Houston Dynamo

Bringing an MLS club to the Bayou City

MLS Commissioner Don Garber revealed on November 16, 2005 that the league had granted permission to San Jose Earthquakes' owners Anschutz Entertainment Group to relocate the team for the 2006 season, giving the entertainment giant 30 days to make a decision. Garber was in Houston and spoke with the media before an international friendly between Mexico and Bulgaria at Reliant Stadium, citing Houston as a next destination for an MLS club whether the Earthquakes moved or not.^[3]

"This is the market they've got their sights set on. This is a market that we've got investor interest, we've got sponsor interest, we've got media interest. This is a market that's going to be terrific for us. We will have a team in Houston in due time. The question is whether we have one as early as 2006 as part of a move, or as an expansion team. We'll get a team here, there's no doubt in our mind."

— MLS Commissioner Don Garber, in an interview with the Associated Press,^[3] printed November 16, 2005

On December 15, 2005, Major League Soccer announced the relocation of the San Jose franchise, along with all players and coaches under contract, to Houston.^[4] The Earthquakes name, colors and competition records were retained by the league for a possible expansion team. According to MLS, AEG had invested more than $20 million in the Earthquakes since purchasing the team in 2003 and suffered significant losses during that period because of its stadium deal.^[4] AEG had previously considered Houston as a site to relocate to and entered "positive discussions" about finding a soccer stadium in Houston.^[5]

A ceremony was held outside Houston City Hall on December 16, 2005, to officially announce the franchise's arrival. Mayor Bill White joined city council members, Harris County officials, local soccer organizers and fans in welcoming team coach Dominic Kinnear and players Pat Onstad and Wade Barrett with cowboy boots and hats. It was disclosed that the team would train and play at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium on a three-year lease with the university earning a percentage of the revenues from concessions, parking and other sources.^[7]

In an immediate effort to plant roots in the community, AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke announced former Houston Oilers quarterback Oliver Luck as the team's president and general manager. A previous NFL Europe executive, Luck had served as the head of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority since 2001 and was instrumental in pursuing an MLS team for the city while also overseeing the construction of Minute Maid Park (home of the Astros), Reliant Stadium (home to the Texans) and the Toyota Center (home to the Rockets) during his tenure.^[7]

Inaugural season (2006)

Paul Dalglish holds the trophy after the 2006 MLS Cup victory

The Dynamo played their first MLS league game on April 2, 2006, at Robertson Stadium in front of a crowd of 25,462. The Dynamo beat the Colorado Rapids 5–2, with Brian Ching scoring four goals, with all four assisted by Dwayne De Rosario. Later in the season, Houston beat established MLS clubs such as D.C. United, Los Angeles Galaxy, New England Revolution, Chicago Fire and FC Dallas.

The Dynamo finished their first season with an 11–8–13 record, earning them second place in the Western Conference. In the Conference semi-final playoffs, they beat Chivas USA. They beat Colorado Rapids 3–1 in the Western Conference Final to advance to the MLS Cup.

Houston beat the New England Revolution 4–3 on penalty kicks after a 1–1 tie to win the 2006 MLS Cup on November 12, 2006, at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The game was scoreless until the second half of extra time when New England's Taylor Twellman scored. One minute later, Brian Ching headed in the tying goal for Houston, and for the first time in MLS history, the championship was decided by a penalty shootout. Kelly Gray and Stuart Holden scored Houston's first two penalty kicks. Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Ching scored the last two. Goalkeeper Pat Onstad saved New England's Jay Heaps penalty kick to secure the MLS Cup for Houston. By winning the 2006 MLS Cup, Houston qualified for the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

2007 season: Repeat

Houston began the 2007 season by competing in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. After winning a quarterfinal against Costa Rican team Puntarenas F.C., Houston exited the competition in the semi-finals, beating Mexican team Pachuca 2–0 in the first leg but losing 5–2 after extra time in the return leg.

Houston began its 2007 MLS league season with shutouts against Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. Houston then struggled in the regular season, losing against New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire, Toronto FC, and New England Revolution. Due to their success in winning the MLS Cup in their first season, Houston was invited to spend the day at the White House on May 29, 2007, and meet with President George W. Bush.

