Sporting KC travels to face the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night at Red Bull Arena in an important Eastern Conference clash. It's the second meeting of the season (one more in October at NY) and crucial in the race for the Supporters' Shield. Sporting have a two point advantage over NY heading into the match with six matches remaining for both teams.
Head-to-Head
The teams have met 44 times in league play with each winning 17 and 10 ending in draws. Both teams have been dominant at home with NY winning 10 of 20 home matches and Sporting only three wins on the road. Sporting have scored a total of 57 goals while NY has produced 55. At least one of the teams has been shutout in six of the last seven meetings.
Sporting had to settle for a 1-1 draw against NY in August despite controlling most of the match. Sporting held NY to zero shots on goal (and two overall) but conceded an own goal.
Sporting manager Peter Vermes has a 2-3-1 record against NY. Red Bulls manager Hans Backe has a 3-1-1 record against KC. NY has won three of the last five meetings and the last two meetings at Red Bull Arena. Sporting's last win at NY was in 2009 at Giants Stadium, before the opening of Red Bull Arena.
NY has the best home record (10-0-3) but Sporting has the best away record (7-4-2).
Goals
Three players have scored hat tricks in this series including Eddie Johnson (KC), Clint Mathis (NY) and Amado Guevara (NY). Juan Pablo Angel leads all-time goalscorers with eight against KC while Sporting have five players who have scored three goals all-time against NY.
Both teams have scored the majority of their goals against each other in the first half. Sporting has 29 of their 57 in the first 45 minutes and NY has 31 of their 55 total goals. Thierry Henry is tied for the MLS lead in multi-goal games with four.
NY are averaging a goal scored every 51 minutes (1.75 per game) and goal conceded every 63 minutes (1.43 per game). Sporting are averaging a league best goals against average of 0.89 per game and scoring 1.25 goals per game. Sporting have only conceded more than two goals once this season while NY has scored three or more goals seven times.
Individual Season Leaders
<u>Sporting KC</u> |
<u>New York Red Bulls</u> |
|
<strong>Goals</strong> |
Kei Kamara - 10 |
Kenny Cooper - 14 |
<strong>Assists</strong> |
Graham Zusi - 13 |
Thierry Henry - 9 |
<strong>Game-winning Goals</strong> |
Kei Kamara - 4 |
Kenny Cooper - 5 |
<strong>Game-winning Assists</strong> |
Graham Zusi - 5 |
Lade/Solli/Henry - 2 |
<strong>Shots</strong> |
Kei Kamara - 119 |
Thierry Henry - 71 |
<strong>Shots on goal</strong> |
Kei KAmara - 44 |
Kenny Cooper - 39 |
<strong>Goals against average</strong> |
Jimmy Nielsen 0.89 |
Bill Guadette 1.30 |
