Sporting Kansas City hosts FC Dallas at 8 p.m. CT Friday at Sporting Park in a nationally televised match on UniMas/UDN in English and Spanish. Local broadcasts for the marquee fixture will also be available on KMCI-TV 38 the Spot, Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
With two positive results last week against New England and Seattle, Sporting KC (4-2-6, 18 points) extended their unbeaten run to five matches and can claim a top-two spot in the Western Conference with a win on Friday. FC Dallas (6-3-3, 21 points) currently sits atop the division and boasts the joint-best scoring offense in MLS (18 goals). Friday is the second of three regular season meetings between the clubs this year, with FC Dallas prevailing 3-1 on March 14 at Toyota Stadium.
We preview the matchup in our latest installment of By The Numbers...
Head-to-head
- Both teams have won 20 matches and drawn 10 in the regular season series. Sporting KC is 11-8-6 at home and 1-1-1 at Sporting Park.
- Sporting KC has conceded 27 regular season goals against Dallas after the 75th minute, more than any other opponent in team history.
- In six games since 2011, SKC has dropped seven points in the final 15 minutes of the fixture.
- Neither side has posted a shutout in any of the last seven regular season meetings.
- Sporting KC (Krisztian Nemeth 5, Dom Dwyer 4, Benny Feilhaber 3) and Dallas (Blas Perez 5, Fabian Castillo 4, Tesho Akindele 3) are two of three MLS teams (New England) to have three players with three or more goals.
- Graham Zusi has two goals and three assists in seven regular season appearances against Dallas.
- Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy is winless in his last four regular season starts against Sporting KC (0-3-1) after winning his first two in 2008 and 2010.
- The last time these clubs met on March 14, Blas Perez scored a brace and Fabian Castillo tallied a goal and an assist as Dallas triumphed 3-1.
Sporting KC
- Their two losses are the second fewest through 12 matches in the club's regular season history, behind only the historic 2000 campaign (10-0-2).
- Tied for 3rd in MLS with 17 goals scored, one goal behind Dallas.
- Leads MLS with six assists from set plays and 35 chances created from set plays, 11 more than any other team.
- Has conceded 9.9 shots per game and 3.3 shots on target per game, both the fewest in MLS.
- Ranks 19th in MLS in shooting accuracy (28.0%).
- Krisztian Nemeth can become just the second player in MLS history to score goals in each of his first six shots on target (Claudio Suarez of Chivas USA, 2006-07). Nemeth has converted all five of his shots on goal in 2015.
- Benny Feilhaber leads MLS with seven assists and ranks 3rd with 32 chances created.
- In last week's matches against New England and Seattle, Sporting KC played three rookie draft picks together for the first time since November 8, 2008 (Saad Abdul-Salaam, Connor Hallisey and Amadou Dia).
FC Dallas
- Tied for the MLS lead with 18 goals scored.
- Despite ranking 17th with 10.5 shots per game, Dallas is 3rd with 1.5 goals per game. Their 0.19 goals per chance created rate is second best in MLS.
- Has hit the woodwork five times, 2nd most in MLS.
- Leads MLS in crossing accuracy from open play (29.8%).
- One of four MLS teams with a positive road goal differential (+2, 2-2-1 record).
- Blas Perez is tied for the MLS lead with three game-winning goals.
- Fabian Castillo is tied for 3rd in MLS with five assists and leads the league with 47 dribbles completed, nine more than any other player.
Milestones and miscellany
- Sporting KC is one shy of 600 home goals scored in all competitions.
- Manager Peter Vermes is one shy of his 100th win for Sporting KC in all competitions. His 80 regular season wins are one shy of equaling 10th most in MLS history.
- Graham Zusi is one shy of his 150th career start for Sporting KC in all competitions.
- Jalil Anibaba is one shy of his 125th career MLS appearance (including postseason).
- Jacob Peterson is one shy of his 125th career MLS start (including postseason) as well as his 50th career start for Sporting KC in all competitions.
Team stats (2015 regular season)
MLS rank in parenthesis (stats as of May 27, 2015)
<strong>Category (per game)</strong> |
<strong>Sporting KC</strong> |
<b>FC Dallas</b> |
Goals scored |
1.42 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(4th)</span> |
1.50 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(3</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">rd)</span> |
Goals conceded |
1.25 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-11th)</span> |
1.25 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-11th)</span> |
Shots |
13.0 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-7t</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">h)</span> |
10.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(17</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Shots on goal |
3.6 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16t</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">h)</span> |
4.2 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-10th</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
Shooting accuracy |
28.0% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(19</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
40.0% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2nd)</span> |
Assists |
1.58 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-2nd)</span> |
1.58 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-2nd)</span> |
Chances created |
10.8 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(3rd)</span> |
8.0 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(14th)</span> |
Crosses/corners |
18.8 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-12</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">t</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">h</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">)</span> |
15.8 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">8</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Fouls committed |
12.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(t-12</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
12.0 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16th)</span> |
Fouls suffered |
11.4 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16th)</span> |
11.6 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(12th)</span> |
Passes per game |
384 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(14th)</span> |
360 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(20th)</span> |
Passing accuracy |
75.1% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(15th)</span> |
73.5% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">8</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
Possession |
49.6% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(12</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
46.1% <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16th)</span> |
Tackles won |
17.7 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(5</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
15.3 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(14th)</span> |
Duels won |
58.7 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2nd)</span> |
58.6 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(3</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">rd)</span> |
Interceptions |
24.8 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1st)</span> |
24.5 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(2nd)</span> |
Shots faced |
9.9 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(1st)</span> |
11.9 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(10th)</span> |
Saves |
2.2 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(19</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">th)</span> |
2.3 <span style="font-size: 10px;">(16th)</span> |
Recent #SKCvDAL meetings
- All-time regular season record vs. FC Dallas: 20-20-10
- Home games (at Sporting Park): 11-8-6 (1-1-1)
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Score</strong> |
<strong>Location</strong> |
<strong>Details</strong> |
6/12/11 |
W 4-1 |
Toyota Stadium |
<span style="font-size:10px;">Zusi scores twice, sets up another<br>
as SKC begins climb up the table</span> |
8/27/11 |
L 2-3 |
Sporting Park |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">DAL overturns 2-0 deficit<br>
with 3 second half goals</span> |
3/25/12 |
W 2-1 |
Sporting Park |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">SKC comes from behind</span><span style="font-size:10px;">, Kamara<br>
scores winner in 89th minute</span> |
6/22/13 |
T 2-2 |
Toyota Stadium |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">DAL erases 2-0 deficit with<br>
goals in </span><span style="font-size: 10px;">8</span><span style="font-size: 10px;">8th & 90th minutes</span> |
3/15/14 |
T 1-1 |
Sporting Park |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">Hedges scores in 90th minute<br>
to cancel out Collin opener</span> |
3/14/15 |
T 1-1 |
Toyota Stadium |
<span style="font-size: 10px;">Castillo adds to Perez brace,<br>
Espinoza on target for SKC</span> |
