By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #NEvSKC | April 28, 2018

"By The Numbers" is a season-long series sponsored by The Kansas Department of Transportation, giving a statistical preview of every Sporting KC match.
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17%   The percentage of alcohol-related crashes that resulted in fatalities of children 14 and younger nationwide in 2016.

Red-hot Sporting Kansas City (5-1-2, 17 points) will put a seven-game unbeaten run on the line Saturday when they visit the New England Revolution (3-2-2, 11 points) at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports Kansas City Plus, FOX Sports Midwest Plus, Sports Radio 810 WHB and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM.

In eight matches this season, Manager Peter Vermes' men have already scored half as many goals as they did in all of 2017. Nine different players have combined for a league-best 20 goals, including five coming from hat-trick hero Johnny Russell. New England, meanwhile, has started well under first-year head coach Brad Friedel and owns wins in each of their last three home games against Sporting KC. We provide a statistical preview of the match in our next edition of By The Numbers.

Head-to-Head

• Sporting KC has lost four of the last six meetings against New England, including three straight defeats at Gillette Stadium dating back to 2014.
• The last five meetings between the teams have produced a combined 23 goals. Sporting KC is 2-3-0 during that stretch.
• After failing to score in five straight games against Sporting KC from 2012-2013, New England has scored at least twice in five of the last six meetings since 2014.
• Sporting KC’s 25-17-11 regular season record vs. New England is its best against any MLS charter member.
• Sporting KC forward Diego Rubio scored his first MLS brace in a 3-1 win over New England last September at Children's Mercy Park.
• New England forward Teal Bunbury has scored three goals in five regular season appearances against his former club, including the visitors' lone strike in their 3-1 loss last September at Children's Mercy Park.

New England Revolution

• 2018 MLS record: 3-2-2, 11 points (4th in East)
• 2018 MLS home record: 2-1-1 (8 GF, 4 GA)
• Last MLS match: T 2-2 at Columbus Crew SC on April 21
• Last five MLS matches: 2-1-2, 8 points (T-W-W-L-T)
• New England is 14-3-4 at Gillette Stadium since the start of 2017, scoring 46 goals and conceding 19 during that stretch.
• New England has conceded 1.14 goals per game this season after allowing 1.79 goals per game last season.
• New England ranks second in MLS with 14.4 fouls committed per game.
• Newly acquired midfielder Cristian Penilla has been involved in six of New England’s 12 goals, scoring twice and adding four assists.
• Along with Penilla, fellow newcomer Wilfried Zahibo is one shy of the league lead with four assists. Zahibo also ranks second in MLS with 20 fouls committed and sixth with 62 duels won.
• Midfielder Diego Fagundez ranks fourth in MLS with 21 chances created.
• Fagundez and forward Teal Bunbury are tied for the team lead with three goals each.
• Defenders Andrew Farrell, Jalil Anibaba, Claude Dielna and Gabriel Somi have started together in five straight games.

 Sporting KC

• 2018 MLS record: 5-1-2, 17 points (1st in West)
• 2018 MLS away record: 2-0-1 (8 GF, 5 GA)
• Last MLS match: W 6-0 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on April 20
• Last five MLS matches: 3-0-2, 11 points (T-W-W-T-W)
• Sporting KC is unbeaten in seven straight matches, collecting five wins and two draws since losing their season opener on March 4.
• Sporting KC leads MLS with 20 goals scored through eight games, exactly half of the club's goal total in all of 2017.
• Nine different players have scored a goal for Sporting KC this season, the most in MLS.
• Sporting KC is 2-0-1 away from home this season with at least two goals scored in all three matches. The club is one shy of surpassing its away win total from 2017 (2-8-7).
• Sporting KC has allowed two or more goals five times this season after doing so just six times in all of 2017.
• Midfielder Felipe Gutierrez and forward Johnny Russell are tied for second in MLS with five goals apiece. Russell, the reigning Alcatel MLS Player of the Week, also leads the league in penalties won (three) and touches in the opponent’s box (67) while ranking third in shots (29). His seven combined goals (five) and assists (two) are tied for fourth in MLS.
• Midfielder Roger Espinoza is tied for the MLS lead with five assists, tying his career-high just eight games into the season. He also ranks seventh in the league with 61 duels won.
• Forward Daniel Salloi is one behind Espinoza with four assists. Sporting KC is 5-0-1 this season when he starts.
• Defender Graham Zusi leads MLS with five big chances created and ranks third with 23 interceptions.
• Defender Matt Besler is third in MLS with 483 successful passes and ranks fourth with 42 clearances.
• Midfielder Ilie leads MLS with 510 successful passes and boasts an 88.2-percent passing accuracy clip.

Milestones and Miscellany

• Sporting KC defender Matt Besler is one shy of passing current assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin for most regular season starts in club history at 229.
• Sporting KC defender Ike Opara is one shy of his 100th career MLS start (including playoffs).

Team stats (2018 regular season)

MLS rank in parenthesis (source: Opta)

Recent #NEvSKC regular season meetings

• Regular season record vs. New England: 25-17-11 (85 GF, 68 GA)
• Regular season away record at New England: 11-10-6 (41 GF, 39 GA)