"By The Numbers" presented by Compass Minerals is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.
After advancing on penalty kicks in the Western Conference Wild Card match on Wednesday, Sporting Kansas City will continue their run in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs against No. 1 seed St. Louis in a Round One Best-of-3 series that begins in St. Louis with Game 1 at 9:25 p.m. CT Sunday.
The momentous showdown at CityPark will be shown for free on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV in English and Spanish in addition to airing nationally on FS1 and FOX Deportes. Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM will also provide local radio broadcasts, with both stations streaming live through the Sporting KC app.
After meeting three times during the 2023 regular season, Sporting and St. Louis are poised to carry their simmering rivalry onto the grand stage of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. And although St. Louis boasts top seeding in the West, arguably no team in the conference has been better than Sporting during the second half of the campaign.
With palpable excitement building toward Game 1, we take a statistical look at the fixture in our newest edition of By The Numbers, presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting and St. Louis will meet in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time. Sporting has played 55 matches across 20 playoff appearances since 1996, while expansion side St. Louis is making its playoff debut.
- This marks the second time that teams from Kansas City and St. Louis have met in the playoffs across the five major men’s professional sports leagues (MLS, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) in the United States, following the 1985 World Series.
- The home side won each of the three regular season meetings between the clubs in 2023.
- St. Louis won both meetings at CityPark by a combined score of 8-1, prevailing 4-0 on May 20 and 4-1 on Sept. 30.
- Sporting prevailed 2-1 in the lone meeting at Children’s Mercy Park as Alan Pulido scored two first-half goals to erase an early deficit after Sam Adeniran had given St. Louis the lead. Midfielder Erik Thommy tabbed secondary assists on both of Pulido’s goals.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has tallied assists in each of the last two meetings between the clubs, teeing up Pulido on Sept. 2 and Willy Agada on Sept. 30.
- Sporting defender Jake Davis tabbed the first primary assist of his MLS career in Sporting’s 2-1 victory on Sept. 2, setting up Pulido’s match-winner in the 44th minute.
- St. Louis midfielder Jared Stroud had one goal and three assists in St. Louis’ two home wins over Sporting, accounting for four of his 10 goal contributions during the regular season.
- St. Louis midfielder Eduard Lowen had one goal and three assists in St. Louis’ two home wins over Sporting, scoring a goal on May 20 and tallying three assists on Sept. 30.
- St. Louis midfielder Indiana Vassilev had two goals and an assist in three matches against Sporting, accounting for three of his seven goal contributions during the regular season.
- St. Louis forward Sam Adeniran has scored in each of the last two meetings between the clubs.
- St. Louis forward Joao Klauss scored St. Louis’ final two goals in their 4-1 win over Sporting on Sept. 30.
- St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Burki made 16 total saves in three matches against Sporting, including six in each of his team’s home wins—the most saves he has made in a home appearance this season.
- St. Louis was 14-1-3 when scoring first during the regular season. Their only loss when scoring first was Sporting’s 2-1 comeback win on Sept. 2 at Children’s Mercy Park.
Sporting KC Historical & Playoff Stats
- Sporting’s seven major championships (two MLS Cups, four Open Cups and one Supporters Shield) are fourth most in MLS history behind LA Galaxy (12), D.C. United (12) and Seattle Sounders FC (8).
- Sporting are looking to become the third club in MLS history to win three MLS Cups alongside LA Galaxy (five) and D.C. United (four). Sporting are one of five clubs in the 2023 playoff field with two MLS Cup titles (Columbus, Houston, Seattle, San Jose).
- Sporting’s four major championships since 2012 are second most among American MLS clubs behind Seattle (5).
- Sporting are the only club to reach the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, MLS conference semifinals or Concacaf Champions League semifinals in each of the previous six seasons since 2017.
- In their best-of-three series against St. Louis, Sporting will be looking to reach the Western Conference semifinals for the fourth time in the last six seasons (2018, 2020, 2021).
- Sporting are tied for second in MLS history alongside FC Dallas and LA Galaxy with 20 playoff appearances, trailing only the New York Red Bulls (24).
- Sporting are making their 11th playoff appearance since 2011, third most in MLS during that time behind only the New York Red Bulls (13) and Seattle Sounders FC (12).
