MATCH PREVIEW: Houston Dynamo FC host Minnesota United FC on 713 H-Town Night

HOUSTON (July 12, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC hosts Minnesota United FC on Saturday, July 13, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT. The club will support and celebrate Houston with a 713 H-Town Party at Shell Energy Stadium.

Building on this season’s new purple Still Holdin’ alternate jersey, the organization will celebrate what makes Houston great, rooted in the unique sights and sounds of Houston culture, while supporting Houstonians through hurricane relief efforts. Fans can find more information and purchase tickets to the game HERE.

Houston enters Wednesday’s game in eighth place in the Western Conference with an 8-7-6 record (WLD) and 30 points. The Dynamo have lost just once in their last seven games, while finding the back of the net 16 times in that span.

Houston is coming off an unusual week, as its game against LAFC on Saturday was postponed to a later date due to inclement weather in the Houston area, and the impacts of Hurricane Beryl continue to be felt throughout the city.

In their last game, the Dynamo were coming off a 3-2 away loss to Real Salt Lake, who currently sit second in the Western Conference. Forward Aliyu Ibrahim opened the scoring in the eighth minute, scoring his team-high sixth goal of the season. Houston then tied the game at 2-2 in the 54th minute when captain Héctor Herrera’s cross was deflected into the net by a Salt Lake defender. However, a goal from Braian Ojeda in the 67th minute sent Houston home empty-handed.

The Dynamo continue to boast one of the best defensive records of the season, even with a revamped backline that has seen seven players start due to injuries. The team has conceded 26 goals this season, which ranks second in the Western Conference. Houston leads the Western Conference with 57.9 percent possession on the season, allowing the Dynamo to control games and dictate the pace of play.

Minnesota enters Saturday’s game in 10th place in the Western Conference with an 8-9-5 record (WLD) and 29 points. The Loons are coming off a 2-1 road loss to the LA Galaxy. After trailing on a 25th-minute goal from Gabriel Pec, Minnesota’s Teemu Pukki tied the score in the 73rd minute, but Los Angeles found the winning goal in the 90th minute to break the visiting team’s hearts.

Houston and Minnesota met earlier this season in Minneapolis in a game that saw the Dynamo earn three points after a 2-1 victory. Houston opened the scoring in the 38th minute after a corner kick from forward Amine Bassi found the back of Minnesota’s Alejandro Bran’s net. Houston’s winning goal came from midfielder Sebastian Kowalczyk in the 77th minute after he created his own space on a pass from Bassi and fired the ball into the back of the net for his first career MLS goal.

The Dynamo has one former Minnesota player on their roster, midfielder Jan Gregus, who Houston signed in January. The 33-year-old from Slovakia began his MLS career with the Loons in 2019 as a Designated Player and led Minnesota to its first appearance in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2019. Gregus scored the Loons’ first-ever playoff goal in their first-round matchup against the LA Galaxy in 2019. The midfielder recorded an assist the following year in a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids in the first round of the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the Loons’ first-ever playoff triumph. Minnesota eventually reached the Western Conference Final with Greguš playing every minute of the playoffs for the club.

A player availability note for Saturday’s game is that Dynamo defender Franco Escobar will be suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Dynamo captain Héctor Herrera was recently named to the 2024 MLS All-Star Game roster. The midfielder is one of two players selected by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, along with Columbus Crew’s Darlington Nagbe. This will be Herrera’s second consecutive All-Star appearance after representing Houston in last year’s matchup against Premier League side Arsenal FC. The MLS All-Stars will face a team of LIGA MX All-Stars on July 24 in Columbus, Ohio. Dynamo fans can watch the matchup on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Additionally, last week, the Dynamo hosted the introductory press conference for forward Ezequiel Ponce. Houston signed the 27-year-old Argentine from AEK Athens in Greece for a club-record transfer fee last month. Ponce will fill a Designated Player spot and join the Dynamo on a full transfer through June 2027 with club options through December 2027 and 2028. Ponce will first be eligible to play in Houston’s July 20 match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC once the MLS secondary transfer window opens.

The Dynamo will then begin a two-game road trip to the West Coast, taking on the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, July 17 before facing Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, July 20.