"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.
Sporting Kansas City will travel west to face the reigning MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy at 9:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The Western Conference clash will be available to watch with an MLS Season Pass or Apple TV+ subscription with local radio coverage on Sports Radio 810 WHB and 103.7 FM.
Saturday's match marks a homecoming of sorts for striker Dejan Joveljic, who has bagged 17 goals in a Sporting uniform this season after scoring 21 times for the Galaxy during their title-winning campaign last year. With both teams eliminated from playoff contention and playing for pride, we take a statistical look at the fixture in our newest edition of By The Numbers presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- Sporting won the most recent meeting by a 1-0 scoreline on May 4 at Children’s Mercy Park, becoming the first team in MLS history to win a match despite not taking a shot. Kansas City scored on an early Maya Yoshida own goal, condemning LA to a historic defeat after the Galaxy held an 11-0 advantage in shot attempts.
- Sporting’s 1-0 victory on May 4 snapped a five-game winless run (two losses and three draws) in the regular season series dating back to September 2022.
- Sporting has scored multiple goals in eight of its last 10 regular season meetings against LA since September 2019, going 4-3-3 during that stretch. LA has scored multiple goals six times during this 10-game span.
- Sporting is 8-4-7 against LA in the last 19 regular season meetings since October 2015.
- Sporting went 3-0-3 in six regular season meetings against the Galaxy from 2021-2023 before losing both meetings in 2024.
- Sporting is 3-2-3 in its last eight regular season visits to Dignity Health Sports Park since 2016, including wins in 2017, 2018 and 2021.
- Sporting is 8-2-7 in its last 17 regular season home matches against LA since 2008. Kansas City’s only losses during that time came in May 2019 and March 2024.
- In 73 regular season meetings between the clubs, LA has a narrow advantage with a 28-27-18 record.
- The 73 regular season meetings dating back to 1996 have produced just four scoreless draws.
- Sporting goalkeeper John Pulskamp has a 3-0-2 regular season record against LA—the club where he developed as an academy player—with three shutouts and a 0.8 goals against average. His three regular season wins against LA are his most over any MLS opponent.
- Sporting forward Dejan Joveljic spent his first four seasons with LA from 2021-2024, where he amassed 45 goals and 18 assists in all competitions and won the 2024 MLS Cup.
- Sporting KC interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin and LA Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney represented their current clubs as players when they squared off in the conference finals of the 2000 MLS Cup Playoffs. Zavagnin and Kansas City beat Vanney and LA with both players playing in every minute of the dramatic three-game series.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2025 MLS record: 7-18-6, 27 points (14th in West | 45 GF, 63 GA)
- 2025 MLS away record: 3-10-2 (20 GF, 31 GA)
- Last Five MLS Matches: 1-4-0, 3 points (L-W-L-L-L)
- Sporting was eliminated from playoff contention following a 2-0 home loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC last weekend. This marks the first time since 2009 and 2010 that Sporting has missed the MLS Cup Playoffs in consecutive seasons.
- Sporting has gained 14 points from losing positions (three wins and five draws) during the regular season, tied for fifth most in MLS.
- Forward Dejan Joveljic has a team-leading 17 goals this season, tied for fourth most in MLS and third most in a single regular season in club history behind only Preki in 1996 (18 goals) and Dom Dwyer in 2014 (22 goals).
- Joveljic’s 17 goals this season are the most by a Kansas City newcomer since Preki scored 18 in the club’s inaugural 1996 campaign.
- Joveljic has scored 38 MLS goals (including playoffs) since the start of 2024, second most in the league behind Lionel Messi.
- Sporting has three headed goals this season, all of which have been scored by Joveljic.
- Joveljic recorded a goal contribution in eight consecutive MLS appearances from May 14 to July 12, the third longest streak of any MLS player this season and tied for the second longest streak in club history.
- Joveljic is the second player in MLS history with back-to-back 16-goal seasons in MLS play (regular season and playoffs combined) with different clubs, joining Raul Diaz Arce (17 with DC in 1997, 18 with NE in 1998). His next goal will see him become the first player in MLS history with back-to-back 18-goal seasons in MLS play with different clubs.
- Goalkeeper John Pulskamp ranks third in MLS with a career-high 106 saves.
- Pulskamp has two assists during the 2025 regular season. He is the first goalkeeper in club history with multiple assists in a single MLS campaign and joins Tony Meola as the only goalkeepers with multiple regular season assists for Kansas City all-time.
