Just 11 days after meeting in the U.S. Open Cup, Sporting KC and the Houston Dynamo resume their rivalry in MLS competition Saturday at Sporting Park. The Western Conference tilt will air live on KMCI-TV 38 The Spot locally and across the Midwest on SKCTV with three hours of coverage starting at 7 p.m. CT.
Sporting KC has yet to lose at home this season with a 7-0-3 MLS record, but the Dynamo themselves are unbeaten in four straight regular season trips to Sporting Park dating back to 2012. Peter Vermes' men have lost just one of the last 10 encounters in all competitions, the lone setback coming last August in Kansas City. We take a closer look at the matchup in our By The Numbers preview...
Head-to-head
- The teams played to a thrilling 4-4 regular season draw on April 25 at BBVA Compass Stadium before Sporting KC triumphed 3-1 in the U.S. Open Cup on July 21 at Sporting Park.
- SKC forward Dom Dwyer has scored in each of his last five games against Houston in all competitions dating back to November 2013.
- Houston forward Will Bruin has scored in each of his last three games against SKC in all competitions dating back to August 2014.
- SKC midfielder Benny Feilhaber and Houston forward Giles Barnes both scored a brace in the 4-4 draw this April.
- Krisztian Nemeth has scored a goal in both games against Houston this season.
- In two #SKCvHOU matchups this season (including Open Cup), Sporting KC has scored six of their seven goals after the 70th minute.
- SKC has lost one of their last 10 games against Houston in all competitions (5-1-4 record).
- Houston is unbeaten in four straight regular season matches at Sporting Park (1-0-3 record).
- SKC has faced Houston 18 times in all competitions since the start of 2011, more than any other opponent (7-4-7 record).
Sporting KC
- SKC is the only remaining MLS club unbeaten at home this season (7-0-3 in MLS, 10-0-3 in all competitions).
- SKC's plus-9 goal differential is best in MLS (29 GF, 20 GA).
- SKC is tied for the MLS lead with nine shutouts, including six at Sporting Park. Their six home goals conceded are fewest in the league.
- SKC is fourth in MLS with 1.53 goals per game and second with 34 assists.
- In MLS competition, SKC is 7-0-2 when scoring first and 5-0-0 when leading at halftime.
- Benny Feilhaber is second in MLS with 10 assists and leads the league with nine big chances created.
- Matt Besler is second in MLS with 137 clearances.
- Soni Mustivar leads MLS with 6.2 interceptions per 90 minutes played.
Houston Dynamo
- Houston is 6-0-2 when scoring first and 5-0-1 when leading at halftime. Conversely, the team is 1-8-3 when conceding first and 1-5-1 when trailing at the break.
- Houston is tied for second in MLS with seven assists from set plays. Brad Davis is the individual leader in the category with four.
- Houston has clean sheets in two of their last three games after going 12 straight without a shutout (April 18 - July 3).
- Houston has been shut out in four of their last six MLS road games.
- Will Bruin is tied for fourth in MLS with nine goals, all of which coming in his last 14 games after starting the season goalless in six appearances.
- Jermaine Taylor is third in MLS with 76 interceptions while Luis Garrido ranks third in fouls with 43.
Milestones and miscellany
- Sporting KC is currently on a 13-game home unbeaten streak in all competitions, one shy of tying the club record that spanned from 2004-2005. In addition, their 10-game home unbeaten run in MLS is one shy of breaking the record first set in 2008.
- Sporting KC has won six straight MLS home matches, one shy of tying the club record set in 1998 and 2000.
- Peter Vermes is one win shy of moving into a tie as the winningest coach in Sporting KC history. His 85 regular season wins and 107 wins in all competitions are both one behind Bob Gansler.
- Chance Myers is one shy of his 100th career regular season start and his 150th appearance for Sporting KC in all competitions.
- Roger Espinoza is one shy of his 150th appearance for Sporting KC in all competitions.
Team stats (2015 regular season)
MLS rank in parenthesis (stats as of July 30, 2015)
<strong>Category (per game)</strong> |
<strong>Sporting KC<br><span style="font-size: 10px;">9-4-6, 33 pts (t-3rd in West)<br>
(7-0-3 at home)</span></strong> |
<b>Houston Dynamo</b><br><strong><span style="font-size: 10px;">7-8-6<strong>, 27 pts (</strong></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 10px;">8</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 10px;"><strong>th in West)</strong></span></strong><br><span style="font-size: 10px;"><strong>(2-5-3 away)</strong></span> |
Goals scored |
1.53 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(4th)</span> |
1.29 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(9</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Goals conceded |
1.05 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(5</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
1.24 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(10th)</span> |
Shots |
12.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">8</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">t</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">h)</span> |
11.8 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(12</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Shooting accuracy |
31.9% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
29.6% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(19th)</span> |
Assists |
1.79 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2nd)</span> |
1.10 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(11th)</span> |
Chances created |
10.2 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(7th)</span> |
8.3 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(15</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Crosses/corners |
16.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(17</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">t</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">h</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
19.6 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(9th)</span> |
Fouls committed |
12.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
13.0 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(11</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Fouls suffered |
11.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(17th)</span> |
12.2 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16th)</span> |
Successful passes |
278 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">8</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
268 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(19</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Passing accuracy |
74.4% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">8</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
75.0% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(17th)</span> |
Possession |
48.9% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(13</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
47.4% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Tackles won |
18.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1st</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
14 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(17th)</span> |
Duels won |
58.0 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2nd)</span> |
47.1 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">8</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Interceptions |
26.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1st)</span> |
19.0 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(10th)</span> |
Shots faced |
9.7 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1st)</span> |
11.3 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(5th)</span> |
Saves |
2.6 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(12</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
2.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(14</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Recent #SKCvHOU Meetings
- All competitions record vs. Houston: 9-10-10 (5-7-9 in MLS)
- Regular season home record vs. Houston: 2-4-4 (12 GF, 13 GA)
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Score</strong> |
<strong>Location</strong> |
<strong>Competition</strong> |
11/9/13 |
T 1-1 |
BBVA Compass Stadium |
MLS Playoffs |
11/23/13 |
W 2-1 |
Sporting Park |
MLS Playoffs |
6/6/14 |
W 2-0 |
BBVA Compass Stadium |
Regular season |
8/29/14 |
L 1-3 |
Sporting Park |
Regular season |
4/25/15 |
T 4-4 |
BBVA Compass Stadium |
Regular season |
7/21/15 |
W 3-1 |
Sporting Park |
Open Cup |
