Go in-depth for Sporting Kansas City's 3-0 win vs Columbus on Saturday night at Sporting Park with this match's fast facts.
- With the win, Sporting Kansas City moves into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference (45 points) with six games remaining in the regular season.
- Sporting KC has the most wins in the Eastern Conference and moves into a tie with the Montreal Impact for most goals scored in the East (41). Wins and goals scored are the first two tiebreakers in Major League Soccer this season.
- Sporting KC is 225-215-115 overall all-time and 149-79-50 at home.
- Sporting Kansas City has the second most home wins in MLS history with 149.
- Sporting Kansas City is 13-9-6 during the 2013 MLS regular season and 8-4-3 at home.
- Sporting KC has won their last three home MLS matches.
- Sporting KC levels their all-time record against the Columbus Crew (21-21-6) and moves to 12-9-2 against the Crew at home.
- Sporting KC was awarded a penalty kick in the 6th minute of the match. Wil Trapp took down Benny Feilhaber in the Crew's 18-yard-box.
- Claudio Bieler finished the spot kick to give Sporting KC the 1-0 lead in the 7th minute of the match. Bieler has three penalty kick goals this season and Sporting KC is four-for-four from the penalty spot.
- Bieler leads Sporting Kansas City with 10 goals this season, the most by a Designated Player in a single season in club history and the fifth most in MLS this season.
- Bieler ranks fourth in MLS with four game-winning goals in 2013.
- Bieler becomes only the fourth player in club history to score 10 or more goals in their first season with the club (Preki and Digital Takawira in 1996, Miklos Molnar in 2000).
- Claudio Bieler also added an assist, his fourth of the year, on Soony Saad's goal. Bieler now has two goals and two assists against Columbus this season.
- Sporting KC is 11-2-3 when scoring first in 2013 and Columbus are 0-11-3 when conceding first this season.
- Sporting KC has won five straight when scoring first in 2013.
- Sporting KC is 9-1-1 when leading at the half during the 2013 MLS regular season. Conversely, Columbus are 0-8-2 when trailing at the half this season.
- Sporting KC has won six straight when ahead at halftime in 2013.
- Sporting KC is 9-0-1 when leading at the 75-minute mark in 2013.
- Sporting KC and the Columbus Crew lead all MLS teams in shots with 430 and 395 respectively.
- Sporting Kansas City leads MLS all-time with 7,621 shots.
- Sporting KC outshot Columbus 13-6 on Saturday.
- Sporting Kansas City's 430 shots are most in MLS this season and the team's 243 shots conceded are fewest in MLS in 2013.
- Sporting KC held the Columbus to one shot in the first half on Saturday, the Crew's fewest number of shots in a first half this season.
- Federico Higuain missed Saturday's match with an adductor injury, his third consecutive game without making an appearance.
- Soony Saad scored Sporting KC's second goal on Saturday. The goal is Saad's fourth of the year and fifth of his career.
- C.J. Sapong scored Sporting KC's third goal on Saturday, his second goal of the year and 16th in his MLS career. It was Sapong's first goal since May.
- Sporting KC is 15-0-2 when Sapong scores in MLS competition (including playoffs).
- Sporting Kansas City's ten headed goals in 2013 are the most in MLS this season.
- Oriol Rosell earned the assist on Sapong's goal, his second on the year.
- With three goals on Saturday, Sporting KC lead the League for goals scored at home with 28.
- Sporting KC has scored two or more goals in each of their last five home matches.
- Sporting KC is 5-0-0 in 2013 when scoring three goals in a match and has won 10 straight games when scoring three goals.
- Sporting KC is 8-0-2 in 2013 when allowing zero goals in a match and has won eight straight games when keeping a shutout.
- Prior to Saturday, Columbus had scored in each of their last eight games (including playoffs) in Kansas City.
- Sporting KC has the best goal differential in the Eastern Conference at +14.
- Sporting KC has allowed 27 goals this season, second fewest in the Eastern Conference behind only the New England Revolution (25).
- Jimmy Nielsen is tied for most MLS wins by a goalkeeper with 13 and most shutouts with 10.
- With 10 shutouts in 2013, Nielsen ties his 2010 season and Kevin Hartman's 2008 season for third most in a single-season in KC history.
- Nielsen leads all MLS goalkeepers with a 0.96 goals against average.
- His 1.01 career goals against average is best in MLS history among goalkeepers with a minimum of 4,500 minutes played.
- Sporting KC has allowed one or fewer goals in 21 of the team's 28 games this season.
- With the start, Jimmy Nielsen surpassed Scott Garlick for consecutive complete games played with 84, and now trails only Matt Reis (88) and Kevin Hartman (112).
- Nielsen holds the club record for most wins (53) and shutouts (42) in team history.
- Peter Vermes has the best winning percentage (.551) by a manager in team history.
- Jimmy Medranda entered the match in the 90th minute marking the 19-year-old midfielder's MLS debut.
- Josh Gardner started the match for Sporting KC on Saturday, his first start since May 8. Gardner played 22 matches for the Crew in 2011.
- Following Saturday's match, Aurelien Collin received the MLS good behavior incentive and will have his caution accumulation total reduced to nine for disciplinary purposes.
- Sporting Kansas City had four players miss the match due to international duty. Matt Besler and Graham Zusi started for the U.S. Men's National Team on Friday in FIFA World Cup Qualifying.
- Peterson Joseph and Mechack Jerome also missed the match on Saturday. Both players are with the Haitian National Team after a friendly against South Korea on Friday.
- Chance Myers missed Saturday's match with a groin strain.
- Dom Dwyer scored four goals and notched an assist for Sporting KC's USL PRO affiliate Orlando City SC on Saturday in the USL PRO Championship. Christian Duke started and played 74 minutes as Orlando City won 7-4 over the Charlotte Eagles
- Columbus Crew defender Chad Marshall left the match in the 28th minute with a left thigh contusion.
- Saturday's attendance was 19,211 marking the 31st consecutive sellout at Sporting Park dating back to 2012.
- Oriol Rosell led all players with three chances created and six interceptions on Saturday.
- Rosell leads MLS with 1,234 successful passes and 116 interceptions this season.
- Benny Feilhaber led all players with six tackles on Saturday.
- Ike Opara led all players with 76 touches, 57 passes and nine clearances on Saturday.
- C.J. Sapong led all players with nine aerial duels on Saturday, winning eight of them.
- Aurelien Collin leads MLS with 173 headed clearances in 2013.
- Aurelien Collin ranks second in MLS this season with 236 clearances, 214 duels won and 123 aerials won.
- Sporting Kansas City are second in MLS in chances created (including assists) with 320 behind only the LA Galaxy (323).
- Sporting Kansas City leads MLS in possession in 2013 with 56.64% according to Opta.
- Sporting Kansas City leads MLS with 3,310 duels, 1,663 duels won, 567 tackles, 655 interceptions and 538 headed clearances this season.
- Sporting Kansas City has conceded the fewest corners (104), shots (243) and shots on goal (86) in MLS this season.
- Price Chopper was the title sponsor for Saturday's match.
- Sporting Park hosted its annual Scout Night on Saturday recognizing 2500 scouts prior to the match. The first 1000 scouts to arrive to Saturday's match in uniform received a commemorative badge.
