After a run to the Round of 16 in the 2023 Leagues Cup, Houston Dynamo FC return to league play on Sunday, Aug. 20 when they host the Portland Timbers at Shell Energy Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT.
Leagues Cup group stage play saw Houston finish second in the South 2 group, earning three points in group stage play versus Orlando City SC and Club Santos Laguna. In the Round of 32, the Dynamo defeated the top-seeded team from Liga MX, C.F. Pachuca, 5-3 on penalties at Shell Energy Stadium. The team’s run came to an end in the Round of 16, falling to fellow MLS side Charlotte FC 2-1 at home.
Houston was one of two teams (Real Salt Lake) that advanced to the Leagues Cup Round of 16, while also sitting in an MLS playoff position and still alive in the U.S. Open Cup.
The Dynamo currently sit in ninth in the Western Conference and will look to climb the table as MLS play resumes. Houston’s last regular season match resulted in a 0-0 road draw versus the Colorado Rapids on July 15. Houston has found plenty of success at home this year, boasting a 10-3-3 (WLD) record at Shell Energy Stadium.
The Timbers currently sit in 12th in the Western Conference and will look to push for the MLS playoffs in this final stretch of the season. Portland earned a 3-2 home victory over Columbus Crew in their last regular season match on July 15. The Timbers bowed out of Leagues Cup play in the Round of 32 after falling 1-0 to C.F. Monterey at home.
In all-time matchups, the Portland Timbers hold a 10-6-9 (WLD) record versus the Dynamo, but four of Houston’s six victories have come at Shell Energy Stadium. The team’s most recent meeting came on June 29, 2022, when Portland defeated the Dynamo 2-1 at Providence Park. Houston last earned a point versus Portland in a 0-0 draw at home on April 16, 2022.
The Dynamo are having a resurgent season, currently sitting in a Western Conference playoff position before a knockout stage run in Leagues Cup. Houston reached the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the first time since winning the title in 2018 and will host Real Salt Lake at Shell Energy Stadium on Aug. 23.