President George W. Bush and the 2007 Dynamo squad after the second MLS Cup victory

Houston made some significant trades during the 2007 season They traded Kevin Goldthwaite and a first-round pick in the 2008 SuperDraft to Toronto FC for Richard Mulrooney. They traded Alejandro Moreno to Columbus Crew in exchange for Joseph Ngwenya. And they traded Kelly Gray to Los Angeles Galaxy for Nate Jaqua. After regrouping and pulling off a win against FC Dallas, Houston began an unbeaten streak of eleven games and a shutout streak of 726 minutes,^[8] a new MLS record.

Houston also competed in the inaugural North American SuperLiga, where they dominated the group stages, before losing in a semi-final shootout against Pachuca.

Houston finished in second place in the regular season in the Western Conference, advancing to the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs, where they met FC Dallas in the first round. Dallas won the first leg 1–0, but Houston won the second leg at Robertson Stadium, 4–1 in extra time, to win 4–2 on aggregate. Houston faced the Kansas City Wizards in the Western Conference final, winning 2–0 to advance to the MLS Cup championship game for the second year in a row. Just like in 2006, Houston faced the New England Revolution for the championship. Houston won 2–1 on a game-winning goal by Dwayne De Rosario in the second half, thus winning their second MLS Cup in a row.

Partnership with Golden Boy promotions

Late in 2007, Major League Soccer informed Dynamo owners Anschutz Entertainment Group that they should divest their interest in the Dynamo, as they wanted each ownership group to own only one team. AEG also owns the Los Angeles Galaxy.^[9] On November 21, 2007, it was announced that AEG was in negotiations to sell the Dynamo to a partnership of Brener International Group and Golden Boy Promotions, owned by the famed boxer Oscar De La Hoya.^[10]

On February 26, 2008 Houston Dynamo President Oliver Luck revealed the planned negotiations to the media stating that the Houston Dynamo would be managed in majority by original owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (who held 50% of ownership) along with newfound partners Gabriel Brener, head of Brener International Group, and multiple World and Olympic boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya (each with 25% ownership).^[11] De La Hoya has been seen wearing Dynamo colors on his boxing uniform with a small Houston Dynamo logo on his right leg in a fight against boxer Steve Forbes. He has also pledged to help find Dynamo a soccer-specific stadium, though he has been too busy with training to participate significantly in Dynamo decision-making. He has said he would become more involved once he retires in 2009.^[12]

2008 season

The Dynamo started early competing in the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship debuted on February 20, 2008, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Houston qualified to participate in the tournament via their win as MLS Cup Champions. The Houston Dynamo won their first match against Sydney FC, before finishing second place after their 6–1 loss to Gamba Osaka in the final match. The Dynamo was back on the pitch competing in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup (qualifying as the 2007 MLS Cup Champions). The Dynamo played Municipal in the Quarterfinals winning 3–1 on aggregate (0–0, 3–1) at Robertson Stadium. The club lost to Deportivo Saprissa on 3–0 aggregate (0–0, 0–3) at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa.

Brian Mullan vs. the New York Red Bulls during the 2008 Western Conference Semi-finals at Robertson Stadium.

The Houston Dynamo season began with its home opener in a 3–3 draw with Texas Derby rival, FC Dallas, after falling behind twice before a game-tying goal in the 93rd minute. The Dynamo went 0–2–4, before getting their first league win of the season in a 2–1 win over the Colorado Rapids. The Dynamo went on a 5–0–4 run to finish the season 13–5–12, claiming 1st in the Western Conference and 2nd overall (behind the Columbus Crew). The Western Conference Semi-finals was played against the New York Red Bulls with the first leg finishing in a 1–1 draw at Giants Stadium, and the second leg moving to Robertson Stadium where the Red Bulls defeated the Dynamo 0–3 in front of more than 30,000 fans.

2009 season

The Dynamo started the new year with a quick exit from the 2008–09 CONCACAF Champions League with a 1–4 aggregate loss (1–1, 0–3) to Atlante in the quarterfinals.