- Sporting have a 2-17-7 away record in the MLS Cup Playoffs, with wins coming in 1996 at Dallas (via shootout) and 2011 at Colorado. The club has just one regulation win in 26 road playoff games.
- Sporting are winless in their last nine road playoff matches since 2012 with a 0-5-4 record. Each of the last four losses during that stretch have come by a single goal.
- Sporting are 10-1-3 in 14 playoff matches played in the state of Missouri.
- Sporting are 16-6-5 at home in the MLS Cup Playoffs, including a 6-4-3 record at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Sporting have won all five penalty shootouts at Children’s Mercy Park, including three in the MLS Cup Playoffs (2013 MLS Cup, 2020 First Round, 2023 Wild Card).
- Each of Sporting’s last six playoff matches have taken place at home dating back to Nov. 29, 2018. Sporting are 1-3-2 during that stretch, suffering season-ending playoff losses at home in 2018, 2020 and 2021.
- Since winning MLS Cup in 2013, Sporting are 2-6-5 in the MLS Cup Playoffs. The five draws include a shootout loss at Portland in 2015 and shootout wins at home against San Jose in 2020 and 2023.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2023 MLS regular season record: 12-14-8, 44 points (8th in West | 48 GF, 51 GA)
- 2023 MLS regular season away record: 3-8-6 (18 GF, 30 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 3-1-1 (W-L-W-W-T)
- With a 4-2 penalty shootout win following a 0-0 draw against San Jose in the Wild Card round on Wednesday, Sporting are unbeaten in 14 straight October home games (11-0-3) since 2015.
- Sporting have won seven of 10 penalty kick shootouts since Manager Peter Vermes began his head coaching tenure in 2009, including shootout victories in the 2013 MLS Cup and the 2012 and 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Finals.
- Sporting have prevailed in all five of the club’s penalty shootouts at Children’s Mercy Park, including each of the last three against San Jose.
- 2012 U.S. Open Cup Final vs. Seattle (Jimmy Nielsen in goal)
- 2013 MLS Cup vs. Real Salt Lake (Jimmy Nielsen in goal)
- 2017 U.S. Open Cup Semifinal vs. San Jose (Tim Melia in goal)
- 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs First Round vs. San Jose (Tim Melia in goal)
- 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card vs. San Jose (Tim Melia in goal)
- Wednesday against San Jose marked the first time ever that Sporting has held an opponent to zero shots on target in an MLS playoff match.
- Sporting’s starting XI on Wednesday has been used six times this season in all competitions, more than any other lineup in 2023, and boasts an unbeaten 4-0-1 record against Western Conference foes with 10 goals scored and only one goal conceded in those five games.
- In their best-of-three series against St. Louis, Sporting will be looking to reach the Western Conference semifinals for the fourth time in the last six seasons (2018, 2020, 2021).
- Sporting are the first club in MLS history to make the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs after opening the regular season winless in their first 10 games (0-7-3 record).
- Sporting are the first team in MLS history to reach the postseason despite collecting fewer than five points from their first 10 matches of a season (three points).
- From the start of May to the end of the 2023 regular season, Sporting led the Western Conference in points (41), wins (12) and goals per game (1.88) while ranking second in goal differential (+10). Sporting’s seven losses during that time were also tied for the fewest in the conference.
- Sporting won six regular season matches after the Leagues Cup break (6-3-0 record), tied for second most in MLS.
- Sporting won six of the club’s final nine regular season matches for just the third time in club history, equaling a feat first accomplished in 2013 and 2020 (when the team won six of its last eight).
- Sporting won two of their last four away matches to end the 2023 regular season. The team had won just three of its previous 32 regular season away games from October 2021 to July 2023.
- In all competitions, Sporting are 9-0-2 in matches immediately following losses since April 22.
- Sporting scored 30 first-half goals during the 2023 regular season, the most in the Western Conference and tied for second most in MLS.
- Sporting scored 62.5% of their regular season goals in the first half, the highest clip in the league (30 of 48).
- During the regular season, Sporting ranked third in MLS in overall passing accuracy (85.1%), passing accuracy in the attacking half (80.1%) and passing accuracy in the final third (76.2%).
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia has won all seven penalty shootouts in his professional career, including a perfect 5-0 record with Sporting.
