By the Numbers presented by KDOT

By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #SKCvFCD | June 16, 2018

2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup - By The Numbers DL

"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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2,211   The number of alcohol-related crashes in Kansas in 2016.




Winners of the last three Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles will square off Saturday in the 2018 Round of 16 when Sporting Kansas City welcomes FC Dallas for an 8 p.m. CT kickoff at Children's Mercy Park. Tickets for the matchup are available at SeatGeek.com as two of the best teams in MLS aim to take another step toward domestic silverware in U.S. Soccer's oldest and most prestigious tournament. For fans who don't have tickets, Saturday's game will be streamed online at SportingKC.com.


Needless to say, the stakes are high for a pair of teams who are no strangers to success in U.S. Open Cup competition. Considering that Sporting KC and FC Dallas occupy the top two spots in the Western Conference, Saturday figures to be a delicately poised and hotly contested encounter. We give a statistical preview in our newest edition of By The Numbers.



Head-to-Head


  • Sporting KC has a 3-0-0 record against FC Dallas in the Open Cup. Each time Sporting KC beat FC Dallas in the tournament, they went on to win the title (2004, 2015, 2017).
  • Sporting KC and FC Dallas are tied atop the Western Conference regular season standings with 29 points. Sporting KC holds the tiebreaker with a better goal difference.
  • Sporting KC and FC Dallas met in the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on July 11, when Latif Blessing scored twice and Daniel Salloi added a third in a remarkable 3-0 extra-time victory at Children’s Mercy Park after the hosts played most of regulation down a man.
  • Sporting KC previously hosted FC Dallas in the 2015 Round of 16, tying a club record with six goals in a 6-2 victory at Children’s Mercy Park.
  • Sporting KC and FC Dallas met three times during the 2017 regular season, scrapping to a 0-0 draw on March 11 in KC before FC Dallas earned a 1-0 home win on April 22 behind Maynor Figueroa's late header. Sporting KC exacted revenge with a 2-0 home win on Aug. 19 as Diego Rubio and Gerso Fernandes scored in either half.
  • The home side in the series is 10-0-4 in the last 14 meetings across all competitions.
  • Sporting KC is 6-0-1 in its last seven home meetings with FC Dallas across all competitions, scoring 20 goals and conceding just three.
  • FC Dallas won on its first visit to Children's Mercy Park in 2011, but has gone 0-7-2 since then while being outscored 23-5 (all competitions).
  • Sporting KC holds a narrow 24-22-12 edge in the all-time regular season series.


FC Dallas


  • 2018 MLS record: 8-1-5, 29 points (2nd in West)
  • 2018 MLS away record: 3-1-1 (7 GF, 6 GA)
  • Last MLS match: W 2-0 vs. Montreal Impact on June 9
  • Last five MLS matches: 4-0-1, 13 points (T-W-W-W-W)
  • Best Open Cup Finish: Champion in 1997 and 2016
  • 2018 Round of 32 result: W 1-0 at San Antonio FC on June 6
  • FC Dallas has just one defeat this season, the fewest of any team in MLS. Their lone setback came on April 29 in a 3-1 loss at New York City FC.
  • FC Dallas are 6-0-1 in their last seven matches across all competitions and enter Saturday on a five-game winning streak.
  • FC Dallas is the only MLS team yet to be shut out this season. They have scored in each of their 15 matches across all competitions.
  • Since 2015, FC Dallas in 43-2-8 when scoring first in the regular season.
  • Forwards Roland Lamah and Maximiliano Urruti have accounted for half of FC Dallas' 24 regular season goals, notching six each.
  • Midfielder Mauro Diaz ranks second in MLS with eight assists and fifth with 39 chances created.
  • Goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez has a perfect 4-0-0 record as a starter this season with two shutouts.


 Sporting KC


  • 2018 MLS record: 8-2-5, 29 points (1st in West)
  • 2018 MLS home record: 5-1-2 (17 GF, 7 GA)
  • Last MLS match: T 0-0 at Portland Timbers on June 3
  • Last five MLS matches: 2-0-3, 9 points (W-T-T-W-T)
  • Best Open Cup Finish: Champion in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017
  • Sporting KC is 16-3-3 in its last 22 Open Cup matches dating back to 2012. Those three draws account for the club's penalty shootout wins in the 2012 and 2015 finals as well as the 2017 semifinals.
  • Sporting KC is 7-0-1 in its last eight Open Cup home matches dating back to 2015, with the draw coming in a shootout victory over San Jose in last season's semifinals.
  • Since March 31, Sporting KC has eights shutouts in its last 12 matches across all competitions.
  • Forward Johnny Russell leads Sporting KC with six goals in all competitions, including one in the Open Cup.
  • Forward Daniel Salloi owns an 8-1-4 record as a starter this season with four goals and four assists.
  • Midfielder Roger Espinoza has recorded an MLS career-high six assists with less than half of the season played. He ranks second in MLS with 31 chances created from open play.
  • Midfielder Ilie leads MLS in passes completed (964) as well as successful passes in the attacking half (551).
  • Defender Graham Zusi leads MLS in touches (1,368) and ranks first among defenders with 27 chances created.
  • Goalkeeper Tim Melia is tied for the MLS lead with seven shutouts, all coming over his last 11 appearances.


Recent #SKCvFCD meetings (all competitions)


  • Regular season record vs. FC Dallas: 24-22-12 (86 GF, 89 GA)
  • Open Cup record vs. FC Dallas: 3-0-0 (13 GF, 2 GA)
<strong>Date</strong>
<strong>Result</strong>
<strong>H/A</strong>
<strong>Competition</strong>
<strong>Details</strong>
04/17/2016
L 1-2
Away
MLS
Michael Barrios and Mauro Rosales overcome Lawrence Olum's opener
06/19/2016
W 2-0
Home
MLS
Olum and Benny Feilhaber score late in first half
08/13/2016
T 2-2
Away
MLS
Dom Dwyer brace cancels out Tesho Akindele and Maxi Urruti goals
03/11/2017
T 0-0
Home
MLS
Dwyer and Latif Blessing go close in scoreless draw
04/22/2017
L 0-1
Away
MLS
Maynor Figueroa scores winner in 77th minute
07/11/2017
W 3-0<br> (aet)
Home
Open Cup
Blessing scores brace and Daniel Salloi adds third in extra time of Open Cup quarterfinals
08/19/2017
W 2-0
Home
MLS
Diego Rubio and Gerso Fernandes score late in either half