Houston Dynamo FC travel to face defending MLS Cup champions LAFC in the Audi MLS Cup Western Conference Final at BMO Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 8:30 p.m. CT. The winner will secure a spot in the MLS Cup presented by Audi to face either FC Cincinnati or Columbus Crew in Ohio on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. CT.
While the Dynamo are on the road, Houston fans can take in all the action with fellow supporters at the club’s official watch party at Pitch 25 (2120 Walker St, Houston, TX 77003) with giveaways and team pop-up store featuring playoff merchandise. Additional watch party locations outside of the downtown include Little Woodrow’s (Katy), Senate Ave. Brewing (Jersey Village) and The Blue Lion (The Woodlands).
Fourth-seeded Houston advanced to the Western Conference Final after defeating historic rivals Sporting Kansas City 1-0 in front of a sellout crowd at Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday. The match’s lone goal came in the 39th minute when captain Héctor Herrera delivered a corner to the head of defender Franco Escobar, who rose up to lift the ball past goalkeeper Tim Melia. The score marked the fourth-career postseason goal for “Playoff Franco”, who scored crucial goals for Atlanta United (2018) and LAFC (2022) in each of their MLS Cup championship campaigns. Herrera, who was recently named to the 2023 MLS Best XI, recorded his second assist of the postseason.The Mexican international tallied a club-record 17 assists over the course of the season, while totaling 20 in all competitions so far this year.
Third-seeded LAFC advanced to the Western Conference Final after defeating second-seeded Seattle Sounders 1-0 on the road on Sunday. For a second consecutive game this postseason, MLS Golden Boot winner Dénis Bouanga scored the game’s only goal, this time burying a right-footed shot in the top right corner in the 30th minute for his 37th goal in all competitions this year. In goal at the other end of the pitch, Maxime Crépeau set a postseason career-high with seven saves, while earning his second consecutive clean sheet.
Since LAFC entered the league in 2018, Houston holds a 3-5-4 (WLD) record versus Los Angeles, including two back-to-back wins in June earlier this season. In the home match, the Dynamo earned a 4-0 victory, with goals coming from Nelson Quiñónes, Amine Bassi, Corey Baird and Franco Escobar. Baird made 14 appearances for LAFC in 2022 before being traded to Houston in July 2022, while Escobar was a member of last year’s LAFC championship team. Houston went on to win 1-0 in Los Angeles four days later, as defender Micael scored first-career MLS goal. This will be the first postseason matchup between the Dynamo and LAFC.
The two clubs have a handful of additional connections, including at the top, as head coaches Ben Olsen and Steve Cherundolo played together on the U.S. Men’s National Team. Houston captain Herrera and LAFC captain Carlos Vela have also played alongside each other on Mexico’s National Team.
A victory on Sunday would secure Houston a place in the MLS Cup for the fifth time in club history and the first time since 2012. The Dynamo would face either FC Cincinnati or Columbus Crew on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. CT pending the result of the Eastern Conference Final.
Here are three key points ahead of Saturday’s match:
- POSTSEASON PROWESS: Saturday will mark Houston’s eighth appearance in an MLS Conference Final and the first since 2017. Houston holds a 4-3 record in conference final matches, advancing in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2012. The Dynamo won back-to-back MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007, defeating the New England Revolution in consecutive years. Current Houston Dynamo general manager, Pat Onstad, served as Houston’s goalkeeper during both championship seasons. In Houston’s most recent conference final victory, the Dynamo defeated Ben Olsen’s D.C. United 4-2 on aggregate.
- FORMIDALBE FORM: No team has been hotter on the pitch than Houston Dynamo FC in recent months, as the club has only lost one match in regulation since returning to MLS play after reaching the Round of 16 in the Leagues Cup. Since Aug. 20, the team has posted a 10-1-6 (WLD) record in all competitions, including 3-1-3 (WLD) on the road and 7-0-3 (WLD) at home, while outscoring opponents 35-12 during that stretch. After defeating Sporting KC in the Western Conference Semifinal on Sunday, the Dynamo finished the year with a 17-3-6 (WLD) record in all competitions at Shell Energy Stadium, including tying for the most home wins in the Western Conference with 11.
- ELITE ELIMINATORS: When its back is against the wall, Houston boasts a 9-1 (W-L) record in eliminations games this year, most recently in the 1-0 victory over Sporting KC in the Western Conference Semifinal. That includes six regulation victories on the way to the Club’s fourth domestic championship and second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, culminating in a 2-1 victory at Inter Miami CF in September. During this summer’s Leagues Cup, the Dynamo made a run to the Round of 16 after defeating C.F. Pachuca, the top-seeded team from Liga MX, 5-3 on penalties at Shell Energy Stadium in the Round of 32.
