Austin FC is set to begin its 2023 Copa Tejas campaign on Saturday evening, when the Verde & Black make the short trip east to face Houston Dynamo FC at Shell Energy Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
Tune-In
Fans can watch the match in English or Spanish in over 100 countries via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
- Stream: Click here to watch the match, or access it through any device compatible with the Apple TV app. An MLS Season Pass subscription is required.
- Radio: The match will be broadcast live locally in English on iHeart Radio’s Alt 97.5, and in Spanish on Univision’s TUDN Radio Austin (104.3-HD2, KLQB-FM).
Austin FC Outlook
Though Austin FC crashed out of the U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, it enters Saturday in a fine run of form in league play, having won both of its last two MLS fixtures and with a 2-2-1 record in its last five.
The team has strung together those results despite missing the injured Sebastián Driussi and being in the midst of one of the busiest stretches in its history - the match against Houston will be its seventh match in 22 days. With Houston and Dallas having drawn the first Copa Tejas match of 2023, a win for Austin this weekend would take the Verde & Black to the top of the early season standings for the supporter-created trophy.
Last year, Austin did the league double over the Dynamo, picking up a 2-1 victory in Houston and a 3-1 win at home. Those six points proved crucial to Josh Wolff’s side claiming Copa Tejas, and the team will look to get off to a similarly strong start in the in-state rivalry series this season.
A win on Saturday would also keep Austin above the playoff line and continue their march up the Western Conference table.
Houston Dynamo FC Outlook
Houston went through a sizzling stretch in March and April in which the team picked up 13 of a possible 18 points, but has since cooled off, going winless in their last four league matches. Their Open Cup form has provided a spark though, with three consecutive shutout wins in the competition including a 4-0 demolition of Minnesota last Tuesday night.
Dynamo matches this season have been low-scoring. While Houston has tallied 11 goals in 12 matches (third-fewest in the Western Conference), leaders LAFC are the lone Western Conference club to have conceded fewer than Houston's 11. Of those 11, only one came at home, despite the Dynamo having played six matches at Shell Energy Stadium.
One key to stopping Houston is to limit dead ball opportunities, where they’ve been particularly dangerous. Head Coach Ben Olsen's team have four goals from the penalty spot, two from set pieces, and one from a direct free kick this season - nearly double its total amount of goals (four) scored from open play.
Possible Houston Lineup
(4-3-3, R-L) - GK: Steve Clark; Franco Escobar, Ethan Bartlow, Micael, Chase Gasper; Héctor Herrera, Artur, Adalberto Carrasquilla; Amine Bassi, Sebastián Ferreira, Iván Franco
