It's winner takes all Saturday night as Houston Dynamo FC host Real Salt Lake in Match 3 of their Round One Best-of-3 series.
How to watch and stream
When
- Saturday, November 11 | 6 pm ET/3 pm PT
Where
- Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas
Round One Best-of-3 series
- Match 1: 2-1 Houston win (Oct. 29)
- Match 2: 5-4 RSL win on PKs after 1-1 draw (Nov. 6)
The series returns to Shell Energy Stadium for a decisive Round One finale, following Houston (Match 1) and RSL (Match 2) victories in the previous two contests – the latter via a penalty kick shootout at America First Field.
Whoever wins will host No. 8 Sporting Kansas City for a Western Conference Semifinal, set for Nov. 25 or 26.
If a Round One Best-of-3 series match is tied after regulation time (90 minutes), a penalty kick shootout will determine the winner (no extra time). Both clubs are chasing a berth in MLS Cup presented by Audi on Dec. 9.
- Seed: 4th in Western Conference
- Record: 51 points (14W-11L-9D)
Up 1-0 on Amine Bassi's first-half tally, Houston were 20 minutes away from securing qualification to the Western Conference Semifinals before Jefferson Savarino's free-kick golazo sent Match 2 to a PK shootout. Goalkeeper Zac MacMath stopped Bassi's shot from the spot, ensuring the 5-4 RSL win.
The Dynamo must now finish the job at home, where they've been nearly unbeatable all season. Ben Olsen's team has gone 16W-3L-5D at Shell Energy Stadium in all competitions, most recently notching a 2-1 win over Salt Lake in Match 1.
- Seed: 5th in Western Conference
- Record: 50 points (14W-12L-8D)
With momentum on their side, RSL are as alive as ever thanks to Savarino's set-piece heroics and some steely shootout nerves. They're also boosted by the return of star striker Chicho Arango, who came on as a second-half substitute in Match 2 after missing nearly a month with a hamstring injury.
Given what's at stake, head coach Pablo Mastroeni might include Arango in his Match 3 starting lineup.
"You live and die by your best players, they’re that important to the group," Mastroeni said. "... It’s something that we haven’t had for probably a month now with Chicho, but really excited with his fitness levels, and the runs he was making, his pressing ability, heading into Game 3."