In the regular season, Houston went on an 11-game unbeaten streak (8–0–3) early in the season before losing to the Los Angeles Galaxy in June. The Dynamo were inconsistent the rest of the season while dealing with international competition, but still finished the season tied for first in the Western Conference with a 13–8–9 record. However, despite their better goal differential, they finished second in the Western Conference, because they lost the regular season series to the Galaxy.

The 2009 Western Conference Final in which the Dynamo were defeated by the Los Angeles Galaxy

In the playoffs, Houston beat the Seattle Sounders 1–0 on aggregate in extra time. The Dynamo then lost 0–2 in extra time to the Galaxy in the Western Conference final, in a game that was interrupted several times due to rolling blackouts in Los Angeles.

The Dynamo reached the semi-finals of the 2009 U.S. Open Cup before losing to the expansion Seattle Sounders FC 1–2 in extra time, after former Dynamo player Nate Jaqua scored the game-tying goal in the 89th minute.

2010 season

During the 2009–10 offseason, the Dynamo saw the departures of two key players, Ricardo Clark to Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuart Holden to Bolton Wanderers.

The 2010 season kicked off with a 1–1 draw against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park. In the home opener against Real Salt Lake, Brian Ching suffered a hamstring strain which kept him out for 4–6 weeks. The Dynamo won the game, 2–1, on a pair of penalty goals by Brad Davis. Geoff Cameron was the next player to be lost during the season, after rupturing his PCL during a game against the Chicago Fire; the Fire won the game, 2–0. Cameron returned in August and scored a 70th-minute header from a free kick against D.C. United in the Dynamo's 3–1 win on September 25 in RFK Stadium. The majority of the season saw the Dynamo win, lose, and tie almost in that order (while going winless during the months of June and July) with the club losing out on the playoffs by Week 17, going only 4–7–2 since then. The Dynamo finished the season 9–15–6 (7th in the West, 12th overall) and missed the playoffs for the first time since moving to Houston during the 2005–06 offseason. The Dynamo finished strong, however, with the club's only winning streak at the end of the season against playoff-bound teams at San Jose (1–0) on October 16 and at home against Seattle (2–1) on October 23.

During the 2010 season, the Dynamo continued their season with the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club defeated Miami FC, 1–0, on June 29 before losing to Chivas USA, 1–3 in the Quarterfinals on July 6 (both games at Robertson Stadium). The Dynamo also competed in the 2010 North American SuperLiga, winning the group before exiting after a 0–1 loss to Morelia on August 5 at Robertson Stadium.

2011 season

The Dynamo switched to the Eastern Conference from the Western Conference for the 2011 season, after teams were added in Vancouver and Portland. The team ended the regular season in second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of twelve wins, nine losses, and thirteen draws for 49 points. This record was fueled by MVP candidate Brad Davis's league-leading 16 assists.

In the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Dynamo were matched up in a series against the Philadelphia Union, which the Dynamo won 3–1 in the home and home series. For the Eastern Conference Final, the Dynamo traveled to Kansas City. Brad Davis was injured in the first half, but despite this blow, the Dynamo scored twice to earn their ticket to the MLS Final and a chance to face the Los Angeles Galaxy. Los Angeles's Home Depot Center had been selected to host the 2011 MLS Final. Two seasons prior, the Dynamo faced the Galaxy there in the Western Conference Final, during which several blackouts occurred. The Dynamo were not able to power through the game, surrendering a goal to Landon Donovan in the 72nd minute.

2012 season: A new stadium

The Dynamo played their first seven MLS regular season matches on the road because BBVA Compass Stadium, the new home of the Dynamo, was being constructed and eventually opened on May 12, 2012. The Dynamo began the 2012 season with a bang, winning their first two matches away at Chivas USA and the San Jose Earthquakes but they were only able to earn another two points from their next five matches, for a total of eight points.

