FRISCO, Texas - The first leg of the 2023 Texas Derby is here with FC Dallas hosting the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, May 20 at 7:30PM at Toyota Stadium.
Here's everything you need to know before the game.
How to Watch
The match will be available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Tony Husband and Ross Smith will call the game in English on Apple TV with Juan Arango and Carlos Suarez 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 7PM with broadcasters Owen Newkirk, Steve Davis and Jon Arnold calling the game. Garrett Melcer will provide updates from the sideline.
Spanish: Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon will call the game in Spanish on 1270AM, starting at 7:30PM.
Match Overview
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORDS
- FCD record: 6-3-3 (21 points - 3rd in West)
- HOU record: 4-5-2 (14 points - 8th in West)
- FCD vs. HOU all-time: 14-13-7 (70 goal scored, 63 goals conceded)
- FCD vs. HOU all-time home: 10-3-8 (37 goal scored, 24 goals conceded)
STORY LINES
- The Texas Derby: The first Texas Derby of 2023 is here with third-place FC Dallas facing off against old foes Houston Dynamo in primetime Saturday night. The classic rivalry is reignited each year with the teams competing for the right to house El Capitán (a 19th century replica howitzer cannon) at their stadium. The battle for El Capitán is decided by the winner of the regular season series between the two clubs so the ultimate victor won't be decided until Dallas travels to play Houston in September. But the winner of the first leg gains a huge advantage (as well as months of bragging rights) going into that second and final game so there's plenty at stake on Saturday. Plus, there's the little matter of Copa Tejas, the fan-driven competition between the three Texas teams: Dallas, Houston and Austin. Austin are the current holders having earned the best regular season record against the other two last year (basically, they beat Houston more times than Dallas did since both Austin/Dallas games ended in draws). With two rivalry competitions AND a substantial amount of Texas pride on the line, you can expect a fiery atmosphere in Toyota Stadium Saturday night.
El Capitán has called Toyota Stadium home four out of the last five years
- Our Savior: Jesús Ferreira has been nothing short of sensational for Dallas in 2023. The Homegrown forward is second in the MLS Golden Boot race with eight goals. Even more impressive, FIVE of those have been game-winning goals, the most by any player in the league. Here's a fun (or not-so-fun) thought experiment: If you take away Ferreira's goals this season, FC Dallas would have 13 fewer points...placing them dead last in MLS. Thankfully, Ferreira and his goals are not just hypotheticals and Dallas is third in the West while riding a two-game win streak. What's more, Ferreira has a history of scoring big goals against Houston, so don't bet against him bagging another this time around. For good measure, please take a gander at Ferreira's first goal against the Dynamo from 2019, a stunning solo effort scored at the ripe age of 18 years old.
- The Dynamo: Stop me if you'd heard this before but the Houston Dynamo are undergoing a rebuild this season led by a new head coach. Ben Olsen, former D.C. United coach (and player), is the man in charge this time around and things are looking up. The Dynamo are in eighth in the West with a game in hand and have the sixth-best points per game (1.27) in the conference. After beginning the year with two losses, Houston rattled off four wins from six and looked to be rejuvenated by Olsen's effort-based team selection philosophy. However, that does mean Designated Player Sebastian Ferreira has been limited to zero MLS starts and just 220 minutes so far this season. And that could be helpful for Dallas considering the Paraguayan scored at Toyota Stadium last year. But you never know, the Dynamo haven't scored in their last three games so Olsen may feel the time is right to unleash his pricey forward.
