Houston returns to league play Saturday, Sept. 30, at Shell Energy Stadium, hosting in-state rival FC Dallas for Hispanic Heritage Night and the final Texas Derby game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central Time.
The Dynamo enter Saturday's game after hoisting the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy in South Florida on Wednesday. After first-half goals from defenseman Griffin Dorsey and forward Amin Bassi, Houston defeated Inter Milan CF 2-1, with owner Ted Segal, general manager Pat Onstad and head coach He won his first title under Ben Olsen. The victory also marks Houston's fourth domestic title in club history, following back-to-back MLS Cup titles for Dinamo in 2006 and 2007 and the 2018 U.S. Open Cup. Head coach Ben Olsen became the third coach to win the U.S. Open Cup with two different teams. Remarkably, Houston never trailed in a game during its U.S. Open Cup championship campaign. Fans will be able to take photos with the U.S. Open Cup trophy on the Shell Energy Stadium concourse on Saturday.
Houston currently sits in fourth place in the Western Conference standings and has a chance to earn its first playoff berth since 2017 based on five different multi-step scenarios. Since Dynamo returned to MLS after the League Cup on August 20, they have a record of 6 wins, 1 loss, and 3 draws (WLD), outscoring their opponents 21-6 during that time.
FC Dallas played on the road against the Philadelphia Union, which ended in a 1-1 draw, and enters Saturday's game with 40 points and the last spot in the Western Conference playoffs.Alan Velasco scores his first goal of the season in 36 games.th With one minute remaining, Dallas got back on track and finished with a league-high 17 points after trailing all season.
Both clubs aim to secure a playoff spot late in the regular season, and the final game of the Texas Derby could be key to the fate of both clubs. Houston holds the all-time MLS regular season record against Dallas at Shell Energy Stadium with 10 wins, 4 losses, and 9 draws (WLD). In all competitions this year, Dynamo boasts a record of 14-3-4 (WLD) at Shell Energy Stadium.
After a 1-1 tie in Dallas in May, Houston must win against Dallas on Saturday to return the Civil War-era replica cannon El Capitan to Shell Energy Stadium. Each season, the overall winner of the regular season series between the in-state rivals earns the right to install a cannon in their stadium the following season. Dynamo also needs a win on Saturday to qualify for the Copa Texas, a fan-fought head-to-head showdown between Houston, Dallas and Austin. Both titles are on the line Saturday, and while securing a spot in the MLS playoffs is a priority, Houston is in control of its own destiny to be the Lone Star State's 2023 regular season champion. .
Dinamo will next travel to Canada to take on CF Montreal on Wednesday, October 4th, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30pm PT.