After completion of their new stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium, the Dynamo made a victorious home debut on May 12, 2012, vs. D.C. United thanks to a Brad Davis strike in front of a capacity crowd of 22,039 that would mark the beginning of what would be an unbeaten year for the Dynamo at home, posting a year-end home record of 11–0–6. The Dynamo's MLS regular season was marked by ups and downs and changes in formation from a 4–4–2 to 4–3–3 and back again by long-time manager Dominic Kinnear. Despite star center back Geoff Cameron's transfer to Stoke City midseason, The Dynamo went unbeaten with a record of 5–0–2 from July 3 to August 3, marked by superb play from captain Brad Davis, Calen Carr, newcomer Macoumba Kandji, new designated player Oscar Boniek García, and the emergence of Will Bruin as a prominent goalscorer, who subsequently went on to lead the Dynamo in scoring with 12 regular season goals. However, some late season lapses caused the Dynamo to drop from second to fifth in the Eastern Conference and only make the playoffs as the wild card.

In the playoffs, the Dynamo traveled to Chicago to face the Chicago Fire in the MLS Wild Card Match. Buoyed by 2 goals by Will Bruin, the Dynamo held on to a 2–1 victory in Chicago. The Dynamo then faced the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, which was played over two legs. Behind goals from Adam Moffat and Will Bruin, Houston extended their unbeaten streak at home to 29 games in all competitions, handing Kansas City a 2–0 loss in the first leg in front of 20,689 fans at BBVA Compass Stadium. In front of a crowd of 20,894, Kansas City defeated the Dynamo 1–0, but the Dynamo survived 2–1 on aggregate.

The Dynamo advanced to face D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Finals, with the first leg being played in Houston. Houston won the first leg 3–1, behind goals from Andre Hainault, Will Bruin, and Kofi Sarkodie in front of 22,101. In the second leg, a 33rd-minute goal from Oscar Boniek García gave the Dynamo a 1–1 draw, and the Dynamo held on for a 4–2 aggregate win and advanced to their second straight MLS Cup to face the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Calen Carr lies injured as David Beckham looks on during the 2012 MLS Cup

MLS Cup 2012 was hosted by L.A. in a rematch of the 2011 MLS Cup, this time in front of a sellout crowd of 30,510. After getting a goal from Calen Carr in the 44th minute, the Dynamo held a 1–0 halftime lead. However, the 2nd half turned the game on its head, beginning with Carr's ACL tear suffered in the 59th minute. One minute after this injury, the Galaxy equalized through Omar Gonzalez's header. Five minutes later, Landon Donovan sealed the Dynamo's fate just as he had the year before with a penalty after Ricardo Clark handled the ball in the area. Robbie Keane added a third goal for L.A. in stoppage time, and L.A. were crowned MLS Champions for 2012.

The Houston Dynamo managed significant achievements during 2012. During the 2012 season, they were undefeated at home, part of what would eventually become a 36-match unbeaten streak in all competitions that stretched across two stadiums and parts of three seasons.^[13] Will Bruin emerged in his 2nd year with the team as their leading goal-scorer. Newly acquired Designated Player Oscar Boniek García had a productive half-season, and by season's end had won MLS Latin Player of the Year honors. Their MLS Cup appearance in 2012 marked the Dynamo's fourth MLS Cup appearance in their seven-year existence in the league. The Dynamo topped their group in the 2012–13 CONCACAF Champions League, where they moved on to face Santos Laguna in the round of 16 of the competition to be played March 5, 2013. By finishing as runners-up in MLS Cup, they were awarded a berth in the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League as well.

2013 season

The 2013 Dynamo season saw the men in orange continue their home dominance with a 9–4–4 record. Their 36 consecutive game home-win streak was ended by Sporting Kansas City on May 12, 2013, in a 0–1 loss during which Aurelien Collin heading home the winner. Nevertheless, the Dynamo would make the playoffs yet again as a 4-seed with a 14–11–9 overall record. Houston faced Montreal in a heated contest for the MLS Wildcard Match to open the postseason at BBVA Compass Stadium. Will Bruin continued his torrid postseason run of goals with a brace in a 3–0 rout against Le Impact.

