Dynamo Dos enter MLS NEXT Pro’s third season looking to make it a trio of postseason appearances under head coach Kenny Bundy. Houston finished seventh in the Western Conference with 45 points last season and earned a place in the playoffs on the final day of the season, defeating LA Galaxy II 2-1 on the road and edging past Minnesota United FC 2 in the table on goal difference.
Dynamo 2 faced the second-seeded Tacoma Defiance in the opening round of the playoffs and narrowly missed a place in the conference semifinals after falling 4-3 in a tightly contested match.
Sporting KC II earned the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference after a strong 2023 season that earned them 51 points, making their MLS NEXT Pro playoffs debut. Sporting also bowed out in the conference Quarterfinals, falling 2-0 at home to eventual champions, Austin FC II.
Dynamo Dos dominated Sporting last season, defeating Kansas City 7-2 over the course of two meetings. Houston earned a 4-1 road victory in April, as four different players found the back of the net. In the August rematch, Dos earned a 3-1 home victory thanks to a hat trick from forward Papa Nydoye, who became the first MLS NEXT Pro player in history to record two regular-season hat tricks, as well as complete the feat in back-to-back matches.
Houston’s roster includes a handful of players returning from last season’s campaign, several of whom joined the first team during preseason trips to Guadalajara, Mexico and Orlando, Florida. Midfielder Sebastian Rodriguez highlights the returning group after the Porter, Texas native signed an MLS contract as a Homegrown player starting in 2025 after completing his MLS NEXT Pro contract for 2024. Other key returning players include defender Tate Lampman, midfielder Diego Gonzalez and forwards Isaiah Ried and Zeke Soto.
Key signings for Dynamo 2 this offseason include goalkeeper Nico Hansen, defender Obafemi Awodesu and forward Exon Arzú. Forward Ifunanyachi Achara also signed with Dynamo 2 for the 2024 season after suffering a season-ending injury in 2023. Houston Dynamo FC selected Achara in Stage 2 of the MLS Re-Entry Draft in 2022 after he made 29 MLS regular season appearances for Toronto FC from 2021-2022.
Starting this season, all fans can enjoy free admission to Dynamo 2 matches at SaberCats Stadium throughout the season.
After this weekend’s home opener, Dynamo Dos will travel to LAFC 2 on Sunday, March 24, with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.
