“Houston is a cruel, crazy town on a filthy river in East Texas with no zoning laws and a culture of sex, money and violence. It’s a shabby, sprawling metropolis ruled by brazen women, crooked cops and super-rich pansexual cowboys who live by the code of the West — which can mean just about anything you need it to mean, in a pinch.”
Hunter S. Thompson
10th in the West FC Dallas (16 points, 4-4-4) hosts 12th in the West Houston Dynamo (13 points, 3-6-4) at Toyota Stadium with a 7:30 pm kickoff. This is the 2nd and final regular-season meeting between the two teams this season.
Houston would need to defeat FCD by two goals to take back El Capitán (the cannon awarded to the winner of the Texas Derby). If Houston wins by one, the series would be tied, and Dallas would keep the trophy pending a meeting in the US Open Cup or MLS playoffs.
Dallas is 1-2-3 over its last 6.
There is a drone how after the game. Stick around after the drone show to support the FC Dallas Special Olympics Unified Team against Houston.
FC Dallas and Shiner teamed up for a FCD-branded Shiner ¡Órale! FC can, available at the game.
Broadcast Info
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
– Apple TV English: Josh Eastern, Jamie Watson
– Apple TV Spanish: Jesus Acosta, Carlos Suarez
– Dallas Audio: Ryan Figert and Steve Davis.
MLS Injury/Player Availability Report
FC Dallas
Léo Chú – Knee (Out)
Geovane Jesus – Knee (Out)
Sebastian Lletget – Upper Leg (Out)
Enzo Newman – Knee (Out)
Maarten Paes – Illness (Questionable)
Suspended next yellow card: Luciano Acosta
Assistant Coach Michael Garbini is suspended for the red card he got last game.
Houston Dynamo
Lawrence Ennali – Knee (Out)
Nelson Quinones – Knee (Out)
Daniel Steres – Lower Body (Out)
Erik Sviatchenko – Lower Body (Out)
Andrew Tarbell – Knee (Out)
Suspended next yellow card: Griffin Dorsey, Ezequiel Ponce
Franco Escobar and Femi Awodesu return after red card suspensions.
FC Dallas Lineup Prediction
Maarten Paes showing up as questionable with an illness is a surprise, but that’s an easy issue; just pencil in Michael Collodi as needed.
Marco Farfan clears the injured list, but it’s too fast to start him, plus Nolan Norris is playing well. Shaq Moore didn’t show up as injured, so we assume he’ll play.
Ramiro comes off the suspended list, and with Paxton Pomykal not ready for 90 and Sebastian Lletget still hurt, Ramiro should be in.
I would like Lalas Abubakar to start at CB, but so far he’s not getting the nod over Sebastien Ibeagha, except for rest for the latter.
I’ll also roll the dice on Petar Musa being able to start with another week of training under his belt.
So far, the hybrid 4-3-1-2 (diamond 4’ish) has worked the best for Coach Eric Quill. We’ll stick with that until he finds something else. I don’t think with Ramiro, Quill can invert the middle to go 4-2-3-1.
Bench Prediction
Michael Collodi (Antonio Carrera)
Lalas Abubakar
Bernie Kamungo
Patrickson Delgado
Paxton Pomykal
Pedrinho
Logan Farrington
Marco Farfan
Tarik Scott
MLS Kit Assignments
Officials
Ref: Tori Penso
AR1: Kathryn Nesbitt
AR2: Brooke Mayo
4th: Sergii Boiko
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
AVAR: Robert Schaap
More Game Info
- FCD vs. HOU all-time: 16-13-20 (76 goals scored, 66 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. HOU home: 11-3-9 (40 goals scored, 25 goals conceded)
FC Dallas is 4-2-0 in games decided by one goal.
Dallas is 2-3-3 when conceding first and 2-2-2 when trailing at halftime.
In 2025, FC Dallas used 11 different lineups in 12 games.
Dallas is unbeaten in the last 23 MLS matches when leading at halftime (W17, D6) since May 19, 2022.
Dallas is tied in fifth in aerial challenges won with 168.
Felipe Andrade and Pablo Ortiz of the Dynamo each scored their first MLS goals during their first-career MLS starts mid-week against Minnesota United.
FCD is second in MLS in clearances with 118.
Dallas ranks 24th in xG across MLS with 15.77 xG.
Eleven right-footed goals scored by FC Dallas this season is tied for tenth most in MLS.
Dallas is currently on a seven-game undefeated streak versus the Dynamo.
At Toyota Stadium, Dallas is undefeated versus the Dynamo since 2011.
Léo Chú has the fastest speed recorded for FC Dallas this season at 35.3 KPH/21.9 MPH, ranking No. 11 in MLS.
Osaze Urhoghide is third in MLS in aerial challenges won with 39.
Osaze Urhoghide ranks No. 58 across MLS in total distance covered with 117.69 km (73.13 miles).
Maarten Paes has fisted opponents’ crosses six times, which is tied for fourth across MLS.
Shaq Moore is tied for 17th in MLS in clearances with 19.
Houston President of Soccer and former goalkeeper Pat Onstad holds the regular season series record
for victories in the Texas Derby with seven.