The Dynamo then had to face New York Red Bulls who had bested them during the regular season in all three meetings, and it looked like they would thrash the Dynamo in the playoffs as well after the Red Bulls jumped out to a 2–0 lead during the first leg in Houston. Ricardo Clark was able to get on the board at the 50', and Omar Cummings, recently returned to full form, scored in stoppage time to complete the Dynamo exciting comeback. The 2nd leg in New York proved to be just as exciting. Bradley Wright-Phillips put the Red Bulls in the series lead again in the 23', but Brad Davis punished a mistake from the Red Bull defense to level the score before the half. Enter Omar Cummings for the second time, and for a second time, he scored a thrilling stoppage-time goal to put the Houston Dynamo into the Conference Championship for the 3rd consecutive year.

Unfortunately for the Dynamo, that would be as far as they would go. After an uninspired draw at home against Sporting Kansas City, the future champions, the Dynamo would fall 2–1 to Sporting on the return leg in Kansas. However, 2013 would still be considered another in a long line of successes for the Dynamo, and the team had their core players all locked into long-term contracts for the future.

2014 season

On July 1, 2014, following two years without jersey sponsorship, Houston Dynamo announced a multi-year jersey sponsorship with BHP Billiton. Dominic Kinnear was the head coach. Brad Davis was the team captain. On July 23, 2014, the Dynamo signed DeMarcus Beasley from Puebla. The team finished 8th in the Eastern Conference, having the 14th most points in the nineteen-team league, and did not make the playoffs.

2015 season

Along with Sporting Kansas City, The Dynamo moved to the Western Conference before the start of the season. Owen Coyle was named the new head coach, and Brad Davis continued as captain. Houston finished eighth in the Western Conference, and finished fifteenth in the twenty-team league, again failing to make the playoffs.

2016 season

On May 25, 2016, the Houston Dynamo announced that they were parting ways with head coach Owen Coyle, by mutual agreement. On June 7, Wade Barrett took over as head coach. That season they went on to finish tenth and last in the West on thirty-four points with an average attendance of approximately 20,000. Wilmer Cabrera was named the new head coach on October 28, 2016, replacing Wade Barrett.

2017 season

This season saw the first season with Wilmer Cabrera and the first playoff clinch for the Houston Dynamo since 2013, where they lost to the Seattle Sounders in the MLS Western Conference Finals.

2018 season

This season saw the first U.S. Open Cup title in franchise history and a guaranteed spot in the CONCACAF Champions League

Name

Houston announced the name "Dynamo", on March 7, 2006, which refers to Houston's energy-based industrial economy, as well as a previous Houston soccer team, Houston Dynamos who played in the Lone Star Soccer Alliance and United Soccer League. The official reason for the name is that "Dynamo is a word to describe someone who never fatigues, never gives up. The name is symbolic of Houston as an energetic, hard-working, risk-taking kind of town." The name "Dynamo" is also an homage to teams based out in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union: Dinamo Tbilisi, Dinamo Batumi, Dynamo Kyiv, Dinamo București, Dynamo Moscow and Dinamo Zagreb.^[14] The team colors are orange, white, and "Space City" blue or "Luv Ya Blue" (light blue), meant as a symbol of the city of Houston flag which is light blue and of yet another team in Houston's sports history – the Houston Oilers of the NFL.

Originally, on January 25, 2006, the team had announced that Houston 1836 would be the team name. This followed an online survey for the fans to provide suggestions for the name. According to MLS & AEG, who chose the name, the 1836 name referred to the year that the city of Houston was founded by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen. The name had perceived ambiguity, however, as it is also the year of Texan independence from Mexico. Houston 1836's logo featured a silhouette of General Sam Houston, one of Houston's and Texas' most famous historical figures. The choice of Houston 1836 soon became a political issue. It raised a furor among some locals of Hispanic descent, a major target audience, who related 1836 with the war for Texas independence. Due to protests from Hispanic fans, the name was changed to the Dynamo. MLS has since not allowed any online surveys to name expansion teams.

Uniform history

2006

2007–2008

2009–2010

2011-2012

2013–2014

2015–2016

The Houston Dynamo have always worn an orange top as their primary jersey adorned with three white stripes over the shoulder. On several occasions, the first kit has featured a touch of "Space City Blue" to incorporate the City of Houston. The orange jersey has mostly been accompanied by white shorts except on occasions when the team has worn all-orange. Adidas has been the only kit brand worn in the club's history because of the manufacturer's deal with Major League Soccer.

