HOUSTON (May 2, 2025) – Houston Dynamo FC travel west to face LAFC on Saturday, May 3, with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT at BMO Stadium. The match marks the final regular season meeting between the two sides this year. Fans can follow Saturday’s action live via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
The Dynamo will look to gain the upper hand in the all-time regular season series against LAFC this Saturday that is currently tied at five wins apiece. Houston is undefeated in their last five regular season matches versus LAFC and are the only MLS team to hold them scoreless in five consecutive regular season matches, outscoring the Western Conference rivals 8-0 over that stretch.
The two sides met in Houston at Shell Energy Stadium in early April, with the Dynamo earning a 1-0 victory behind midfielder Jack McGlynn’s first goal of the season, which was assisted by a backheel from defender Griffin Dorsey. Each of their performances earned them MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday honors.
The Dynamo will stay out west for their first 2025 U.S. Open Cup match versus USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC on Wednesday, May 7. The Round of 32 match is scheduled to kick off at 9:00 p.m. CT, and fans can follow the action live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network.
Houston is coming off a 2-0 home victory over in-state rivals Austin FC at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday night and are now undefeated in their last four matches. Midfielder Ondřej Lingr made his first start with the Dynamo and opened scoring in the 61st minute, becoming the fourth Dynamo player in Club history to score in his first two appearances. Notably, the performance earned him MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday honors for Matchday 10. Forward Ezequiel Ponce doubled Houston’s lead in the 79th minute with his third goal of the season, while goalkeeper Jonathan Bond made two saves to help the Dynamo secure their fourth clean sheet of the year.
Ahead of last week’s Primary Transfer Window deadline, Houston announced the signing of forward Toyosi Olusanya from Scottish Premiership side St. Mirren FC. The attacker joins the Dynamo after making 67 appearances (40 starts) for St. Mirren in the Scottish Premiership (2022-25), tallying 14 goals and three assists and helping St. Mirren finish fifth last season.
The Dynamo also confirmed new contracts for forward Amine Bassi and defender Erik Sviatchenko, both of which were signed prior to the start of the 2025 season. Now in their third seasons with Houston, Bassi and Sviatchenko have been key contributors to the team’s achievements in recent years, including helping the Dynamo lift the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy, reach the Western Conference Final in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs and secure consecutive postseason appearances in 2024. They also played pivotal roles in setting new single-season Club records in points (54) and road wins (8) last season.
LAFC enters Saturday’s match with a win and two draws since facing the Dynamo on April 5 at Shell Energy Stadium. This includes their most recent 2-2 draw versus St. Louis CITY SC last weekend at BMO Stadium, where Denis Bouanga scored both goals, including a last equalizer in the 95th minute. LAFC currently sits eighth in the Western Conference with 14 points and a 4-4-2 (WLD) record. Bouanga leads the team’s attack with four goals and two assists.
LAFC’s roster features two French World Cup winners in goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and forward Olivier Giroud, who have faced the Dynamo four times since joining the league. Both stars signed with LAFC in 2024, with Lloris signing ahead of the 2024 MLS regular season and Giroud signing mid-season. Lloris finished his first season in MLS with 37 appearances and 13 cleans sheets in league play, while Giroud recorded 14 appearances and three assists. So far in 2025, Giroud has scored one goal in seven regular season appearances, while Lloris has recorded three clean sheets in nine regular season appearances.
Houston currently has two former LAFC players on their roster in defender Franco Escobar (2022) and midfielder Erik Dueñas (2020-24). Escobar, who was signed by the Dynamo ahead of the 2023 season, spent a season in Los Angeles and helped LAFC win their first MLS Cup in 2022. Dueñas, who joined Houston ahead of this season, spent four years with the team and helped LAFC to an MLS Cup Final appearance in 2023 and U.S. Open Cup title in 2024.
The Dynamo will stay out west for their first 2025 U.S. Open Cup match versus USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC on Wednesday, May 7. The Round of 32 match is scheduled to kick off at 9:00 p.m. CT, and fans can follow the action live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network.
