playoff matches, including a 3-0-1 mark in their last four postseason contests at Children's Mercy Park.
• Prior to Sunday's first leg in Portland, Sporting KC had just one shutout in their previous nine matches.
• Defender Matt Besler leads all players during the 2018 playoffs with a combined 9.3 clearances and interceptions per match.
• Midfielder Felipe Gutierrez has assisted three of Sporting KC's five playoff goals this month and ranks second in the postseason with eight chances created.
• Sporting KC set regular-season club records in 2018 for goals (65), away goals (31), goal difference (+25), assists (69) and shots (583) while amassing 18 wins and 62 points, both the second-best totals in team history.

Recent #SKCvPOR meetings

• Regular season record vs. Portland: 7-3-4 (15 GF, 10 GA)
• Postseason record vs. Portland: 0-0-2 (2 GF, 2 GA)

Team stats (2018 regular season)

MLS rank in parenthesis (source: Opta)