MATCH PREVIEW: Houston Dynamo FC wraps up two-game road trip at Vancouver Whitecaps FC

HOUSTON (July 19, 2024) – Houston Dynamo FC concludes its two-game road trip at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, July 20, with kickoff set for 9:30 p.m. CT. The match will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Houston enters Saturday’s game in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 9-7-7 record (WLD) and 34 points. The Dynamo have lost just once in their last nine games, while finding the back of the net 18 times in that span.

The Dynamo are coming off a 1-0 away win at the San Jose Earthquakes thanks to a late goal from defender Daniel Steres. Houston took the lead in the 86th minute when forward McKinze Gaines passed the ball to forward Amine Bassi, who centered the ball into the middle of the box where Steres volleyed home. The goal marked the California native’s first of the season, while the move marked Bassi’s team-high seventh assist. Steres’ performance earned him MLSSoccer.com’s Team of the Day honors. Additionally, Houston recorded its fifth clean sheet of the season and did not allow a single shot on goal against the Earthquakes.

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 allowed 27 goals this season, which ranks second in the Western Conference and third in MLS. Houston also leads the Western Conference with 58.5 percent possession on the season, allowing the Dynamo to control games and dictate the pace of play.

Forward Ezequiel Ponce, signed by the Dynamo last month, will be available to make his MLS debut Saturday now that the MLS secondary transfer window opened Thursday. Houston signed the 27-year-old Argentine from AEK Athens in Greece for a club-record transfer fee. Ponce will fill a Designated Player spot and join the Dynamo on a full contract through June 2027 with club options through December 2027 and 2028.

Additionally, Houston announced Thursday the signing of winger Lawrence Ennali in a full transfer from Górnik Zabrze in Poland. The deal marks the largest U22 signing in club history for the Dynamo, and the 22-year-old has signed a contract through 2026 with a club option through 2027. In three seasons in Europe, Ennali has made 70 professional appearances (40 starts), while scoring eight goals and registering two assists. The Berlin native made his professional debut with Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga in August 2021, before joining Rot-Weiss Essen on loan in the German third division for the 2022 season and Górnik Zabrze in the Polish first division for the 2023 season. Ennali helped Górnik Zabrze finish sixth in the table in the most recent campaign, scoring five goals and registering one assist.

Vancouver enters Saturday’s game in fourth place in the Western Conference with an 11-7-5 record (WLD) and 38 points. Like Houston, Vancouver is also in fine form, going undefeated in its last six games. Most recently, the Whitecaps earned a 2-1 home win over Sporting Kansas City thanks to a Sporting own goal in the 34th minute and a game-winner from Fafa Picault in the 76th minute.

The Dynamo will be looking for their first win at BC Place in Vancouver, as the Whitecaps hold a tight 10-8-5 (WLD) record against Houston in all-time regular-season meetings. However, in the most recent meeting last September, Houston defeated Vancouver 4-1 at Shell Energy Stadium thanks to goals from Héctor Herrera, Griffin Dorsey, Iván Franco and Ibrahim Aliyu.

Herrera was recently named to the roster of players set to participate in the 2024 MLS All-Star Game. 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 match 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 match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Houston will kick off Leagues Cup play next week by hosting LIGA MX team Atlas FC on July 27 and MLS team Real Salt Lake on August 5 in the group stage. Tickets for those games are available HERE.