Since May of 2006, the Texas Derby has served as one of the premier rivalries in all Major League Soccer – with the winner being awarded El Capitán. With Saturday marking the 50th occasion across all competitions (43 regular season, 2 playoffs, 4 U.S. Open Cup), let’s dive deeper into the rich history of this rivalry.
SEASON SERIES TIED 8-8: A fierce back-and-forth battle since the first meeting, each side has held El Capitán for eight seasons apiece as the last regular season showdown of 2022 approaches. Each side has only blanked the season series once in the sixteen year history of the Texas Derby.
RECORDS WITHIN THE RANKS: Between the fifty meetings, two members of the Dynamo cohort are near the top of the record books. Current forward Fafa Picault, who previously played for Frisco, ranks second in all-time goals with five. General Manager Pat Onstad still holds the regular-season series record for victories in the Texas Derby with seven.
FC Dallas does not hold an individual regular-series season record other than losses and goals allowed.
DYNAMO HAVE BIGGEST WIN: H-Town has seen the biggest success in the derby to date, with the Dynamo earning a 5-0 victory in 2016’s first edition of the Texas Derby. In front of over 20,000 fans, five different goal scorers secured an insurmountable lead in that season’s race for El Capitán.
TIEBREAKERS MAY COME INTO PLAY: With a Dynamo win meaning the season series will be tied at one victory apiece, Saturday may see some important tiebreakers between the clubs needing to come into play. Goal differential is the first tiebreaker if the season series is split, followed by playoff, CONCACAF Champions League, and U.S. Open Cup encounters, if applicable.
If Saturday is the last meeting for the clubs in 2022 and goal differential is even, the holder – Houston Dynamo FC – will retain El Capitán.