- Pulskamp is the only Sporting player to start in all 31 MLS matches and in all 33 matches this season across all competitions.
- With seven goals and four assists this season, forward Daniel Salloi has eclipsed double-digit goal contributions for the fourth time in the last five MLS seasons since 2021.
- Salloi has 11 goal contributions this season, tied with Manu Garcia for second on the team behind Dejan Joveljic (19). Salloi also ranks second on the team in both goals (seven) and assists (four).
- Defender Jansen Miller has played the most regular season minutes (2,215) of any 2025 MLS SuperDraft selection this season. He started 23 straight games from March 22 to Aug. 24 before coming off the bench in three of the last four matches.
- Midfielder Jacob Bartlett is the youngest player to appear in at least 27 MLS matches this season (19 years and 355 days as of Sept. 27). Bartlett has started in 22 of 27 MLS appearances during his first professional season.
- Forward Shapi Suleymanov is tied for second on the team with four assists and is the only Sporting field player to appear in all 31 regular season matches this season. He ranks third in MLS in dribbles into the penalty area (56) and fifth in fouls suffered (60).
- Midfielder Erik Thommy has eight goal contributions (four goals, four assists) this season, fourth most on the team behind Dejan Joveljic (19), Manu Garcia (11) and Daniel Salloi (11).
LA Galaxy
- 2025 MLS record: 4-17-9, 21 points (15th in West | 37 GF, 61 GA)
- 2025 MLS home record: 4-8-2 (19 GF, 25 GA)
- Last Five MLS Matches: 1-2-2, 5 points (L-W-T-T-L)
- LA occupies last place in the Supporters’ Shield standings after winning MLS Cup a year ago. The Galaxy have 21 points through 30 matches at a clip of 0.7 points per game, the lowest in a regular season in club history.
- LA began the regular season with an MLS record 16-game winless streak. After starting 0-12-4, the Galaxy have gone 4-5-5 in their last 14 league games.
- LA has four wins this season, the fewest in MLS and two fewer than the club’s record low from 2020.
- LA has eight home defeats this season, tied for the most in the Western Conference and one fewer than the club’s record low from 2017.
- LA ranks last in MLS in goals conceded per game (2.03) and second-to-last in expected goals conceded per game (2.0).
- LA has conceded 18 goals after the 75th minute this season, second most in MLS.
- LA scored eight goals in the first 12 matches of the season, an average of 0.67 per game. The team has scored 29 goals in 18 matches since then, an average of 1.61 per game.
- LA has scored 18 goals in its last 10 MLS matches, an average of 1.8 per game. That stretch includes six games with two or more goals.
- LA has one win and nine losses in one-goal games this season.
- LA is the only MLS team without a road win this season, going 0-9-7 in 16 away matches.
- LA is 4-3-1 when scoring first and 0-14-8 when conceding first this season.
- LA is 4-2-0 when leading at halftime and 0-10-5 when trailing at halftime this season.
- Forward Joseph Paintsil leads LA with six goals this season while ranking second on the team in total goal contributions (10) and third in assists (four).
- Midfielder Marco Reus leads LA in total goal contributions (14) and assists (nine) this season.
- Forward Gabriel Pec is second on the team in both goals (five) and assists (six). He has 11 total goal contributions after totaling 30 goal contributions during the 2024 regular season, recording 16 goals and 14 assists.
- Midfielder Diego Fagundeez leads the team in regular season appearances (28) and key passes (46) this season.
- Midfielder Edwin Cerrillo is tied for the team lead in regular season appearances (28) while also leading the team in starts (28), minutes played (2,322) and yellow cards (10).
Milestones and Miscellany
- Forward Dejan Joveljic has scored 17 goals this year, third most in a single regular season in club history behind only Preki in 1996 (18 goals) and Dom Dwyer in 2014 (22 goals).
- Defender Khiry Shelton is 20 minutes shy of 10,000 career regular season minutes played for Sporting.
- Midfielder Memo Rodriguez is one shy of his 50th career appearance for Sporting in all competitions.
- Defender Andrew Brody is one shy of his 100th career start in the MLS regular season.
- Defender Tim Leibold is 65 minutes shy of 5,000 minutes played for Sporting in all competitions.
- Midfielder Manu Garcia is one shy of 50 assists in his professional club career.
- Forward Daniel Salloi has scored 67 career goals for Sporting in all competitions, tied with Dom Dwyer and Johnny Russell for second most in club history.
- Salloi ranks sixth in club history with 239 regular season appearances, one shy of tying Davy Arnaud in fifth on the all-time chart.
