HOUSTON (July 11, 2025) – Houston Dynamo FC travels to face Real Salt Lake on Saturday, July 12, with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT at America First Field.
Dynamo fans can support the team from Houston at Pitch 25 at the Club’s official watch party, presented by Jameson. Fans can also follow the action live via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
The entire Dynamo team will wear black armbands during Saturday's match to recognize the tragic loss of life in the Texas Hill Country during the recent devastating floods. The Club will announce additional plans to recognize and support relief and recovery efforts in the region ahead of two home matches next week.
Earlier this week, the Dynamo made a joint $500,000 donation in collaboration with Austin FC, FC Dallas and Major League Soccer, and fans can continue to support by donating to Dynamo & Dash Charities HERE.
The fixture marks the 11th matchup between the two sides in all competitions since the start of 2023 and the 41st all-time MLS regular season meeting. Houston has a 6-3-1 (WLD) record in all competitions versus Salt Lake under head coach Ben Olsen, while going undefeated versus the familiar Western Conference opponent last year.
Olsen is on the verge of a significant career milestone, sitting one victory away from 150 career MLS regular season wins. The veteran has been in the league as a player since 1998 and then coach since 2010, sitting third amongst active MLS coaches in wins and seventh all-time.
Houston is coming off a thrilling 4-3 road victory over Western Conference leaders San Diego FC. Forward Ezequiel Ponce recorded his first career MLS brace and a late stoppage-time winner, while forward Lawrence Ennali and defender Franco Escobar also found the back of the net. Notably, Ennali made his first start, another milestone in his return from a season-ending knee injury in September last season. The match also saw defender Ethan Bartlow record a career-high two assists, contributing to Ennali’s and Ponce’s goals. The performance earned Olsen, Bartlow and Ponce MLSSoccer.com Team of the Matchday.
The result handed San Diego just their second home loss of the season and lifted the Dynamo above the Western Conference playoff line, sitting eighth with 26 points and a 7-9-5 (WLD) record.
Ponce still leads the team’s attack with nine goals across all competitions, including seven in regular season play. Defender Griffin Dorsey leads the team in distribution with six assists, followed by midfielder Jack McGlynn with five.
McGlynn returns to the Dynamo this week after appearing in every match with the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup to help the team reach the Final versus Mexico at NRG Stadium in Houston, falling 2-1 in a tight match to their rivals. The red, white and blue won their group after victories over Trinidad and Tobago (5-0), Saudi Arabia (1-0) and Haiti (2-1), while advancing to the Final after victories over Costa Rica and Guatemala in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals, respectively. McGlynn recorded an assist versus Trinidad and Tobago, while scoring another goal from outside of the box versus Turkey in a pre-tournament friendly on June 7.
Notably, earlier this week, the Club reached an agreement with McGlynn to extend his contract through 2028 with a Club option for 2029. Houston acquired McGlynn from the Philadelphia Union in a historic cash-for-player trade ahead of the 2025 season, as Houston sent $2.1 million in exchange for the midfielder, marking the first cash-for-player trade for a Homegrown player in MLS history.
Since then, the 22-year-old has made 18 appearances for the Dynamo in all competitions, while netting three goals and recording five assists.
Real Salt Lake enters this weekend’s fixture following a 3-2 home victory over St. Louis CITY SC last Saturday. With the win, RSL improved to 6‑10‑4 (W‑L‑D) and climbed to 12th in the Western Conference with 22 points. Goals from Noel Caliskan, Diogo Gonçalves and a deflected own goal marked RSL’s second win in three matches. Diego Luna, who leads the team’s attack with eight goals and four assists, is also expected to rejoin Salt Lake following international duty with the USMNT at the Gold Cup.
The Dynamo will look to tie the all-time regular season series with Salt Lake at 15 wins apiece on Saturday. Since the start of 2023, the two sides have met nine times across all competitions, with Houston holding a 6-3-1 (WLD) record and going undefeated versus the Western Conference opponent last year with a 3-0-3 (WLD) record.
Houston returns to Shell Energy Stadium for a midweek matchup on Wednesday, July 16, to host Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Half-Price Beer Night. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT, and fans can secure tickets for the match HERE.
