By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #COLvSKC | Aug. 7, 2021

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

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Western Conference leaders Sporting Kansas City (10-4-3, 33 points) will play for their fourth straight road win on Saturday when they visit the fourth-place Colorado Rapids (8-4-3, 27 points) on Saturday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and fans can catch the action live on Bally Sports Kansas City Plus, Bally Sports Midwest Plus, BallySports.com, the Bally Sports app, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.

Sporting earned another statement victory away from home on Wednesday, hammering LAFC by a 4-1 scoreline to supplant Seattle Sounders FC for first place in the West. The Rapids, meanwhile, are fully rested after posting a road victory of their own last Saturday against Austin FC and sit just six points back of Sporting with two games in hand.

As excitement builds toward Saturday's high-stakes clash, we take a statistical look at the fixture in our newest edition of By the Numbers, presented by the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Head-to-Head

• Sporting and Colorado have squared off 82 times in all competitions, making the Rapids the most frequent opponent in Kansas City history.
• Sporting holds a narrow advantage with 34 wins, 29 losses and 19 ties, including a 28-24-16 record in the regular season. 
• Sporting are 3-0-1 in the last four regular season meetings since the start of 2020.
• The clubs last met on June 23 when Daniel Salloi bagged a brace and Felipe Hernandez opened his MLS scoring account in Sporting's 3-1 win at Children's Mercy Park
• Sporting went 6-0-5 against Colorado from 2009-2015, but the Rapids have gone 7-5-3 in the series since August 2015.
• Sporting has a 5-18-11 regular season road record in the series, winning just three times at Colorado this millennium (2000, 2004, 2014).
• Sporting are 0-4-3 in their last seven visits to Dick's Sporting Goods Park since 2015.

Sporting Kansas City

• MLS record: 10-4-3, 33 points
• MLS standings: 1st in West
• MLS away record: 5-3-0 (16 GF, 10 GA)
• Last five matches: 3-1-1, 10 points (W-T-W-L-W)
• Last match: Won 4-1 at LAFC on Aug. 4
• Sporting have won three straight road matches by multiple goals for the first time in club history. Their three-game road winning streak is tied for the second longest in team history since the dawn of the non-shootout era in 2000.
• Since the start of 2020, Sporting's .647 regular season road winning percentage (10-5-2 record) and plus-11 road goal differential are the best in MLS.
• Sporting are tied for the MLS lead with five away wins this season (5-3-0 record).
• Sporting leads MLS in goals (33) and goals per match (1.94). They have been shut out just once this season.
• Sporting are 8-2-2 in their last 12 matches since May 16.
• Sporting are on pace for 66 points in the regular season, which would eclipse the club record of 63 set in 2012.
• Sporting rank second in MLS in shots per match (16.0) and chances created per match (11.7).
• Sporting lead MLS with 17 points and five wins from losing positions this season. No other club has more than nine points and two wins from losing positions.
• Sporting rank second in MLS in passing accuracy at 85.3% and third in possession at 54.7%.
• Sporting KC Academy products have scored or assisted in Sporting's last 12 matches.
• Sporting KC Academy products have accounted for 16 of 33 goals and 11 of 29 assists this season.
• Forward Daniel Salloi leads MLS with 15 combined goals (10) and primary assists (five). He also leads the league with five game-winning goals.
• Defender Graham Zusi has four assists in his last three matches. He has recorded assists in three straight regular season games for the first time since August 2012.
• Forward Johnny Russell has scored in three of his last four appearances.
• Midfielder Roger Espinoza has a 10-2-2 record as a starter this season and an 18-5-5 record as a starter since the beginning of 2020.
• Defender Andreu Fontas leads MLS by a wide margin in passes (1,334) and passes completed (1,198) while also ranking second in touches (1,524).
• Defender Luis Martins is the only Sporting player to start all 17 matches this season. He opened his MLS scoring account in Wednesday's 4-1 win over LAFC.

Colorado Rapids

• MLS record: 8-4-3, 27 points
• MLS standings: 4th in West
• MLS home record: 5-1-2 (16 GF, 8 GA)
• Last five matches: 3-1-1, 10 points (W-T-W-L-W)
• Last match: Won 1-0 at Austin FC on July 31
• Colorado are 5-0-2 in their last seven home matches with 15 goals scored and five conceded.
• Colorado owns a 21-12-7 regular season record since head coach Robin Fraser was appointed in August 2019.
• Colorado's 8-4-3 record is its best through 15 matches of a regular season since 2016 (9-2-4).
• Midfielders Jack Price and Michael Barrios are tied for second in MLS with three game-winning assists each.
• Goalkeeper William Yarbrough ranks second in MLS in shutouts (seven) and goalkeeping wins (eight).
• Barrios, Yarbrough and defenders Keegan Rosenberry and Auston Trusty have started all 15 matches for Colorado this season.
• Barrios leads Colorado with four goals and ranks second on the team with four assists.
• Forwards Diego Rubio, Cole Bassett and Andre Shinyashiki have scored three goals each.

Milestones and Miscellany

• On Wednesday, Manager Peter Vermes earned his 200th coaching win for Sporting in all competitions.
• Sporting are one shy of their fourth straight regular season road win, which would pull closer to the club record of five straight set in 2014.
• Forward Johnny Russell is one shy of tying Graham Zusi for ninth place on Sporting's all-time regular season goals chart with 29.