FRISCO, Texas - It's time to get ready for the second leg of the Texas Derby as FC Dallas faces rivals Houston Dynamo this Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7:30PM at Shell Energy Stadium.
Here's everything you need to know before the match.
How to Watch
The match will be available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth will call the game in English on Apple TV with Ramses Sandoval and Martín Zúñiga providing Spanish commentary.
How to Listen
English: If you can't watch the match, you can listen to all the action on iHeartMedia 1190AM and the FC Dallas App. Host Sam Hale will provide pregame and postgame coverage beginning at 7:15PM with broadcasters Owen Newkirk and Steve Davis calling the game.
Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon will call the game in Spanish on 107.9 KDXX starting at 7:30PM.
Match Overview
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS
- FCD record: 10-10-10 (40 points - 9th in West)
- HOU record: 12-11-7 (43 points - 4th in West)
- FCD vs. HOU all-time: 14-13-18 (71 goal scored, 64 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. HOU away: 4-10-9 (33 goal scored, 39 goals conceded)
STORY LINES
- Battle for El Capitán: The second leg of MLS's hottest derby is here. FC Dallas travels south to take on arch rivals Houston Dynamo for possession of El Capitán, a Civil War-era replica cannon. Every year, the overall winner of the regular season series between the two clubs earns the right to keep El Capitán at their stadium for the following season. Since the teams tied 1-1 in Dallas earlier this season, FCD will keep the cannon at Toyota Stadium with a win or a draw on Saturday (the holding club retains El Capitán if the series is a tie). El Capitán has called Frisco home for four out of the last five years and FCD coach Nico Estévez would love to make it five of six with a positive result in Houston.
- Copa Tejas: El Capitán isn't the only thing at stake in Houston. Copa Tejas, the fan-inspired head-to-head competition between the three Texas MLS teams, will de decided by Saturday's outcome. Currently, Austin FC leads the standings with 6 points, followed by Houston and Dallas with 4 each. FC Dallas would claim its second Copa title with a win, while a loss would hand Houston its first. If the clubs tie, Austin would raise its second-consecutive title.*
*You may be wondering how Austin could win the Copa Tejas despite losing twice to FCD and twice to Houston this season. Basically, the MLS schedule was uneven this year with Austin hosting Dallas twice and playing in Houston twice. So, the first games between Austin/FCD and Austin/ Houston didn't count towards the Copa Tejas standings despite Austin falling in both of them. An unlucky break for Dallas and Houston but them's the rules.
- Playoff Implication and Houston's Renaissance: It's been a little while since the Texas Derby had some serious playoff implications on the line. And let's be honest, that's because Houston has rarely been in the conversation in recent years. That's all changed though. New head coach Ben Olsen has overseen a dramatic upturn in fortunes for the Dynamo, culminating with a victory in the U.S. Open Cup final over Inter Miami Wednesday night. In terms of the Western Conference outlook, Dallas sits in 9th place on 40 points while Houston is in 4th with 43 points. That's right, only 3 points separate 9th from 4th in the West so Saturday's outcome could be pivotal once Decision Day comes around. With the Texas Derby, Copa Tejas and playoffs potentially on the line, you can expect an all-out battle for three points.