During their first 10 seasons, the Dynamo wore a white jersey as part of their secondary kit. The white top has been accompanied by orange or white shorts. In 2016, the club introduced an all-black kit as their secondary uniform. The club also featured an all-orange kit – a different shade of orange – as a third kit during the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

The Dynamo's first jersey sponsor was Amigo Energy, announced as a four-year, $7.5 million sponsorship.^[15] The team debuted their newly sponsored kits in a 1–0 home win over rival FC Dallas on August 19, 2007, and donned the energy company as a sponsor until the end of the 2010 season. Before the start of the 2011 season, Greenstar Recycling was announced as the second jersey sponsor in club history. The agreement with Greenstar was a three-year deal - with two option years - worth $12.7 million^[16] and made them the club's recycling partner ahead of the move to BBVA Compass Stadium the following year. After being bought out by Waste Management in February 2013, Greenstar asked to terminate their sponsorship^[17][18] and the Dynamo played with a blank jersey during the 2013 season. Oil giant BHP Billiton signed on as the club's third jersey sponsor in 2014, in a deal that also included sponsoring the Houston Dash.^[19]

BBVA Compass Stadium

BBVA Compass Stadium is the current home of the Houston Dynamo.

On December 2, 2010, Harris County and the Houston Sports Authority reached an agreement for the 20,000–22,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in Downtown Houston east of Minute Maid Park, across Highway 59 which would be the third sporting facility for Downtown Houston. The venue, now known as BBVA Compass Stadium, opened on May 12, 2012, against D.C. United.

On February 5, 2011, Houston Dynamo players, accompanied by Dynamo owner Philip Anschutz and Equity Partners Oscar De La Hoya and Gabriel Brener, Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Harris County Judge Ed Emmitt, Houston Dynamo President Chris Canetti, amongst others, participated in the groundbreaking of the Dynamo's new stadium in front of a few thousand fans. Construction began later that month.

Spectators will be able to experience unobstructed views from both the lower and upper seating bowls, which are supported by a single concourse.^[20] The concourse provides full access around the stadium with easy access to concession and toilet facilities.^[20] The fan experience will be enhanced by modern sound and video elements throughout the stadium.^[20] Fully integrated broadcast facilities will allow viewers and listeners to feel part of the atmosphere.^[20]

Aside from Major League Soccer and international soccer matches, the new Dynamo stadium also hosts Texas Southern University football, concerts, boxing matches, and much more.^[20] With its downtown location, the new stadium is now a part of a true Stadium District, which already features Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center, as well as other amenities and attractions such as the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Hilton Americas, Discovery Green, and Houston Pavilions.

Houston Sports Park

HSP is the permanent home and professional training center for the Dynamo first team and youth academy.

The training facility for the Dynamo first team and academy teams is located at the Houston Sports Park (HSP). Opened in 2011, the complex features seven soccer fields, field lighting, and parking. All of the fields feature Bermuda grass, except one that contains FieldTurf. One of the fields, entitled the Methodist Champions Field, is reserved exclusively for use by the Dynamo and visiting professional teams. The remaining fields are available for public rental. The training facility includes a Methodist Hospital physical therapy center and Athlete Training + Health Performance facility. The complex, located 10 miles south of BBVA Compass Stadium, was built through a partnership with the City of Houston.

On April 26, 2014, the Houston Dynamo announced the formation of a U-23 team.^[21]

Supporters

Texian Army is one of the Supporter Clubs of the Dynamo

The Dynamo enjoyed good fan support in its first season. Their first ever match attracted 25,462 fans against Colorado Rapids on April 2, 2006. Attendance gradually declined throughout the remainder of the spring and summer months. During July and August, they played five matches at Robertson Stadium, and the average attendance for those matches was 10,348.

The team's attendance figures received a boost on August 9 when they played a game against Los Angeles Galaxy in Houston's Reliant Stadium as part of a double-header, with the other game being an exhibition match between FC Barcelona and Mexican side Club América, which attracted a crowd of 70,550. Home attendance began to rise again as the weather cooled and the playoffs approached.

