HOUSTON (Aug. 8, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC kicks off Leagues Cup Round of 32 action this Friday, Aug. 9, hosting LIGA MX side Deportivo Toluca FC at Shell Energy Stadium, with kickoff scheduled at 7:30 p.m. CT.
Fans can purchase tickets for the match via SeatGeek HERE.
The winner of Friday’s match will advance to face either LIGA MX side FC Juárez or MLS side Colorado Rapids in the Round of 16. As with the Group Stage of this year’s Leagues Cup, if a Knockout Round match ends in a tie after 90 minutes, the winner will be decided by penalty kicks.
Houston defeated Real Salt Lake 3-0 on Monday night to finish top of their group and advance to the Knockout Round of the tournament for the second consecutive year. The Dynamo scored three goals in the first half for the first time since October last season, highlighted by captain Héctor Herrera’s goal from outside of the box in the seventh minute. The Mexican international also assisted with a set piece delivery on defender Micael’s goal in the 25th minute, while a Real Salt Lake own goal in the 42nd minute secured the result.
Toluca also won their group when they defeated Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Monday night after earning a 3-1 victory at Chicago Fire FC in the opening Group Stage match. In the match versus Kansas City, Toluca found the back of the net in the 40th and 66th minute with goals from Jesús Angulo and Maximiliano Araújo. Sporting’s Stephen Afrifa pulled one back late in the first half, but it was not enough for the MLS side to advance.
The LIGA MX side has won the top-flight Mexican division 10 times, making it the third most winning team behind Club América (15) and Guadalajara (12). Toluca currently sits in fifth in the LIGA MX Apertura table, starting their league campaign in strong fashion with two wins and two draws. In their most recent full campaign, Toluca managed a third-place finish in LIGA MX’s Clausura.
Notably, the Dynamo are the only MLS team to earn the opportunity to play for four trophies this year (MLS Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup) thanks to a strong campaign in 2023 that saw the team lift the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and make a run to the Western Conference Final in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Additionally, Houston advanced further in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup than any team in the Western Conference.
At the break in MLS play, Houston sits sixth in the Western Conference with a 10-7-7 (WLD) record and 37 points. The Dynamo have only lost once in their last 10 league matches, while finding the back of the net 22 times over that stretch.
The Dynamo continue to boast one of the best defensive records so far this season, even with a shuffling back line that has seen seven players start due to injuries. The team has allowed 30 goals this season, which is tied for the second fewest in the Western Conference. Houston also leads the Western Conference with 58.7 percent possession across the season, allowing the Dynamo to control matches and dictate pace of play.
The second edition of this Concacaf-sanctioned competition features all 18 clubs from the Mexican league, LIGA MX, and all 29 clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS) representing the U.S. and Canada. These 47 clubs will compete in a World Cup-style club tournament from July 26 to August 25, 2024.
Advancing teams will compete in the single-game elimination knockout rounds, beginning with the Round of 32 from August 7-9 (16 matches), followed by the Round of 16 from August 12-13 (eight matches). The eight advancing teams will compete in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals on August 16-17 (four matches) before the two semifinal matches on August 20 or 21. The Leagues Cup 2024 Final and the Third-place match will be played on August 25.
The Dynamo reached the Round of 16 in last year’s inaugural competition, defeating LIGA MX mainstays Club Pachuca and Santos Laguna at Shell Energy Stadium along the way. Leagues Cup 2024 will determine three qualifiers for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, with the winner of Concacaf Champions Cup representing the region at the FIFA Club World Cup.
