Sporting Kansas City has faced Minnesota 18 times in all competitions — more than any other opponent — since the Loons joined MLS in 2017 and lead the series with an 8-6-4 record, including a perfect 6-0-0 regular season record at Children’s Mercy Park in which Sporting has outscored Minnesota 15-1. The sides last met on July 13 in a 1-1 draw at Allianz Field as Sporting KC captain Johnny Russell came off the bench to score a second-half equalizer.
Russell has 11 goal contributions – three goals and eight assists – in 11 regular season appearances against Minnesota. Only Colorado Rapids winger Michael Barrios, with three goals and nine assists, has more regular season goal contributions all-time against Minnesota. Russell leads Sporting this season with eight regular season goals and 10 goals in all competitions. His 79 combined goals (48) and assists (31) in the regular season are fourth most in club history and third most in Major League Soccer since he joined the club in 2018.
On the opposite wing, Sporting Kansas City forward Daniel Salloi has scored in back-to-back home matches, giving the Hungarian seven regular season goals and nine goals in all competitions in 2022. An MLS All-Star and MVP finalist a year ago, Salloi’s 48 career goals for Sporting in all competitions are fifth most in club history.
Since the start of August, Sporting leads the Western Conference in points per match (2) and winning percentage (.714) – going 4-1-2 to stave off playoff elimination. Defensively, Sporting’s three clean sheets in the past three weeks are most in MLS as the club now has three goalkeepers with a regular season shutout in a single season for the first time in club history.
