By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #TORvSKC

"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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A pair of unbeaten teams kick off Week 5 in MLS when Sporting Kansas City (1-0-2, 5 points) visits Toronto FC (1-0-2) for the Eastern Conference champion's home opener at BMO Field. The interconference clash will air live at 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1 and FOX Deportes, while listeners can follow the action on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish). An official watch party for the match will be held at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.), featuring $5 Boulevard drafts and two all-inclusive buffet options.

Sporting Kansas City has dominated the head-to-head series and owns an excellent record on Canadian soil, but with the likes of Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley at Toronto FC's disposal, Friday figures to be a delicately balanced affair. We take a statistical look at the matchup in our By The Numbers preview...

Head-to-head

• Sporting KC holds a distinct upper hand in the series, going 14-4-5 overall and 5-3-3 in Toronto.
• Sporting KC has won three straight meetings at BMO Field and hasn't lost at the venue since 2009.
• Sporting KC's .72 winning percentage against Toronto FC is its second-best against any MLS opponent, and the club is a remarkable 11-1-2 in its last 14 meetings with the Reds.
• Conversely, Toronto's 14 losses to Sporting KC are their most against any MLS foe in club history.
• Toronto is winless in the last seven regular season meetings, going 0-6-1.
• The clubs last met at BMO Field on Aug. 8, 2015, when Sporting KC beat Toronto 3-1 with goals from Benny Feilhaber, Krisztian Nemeth and Jacob Peterson.
• The most recent meeting saw Sporting KC claim a 1-0 home victory in March 2016 behind Brad Davis' 70th-minute winner.
• Sporting KC forward Dom Dwyer has tallied four goals and two assists in his last four appearances against Toronto.
• Sporting KC forward Soony Saad has three career goals against Toronto, his most against any team in the MLS regular season.
• Toronto FC captain and midfielderMichael Bradley is the only player on the current roster to ever score against Sporting KC, doing so in a losing effort on Aug. 8, 2015.

Toronto FC

• 2017 MLS record: 1-0-2, 5 points (5th in East)
• 2017 MLS home record: 0-0-0 (0 GF, 0 GA)
• 2016 MLS home record: 8-3-6 (28 GF, 17 GA)
• Last match:W 2-0 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on March 18
• Toronto FC is tied for 19th in MLS with just eight shots per game, but has avoided defeat in each of their first three road tests to begin the season.
• Toronto FC has conceded just two goals, the second-fewest among clubs with three games played.
• Midfielder Armando Cooper ranks third in MLS with 54 duels won, while defender Drew Moor is tied for second with six blocks.
• Forward Jozy Altidore has 17 goals in his last 23 MLS appearances (including playoffs) dating back to July 31, 2016.
• Forward Sebastian Giovinco was responsible for 70 combined goals (39) and assists (31) from 2015-2016, the most over a two-year period in MLS regular season history.

Sporting Kansas City

• 2017 MLS record: 1-0-2, 5 points (5th in West)
• 2017 MLS road record: 0-0-1 (0 GF, 0 GA)
• Last match:W 2-1 vs. San Jose Earthquakes on March 18
• Sporting KC is 26-8-10 all-time against Canadian clubs in the MLS regular season (Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver). This includes an impressive 10-5-7 record on Canadian soil.
• Sporting KC has allowed just one goal in 2017, the fewest among all MLS clubs with at least three matches played.
• Sporting KC leads MLS with 14.7 shots per game, but their 3.7 shots on target per game rank just 12th.
• Midfielder Benny Feilhaber leads MLS with 10 chances created, six of which from open play and four from set pieces.
• Tim Melia's 0.33 goals against average and 91.7 save percentage are both the best in MLS among goalkeepers with at least three matches played.
• Winger Gerso is third in MLS with nine dribbles completed, while defender Ike Opara is tied for second with 21 aerial duels.
• Among MLS players with three appearances in 2017, midfielder Ilie ranks second with 241 passes.

Milestones and Miscellany

• Defender Graham Zusi is one shy of his 50th regular season assist for Sporting KC, making him just the second player in club history to reach that mark (Preki).
• Defender Matt Besler is one shy of his 204th regular season appearance for Sporting KC, which would tie Preki for fifth in club history.
• Midfielder Jimmy Medranda is one shy of his 50th appearance for Sporting KC in all competitions.

Team stats (2017 regular season)

MLS rank in parenthesis (source: Opta)

Recent #TORvSKC meetings

• Regular season record vs. Toronto FC: 14-4-5
• Regular season home record vs. Toronto FC: 5-3-3 (10 GF, 8 GA)