The Houston Dynamo FC will begin their quest for the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs against the San Jose Earthquakes in a best-of-three opening round series.
Houston enters the postseason as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, marking their third return to the playoffs in the last four seasons, according to houstondynamofc.com. The Dynamo finished the regular season with a 14-11-9 record and 51 points, a total that ties for the fourth-most points in the club’s history.
San Jose arrives as the fourth seed with 52 points and a 14-10-10 record, securing home-field advantage for the series. As sjearthquakes.com reported, this marks the Earthquakes’ best finish and highest point total since 2012, as well as their first postseason home game at PayPal Park since the stadium opened in 2015.
A tactical duel between Arena and Olsen
The series features a high-stakes coaching matchup between two veteran minds with deep ties to one another. San Jose head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena, a five-time MLS Cup champion, faces Houston’s Ben Olsen in what sjearthquakes.com describes as a reunion between a teacher and his prized pupil.
Arena previously recruited Olsen to the University of Virginia and coached him at both D.C. United and the U.S. Men’s National Team.
While Arena holds the all-time MLS regular-season coaching record with 287 wins, Olsen has ascended to seventh on that list with 165 wins. The Earthquakes’ roster under Arena features a blend of domestic talent and international stars, including German players Timo Werner and Eduard Löwen, alongside top domestic scorer Preston Judd.
Defensive strength meets recent momentum
The Dynamo allowed only 43 goals this season, the fourth-fewest in the league. This defensive stability was highlighted by a league-tying five-match shutout streak, during which the team held opponents scoreless for 485 minutes.
The @HoustonDynamo haven't conceded in 462 mins, the 2nd-longest streak in the last decade for the club. Tonight, they became just the 3rd team in @MLS history to win 5 straight matches w/o conceding. The Dynamo are a West-best are 10-2-2 over their last 14.
Goalkeeper Jonathan Bond anchors that backline, having recently made his 150th MLS appearance. Bond finished the season in the league’s top three for clean sheets with 12, tying club records set by Tally Hall in 2012 and Steve Clark in 2023. On the offensive side, attacker Guilherme remains the engine for Houston, contributing to 60.4% of the team’s scoring plays with 26 total goal contributions.
Despite Houston allowing the fourth-fewest goals in MLS this season, San Jose holds the advantage from their two recent encounters. According to sjearthquakes.com, the Earthquakes are undefeated against the Dynamo this season, recording a scoreless draw in Houston on August 29 and a 1-0 win at PayPal Park on September 12.
Games take place in San Jose and Houston
| Event | Date | Location | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Tuesday, Nov. 24 | PayPal Park, San Jose | Apple TV, FS1, FOX Deportes |
| Game 2 | Saturday, Nov. 28 | Shell Energy Stadium, Houston | Apple TV |
| Game 3 (if necessary) | Wednesday, Dec. 2 | PayPal Park, San Jose | Apple TV |
Logistics for the Houston faithful
Houston fans can prepare for the home leg by participating in a “Dynamo Fan Fuel Up Rally” on Friday, Nov. 13, from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. CT at HDFC Headquarters. The club will provide coffee, donuts, and exclusive playoff mementos to attendees during the drive-thru event, houstondynamofc.com reported.
Dynamo supporters can access a presale for Game 2 by texting PLAYOFFS to 275-748, with general sale beginning Monday at 10:00 a.m. CT. Meanwhile, San Jose is promoting its “Brace For Impact” campaign, which includes stadium-wide t-shirt giveaways for the opening match in California.
The series begins on November 24, with the first match kicking off at 7 p.m. PT in San Jose.
