Beyond the Box Score: Again vexed by Vermes, Toronto FC vents after 2-1 loss to Sporting

Turn back the MLS calendar to November 2009 when Kansas City and Toronto FC had concluded their respective campaigns outside playoff position and under interim head coaches. Toronto, eliminated from postseason contention on the season's final day with a 5-0 loss, would lure Preki away from Chivas USA in continuing a coaching carousel that has seen seven different managers at the helm of the Canadian club in the past seven seasons.

Kansas City ownership put their faith in Peter Vermes, the club's Technical Director of three years, and removed the interim tag he had assumed three months earlier in the wake of Curt Onalfo's departure.

"As the club's new Manager, we believe Peter has the technical and tactical qualities, attention to detail, and determination necessary to bring championship soccer back to Kansas City," Robb Heineman said at the time.

The rest is history, albeit with chapters still in the making. Sporting KC would finish top-three in the East each of the next four seasons, capped off by an MLS Cup championship last December; Toronto FC are seeking their first participation in the postseason in 2014.  

VIDEO: #TORvSKC Match Recap

Nowhere has this dichotomy proven more evident than in the head-to-head matches between the two Eastern Conference clubs. In the 12 meetings since the start of 2010, Sporting KC is 8-1-3 against Toronto FC with the latest win coming on Saturday in a 2-1 come-from-behind victory at BMO Field.

Vermes' .792 winning percentage in the series is his best against any club and second highest of any active coach against Toronto (min. 2 games). Montreal head coach Frank Klopas, a member of Kansas City's first two MLS seasons, is 5-0-1 (.917) against Toronto in half as many games.

Team-By-Team: Peter Vermes regular season coaching record (2009 - present)

Expand the sample size and Sporting KC's success against Toronto FC under Vermes becomes even more impressive. Among managers with 10 regular season matches under their belts against a single opponent, only three other coaches have better winning percentages against a single team in MLS history:

• Bruce Arena vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7-1-2, .800)
• Bob Bradley vs. Tampa Bay Mutiny (9-1-2, .833)
• Octavio Zambrano vs. Colorado Rapids (11-2-1, .821) and New England Revolution (12-2-1, .833)

*Includes shootout victories

On the opposite side, Toronto FC head coach Ryan Nelsen -- who has suffered more losses (3) at the hands of Sporting KC than any other club during his 18-month tenure -- used his postgame press conference to take a few jabs at the "so-called reigning champions of the league."

VIDEO: Ryan Nelsen Press Conference

"Look, the game should have been over at halftime. If it was a boxing match, it would have been ended. The referee would have stepped in," Nelsen said. "It was pretty obvious that (it) was a game that they couldn't handle…We shouldn't be losing these type of games when you've destroyed a team, when you've beaten them in every single facet of the game besides the scoreline."

Nelsen and Toronto FC will now embark on a four-game road trip in an effort to close the 12-point gap between the sides in the standings. And where does that road trip end? At Sporting Park on August 16.

"In all honestly, (Saturday) had a bit of a playoff feeling to it. It was nice, it was good. It was giving the guys a bit of a taste of it," Nelsen said. "I don't think (Saturday) will be the last time we'll see this. There's going to a few games coming up with Kansas City that will be pretty heated in the future."