"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 returns to MLS action with a northwest road trip for a match with the Seattle Sounders on Saturday at Lumen Field. Kickoff for the perennial Western Conference powerhouses matchup is set for 2 p.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
After picking up a major 2-1 victory over Nashville SC last Sunday, Sporting is looking to keep that momentum going in regular season play. Wednesday night, they advanced to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals after thumping Union Omaha 6-0 at Children’s Mercy Park.
Saturday marks the first of two matches between Sporting and Seattle in 2022 after the teams squared off on three occasions a season ago.
Below we provide a statistical look into Saturday’s MLS regular season showdown between Sporting Kansas City and the Seattle Sounders.
Head-to-Head
- Saturday’s match features clubs from two cities that were recently chosen as host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- Sporting have gone 8-3-3 in the last 14 regular season meetings against Seattle since 2015.
- Sporting have won four of the last five meetings dating back to 2019, including victories in each of their last three visits to Lumen Field.
- In 2021, Sporting became just the second MLS team to earn two regular season road wins at Seattle in the same year.
- Sporting captain Johnny Russell has six goals and one assist in seven career appearances against Seattle. His six goals against Seattle are his most versus any MLS opponent.
- Seattle leads the all-time regular season series with a 10-9-4 record and went 7-1-1 in the first nine meetings from 2009-2014.
Sporting Kansas City
- 2022 MLS record: 4-9-4, 16 points (12th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS road record: 1-6-2, 5 point (8 GF, 21 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).
- With Sporting’s 2-1 win over Nashville on Sunday, they snapped the host's 25-match home unbeaten streak dating back to Nov. 2020.
- Sporting has now handed seven different MLS teams their first-ever regular season loss in their current stadium (Toronto in 2007, Seattle and Real Salt Lake in 2009, Houston in 2012, New York City in 2015, LAFC in 2018 and Nashville in 2022).
- Sporting reached the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals with a 6-0 quarterfinal win over Union Omaha on Wednesday, equaling the largest margin of victory in club history.
- Since July 2020, Sporting are 24-0-1 in the regular season when leading in the 75th minute.
- Forward Daniel Salloi struck twice in Sporting’s 6-0 win over Omaha on Wednesday, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer in the U.S. Open Cup with seven goals.
- Salloi is second on the team with six goals in all competitions, one behind captain Johnny Russell’s seven.
- Midfielder Felipe Hernandez has three goals and one assist in his last two appearances, including two goals and an assist in the 6-0 win over Omaha on Wednesday.
- Hernandez leads Sporting with four assists in all competitions.
- Defender Graham Zusi scored the match-winner against Nashville on Sunday with a stunning strike from long range. It was his 10th career MLS goal from outside the box and came on his 500th career MLS shot attempt (regular season and playoffs).
- Midfielder Remi Walter and goalkeeper Tim Melia are the only Sporting players to start in all 17 regular season matches this season.
- Seattle Sounders
- 2022 MLS record: 6-6-2, 20 points (7th in Western Conference)
- 2022 MLS home record: 4-2-1, 17 points (13 GF, 7 GA)
- 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs: Lost to Real Salt Lake in Western Conference Round One
- All-time Honors: Two MLS Cups (2016, 2019), four Open Cups (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014), one Supporters' Shield (2014), one CONCACAF Champions League (2022)
- Seattle have won four of the last six Western Conference championships and in May became the first MLS team to win the modern edition of the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.
- Seattle have reached the MLS Cup Playoffs in all 13 seasons of the club’s existence (2009-2021).
- Seattle are in the midst of a five-match homestand at Lumen Field,
- Seattle have conceded nine of their 17 goals this season after the 60th minute.
- Seattle’s two clean sheets are tied for the third-fewest in MLS.
- Forward Raul Ruidiaz and midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro are tied for the team lead with eight goals in all competitions.
- Ruidiaz has scored five goals in MLS play and three in the Champions League, while Lodeiro has scored three in MLS play and five in the Champions League.
- Ruidiaz and fellow Seattle forward Fredy Montero are tied for the club’s all-time lead with 55 career regular season goals.
- Goalkeeper Stefan Frei recorded four shutouts during the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League and was named the player of the tournament. He allowed just five goals and recorded 26 saves in eight CCL appearances.
Milestones and Miscellany
- Manager Peter Vermes has coached in over half of Sporting’s regular season matches all-time (420 of 837) and over half of the club’s matches in all competitions (498 of 988).
- Forward Johnny Russell ranks third in club history with 45 regular season goals and fourth with 50 goals in all competitions.
- Forward Daniel Salloi has 12 career game-winning goals in the regular season, one shy of tying the club record held by Preki and Dom Dwyer.
- Defender Graham Zusi is the first player in MLS history to play 14 seasons all with one club. His 30 regular season goals are one shy of tying Benny Feilhaber and Mo Johnston for 10th most in club history.
