Houston Dynamo play Sunday for season's fate
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Dynamo midfielder Amine Bassi scores in Houston. Photo: Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Dynamo's playoff match Sunday against the Seattle Sounders at Shell Energy Stadium is a make-or-break moment for Houston's campaign to win the 2024 MLS Cup.
The big picture: The Dynamo lost the first match of the best-of-three Round One series to Seattle on penalty kicks Monday.
- A victory this weekend would force a decisive game three next week. A loss ends their season.
- The winner of the series will face the winner of the LAFC-Vancouver series.
Catch up quick: Houston entered the MLS playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
- They finished the regular season 15-10-9 with a club record 54 points.
- Eight of those wins happened on the road, another high for the club.
Flashback: That road prowess followed the team to Seattle this week, where Houston held the No. 4-seed Sounders scoreless, forcing a penalty shoot-out.
- The Dynamo finished the game with 10 men after midfielder Adalberto "Coco" Carrasquilla was ejected in the 65th minute.
- Dynamo defender Erik Sviatchenko was the lone player who missed during the shoot-out, giving Seattle the leg up in Round One.
State of play: Carrasquilla, named the 2023-24 Concacaf player of the year for his performance for the Panamanian national team, will miss Sunday's game because of his red card.
- He was a key reason for the Dynamo's success this year, scoring four goals and recording seven assists.
Yes, but: Houston players and head coach Ben Olsen are optimistic and excited ahead of playing in Houston this weekend.
What they're saying: "We will take some confidence back to our house and look forward to having a better performance there," Olsen said after Monday's loss. "Our road is a little trickier now, but we are looking forward to playing in front of our fans and forcing a third game."
What's next: Mayor John Whitmire declared Friday "Houston Dynamo Day." Residents are encouraged to show their support by wearing Dynamo gear.
- Kickoff is at 5:40pm Sunday.
- Tickets are available starting at $20 excluding fees.
- The match will stream on Apple TV's MLS Season Pass.