- Melia won eight of his last 11 regular season starts from May 13 through Decision Day, finishing with an 8-7-1 record after opening the year 0-4-1.
- Since the start of his Sporting tenure in 2015, Melia’s 15 penalty kick saves in the regular season are most in MLS. He also has a 58.3% goals conceded percentage on penalty kicks (21 of 36) in the regular season, lowest in MLS regular season history among keepers with at least 20 penalties faced.
- Forward Alan Pulido (15 goals, three assists), forward Daniel Salloi (eight goals, 10 assists) and midfielder Erik Thommy (five goals, 13 assists) are tied for the team lead in 2023 with 18 goal contributions apiece across all competitions.
- Sporting had three players with at least 16 goal contributions in the regular season for the first time since its inaugural 1996 campaign: Alan Pulido (14 goals, three assists), Daniel Salloi (seven goals, nine assists) and Erik Thommy (five goals, 11 assists).
- Pulido’s 14 goals in 2023 were the sixth most in a regular season in club history. He has a team-best 15 goals in all competitions after missing all of 2022 through injury.
- Pulido ranks second in MLS with 13 goals since the start of June. From June 3 to Sept. 9, he became the second player in Sporting history to score 12 goals in a span of 12 consecutive regular season matches (Johnny Russell in 2021).
- Salloi, who buried the match-winning penalty kick in Wednesday’s shootout triumph over San Jose, is one of four players in MLS with seven or more regular season goals in each of the last three seasons along with Hany Mukhtar, Luciano Acosta and Jesus Ferreira.
- Salloi is the third player in Sporting history (Preki, Johnny Russell) to have seven goals and seven assists in three or more regular seasons for the club (2018, 2021, 2023).
- Thommy leads Sporting with 13 assists in all competitions this season. He became the fifth player in club history to hit 11 assists in a single regular season alongside Preki (six times), Matt McKeon (11 in 2000), Graham Zusi (15 in 2012) and Benny Feilhaber (15 in 2015, 13 in 2016).
- Sporting are a perfect 8-0-0 when Thommy scores in the regular season dating back to 2022. The club is also 10-1-3 in games he has scored or assisted a goal this season in all competitions.
- Forward Johnny Russell has scored four goals in his last four MLS appearances (including playoffs).
- Russell scored twice in Sporting’s 3-1 home win over Minnesota on Saturday, bagging his first MLS brace since Oct. 27, 2021. His 11 career regular season goals in October are most for the month in Sporting history.
- Russell is one of three MLS players (Lucho Acosta, Gyasi Zardes) to bag six goals every regular season since 2018.
- Russell is one of three players (Raul Ruidiaz, Gyasi Zardes) to score at least eight goals in five of the last six regular seasons since 2018.
- Forward Willy Agada has scored in two of his last three MLS appearances. He has nine goals in nine career MLS starts at Children’s Mercy Park since joining the club in summer 2022.
- Defender Jake Davis has started each of Sporting’s last 24 matches across all competitions, the longest active streak on the team.
- Since breaking into the starting lineup on April 29, Davis leads MLS defenders with 40 tackles won (including playoffs).
- Davis this year became the fourth player in club history to play 2,000 minutes in a regular season before the age of 22, logging 2,038 minutes as a 21-year-old.
- Defender Dany Rosero has accounted for three of Sporting’s six headed goals this season in all competitions, each coming off a set piece.
- Among MLS defenders who started at least half of their club’s regular season matches in 2023, Rosero ranked second with a 90.3% passing accuracy.
- Since the start of 2021, defender Andreu Fontas has more completed passes in the regular season (5,869) than any other MLS player has attempted passes (Ilie 5,319).
- Sporting are 9-1-1 in MLS when the center back pairing of Fontas and Rosero start together at home this season.
- Sporting are 8-1-0 in MLS when the backline of Davis, Rosero, Fontas and Logan Ndenbe start together at home this season.
St. Louis
- 2023 MLS record: 17-12-5, 56 points (1st in West | 62 GF, 45 GA)
- 2023 MLS home record: 11-4-2 (41 GF, 17 GA)
- Last five MLS matches: 2-2-1 (T-W-W-L-L)
- St. Louis is the first MLS expansion team to finish atop the conference regular season standings in league history.
- St. Louis finished third in MLS with 17 regular season wins, three more than any other Western Conference team and the most ever by an expansion team in the non-shootout era.
- St. Louis led the Western Conference with 62 regular season goals, an average of 1.82 goals per match.
- St. Louis ranked third in MLS during the regular season with a plus-17 goal differential (62 goals scored, 45 goals conceded). The club’s plus-24 goal differential at home (41 GF, 17 GA) is also third best in the league.
- St. Louis led the Western Conference in shot conversion rate (13.5%) during the regular season while ranking fifth in MLS in shots on target per game (5.1).
- St. Louis is 14-1-3 when scoring first this season. Their only loss when scoring first was Sporting’s 2-1 comeback win on Sept. 2 at Children’s Mercy Park.
- St. Louis is 10-0-1 when leading at halftime this season and 0-3-1 when trailing at halftime. Their four halftime deficits are the fewest in MLS this season.
- St. Louis has conceded 28 of its 45 goals after the 60th minute (62.2%). The team has a +18 goal differential in the first 60 minutes of matches this season and a -1 goal differential after the 60th minute.
- According to Opta, St. Louis is outperforming its expected goal differential by 25.48 goals, the largest such margin in MLS and at least 10 goals more than any other team.
- According to Opta, St. Louis has outperformed its expected goal total by 19.12, the most in MLS (62 goals, 42.88 expected goals).
- St. Louis has scored 52 goals in its 17 wins this season, an average of 3.1 per game. The team has scored just 10 goals in the 17 games it has failed to win (12 losses, five draws), a clip of 0.59 per game.
- St. Louis finished the regular season with 11 home wins, tied with Houston for the most in the Western Conference (11-4-2 home record).
- St. Louis finished the regular season with five draws, tied for the fewest in MLS.
- St. Louis finished the regular season ranking second in both goals (six) and shots (26) from fast breaks as well as total fast breaks (31).
- During the regular season, St. Louis ranked last in MLS in average possession (44.0%) and passes per game (352) while ranking second-to-last in successful passes per game (259) and passing accuracy (74.3%).
- St. Louis ranks second in MLS with 14.2 fouls committed per match. The team’s discrepancy between fouls committed (481) and fouls suffered (356) is the largest in MLS (125) by a margin of 28 fouls.
- Forward Joao Klauss is tied for the team lead with 10 goals despite missing almost half of the regular season due to injury. Klauss has 14 goal contributions (10 goals, four assists) in 19 MLS appearances (14 starts).
- Forward and Kansas City native Niko Gioacchini is tied for the team lead with 10 MLS goals. He also leads the team in fouls suffered (62) and ranks third on the team in key passes (30).
- Midfielder Eduard Lowen leads St. Louis in both assists (14) and total goal contributions (20) this season. His 14 assists during the regular season were tied for fourth most in MLS.
- Goalkeeper Roman Burki ranks second in MLS in both wins (17) and saves (123).
- Defender Tim Parker has a career-high four goals in 29 MLS matches this season after scoring just two goals in his first 217 regular season appearances from 2015-2022. He ranks fourth in MLS with 148 clearances.
- Midfielder Njabulo Blom ranks eighth in MLS with 49 interceptions.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Manager Peter Vermes is tied with Bob Bradley for third in MLS history with 11 playoff appearances as a head coach. His 18 combined MLS playoff appearances as a player and coach are most in league history.
- Goalkeeper Tim Melia boasts a perfect 7-0 record in penalty shootouts during his professional career, including a 5-0 mark at Sporting.
- Forward Daniel ranks seventh in club history with 91 goal contributions (56 goals, 35 assists) in all competitions, one shy of Dany Arnaud in sixth and two shy of Benny Feilhaber in fifth.
- Midfielder Roger Espinoza is tied with Matt Besler for sixth in club history with 18 games played in the MLS Cup Playoffs, one shy of tying Matt McKeon for fifth.
- Defender Graham Zusi is tied for third in club history with 20 playoff appearances, one shy of passing Preki for sole possession of third place behind Kerry Zavagnin and Nick Garcia (23 games each).
- Midfielder Gadi Kinda is 16 minutes shy of 5,000 career minutes played for Sporting in all competitions.
