HOUSTON (Aug. 8, 2025) – Houston Dynamo FC return to MLS action on Saturday, Aug. 9, traveling to the state capital for a Texas Showdown versus Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT, and fans can follow the action live via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Houston has 10 regular season matches remaining in their push for playoffs, including four home matches and six road matches.
The Dynamo defeated Austin in their previous regular season matchup this season, earning a 2-0 victory over their in-state rivals at Shell Energy Stadium in April. Forward Ezequiel Ponce and midfielder Ondřej Lingr both found the back of the net, while Lingr became the fourth Dynamo player in Club history to score in his first two appearances.
Head coach Ben Olsen remains on the verge of a major career milestone, sitting one victory away from 150 career MLS regular season wins. The veteran has been a part of the league since 1998 as a player and a coach since 2010, and Olsen currently ranks third among active MLS coaches in career wins and seventh all-time.
Ponce leads the team’s attack with nine goals across all competitions, including seven in regular season play. Midfielder Jack McGlynn, defender Felipe Andrade and Lingr are tied for second with four goals each in all competitions. Defender Griffin Dorsey leads the team in distribution with six assists, followed by McGlynn with five.
Houston’s previous MLS match was scheduled to be against the LA Galaxy at home on June 25 but was postponed due to pitch conditions and resulting player safety concerns created by inclement weather in the Houston area. The match will now be played on Saturday, Sept. 6, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT at Shell Energy Stadium.
Before the Galaxy match, the Dynamo earned a key point after playing the then top-seeded Philadelphia Union to a 1-1 home draw, as McGlynn found the back of the net for the third time this regular season. The match marked McGlynn’s first matchup versus his former side after Philadelphia traded the American to Houston in a historic cash-for-player trade ahead of the 2025 season.
Last week, the Dynamo signed central defender Antônio Carlos from Brazilian club Fluminense FC, as the Secondary Transfer Window opened July 24 and runs through August 21. The 32-year-old made 105 appearances in all competitions with Orlando City SC, while scoring four goals and adding five assists, and playing a key role in their 2022 U.S. Open Cup title run. Carlos also had stints with several Brazilian clubs, including SE Palmeiras, where he accumulated 56 appearances and helped the team to the 2018 Série A league title.
Austin did not participate in this year’s Leagues Cup and will enter Saturday’s game following a 4-2 road victory over D.C. United in their most recent MLS match on July 26. The team went undefeated in July regular season matches, earning two victories and one draw. The victories came on the road over the LA Galaxy (2-1) and D.C. United (4-2), while the draw came in a scoreless affair at home versus the New England Revolution. Austin currently sits seventh in the Western Conference with 33 points and a 9-8-6 (WLD) record. Brandon Vazquez leads the team with five goals, while Osman Bukari and Owen Wolff are tied with five assists.
Notably, Dynamo assistant coach Josh Wolff joined Houston ahead of this season after serving as Austin FC’s first-ever head coach over four seasons from 2021-24. During the club’s second campaign in 2022, Wolff led the team to a second-place regular-season finish in the Western Conference with a 16-10-8 (WLD) record en route to a Western Conference Final appearance. The 48-year-old's tenure with Austin FC concluded with a combined record of 45 wins, 30 draws and 60 losses in MLS regular season matches.
Houston continues its two-match road stretch next weekend, traveling to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC for Sunday Night Soccer action at 8:00 p.m. CT on August 17.
