"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 back-to-back home matches, Sporting Kansas City will hit road this weekend to visit Real Salt Lake at 8:30 p.m. CT on Saturday at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. The Western Conference clash will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV with local radio coverage on Sports Radio 810 WHB.
Sporting has next to no margin for error entering the final five-game stretch of the regular season, sitting eight points below the playoff line following a late 2-1 home loss to Austin FC. Real Salt Lake also has work to do in the final month of the campaign, four points out of playoff positioning but with games in hand on most of their conference foes.
With Saturday's contest just around the corner, we take a statistical look at the fixture in our newest edition of By The Numbers presented by Compass Minerals.
Head-to-Head
- The most recent matchup between the clubs resulted in a 1-1 draw on June 28 at Children’s Mercy Park. Longtime Sporting captain Johnny Russell scored against his former club to give RSL a 1-0 lead before halftime, but current Kansas City captain Erik Thommy equalized in the 59th minute.
- The teams last met at America First Field on May 4, 2024, as RSL prevailed 1-0 behind an 81st-minute goal from Chicho Arango.
- RSL leads the all-time regular season series with an 18-13-10 record through 41 meetings.
- Sporting is 6-12-3 in 21 regular season away matches at RSL, including a 3-8-2 record in 13 games at America First Field.
- Sporting is 5-13-7 in its last 25 regular season meetings against RSL since 2014.
- Sporting notably defeated RSL in the 2013 MLS Cup at Children’s Mercy Park, prevailing 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Sporting also eliminated RSL in the 2018 Western Conference Semifinals, winning 5-3 on aggregate goals.
- The most recent playoff match in the series saw RSL earn a 2-1 comeback win over Sporting in the Western Conference Semifinals on Nov. 28, 2021, at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Sporting midfielder Erik Thommy has four goal contributions (two goals and two assists) in five regular season appearances against RSL.
- Sporting forward Dejan Joveljic has four goal contributions (one goal and three assists) in seven regular season appearances against RSL.
- Sporting forward Daniel Salloi has two goals in 16 regular season appearances against RSL.
- Sporting midfielder Nemanja Radoja has two assists in three regular season appearances against RSL.
- RSL midfielder Pablo Ruiz has three goal contributions (one goal and two assists) in eight regular season appearances against Sporting.
- RSL defender Brayan Vera has two goal contributions (one goal and one assist) in three regular season appearances against Sporting.
- Sporting defender Andrew Brody played for RSL in 2016 and from 2021-2024, amassing 112 regular season appearances for the club with two goals and 14 assists.
- RSL forward Johnny Russell played seven seasons for Sporting from 2018-2024, amassing 67 goals and 52 assists in 232 appearances for the club. He captained the team in each of his last four seasons from 2021-2024 and is tied for second on Kansas City’s all-time goal scoring chart alongside Dom Dwyer and Daniel Salloi.
- RSL forward William Agada played nearly three years for Sporting from 2022-2025, recording 24 goals and six assists in 77 appearances for the club.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2025 MLS record: 7-16-6, 27 points (13th in West | 44 GF, 59 GA)
- 2025 MLS away record: 3-9-2 (19 GF, 29 GA)
- Last Five MLS Matches: 1-4-0, 3 points (L-L-L-W-L)
- Sporting has gained 14 points from losing positions (three wins and five draws) during the regular season, fifth most in MLS.
- Sporting has scored 21 of 44 league goals after the 60th minute this season, a clip of 48%. Sporting’s 21 goals after the 60th minute are third most in MLS.
- Sporting has played each of its previous nine MLS matches against teams currently above the playoff line, facing Colorado and Seattle twice in addition to NYCFC, Vancouver, San Diego, Orlando and Austin between July 4 and Sept. 7. Sporting last faced a team below the playoff line when RSL visited Children’s Mercy Park on June 28.
- Sporting has received nine goals from substitutes this season, third most in MLS.
- Sporting ranks third in MLS with 176 touches per game in the attacking third.
- Sporting ranks sixth in MLS with 24.8 touches per game in the attacking penalty area.
- Sporting ranks third in MLS with 17.8 progressive dribbles per game. Progressive dribbles are dribbles that advance the ball 10 yards closer to the opponent’s goal line or into the penalty area.
- Sporting ranks sixth in MLS with 5.6 dribbles into the box per game.
- Sporting has an average shooting distance of 16.6 yards, the fourth shortest in MLS.
- With an average weighted age of 26.5, Sporting has the seventh youngest team in MLS this season based on playing time. The team had an average weighted age of 28.6 last season, which was the fourth oldest in MLS.
