Match Preview - Houston Dynamo
Game Info
Kickoff: 7:39pm CT
Watch: Apple TV
Location: Q2 Stadium - Austin, TX
All-Time H2H Record
Austin FC has a 8W-0D-5L record against Houston Dynamo.
No matter what anyone may try to tell you, the Houston Dynamo are Austin FC’s biggest rival. These two teams do not like each other. This will be the third meeting between the clubs in 2025, with the Dynamo taking the first league matchup back in April by a 2-0 scoreline and Austin FC tagging them back 3-1 a month later in the US Open Cup at Q2 Stadium.
The Verde and Black have won first, last and most in this rivalry, while Houston has only earned one result at Q2 Stadium in this head-to-head matchup, a victory in September of last year that essentially sealed the fate of their now assistant coach Josh Wolff.
Houston Dynamo Recent Form
With this being the third meeting between these two rivals, we’ll skip the customary history lesson and jump right into the latest happenings with the Dynamo.
Houston participated in Leagues Cup this year and depending on who you ask, “participate” might be a stretch. The Dynamo got waxed in Phase One by their three Liga MX opponents with an 8-2 aggregate scoreline across the eight-day stretch.
To be fair to our least favorite team, Houston did rotate heavily in their second match and to a lesser degree in their meaningless finale against Pachuca. Being knocked out of contention to advance early on helped the Dynamo pull the plug on their Leagues Cup hopes with the specific purpose of bouncing back this Saturday against Austin FC.
The Dynamo weren’t exactly firing on all cylinders in league play before the break. They’ve won just two MLS games since May 28th and only have those two wins and a draw over their last ten matches across all competitions.
To make matters worse for the Orange team their leading goal scorer, Ezequiel Ponce, has been dealing with a lower body injury that forced him to leave Houston’s last league match after just 37 minutes and limited him to just 32 minutes in Leagues Cup. I’d expect him to at least be active on the bench against ATX and I don’t think we should be shocked if he starts. A full 90 from Ponce, who has seven MLS goals this season, would surprise me. His seven goals (on 8.6 xG) have been the only thing resembling a consistent goal scoring threat for Houston this season, as no other player has more than three goals in their 2025 account (or 2.8xG).
There’s also a face unfamiliar to Austin fans who should make his Q2 Stadium debut. U22 Initiative midfielder Lawrence Ennali, who came over from his native Germany in the summer transfer window last season and tore his ACL three games in, is back to match fitness after being on the injured list for the first two meetings between these clubs this season. Ennali is a speed demon that had me wide eyed and flustered the first time I saw him burn past the San Diego FC defense for a huge goal in Houston’s 4-3 comeback road victory on July 5th.
You’ll see guys like U22 Initiative midfielder Jack McGlynn and fullback Griffin Dorsey on the ball a ton for Houston in possession. Those two are hubs for the Dynamo’s offensive progression, though if Amine Bassi or Sebastian Kowalczyk are out there they’ll also play sizeable offensive roles. With Ponce on the mend, you could see DP midfielder Ondrej Lingr get the start up top.
Not that we should be casting stones from the mid-table, but it’s Houston so I will anyways. This is not a good team coming to Q2 Stadium on Saturday night. The Dynamo are bottom half of the league in both goals scored and conceded. They struggle to create consistent offense, ranking second to last in shots on target per game, 24th in big chances created and 21st in touches in the opposition penalty area.
It doesn’t get much better on the defensive side of the ball. While Houston does have eight clean sheets on the year, equaling Austin’s current number, they’ve given up 13 more league goals than the Verde and Black. They haven’t found success pressing their opponents in 2025, ranking just 24th in possession won in the final third. They will also hack the shit out of you, as evidenced by their league leading 15.2 fouls per game and 62 yellow cards, just three off the most cautioned side in MLS.
As we discussed on both Episode 244 and Episode 245 this week, Houston is in a bad way with their playoff hopes at the moment. One model gives them just a 25% chance at qualifying for any postseason action in the fall, so it’s not just the rivalry that will have the Dynamo amped this weekend, they need a result in the worst way to help buoy their waning playoff chances.
Austin FC Recent Form
It’s been a fun month for Austin FC fans. Over the last month they’ve watched the team advance to the semi-finals of the US Open Cup and earn seven points from their three league matches, including two road wins. The city also successfully hosted the MLS All-Star week in the middle of those fixtures, making it one of the better months for the club since the magical 2022 season.
With the Leagues Cup break in the rearview, it’s time for the Verde and Black to get back to business and there’s hope bubbling under the remaining scars of failed playoff pushes from seasons past. They’re in the thick of the “make or break” stretch of the schedule, a nine-game run of league games against teams below Austin FC in the table. In fact, as things stand heading into Saturday’s match, the next six opponents aren’t just below ATX in the standings, they’re all below the wild card line in their respective conferences.
