HOUSTON (Aug. 4, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC finish Leagues Cup Group Stage play versus fellow MLS side Real Salt Lake at Shell Energy Stadium on Monday, Aug. 5, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT.
The Dynamo need to win by two goals or more on Monday to win the group or win by one goal (excluding 1-0 or 2-1) to finish second in the group and advance. Additionally, if Houston wins 2-1 on Monday, either Atlas or the Dynamo will advance determined by fair play.
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.
In Houston’s opening Leagues Cup match, the Dynamo fell 1-0 to LIGA MX side Atlas FC at Shell Energy Stadium. The match featured a strong inter-league battle, but the visitor’s match-winning goal came in the 83rd minute when Jose Lozano curled a shot inside the top corner of the far post.
Two of Houston’s newest arrivals appeared in Saturday’s match. Forward Ezequiel Ponce, who the Dynamo signed from AEK Athens on a club-record transfer fee, made his home debut at Shell Energy Stadium, after making his Dynamo debut in the previous MLS match in Vancouver. The 27-year-old has scored 65 goals across six different top-flight leagues in South America and Europe. Forward Lawrence Ennali, who Houston signed from Górnik Zabrze in Poland a club-record U22 Initiative deal, made his Dynamo debut versus Atlas FC at home on Saturday. In three seasons in Europe, Ennali has made 70 professional appearances (40 starts), while scoring eight goals and recording two assists.
At the break in MLS play, Real Salt Lake sit third in the Western Conference with a 12-5-8 (WLD) record and 44 points. In their opening Leagues Cup Group Stage match, Salt Lake came back to defeat Atlas 2-1 at home. Atlas opened scoring in the 26th minute behind a goal from Luis Reyes, but first-half stoppage time goal from Anderson Julio and a 79th-minute goal from Nelson Palacio saw Salt Lake secure three points and jump to the top of the group.
Houston and Salt Lake have a long history of matchups, with Real having a slight 14-13-11 (WLD) edge in all-time regular season play. The two clubs met six times in 2023 between regular season, U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup Playoffs matches. The Dynamo finished undefeated in regulation against Salt Lake with a 3-0-3 (WLD) record in all competitions. Last season, Houston eliminated Salt Lake from the MLS Cup Playoffs, winning 4-3 on penalties in Game 3 of the Round One Best-of-3 series to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the eighth time in club history. In the most recent matchup last month, the Dynamo fell 3-2 to Salt Lake on the road in a high-scoring affair.
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.
If the Dynamo win their group, they will host either LIGA MX side Toluca or MLS side Sporting Kansas City at Shell Energy Stadium in the Round of 32 on Friday, Aug. 9. If Houston finishes second in the group, they will travel to face LIGA MX side Club America at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California on Friday, Aug. 9.
