Houston Dynamo FC
Also written as Houston.
The club
Houston Dynamo FC exist because the San Jose Earthquakes relocated. On November 16, 2005, MLS commissioner Don Garber gave the Earthquakes' owners, Anschutz Entertainment Group, permission to move the franchise, and by December 15, 2005 the players and coaches under contract to San Jose had transferred to a new team in Houston. The league kept the Earthquakes' name, colours and competition records in reserve for a possible expansion side, and that side duly launched in 2008 as a new San Jose Earthquakes, which is why the two clubs are legally and competitively separate: Houston Dynamo FC is not the San Jose Earthquakes, and the San Jose Earthquakes still play in MLS today, carrying the history and records the league held back in 2006.
The new Houston club was announced on January 25, 2006 as Houston 1836, a reference to the year of Texas independence from Mexico, and the name was dropped after protests from Hispanic communities in the city who objected to the association; it became Houston Dynamo on March 6, 2006. Ownership passed from AEG to a group including Oscar De La Hoya and Gabriel Brener in 2008, with Brener taking majority control in 2015, before Ted Segal bought the club in June 2021 for a reported 400 million dollars. The former goalkeeper Tim Howard joined the ownership group in July 2024.
The club played its first six seasons at Robertson Stadium on the University of Houston campus, capacity around 32,000, before moving in May 2012 to a new downtown soccer-specific stadium that has carried three sponsor names: BBVA Compass Stadium, then PNC Stadium, and currently Shell Energy Stadium, capacity 20,656.
Recent seasons
Houston finished bottom of the Western Conference in 2021, after which Tab Ramos was not retained as head coach. Paulo Nagamura took over for 2022 and was dismissed during the season with a record of 8 wins, 16 defeats and 5 draws. Ben Olsen was appointed for 2023 and led an immediate turnaround: a 14-11-9 record, the club's first playoff appearance since 2018, a run to the Western Conference final, and the U.S. Open Cup. Houston's 2024 and 2025 form was less consistent, and in 2025 the club finished 12th in the Western Conference and 22nd overall, missing the playoffs. Season records before 2021 were not established from the sources read here.
Honours and landmarks
MLS Cup champions in 2006 and 2007, and runners-up in 2011 and 2012. U.S. Open Cup winners in 2018 and 2023. Supporters' Shield runners-up in 2008. Houston have never won the CONCACAF Champions Cup or Champions League; their best run was a semi-final appearance in 2007, lost 5-2 after extra time to Pachuca of Mexico.
Notable scorelines
The 2006 MLS Cup final finished 1-1 after extra time, Taylor Twellman equalising for New England Revolution in the 113th minute before Brian Ching levelled for Houston a minute later; Houston won the penalty shootout 4-3, the first MLS Cup ever decided that way, with Brad Davis's miss saved by Matt Reis and Jay Heaps then missing to hand Houston the title. The following year Houston beat New England 2-1 in the final at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., Joseph Ngwenya equalising in the 61st minute and Dwayne De Rosario heading the winner in the 74th, after Houston switched to an attacking 3-5-2 for the second half; De Rosario was named the match's most valuable player. In the 2007 Western Conference final Houston lost the first leg 1-0 away to FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park before winning the return 4-1 after extra time at Robertson Stadium, going through 4-2 on aggregate.
The 2018 U.S. Open Cup final was won 3-0 against Philadelphia Union, and the 2023 final was won 2-1 against Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on September 27, 2023, Griffin Dorsey scoring in the 24th minute and Amine Bassi converting a 33rd-minute penalty before Josef Martínez pulled one back in second-half stoppage time; Inter Miami were without the injured Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba. Dorsey was named man of the match. Among the heaviest defeats, Houston lost 6-1 to Gamba Osaka in the 2008 CONCACAF Champions' Cup and were beaten 3-1 by LA Galaxy in the 2012 MLS Cup final at the Home Depot Center, Omar Gonzalez and two Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan penalties doing the damage after Calen Carr had put Houston ahead in the 44th minute. Houston also lost the 2011 MLS Cup final 1-0 to LA Galaxy, Landon Donovan scoring the only goal in the 72nd minute off a David Beckham and Robbie Keane move. Houston's all-time record MLS league win and record league defeat were not established from the sources read here.
Head-to-head notes
FC Dallas are Houston's main rival, the fixture known as the Texas Derby; since Austin FC joined MLS in 2021 the three Texas clubs have also contested the Copa Tejas. The most significant Texas Derby meeting was the 2007 Western Conference final described above, which Houston won 4-2 on aggregate on the way to a second straight MLS Cup. Houston's full head-to-head record against FC Dallas across all competitions was not established from the sources read here.
Right now (2026)
Ben Olsen is in his fourth season as head coach. As of August 23, 2026, Houston sit second in the Western Conference and fourth overall in MLS, with a record of 12 wins, 2 draws and 7 defeats from 21 matches, 30 goals scored and 26 conceded for a goal difference of plus four and 38 points. The season opened with a 2-1 home win over Chicago Fire on February 21, and results since have been mixed, including a 0-2 home defeat to LAFC and a 6-2 away loss at Colorado Rapids on April 11, alongside wins including 1-0 over Orlando City on April 18 and 1-0 at home to Colorado Rapids on May 2. Their overall league position has secured qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup as the second-highest-ranked MLS club not already qualified, entering at the Round One stage. Houston's participation and progress in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup were not established from the sources read here.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Dynamo_FC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_U.S._Open_Cup_final https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_MLS_Cup_Playoffs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_MLS_Cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_MLS_Cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_MLS_Cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_MLS_Cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Houston_Dynamo_FC_season
Researched and written for not4quarters. Where a fact could not be established from the sources read, this page says so rather than guessing.