While Austin FC has fizzled out around this time over the last two seasons, they’ve got an incredible opportunity to climb the table over the next six weeks. Considering the relative parity in MLS and factoring in that three of the next six are against Copa Tejas rivals, nothing is guaranteed in this league. But sitting in sole possession of seventh place with at least one game in hand on everyone in the Western Conference but LAFC, Austin FC has kept its head above water through the toughest portions of this year’s schedule and we’re going to find out very soon just how good the 2025 version of Austin FC can be.
Part of that equation will be the new additions. Still yet to arrive in Austin, U22 Initiative center back Mateja Djordjevic is unlikely to make a big impact for the club this season. But Nicky Beloko has been here since late June, spending the last six weeks building his fitness and acclimating to the Texas heat. The 25-year-old midfielder is expected to be active on the bench this Saturday. If he can give ATX productive minutes down the stretch, that’s a big boost to a midfield that’s currently running out the older legs of Ilie Sanchez and Diego Rubio.
To the credit of that pair, their veteran presence has stabilized the team since they entered the starting group against New England back in mid July. Rubio’s distribution in the central midfield, pushing Owen Wolff towards the left wing, has done wonders for the attack, at least relative to what we saw Austin FC’s offense produce through the first half of the season. After scoring multiple goals just once through the team’s first 17 league games in 2025, the Verde and Black have bagged two goals in four of their last six.
That run includes two league goals for DP attacker Myrto Uzuni, who has picked up the slack up top after Brandon Vazquez tore his ACL in early July. We’ve also seen back-to-back goals from Owen Wolff and a continued elevation of form from DP winger Osman Bukari, who has been the most dangerous offensive player on the pitch more often than not since Austin ceased experimenting with him on the left early in the season.
Head coach Nico Estévez has run out the same XI in back-to-back road wins and like we discussed on Wednesday’s episode, unless there is a matchup based reason the coaching staff has for a change, we expect the same group to show up on the lineup card Saturday night.
Injury Report
ATX:
Brandon Vazquez (Out - Knee)
HOU:
Ezequiel Ponce (Questionable - Lower Body)
Gabe Segal (Questionable - Lower Body)
Erik Sviatchecnko (Questionable - Lower Body)
Franco Escobar (Out - Suspended)
Nelson Quinones (Out - Knee)
Andrew Tarbell (Out - Knee)
Houston Dynamo Players to Watch
Jack McGlynn - Potentially a future face in the midfield for the USMNT, the 22-year-old McGlynn has adjusted quickly to his new digs in H-Town after the offseason trade from Philadelphia, where he spent the first five years of his professional career. He’s the key to Houston’s offense, leading the team in progressive passes by a wide margin and unsurprisingly in expected assists. While McGlynn has never been much of a goal scoring threat, scoring just 10 goals over 118 career MLS appearances, he’s capable of netting one from outside the 18. Austin FC fans will remember how the game changed in Houston’s favor back in May when McGlynn was subbed on at the half of the US Open Cup Round of 16 match between the two.
Lawrence Ennali - The 23-year-old German attacking midfielder spent the early parts of the season on the injured list, but now that he’s back healthy he’s put his skills that Houston paid $2.75 million for on display during the summer months. Ennali is a burner, maybe not as fast as Osman Bukari, but his speed should worry Austin fans. The U22 Initiative players catching the ATX back line high on Saturday could spell disaster for the home team.
Ondrej Lingr - A midseason acquisition prior to the close of the primary transfer window, Lingr introduced himself to Austin FC quickly in the April meeting between these two, scoring the opening goal in Houston’s 2-0 win. He’s not a prolific goal scorer, evidenced by his one goal since April 26th, but with Ponce potentially limited on Saturday Lingr could be counted on to pick up the slack at the front for Houston.
Austin FC Keys to the Game
Fuck Houston - I don’t care if you’re one of the few remaining original Austin FC players or just arrived in Texas this transfer window. One thing every ATX player should know from the moment they put pen to paper with the club is that we hate the Houston Dynamo. Any time they’re on the schedule, anything but victory is a let down. Austin FC has won first, last and most in this rivalry. It’s what we have to cling to when the club is in the shitter and what we trumpet from the rooftops when things are going well. When you suit up for the Verde and Black and line up across from the Orange team, the mere sight of this poverty club and the inferior players they employ should be enough to get your juices flowing for victory. Fuck Houston.
Predictions
ZG - 2-1 Austin FC
E - 2-0 Austin FC