- Sporting has won seven penalty kicks this season after winning three penalties during the entire 2024 regular season. Sporting’s six penalty kick goals this season are fifth most in MLS.
- Forward Dejan Joveljic has a team-leading 17 goals this season, third most in MLS and third most in a single regular season in club 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 (39 goals).
- Joveljic has hit 15 goals for the second straight regular season after scoring 15 times for the LA Galaxy last year. He is the third player in MLS history to score 15 goals in consecutive regular seasons with different clubs after Raul Diaz Arce (DC in 1996, NE in 1997) and Evander (POR in 2024, CIN in 2025).
- Goalkeeper John Pulskamp ranks second in MLS with a career-high 99 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 29 MLS matches and in all 31 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).
- Forward Mason Toye has a goal contribution in three of his last four matches (two goals and one assist) dating back to Aug. 16.
- Defender Jansen Miller has played the most regular season minutes (2,119) 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 each of the last two matches.
- Midfielder Jacob Bartlett entered the weekend the youngest player to appear in at least 25 MLS matches this season (19 years and 341 days as of Sept. 13). Bartlett has started in 21 of 25 MLS appearances during his first professional season.
- Forward Shapi Suleymanov is tied for second on the team with four assists. He ranks second in MLS in dribbles into the penalty area (50) and fifth in fouls suffered (57).
- Salloi and Suleymanov are the only Sporting field players to appear in all 29 regular season matches this season.
- Midfielder Erik Thommy has three goal contributions (two goals, one assist) in his last three appearances and has eight goal contributions (four goals, four assists) for the season, fourth most on the team behind Dejan Joveljic (19), Manu Garcia (11) and Daniel Salloi (11).
- Midfielder Manu Garcia ranks 14th in MLS with a team-best nine assists and leads Sporting with 41 key passes, 14 more than any other Kansas City player. His 11 total goal contributions (two goals, nine assists) are tied with Daniel Salloi for second most on the team behind Dejan Joveljic (19).
- Garcia ranks sixth in MLS in successful through balls (14), sixth in MLS in progressive passes (203), seventh in successful passes into the penalty area (55) and seventh in successful passes into the final third (180). He has missed five of Sporting’s last six matches with a quad injury.
Real Salt Lake
- 2025 MLS record: 9-14-4, 31 points (11th in West | 28 GF, 36 GA)
- 2025 MLS home record: 6-6-1 (16 GF, 15 GA)
- Last Five MLS Matches: 1-4-0, 3 points (L-W-L-L-L)
- RSL occupies 11th place in the Western Conference, four points below the playoff line but with two games in hand on the three teams immediately above them in the table.
- RSL went 5-1-1 from June 14 to July 26 before losing each of its last three MLS matches since Aug. 10.
- RSL has had two straight weekends off and last played on Aug. 23, suffering a 3-1 home loss to Minnesota United FC.
- RSL ranks last in the Western Conference with 28 goals scored. Only D.C. United (26 goals) has scored fewer this season.
- RSL has scored 18 of its 28 goals this season in the first half. RSL’s 10 goals in the second half are the fewest in MLS.
- During the regular season, RSL has outscored opponents 18-15 in the first half while being outscored 21-10 in the second half.
- RSL has a 6-6-1 home record at America First Field this season, scoring 16 goals and conceding 15.
- RSL has scored three goals from set pieces this season, the fewest in MLS.
- RSL ranks seventh in MLS in shots per game (14.0) but ranks 28th in shooting accuracy (34.0%) and has an average shooting distance of 19.5 yards, the longest in the league.
- RSL is 8-4-3 when scoring first and 1-10-0 when conceding first during the regular season.
- RSL is 6-1-2 when leading at halftime and 0-8-0 when trailing at halftime during the regular season.
- Midfielder and U.S. international Diego Luna leads RSL in both goals (eight) and assists (five) during the regular season. No other RSL player has scored more than three goals this season.
- Midfielder Diogo Goncalves leads RSL in key passes (34) and shots on target (19). He is tied for second on the team in both goals (three) and assists (three).
- Goalkeeper Rafael Cabral is the only RSL player to start and appear in all 27 regular season matches this year.
- Defender Sam Junqua leads RSL field players with 26 MLS appearances this season.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Midfielder Jake Davis is one shy of his 100th career appearance for Sporting in all competitions.
- 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).
- 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 is 62 minutes shy of 20,000 minutes played for Sporting in all competitions. He would become the 11th player in club history to reach that milestone.
