Sporting KC Game Notes | August 11, 2018 at Los Angeles FC | SportingKC.com/Game-Notes #LAFCvSKC: HEAD-TO-HEAD
#LAFCvSKC: BY THE NUMBERS
Sporting Kansas City remains on the road this weekend as the side prepares to face expansion side Los Angeles Football Club for the first time in the club’s history. Los Angeles FC joined MLS at the start of the 2018 season. Sporting KC has historically performed well in inaugural matchups against expansion sides in MLS, going 8-3-4 in their first-ever matches with new teams. Against the two expansion teams in 2017, Sporting KC went 0-1-1 - falling to a 2-0 defeat to Minnesota United FC at TCF Bank Stadium on May 7, 2017 and playing to a 1-1 draw with Atlanta United FC at Children’s Mercy Park on August 6, 2017. Sporting KC is also 16-7-8 overall against teams that are in the midst of their expansion campaign, with the side going 1-1-1 last year after following up their initial defeat to Minnesota with a 3-0 hammering against the Loons at Children’s Mercy Park on June 3, 2017. The club is 11-3-1 in their first-ever home games against an expansion franchise, only suffering defeats to the Houston Dynamo (2006), Seattle Sounders FC (2009) and the Montreal Impact (2012). Los Angeles FC has gotten off to a flying start in their first-ever MLS season. Under the guidance of former U.S. National Team coach Bob Bradley, the side currently sits in a tie for third place in the Western Conference - alongside Sporting KC - with 36 points through 22 games of the 2018 season. The club moved into brand new Banc of California Stadium in April and is yet to lose at home, going 5-0-5. #LAFCvSKC: Recent Meetings (No prior MLS meetings)
Sporting KC Team Stats • SKC is tied for second in shutouts this season with eight, one behind NYC. • SKC is sixth in the league in goals this season, scoring 40. SKC is third in the Western Conference in goals, five behind LAFC and four behind LA. • SKC leads MLS in shots so far in the 2018 MLS season, taking 376 - 15 ahead of NYC’s 361. SKC is also sixth in MLS with 126 shots on goal, 18 behind ATL. • SKC ranks first so far in the 2018 MLS season in chances created and chances created from open play, having produced 299 and 266, resepectively. • SKC is third in MLS with a 51.80 percent duel success rate, winning 1,178 of the 2,274 duels that the side has taken part in. • SKC leads MLS with an 84.19 percent passing accuracy. SKC is fourth in MLS this year with 11,388 passes and 9,588 successful passes. SKC is also second in average possession this season with 58.54 percent.
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Sporting KC Player Stats • Forward Johnny Russell is tied for the league lead with three penalties earned and is also sixth with 126 touches in the opponent’s box. • Midfielder Roger Espinoza is tied for 12th in MLS with eight assists - already a new career high for a single season. Espinoza is also fourth with 40 fouls committed. • Forward Daniel Salloi is tied for ninth in MLS with three game-winning assists and is tied for fifth with three game-winning goals. • Goalkeeper Tim Melia is second in MLS with eight shutouts. • Midfielder Ilie Sanchez is second in MLS with 1,625 passes attempted and 1,393 passes completed. Ilie is also third with 1,883 touches and is tied for sixth with all 39 of his chances created coming from open play this season. • Defender Matt Besler is fifth in MLS with 1,402 passes attempted and fourth with 1,227 passes completed. • Defender Graham Zusi is second in MLS with 1,920 touches, only behind NYC’s Maxi Moralez.
Result Details
Saturday’s match is the first-ever meeting between Sporting Kansas City and Los Angeles FC.
#LAFCvSKC: PLAYER HISTORY • No player on Sporting Kansas City’s current roster has faced 2018 expansion side Los Angeles FC in the past.
Los Angeles FC Team Stats • LAFC ranks second in MLS with 2.05 goals per game. • LAFC has been shut out just twice this season, tied for the fewest in MLS. • LAFC is 5-0-5 at home this season and 8-0-5 in all competitions at Banc of California Stadium. • LAFC is winless in five straight games (0-2-3) across all competitions, including Wednesday’s Open Cup semifinal against Houston that ended 3-3 after 120 minutes with a hat-trick from Diego Rossi. LAFC lost 7-6 on penalties. Los Angeles FC Player Stats • Former Sporting KC midfielder Benny Feilhaber is the only LAFC field player to start all 22 MLS matches this year, while former Sporting KC forward Latif Blessing is the only other LAFC field player to appear in all 22 MLS matches this season. • Forward Adama Diomande has scored nine goals in just 11 MLS matches this season, but could miss Saturday with a hamstring injury.
#LAFCvSKC: PLAYER/COACH CONNECTIONS • LAFC midfielder Benny Feilhaber (2013-2017) and forward Latif Blessing (2017) are both former members of Sporting Kansas City. Feilhaber won an MLS Cup (2013) and two U.S. Open Cups (2015, 2017) in his time in Kansas City, while Blessing won the 2017 U.S. Open Cup. • LAFC assistant coach Marc Dos Santos was the inaugural head coach of Sporting KC’s USL affiliate, the Swope Park Rangers, in 2016 - guiding the side to an appearance in the USL Cup Final. • Defender Ike Opara played alongside LAFC defender Steven Beitashour at the San Jose Earthquakes from 2010-2012. • Midfielder Felipe Gutierrez was teammates with LAFC newcomer Danilo Silva at Brazilian club Internacional in 2017. • Midfielder Roger Espinoza and LAFC goalkeeper Luis Lopez are both born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and have played for the Honduran National Team. • Forward Krisztian Nemeth played with LAFC midfielder Lee Nguyen at the New England Revolution from 2017-2018. • Forward Diego Rubio was playing for Sporting Lisbon’s first team and B team while LAFC defender Joao Moutinho was in the club’s Academy from 20112015. • Goalkeeper Tim Melia was playing for Chivas USA’s first team while recent LAFC signing Josh Perez was in the club’s Academy from 2012-2013. • Defender Brad Evans was a teammate of LAFC goalkeeper Tyler Miller at Seattle Sounders FC from 2016-2017. Evans also played with LAFC’s Aaron Kovar in Seattle from 2014-2017, goalkeeper Charlie Lyon from 2015-2016 and midfielder Calum Mallace in 2017. Evans was playing for the Sounders when LAFC assistant Ante Razov was an assistant coach at the club from 2015-2016. • LAFC Director of Soccer Operations, Mike Sorber, played for the Kansas City Wiz in the club’s inaugural season in 1996, making 29 appearances in all competitions, recording four goals and nine assists. Sorber is also from St. Louis, Missouri.
NOTEWORTHY MILESTONES • Defender Matt Besler is three appearances and one start away from overtaking Kerry Zavagnin and becoming the club’s all-time leader in those two categories in all competitions. • Defender Graham Zusi is one appearance shy of 241 which would place him second all-time in Sporting KC’s regular-season history, behind Matt Besler. • Forward Krisztian Nemeth is in line to make his second Sporting KC debut after appearing for the club in 2015. • Sporting KC is one win shy of reaching 350 in all competitions in club history.
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