The Houston Dynamo will host Atlanta United FC on Opening Day presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar on Saturday, March 3 at BBVA Compass Stadium, the club and Major League Soccer announced today. The match will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CST to launch the 2018 Dynamo season, fueled by 76®.
Dynamo Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera guided the Dynamo to the Western Conference Championship in his first season – the club’s seventh appearance in the Conference Championship in 12 years. The team’s resurgence in 2017 was keyed by a club-record 12 home wins in the regular season.
The 2017 Dynamo showcased an exciting and entertaining style of play as they scored a club-record 57 goals in the regular season, good for fifth in the league, and led the Western Conference with 43 goals at home. The Dynamo averaged better than 2.5 goals per game at home and scored three or more goals eight times.
The Dynamo will return players who accounted for 50 of those 57 goals a year ago, led by 21-year-old forward Alberth Elis, who joined the club on a full transfer a week ago after playing last season on loan from CF Monterrey in Mexico. Alongside the Honduran international will be 24-year-old Mexican forward Erick Torres and 22-year old Colombian forward Mauro Manotas. The three players trio combined for 34 goals last season and became the first trio in Dynamo history to have each scored 10 goals or more in the same season.
Atlanta will be making its inaugural visit to BBVA Compass Stadium. The Five Stripes will seek to bring the success from their debut season, in which they finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-9-10 record, into their sophomore campaign.
Much like the Dynamo, Atlanta was one of the most entertaining teams in the league a year ago, scoring 70 goals on the year thanks to a free-flowing attacking style. They became just the second expansion team in league history to make the playoffs in their debut season.
Atlanta will also be led on the pitch by a group of exciting young attacking talents headlined by the reigning MLS Newcomer of the Year, Paraguayan midfielder Miguel Almirón, and MLS Best XI forward Josef Martínez, along with U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Brad Guzan and newly-acquired midfielder Darlington Nagbe.
“Atlanta United is a team that has shown from the beginning that they have the intention to be one of the top teams. They have acquired a great coach and great players, and that goes to show that they are committed to do good things,” Cabrera said. “For us, it’s very important to have a good start in the first game of the season at home. It’s critical for us. It’s going to be beautiful, and we are going to try to enjoy the start of the season against a great opponent.”
Houston is 7-1-4 all-time in home openers and 6-2-4 all-time on Opening Day. La Naranja are 5-0-1 in home openers since moving into BBVA Compass Stadium in 2012.
The full schedule for the 2018 Dynamo season fueled by 76® will be released in January. Dynamo full season memberships are available for purchase at HoustonDynamo365.com with prices starting at only $310 and include 17 regular season MLS home games and the annual BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup.
Through the new Dynamo 365 program, season ticket members have access to a year-round membership platform that includes personalized events based on the way each fan uses his or her tickets. The Dynamo 365 Membership is in addition to all existing Member benefits, such as savings on tickets, playoffs priority, and access to gameday experiences.
In Houston’s most recent home game, the first leg of the Western Conference Championship, the club set a BBVA Compass Stadium attendance record as they welcomed 22,661 fans. The regular-season attendance record at BBVA Compass Stadium is 22,651 on July 3, 2015 vs. Chicago, and the record in home openers since the club moved into its new stadium is 22,351 on March 7, 2015 against Columbus.
The league also announced that the Dynamo will play at D.C. United on March 17 in what will be United’s home opener. The venue for that game will be announced at a later date, as D.C. United prepares to move into their new home, Audi Field, later this summer. Houston and D.C. have played 24 times, with the Dynamo holding a 14-6-4 advantage in the series.