For the 2006 season, they averaged 18,935 over the 16 regular season home games. Attendance remained high during their playoff run, where home attendance was 17,440 and 23,107 in games against Chivas USA and Colorado Rapids. Dynamo fans contributed greatly to the sell-out crowd of 22,427 in the 2006 MLS Cup, which was played about 275 miles (450 km) from Houston, in Frisco, Texas.

There are currently four officially recognized Supporter groups, Texian Army, La Bateria, Brickwall Firm and El Batallón.^[22]

Mascot

In 2007, Houston started a search for a mascot by asking members of the Art Institute of Houston to submit drawings, from which several finalists were selected and an official mascot would be decided through an online poll, both for the mascot design and name. The winning design, by Eric Hulsey and Leslie Lopez, was of an orange-haired fox and named Dynamo Diesel. He was unveiled at Houston Zoo on April 3, 2007.^[23] Dynamo Diesel began working alongside the Houston Dynamo marketing and community outreach programs. He is not only present at games, cheering on the team, but also joins the Houston dancers, the Dynamo Girls^[24] helping to promote the Dynamo in Houston.^[25] The Dynamo Girls, the Houston Dynamos' cheer-leaders were featured in an episode of the MTV reality series Made.

Rivalries

Brian Ching dribbles through two FC Dallas players

The Houston Dynamo's main regional rival is FC Dallas who play in the Texas Derby.

The Dynamo have also developed an intra-league rivalry with Sporting Kansas City.^[26]

Television

Radio

In February 2016, the Dynamo announced the start of a new multiyear deal with CBS Radio Houston. CBS Sports Radio 650 will serve as the home of the Dynamo with specific games airing on SportsRadio 610.^[54] CBS Sports Radio 650 will also broadcast a half-hour pregame and ancillary programming such as The Players Show and The Coaches Show, both of which will also be broadcast on KKHH 95.7 HD-3 as well as streaming online at www.houston.cbslocal.com, and via the Radio.com app. Promotional partnerships will extend across the FM brands with on-air features and programming airing on their sister radio stations.

Current roster

As of August 3, 2018^[56]

No.	Position	Player	Nation
1	Goalkeeper	Tyler Deric (HGP)	United States
2	Defender	Alejandro Fuenmayor	Venezuela
3	Defender	Adolfo Machado	Panama
4	Defender	Philippe Senderos	Switzerland
5	Midfielder	Juan David Cabezas	Colombia
6	Midfielder	Eric Alexander	United States
7	Defender	DaMarcus Beasley	United States
8	Midfielder	Memo Rodríguez (HGP)	United States
9	Forward	Mauro Manotas	Colombia
10	Midfielder	Tomás Martínez (DP)	Argentina
11	Midfielder	Andrew Wenger	United States
12	Midfielder	Arturo Álvarez	El Salvador
13	Midfielder	Luis Gil (on loan from Querétaro)	United States
14	Defender	Adam Lundkvist	Sweden
15	Defender	Dylan Remick	United States
16	Defender	Kevin Garcia	United States
17	Forward	Alberth Elis (DP)	Honduras
18	Goalkeeper	Chris Seitz	United States
19	Forward	Mac Steeves	United States
20	Defender	A. J. DeLaGarza	Guam
21	Forward	Ronaldo Peña	Venezuela
22	Defender	Leonardo	Brazil
23	Goalkeeper	Joe Willis	United States
24	Midfielder	Darwin Cerén	El Salvador
25	Midfielder	Eric Bird	United States
26	Goalkeeper	Michael Nelson	United States
27	Midfielder	Oscar Boniek García	Honduras
30	Defender	Conor Donovan	United States
31	Forward	Romell Quioto	Honduras
33	Defender	Jared Watts	United States

Designated Players

Name	Pos.	Nationality	Years as DP	Years with Team
Luis Angel Landin	FW	Mexico	2009-2010	2009-2010
Boniek Garcia	MF	Honduras	2012-2014	2012–present
Alexander Lopez	MF	Honduras	2013-2015	2013-2015
DaMarcus Beasley	DF	United States	2014-2016	2014–present
Mauro Manotas	FW	Colombia	2016-2017	2015–present
Erick Torres	FW	Mexico	2015–2018	2015–2018
Alberth Elis	FW	Honduras	2017–present	2017–present
Tomas Martinez	MF	Argentina	2017–present	2017–present

