Houston Dynamo News

MATCH PREVIEW: Houston Dynamo FC travel west to face the San Jose Earthquakes, look to close in on Western Conference top seed

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HOUSTON (Sept. 11, 2026) – Houston Dynamo FC hit the road on Saturday, Sept. 12, traveling to the west coast to face the San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park. The Western Conference clash is set to kick off at 9:30 p.m. CT, and fans can stream the action live on Apple TV. 

Houston remains one of the hottest teams in the Western Conference, sitting just three points behind top-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Dynamo hold a 13-7-4 (W-L-D) record on 43 points, the highest point total in Club history through 24 matches, surpassing the previous record set in 2012. The team has also avoided defeat in nine of ten matches since league play resumed following the World Cup break, including a 3-1-1 (W-L-D) away record during that stretch.

Houston holds the upper hand in the all-time regular-season series versus San Jose with a 19-11-6 (W-L-D) record, while Saturday’s match marks the second regular season meeting between the two sides over the past two weeks. The Dynamo played the Earthquakes to a scoreless draw at Shell Energy Stadium on Aug. 29, adding to their strong all-time home record versus San Jose, which now stands at 13-3-2 (W-L-D).

One lineup note for this match is that defender Felipe Andrade will be available to play after serving a one-match suspension due to yellow card accumulation. Notably, the Brazilian could make his 50th Dynamo appearance on Saturday at San Jose.

On the individual front, attacker Guilherme has contributed to 21 of Houston’s 32 league goals this season, meaning he has been directly involved in 65.6% of the team’s goals, one of the highest rates in MLS so far. He recently managed a four-match scoring streak, just one short of the Club’s all-time record, as former Dynamo player Mauro Manotas managed five in 2019. 

Additionally, goalkeeper Jonathan Bond currently ranks among the top five in MLS in clean sheets this season with ten. The veteran shot stopper 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.

The Dynamo are coming off a 2-1 home victory on Wednesday behind Guilherme’s 13th goal of the season and forward Mateusz Bogusz’s match winner in the 87th minute. Their performances earned them MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday honors for Matchday 25, marking the third time this season that both players have earned the honor together (Matchday 4 and 18). Notably, the result improved their home record to 8-2-2 (W-L-D).

The Earthquakes enter Saturday’s fixture with one win and one draw since facing Houston two weeks ago, coming off a 3-2 road win over San Diego FC on Sept. 9 and a 1-1 draw at Austin FC on Sept. 5. The team sits fifth in the Western Conference with 38 points and an 11-8-5 (W-L-D) record. Preston Judd leads San Jose’s attack with 12 goals, while Tim Werner has seven assists.

At the recent close of the league’s Secondary Transfer Window, the Dynamo announced the signing of English Premier League forward Lyle Foster on loan from Burnley FC. The South African international joins the Dynamo after spending the past four seasons with Burnley, making 89 league appearances and scoring 11 goals across the Premier League and EFL Championship, while earning 33 senior caps at the international level and scoring 11 goals. The latest transfer window saw Houston acquire two other impact players, including veteran defender **Marcelo** **Saracchi** on full transfer from the Argentinian top-flight's CA Boca Juniors on Aug. 11 and forward **Duncan** **McGuire** in a trade with Orlando City SC on July 10.

The Dynamo return to Shell Energy Stadium to host FC Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 19, for a interconference matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT, and fans can secure their tickets for the match via Tixr HERE.