Kickoff time for the first leg of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Championship between the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders on Tuesday, Nov. 21 has been moved up to 8:30 p.m. CST, Major League Soccer announced today.
The match, presented by Houston Methodist, was originally scheduled for a 9 p.m. CST start, but has been moved up to better accommodate fans and the national broadcast schedule for FOX Sports 1. Pregame ceremonies, including a flyover by a United States Coast Guard helicopter and other special performances, will begin at 8 p.m.
Additionally, a limited number of seats were released for sale to the general public this morning, with prices starting at $32. Some premium seating areas have already sold out, and seats in all sections are selling quickly. Tickets are on sale now at HoustonDynamo.com/Playoffs. Fans can also call 713-276-GOAL to purchase tickets Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST, or purchase tickets at the BBVA Compass Stadium box office.
“There is a lot of excitement around Houston sports, and we are thrilled to be in the center of it all,” said Dynamo president Chris Canetti. “This is perhaps the biggest Dynamo home game in BBVA Compass Stadium history, and it is creating tremendous energy around the club and city.”
This will be the second meeting between Houston and Seattle in the postseason. The two sides met in the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals, with the Dynamo advancing 1-0 on aggregate in the two-leg series thanks to a goal from Brian Ching in the 96th minute of the second leg.
The Dynamo and the Sounders have met 16 times in regular-season action, with Houston trailing the all-time series 4-6-6. The teams met twice this season, with Houston capturing a 2-1 victory on Opening Day at BBVA Compass Stadium and Seattle garnering a 1-0 victory at Century Link Field on June 4.
The Dynamo closed the regular season with a record of 13-10-11 and 50 points, good for fourth in the Western Conference table. Seattle finished tied atop the West with a 14-9-11 mark and 53 points.
The Dynamo won the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007, becoming the second team in league history to repeat as champions. Their 31 games played in the postseason are the most by any club since 2006 and their four MLS Cup Final appearances are tied for the most in the league over that time span. This is Houston’s seventh trip to the Conference Championship in its 12-year existence and first since 2013.
The club’s 65.0 winning percentage in postseason play is the fourth-highest in league history among teams with at least 10 playoff games played.
The Dynamo were one of the league’s toughest teams at home this season, with a record of 13-1-4 at BBVA Compass Stadium, including the playoffs. The 13 home wins this year (including postseason) matched the total posted in 2012, the club’s first year in the new stadium. Houston has been particularly prolific in front of goal at home this season, scoring 44 goals while only conceding 17, giving them the best home goal differential in the Western Conference this year.
Sunday night, the Dynamo defeated Portland 2-1 in front of 21,144 partisan Timbers fans at Providence Park. After surrendering the opening goal in the 39th minute, Houston quickly rallied to tie the game thanks to a volleyed shot from defender Dylan Remick in the 43rd. Needing only a draw with at least one goal scored to advance, Remick’s goal is the one that secured Houston’s passage to the Conference Championship, but forward Mauro Manotas put things on ice with a 25-yard blast in the 77th minute.
