HOUSTON (Oct. 13, 2026) – Houston Dynamo FC close a two-match road trip with a midweek Western Conference matchup, traveling to face San Diego FC on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Snapdragon Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT, and fans can stream the action live via MLS on Apple TV.Â
The Dynamo can clinch a spot in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs on Wednesday if all four of the following results occur: the Dynamo defeat San Diego FC, the LA Galaxy lose to the Portland Timbers, Austin FC lose or draw against LAFC, and Real Salt Lake lose to the San Jose Earthquakes.
With six regular season matches remaining, the Dynamo currently sit fifth in a tightly contested Western Conference table, just three points shy of the top three. Houston holds a 13-9-6 (W-L-D) record on 45 points, the third-highest point total through 28 matches in team history. The team has also avoided defeat in 11 of 14 matches since returning from the World Cup break.
Wednesday's road fixture will mark the fourth-ever meeting between the two sides, with Houston holding the upper hand in the all-time regular season series at 2-1-0 (W-L-D). The Dynamo took the series lead with a 1-0 home victory versus San Diego earlier this year, behind forward Aliyu Ibrahim's first goal of the season. Notably, his performance earned him MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday honors for Matchday 9.
Houston and San Diego first met last year on July 5, when the Dynamo earned a thrilling 4-3 road victorybehind a brace and stoppage-time winner from former Dynamo forward Ezequiel Ponce. Forward Lawrence Ennali, who made his first start in orange that night, pulled Houston level in the 36th minute after an early San Diego goal, while former Dynamo defender Franco Escobar also found the back of the net. Head coach BenOlsen earned MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday honors following the match.
Houston is coming off a 2-2 comeback road draw at Minnesota United FC on Saturday night. Forwards LyleFoster and Duncan McGuire each scored their first goals for the Club, marking the 16th time in Club historywhere two players scored their first MLS goals for Houston in the same match. Notably, the previous occurrence also came against Minnesota, as defender Felipe Andrade and former Dynamo player Pablo Ortiz each found the back of the net in a 2-0 victory at Shell Energy Stadium on May 14, 2025.
The match also saw forward Nick Markanich enter the match in the 63rd minute for his ninth appearance of the season, marking the first time him and his twin brother, Anthony Markanich twins shared an MLS pitch.
On the individual front, attacker Guilherme has contributed to 22 of Houston’s 36 league goals this season (61.1%), one of the highest rates in MLS so far. Notably, his 22 goal contributions (14 goals and eight assists) set a new single-season record for the Dynamo, surpassing Herrera (2021) and former Dynamo player Mauro Manotas’ (2019) 21 goal contributions. He also recently managed a four-match scoring streak, just one short of the Club’s all-time record, as Manotas managed five in 2019.
Additionally, goalkeeper Jonathan Bond ranks among the league's top five in clean sheets this season with ten. The English shot stopper is just two shutouts shy from tying former Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall's Club record of 12 clean sheets in a single season. Bond also recently helped Houston tie a league-record with a five-match shutout victory streak and held opponents scoreless for an impressive 485 minutes, the second-longest run over the last decade for the Dynamo.
One lineup note for the match is that midfielder Héctor Herrera will be available for selection after serving a one-match suspension the past weekend at Minnesota United FC.
San Diego enters Wednesday's match sitting 12th in the Western Conference with 32 points and a 8-12-8 (W-L-D) record. The West Coast team has lost four matches and drawn two in their last six games, most recently falling 4-1 at Red Bulls New York. Cedric Bakambu scored San Diego's only goal in the match. Anders Dreyer leads the team in attacking with 11 goals and 13 assists, while Marcus Ingvartsen is the leading scorer with 12 goals.
In terms of roster connections, San Diego have former Dynamo Academy product and Homegrown Player Kieran Sargeant, after Houston exchanged the right of first refusal for the defender to San Diego for a 2026 MLS SuperDraft third round pick. Fullback Franco Negri signed with the Dynamo in January after playing the 2025 season with San Diego, where he recorded 20 appearances, one goal and one assist to help the team finish atop the Western Conference in their inaugural season and make a run to the Western Conference Final.
Houston returns to Shell Energy Stadium to host the in-state rivals FC Dallas for Ring of Honor Night, presented by Heriberto Ramos & Associates, on Saturday, Oct. 17, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. CT. At halftime of Saturday’s Texas Derby match, the Club will host a special ceremony to induct Club legend **Brian Ching** into the **Houston Dynamo Ring of Honor**. Fans can secure tickets to the match and festivities via Tixr HERE.
