"Beyond The Box Score" is a weekly series presented by Compass Minerals that takes a statistical dive into every Sporting match, bringing to light the intriguing numbers and factoids that don't appear in the typical box score. To visit the series archive, click here.
The task at hand felt like a formidable one.
Opening the season at a New York Red Bulls side that has enjoyed more home success than any other team in Major League Soccer over the last decade, Sporting Kansas City ventured east without the services of three key veterans—injured goalkeeper Tim Melia, defender Graham Zusi and midfielder Ilie Sanchez—while star forwards Alan Pulido and Johnny Russell were only available off the bench after recently sustaining preseason injuries of their own.