By the Numbers presented by KDOT

By The Numbers Open Cup: #SKCvDAL | May 10, 2022

By the Numbers - Open Cup

"By The Numbers" is a season-long series that gives a statistical preview of every Sporting match. To visit the series archive, click here.

Sporting Kansas City is set to enter the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32, with a match against fellow MLS side FC Dallas. Just 10 days removed from their most previous encounter, Sporting will host Dallas at Children’s Mercy Park on Tuesday, May 10 with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. CT.

Tuesday marks the fifth meeting in the Open Cup between these two teams with Sporting a perfect 4-0 in the previous matches. Sporting is one of the most historically successful MLS clubs in the Open Cup, claiming four titles. Dallas has two Cup titles, most recently taking home the honor in 2016.

Below, we provide a statistical preview of the Open Cup match between Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas.

Head-to-Head

  • Sporting are a perfect 4-0-0 against FC Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup, collecting four home wins with 16 goals scored and four conceded.
  • In three of the four Open Cup tournaments that Sporting beat Dallas, SKC went on to win the competition (2004, 2015, 2017).
  • Sporting are 2-0-1 in the last three meetings against Dallas, including road victories at Toyota Stadium on Aug. 14 and Sept. 29 last season and a 2-2 draw at Children’s Mercy Park on April 30, just over a week ago.
  • Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has scored four goals in the last three meetings against Dallas, including the late equalizer in the 2-2 draw.
  • Sporting forward Johnny Russell has six goals and one assist in 10 regular season appearances against Dallas, including a penalty kick in the 2-2 draw.

Sporting Kansas City

  • 2022 MLS record: 2-6-3, 9 points (12th in Western Conference)
  • 2022 MLS home record: 2-1-2, 0 points (5 GF, 4 GA)
  • 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: Lost to Real Salt Lake in Western Conference Semifinals
  • All-time Honors: Two MLS Cups (2000, 2013), four Open Cups (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017), one Supporters' Shield (2000).
  • Sporting have won four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles, tied with Chicago Fire FC and Seattle Sounders FC for the most among MLS clubs and one behind Maccabi Los Angeles and Bethlehem Steel for most in the tournament’s 107-year history.
  • Sporting owns a 21-7-3 home record in the U.S. Open Cup and has not lost at home in the competition since falling in the 2014 Round of 16 to the Portland Timbers on June 24, 2014.
  • Sporting are 8-0-1 in U.S. Open Cup home matches since the start of 2015 but have not hosted an Open Cup match since June 2018.
  • Sporting have earned four clean sheets this season, trailing only Chicago (5) and Orlando (5) for the most in MLS.
  • Since July 2020, Sporting are 22-0-1 in the regular season when leading in the 75th minute.
  • Manager Peter Vermes has won three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles, the most among active MLS head coaches, and boasts a 20-7-3 record in the competition dating back to 2010.
  • Goalkeeper Tim Melia owns an 8-1-2 record in the U.S. Open Cup as a member of Sporting. His two draws were both shootout victories one being the 2015 final at Philadelphia.
  • Forward Daniel Salloi is tied for the team lead with two goals this season. He ranks fifth in MLS in shots (29) and fourth in shots inside the box (21).
  • Salloi has five career goals in the U.S. Open Cup, one shy of tying Dom Dwyer for the most in Sporting history.
  • Forward Johnny Russell is tied for the team lead with two goals this season, ranks fifth in MLS in duels won (73), seventh in dribbles completed (23) and eighth in touches inside the opponent’s box (47).

FC Dallas

  • 2022 MLS record: 5-1-4, 15 points (4th in Western Conference)
  • 2022 MLS road record: 0-1-3, 3 points (2 GF, 1 GA)
  • 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: N/A
  • All-time Honors: Two Open Cups (1997, 2016), one Supporters' Shield (2016).
  • Dallas is unbeaten in eight consecutive league matches, the longest unbeaten run of any MLS team this season.
  • Dallas is unbeaten in nine straight matches across all competitions, including their 2-1 win over FC Tulsa in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 on April 19.
  • Dallas rank fourth in MLS with seven points from losing positions and have come back to win in two of their last four victories.
  • Dallas ranks fourth in MLS with 28.4 team presses per match.
  • Forward Jesus Ferreira is tied for the MLS lead with seven goals, including one in the 2-2 draw with Sporting in April. He also leads MLS with 56.4 pressures per game.
  • Ferreira has scored seven of Dallas’ 16 goals this season. The other nine goals have come from seven different players. Paul Arriola and Alan Velasco have two each.
  • Defender Jose Antonio Martinez ranks sixth in MLS with 52 clearances.

Milestones and Miscellany

  • Forward Johnny Russell is one shy of moving into a tie for fourth on Sporting’s all-time chart for goals in all competitions at 46.
  • Forward Daniel Salloi is one shy of tying Dom Dwyer for the most Open Cup goals in Sporting history with six.
  • Midfielder Roger Espinoza is one shy of tying Matt Besler for most Open Cup starts in club history with 19.