MATCH PREVIEW: Houston Dynamo FC hosts FC Dallas to conclude two-match rivalry week

HOUSTON (May 17, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC will host rival FC Dallas in the second leg of the Texas Derby on Saturday, March 18, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT at Shell Energy Stadium.. Tickets for this match are available HERE.

Houston enters Saturday’s game ranked eighth in the Western Conference with a 5-5-2 record (WLD) and 17 points. The Dynamo will look to bounce back from a 1-0 road loss to in-state rival Austin FC on Wednesday. Although Dynamo dominated possession and dictated the pace of play throughout the match, an 87^th Sebastian Driussi’s one-minute goal, who pushed a loose ball into the back of the net off a corner kick, sent Houston home without a point.

However, a positive result at Sporting Kansas City last Saturday still gives Houston something to hang its hat on. Dynamo earned three key points on the road in the 2-1 win over their historic rivals, scoring the winning goal in the 78th^thminute when defender Griffin Dorsey slipped a pass to forward Aliyu Ibrahim, who slotted the ball into the far corner for his team-best fourth goal of the season. Captain Héctor Herrera opened the scoring for Houston in the 31st^st minute, firing a shot from the edge of the box inside the far post.

Notably, Herrera made his fifth appearance of the season, coming into the match with half an hour remaining to help Dynamo connect the play and move the ball more freely in midfield, while helping create three chances of team leader. The Mexico international is set to play 200 minutes this season as he continues to get fit for 90 minutes while returning from a knee injury that sidelined him for the start of the season.

Houston continues to boast one of the best defensive records so far this season, despite a revamped backline that has seen seven players start due to injuries. The team has allowed just 12 goals in as many games this season, which ranks them tied for third in MLS. Additionally, Houston leads the Western Conference with 58.4% possession over the entire season, allowing the Dynamo to control games and dictate the pace of play.

Dallas enters Saturday’s game down 11^th in the Western Conference with a record of 3-6-2 (WLD) and 11 points. They didn’t play a midweek match, but their biggest result saw them defeat in-state rival Austin FC 2-1 at home on Saturday. Dallas opened the scoring early with a left-footed goal from Petar Musa in the fourth minute, followed by a second counterattack goal from Jesús Ferreira in the 56th.^th minute, which was enough to score three points.

Dallas currently holds a slight 15-13-19 (WLD) record advantage over Houston in the all-time heated series between the in-state rivals. However, Houston will look to continue its success at Shell Energy Stadium, where the Dynamo hold a 10-4-10 (WLD) record against Dallas.

In the last meeting between the two clubs at the end of April, Dallas beat Houston 2-0 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. However, an early red card for Dorsey in the fifth minute forced Dynamo to play with 10 men for the rest of the match.

The Dynamo closes out the May slate with a road trip to take on the LA Galaxy on Saturday, May 25, with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT.