Captain Johnny Russell delivered a vintage performance in his 100th competitive appearance for Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night.
The Scottish winger may not have found the back of the net in a dramatic 2-1 victory over expansion side Austin FC, but Russell was at the heart of Sporting's ceaseless attack in a game that the hosts controlled throughout.
In addition to assisting Ilie Sanchez's game-tying goal in the 82nd minute, Russell set a Sporting record during the Opta era with eight chances created. No other player has created more chances in a game this season.
MLSsoccer.com took notice of Russell's comprehensive display this afternoon, naming him to the MLS Team of the Week presented by Audi.
Team of the Week (3-4-3, left to right): Maxime Crepeau (VAN); Danny Wilson (COL), Walker Zimmerman (NSH), Jakob Glesnes (PHI); Cristian Dajome (VAN), Cole Bassett (COL), Lucas Zelarayan (CLB), Alex Muyl (NSH); Chris Wondolowski (SJ), Javier Hernandez (LA), Johnny Russell (SKC)
Since Opta began tracking the chance creation statistic in 2010, four other Kansas City players—Ilie, Graham Zusi, Benny Feilhaber and Bobby Convey—had created seven chances in a game. Russell was the very first to amass eight. For added perspective, only one other player had eight chances created and a primary assist in MLS last year, as New England's Carles Gil managed the feat in the MLS is Back Tournament on July 9, 2020.
MOST CHANCES CREATED BY A SPORTING KC PLAYER IN A MATCH
(MLS REGULAR SEASON, SINCE 2010)
<strong>Date</strong> |
<strong>Player</strong> |
<strong>Chances<br>
Created</strong> |
<strong>Opponent</strong> |
<strong>Result</strong> |
05/09/2021 |
Johnny Russell |
8 |
vs. ATX |
W 2-1 |
04/20/2018 |
Ilie Sanchez |
7 |
vs. VAN |
W 6-0 |
10/15/2017 |
Graham Zusi |
7 |
vs. HOU |
T 0-0 |
08/19/2017 |
Graham Zusi |
7 |
vs. DAL |
W 2-0 |
07/19/2014 |
Graham Zusi |
7 |
vs. LA |
W 2-1 |
09/27/2013 |
Graham Zusi |
7 |
vs. PHI |
L 0-1 |
05/19/2013 |
Graham Zusi |
7 |
at DC |
T 1-1 |
03/30/2013 |
Benny Feilhaber |
7 |
vs. MTL |
W 2-0 |
03/09/2013 |
Graham Zusi |
7 |
at TOR |
L 1-2 |
05/05/2012 |
Bobby Convey |
7 |
vs. MTL |
L 0-2 |
Russell's game-changing performance was emblematic of a full-throttle Sporting side that had awoken from a pedestrian offensive start to the 2021 campaign. After ranking last in MLS with 4.3 chances created through Week 3, Sporting created 21 chances against Austin, including 19 from open play. By the end of the night, Sporting had finished with more big chances—defined by Opta as situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score—than any other regular season match for the club over the last 12 seasons.
Russell and Sporting (2-1-1, 7 points) will have little time to revel in Sunday's wild win, as they are slated to visit rivals Houston Dynamo FC (1-1-2, 5 points) in at 7:30 p.m. CT showdown Wednesday at BBVA Stadium. The Western Conference clash will be shown live on Bally Sports Kansas City Plus, BallySports.com and the Bally Sports app.
Audi Goals Drive Progress
MLS Academies have been identified as one of the most important resources for building on-field talent in North America. Through the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative, Audi has committed $1 million per season in an effort to advance academies league-wide, and to drive progress for the sport. For every goal scored in the regular season, Audi will contribute $500 into the Audi Goals Drive Progress fund to directly support each MLS Club Youth Academy.