Head coaches

Wilmer Cabrera is the current head coach

Name	Nationality	Tenure
Dominic Kinnear	United States	December 16, 2005 – October 25, 2014
Owen Coyle	Republic of Ireland	December 9, 2014 – May 25, 2016
Wade Barrett (interim)	United States	May 28, 2016 – October 26, 2016[57]
Wilmer Cabrera	Colombia	October 28, 2016 – present

General managers

Name	Nat	Tenure
Dominic Kinnear	United States	2005–2014
Matt Jordan	United States	2014–present

Staff

As of August 10, 2016^[58][59][60]

Executive
Majority owner	Gabriel Brener
Minority owners	Oscar De La Hoya, Ben Guill, Jake Silverstein
President	Chris Canetti
General manager/vice president	Matt Jordan
Assistant general manager/director of soccer operations	Nick Kowba
Coaching staff
Head coach	Wilmer Cabrera
Associate head coach	Michael Dellorusso
Assistant coach	Davy Arnaud
Goalkeeper coach	Paul Rogers
Sports performance director/fitness coach	Paul Caffrey
Performance analyst	Oliver Gage
Equipment manager	Chris Maxwell
Assistant equipment manager	Eddie Cerda
Director of sports medicine/head athletic trainer	Theron Enns
Assistant athletic trainer	Chris Rumsey

International

• North American SuperLiga
  • Runners-up: 2008

Domestic

• MLS Cup
  • Winners (2): 2006, 2007
  • Runners-up (2): 2011, 2012
• Supporters' Shield
  • Runners-up: 2008
• U.S. Open Cup
  • Winners: 2018

Record vs opposing MLS teams at BBVA Compass Stadium

Every active MLS club has played at BBVA Compass Stadium at least once. Chivas USA made its only visit on September 21, 2013, before folding after the 2014 season.

Note †: club no longer exists

International tournaments

The Dynamo participated in competition against international clubs for the two years following their inaugural season. By virtue of their MLS Cup victories, the Dynamo entered the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the North American SuperLiga. During the 2008 season, the Dynamo participated in the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship as well as the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League.

Key

CONCACAF Champions League

Season	Played	Dynamo Win	Draw	Pachuca Win	Dynamo Goals	Pachuca Goals	Goal Diff	Rivalry Winner	Dynamo Outcome
2007	2	1	0	1	4	5	−1	Pachuca	Semi-finals
2008*	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Semi-finals
2008–09†	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	Quarter-finals
2009–10	2	0	0	2	0	3	−3	Pachuca	Group stage
2010–11‡	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2011–12‡	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13†	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	TBD
Total	4	1	0	3	4	8	−4	Houston Dynamo (0), Pachuca (2)	—————————

North American SuperLiga

Season	Played	Dynamo Win	Draw	Pachuca Win	Dynamo Goals	Pachuca Goals	+/-	SuperLiga Rivalry Winner	Dynamo SL Outcome
2007	1	0	1	0	2	2	0	C.F. Pachuca§	Semi-finals
2008	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	Houston Dynamo	Runners-up
2009‡	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2010	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1	Houston Dynamo	Semi-finals
Total	3	2	1	0	6	3	+3	Houston Dynamo (2), Pachuca (0), Tie (1)	—————————

Note §: Pachuca won on penalty kicks, 4–3.

Rivalry results

MLS regular season results only

Note ‡: FC Dallas won on away goals rule, 4–2

Career

MLS regular season only, through January 21, 2016^[62]

Season

• Goals: Cubo Torres – 14 (2017)
• Assists: Brad Davis – 16 (2011)
• Shutouts: Tally Hall – 12 (2013)^[63]

MLS regular season only

Goal of the Year

• 2006: Brian Ching

Save of the Year

• 2009: Pat Onstad

Fair Play Player award

• 2017: DaMarcus Beasley

Average season attendance

Notes:

• The 19% increase in regular season attendance from 2011 to 2012 coincides with the Dynamo's move into their new stadium.

Highest attended matches