The Houston Dynamo returns to this new season with the certainty of knowing they can be contenders
for the MLS Cup.
After a great 2023, the first season under coach Ben Olsen, the Dynamo showed that there is a way to
be contenders again. This squad was strong at home and got points on the road, that is a formula to stay
high in the standings and to qualify for the playoffs. This offseason, the front office made sure the squad
got all the best resources and moved some pieces to be ready to face four competitions this 2024.
US Open Cup:
As reigning champions of the Open Cup, Houston will battle to win back-to-back titles. Last year, despite
being the underdogs, they won the title in Miami. Even though this competition is not the most
important one during the season, it gives a big prize which is playing in an international tournament.
CONCACAF Champions Cup:
Talking about big prizes, the Houston Dynamo won a spot at the CONCACAF Cup last season after winning the US Open Cup. Last time Houston played in this regional competition was 2019. Also, they
qualified for it after winning its first Open Cup.
Last time, they played two rounds and were eliminated by Tigres from Liga MX. This season they will face
St. Louis, (who is playing this tournament for the first time and qualified to it by being one of the teams
with the most points in MLS) in the first round.
There is a big possibility for Houston to move further into the competition, but the reality is that they
are not contenders in this tournament. However, we know that by having exposure at the international
level is always a must for a club which wants to be one of the best ones in their region.
Leagues Cup:
The Leagues Cup is an interesting tournament where all clubs from both MLS and Liga MX played.
Dynamo this 2024 will be part of Group 8 on the West along with MLS Real Salt Lake City and Atlas from
Liga MX. This tournament is in the middle of the MLS season, therefore there is low expectation on how
the Dynamo will play it. On one hand, they can focus on this tournament if the results in their MLS
games are not good enough to compete for the playoffs. However, if they are having a strong MLS
season, they might use alternative squads to play their matches, and with that, reducing their
possibilities to win the tournament.
MLS:
Despite having four tournaments, the Houston Dynamo is focusing on winning its third MLS title. This is
what fans want and deserve after many years of being one of the worst teams in the league. Also, this is
the goal for the club’s owner Ted Seagal and everyone in the organization.
Is this team ready to win a title? Yes, it is ready. The Orange have already many key pieces to have a
strong contender for the title. But they need a few things as well. Houston was a team that struggle in
defense a lot. It received a few goals in the last minutes of games and did not perform well when they
had alternative squads. This squad needs to have a solid defense and hopefully continue with their winning formula from last season, which was being strong at home and getting some points on the road
against key rivals.
Houston’s home opener is this Saturday, February 24 at Shell Energy Stadium where they will host Sporting KC.
