Go in-depth behind Sporting Kansas City's 2-0 win against the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on Friday with this match's fast facts.
- Sporting KC defeated the Houston Dynamo 2-0 on Friday at BBVA Compass Stadium despite a straight red card shown to Sporting KC midfielder Antonio Dovale in the 20th minute.
- Sporting KC moves into second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 6-5-4 (22 points). Houston falls to 5-9-2 (17 points) and remains in fourth place in the East.
- Sporting KC forward Soony Saad opened the scoring on Friday in his first start of the season. Saad’s 45th-minute goal was his first in 2014 and sixth of his MLS career.
- Benny Feilhaber tallied the assist on Saad’s goal. The assist is Feilhaber’s fourth in 2014 and 17th in his MLS career.
- Feilhaber was removed at halftime due to a separated shoulder that he suffered on the goal-scoring play.
- Dom Dwyer doubled the lead for Sporting KC by converting a penalty kick in the 70th minute of the match.
- Prior to Friday, Sporting KC and the Houston Dynamo last met in the Eastern Conference Championship. Sporting KC defeated Houston 2-1 on aggregate en route to the club’s second MLS Cup title.
- The first leg was a 0-0 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium rounding out an undefeated year for Sporting KC at Houston in 2013.
- Sporting KC is unbeaten in seven games (including playoffs) against Houston and has not allowed a goal in four straight games at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- Lawrence Olum returned from international duty with Kenya and started Friday’s match as the holding midfielder, just behind Feilhaber & Paulo Nagamura.
- Nagamura had to leave the match in the seventh minute after suffering a concussion.
- Erik Palmer-Brown and Kevin Ellis started in central defense, marking the first time in club history Sporting KC has started two homegrown players in an MLS match.
- Through 15 games of the 2014 MLS season, Sporting KC has fielded 15 different starting lineups.
- With the victory, Sporting KC snapped a five-game winless streak (0-3-2).
- Houston has now lost four straight by a combined 10-0 scoreline.
- Sporting KC and Houston have met three straight times in the postseason. Sporting KC won the 2013 Eastern Conference Final after Houston eliminated Manager Peter Vermes' squad from the playoffs in 2011 and 2012.
- Sporting KC are 6-0-3 when scoring the first goal in 2014 and Houston are 1-9-0 when allowing the first goal.
- Dwyer led all players with 11 duels won and eight aerial duels won on Friday.
- Olum led all players with six interceptions on Friday.
- Sporting KC has attempted the most shots in the League (214). Houston has conceded the second most shots in MLS (218) and shots on goal (81).
- Houston (176) and Sporting KC (155) lead MLS in chances created.
- Sporting KC leads MLS in possession (58.28%) and chances created from set plays (35).
- With the shutout, Eric Kronberg surpasses Tally Hall for the MLS lead with six clean sheets.
- Sporting KC has not allowed a goal in Houston in 375 minutes dating back to the 2012 playoffs.
- There has been nine red cards issued in Sporting KC's last 11 matches. Four have been to a Sporting KC player and five have been to an opponent.
- Combined there have been 10 red cards through 15 MLS matches this year for Sporting KC. In 2013, there were 10 red cards issued in Sporting KC’s 34 matches.
- Giles Barnes and Dom Dwyer lead MLS in shots in 2014 with 55.
- Sporting KC is tied with Seattle for most left-footed goals in the League this season with 11.
- Dwyer leads MLS with eight left-footed goals and four penalty kick goals.
- Since the start of the 2011 season, Sporting KC has 23 regular season away victories which ranks most in MLS during that time period.
