Houston Dynamo
Encyclopedia
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas
, that plays in Major League Soccer
, the top professional soccer league in the United States
and Canada
. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic fans because 1836 refers to the war for Texas independence
. Since its inception the club has played its home games at Robertson Stadium
on the University of Houston
campus but will be moving to its new stadium for the 2012 Major League Soccer season
starting on May 12, 2012.
In 2008, under the management of Dominic Kinnear, the Houston Dynamo was the first Major League Soccer club to secure a point on Mexican soil in the CONCACAF Champions League
era. The Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup
(2006 & 2007) in their first two years following player and coaching staff relocation of the San Jose Earthquakes
; the Earthquakes were put on hiatus until 2008.
The team is owned by majority owners Anschutz Entertainment Group
(AEG) in partnership with Brener International Group (headed by Gabriel Brener), and multiple world and Olympic boxing
champion Oscar De La Hoya
. The team's head coach is former US international Dominic Kinnear
.
players and head coach Dominic Kinnear were relocated, due to AEG being unable to secure a soccer-specific stadium
. Although all of San Jose's players and Kinnear moved to Houston, the team's name, logo, history and statistics were not transferred and remained inactive in San Jose until the Earthquakes were reactivated in 2007. The Dynamo was thus officially a new team, similar to the Baltimore Ravens
in the National Football League
(NFL).
and John Kirby Allen
, though it had perceived ambiguity, 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.
Due to protests from Hispanic fans, MLS opted to choose another nickname, "Dynamo". It 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." However, the name "Dynamo" also has precedent in the soccer world, specifically in the former Soviet Union
and its allies (FC Dynamo Kyiv
, FC Dynamo Minsk, Dinamo Bucureşti, FC Dynamo Moscow
, Dinamo Zagreb
, KS Dinamo Tirana
and Dynamo Dresden
among others) where the Dynamo Sports Club
and its equivalents like the SV Dynamo
were prominent Soviet institutions and notoriously held associations with the secret police forces, like the Soviet KGB
and the East German Stasi
. The team colors are orange, white, and "Space City" blue or "Luv Ya Blue" (light blue), meant as a symbol of yet another team in Houston's sports history - the Houston Oilers of the NFL.
With the controversy over the Dynamo's original name being picked by online surveys, the MLS has not since used online surveys to name expansions clubs.
The Dynamo kicked off their 2006 season early competing in the Carolina Challenge Cup, finishing 2-1-0; thus, winning it. The Dynamo played their league first game on April 2, 2006. In front of a crowd of 25,462 in Robertson Stadium
, the Dynamo beat the Colorado Rapids
5–2. Brian Ching
led the charge for the Dynamo with four goals, all of which were set up with assists from teammate Dwayne De Rosario
. Later in the season they went on to beat established MLS clubs such as D.C. United
, Los Angeles Galaxy
, New England Revolution
, Chicago Fire and eventually their Texan state rivals FC Dallas
.
The Dynamo finished their first season in Houston with an 11-8-13 record, earning them second place in the Western Conference. In the Conference semifinal playoffs, they beat Chivas USA. On November 5, 2006, they beat Colorado Rapids 3-1 in the Western Conference Final to advance to the MLS Cup.
On November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park
in Frisco, Texas
, Houston beat New England Revolution 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie to win the 2006 MLS Cup. The game was scoreless until the second half of extra time, when New England's Taylor Twellman
scored. Only one minute and six seconds later, Brian Ching headed in the tying goal for Houston, and the championship was, for the first time in MLS history, decided by a penalty shootout. Substitutes Kelly Gray
and Stuart Holden
scored Houston's first two penalty kicks. Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Ching scored the last two. Ching's gave Houston a 4-3 lead, and goalkeeper Pat Onstad
saved New England's Jay Heaps
penalty kick to secure the MLS Cup for Houston. By winning the MLS Cup, Houston qualified for the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup
.
n team Puntarenas F.C.
, Houston went out of the competition in the semifinals, beating Mexican
team Pachuca 2-0 in the first leg but losing 5-2 after extra time in the return leg.
Immediately after, Houston began its 2007 MLS league season with consecutive 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 were invited to spend the day at the White House
on May 29, 2007 and meet with President
George W. Bush
.
Houston also 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 also 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, a new MLS record.
Houston was also invited to compete in the inaugural North American SuperLiga
, where they dominated the group stages before losing in a semifinal shootout against Pachuca.
They finished in second place in the regular season in the Western Conference, advancing to the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs
, where they met state rivals 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, they faced the New England Revolution
for the championship, and won it 2-1 on a game-winning goal by Dwayne De Rosario
in the second half, thus winning their second MLS Cup in a row.
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
. 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
.
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 will hold 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). 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.
in the Quarterfinals winning 3-1 on aggregate (0-0, 3-1) at Robertson Stadium. The club would lose to Deportivo Saprissa on 3-0 aggregate (0-0, 0-3) at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa.
The Houston Dynamo opened its home opener with a high scoring 3-3 draw with Texas Derby rival, FC Dallas
, after falling behind twice (1-2 & 2-3) and getting a game-tying goal from Geoff Cameron 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 roller coaster ride throughout the season before going 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 Semifinals 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 stunned the Dynamo in a 0-3 defeat in front of more than 30,000 fans. The Red Bulls would go to MLS Cup 2008 where they would lose to Columbus.
in the quarterfinals, with the second leg at Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo.
In the regular season, Houston again evolved into one of the league's premier teams, going on an 11-game unbeaten streak (8-0-3) early in the season before losing to Western Conference rival 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. In the playoffs, Houston beat the Seattle Sounders
1-0 on aggregate in extra time before losing 0-2 in extra time to the Galaxy in the Western Conference final. The game was interrupted several times due to rolling blackouts in Los Angeles
, the first of which occurred in the 18th minute. Andrew Hainault
had an opportunity to win the game in regulation, but his 78th minute header was disallowed for an off-the-ball foul by Luis Ángel Landín
.
The Dynamo reached the semifinals of the 2009 Lamar Hunt 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.
(Eintracht Frankfurt
) and Stuart Holden
(Bolton Wanderers).
The Houston Dynamo competed in the 2010 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic
in Orlando, Florida
. The club would lose to the New York Red Bulls in the Semifinals (0-0, 5-6 in PKs), but would claim third place after defeating Texas Derby rival, FC Dallas, by a score of 2-1.
The 2010 season was kicked off with a 1-1 draw against Texas Derby rivals, FC Dallas, at Pizza Hut Park. The home opener hampered the season as Brian Ching was out for 4-6 weeks because of a left hamstring strain suffered during the first half against Real Salt Lake. The Dynamo went on to win 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 at Toyota Park
; the Fire would win the game, 2-0. Cameron surprised everyone and eturned in August, and scored a 70th minute header from a free kick by Brad Davis against DC 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 would finish the season going 9-15-6 (7th in the West, 12th overall) and would miss the playoffs for the first time since moving to Houston during the 2005-06 offseason. The Dynamo, however, finished strong with the club's only winning streak all season coming at the very end of the season with wins against playoff bound teams at San Jose (1-0) on October 16 and at home against Seattle (2-1) on October 23 with rookie goalkeeper Tyler Deric in goal.
During the 2010 season, the Dynamo continued their season with the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club would defeat 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 quickly after a 0-1 loss to Morelia on August 5 at Robertson Stadium.
With the 2006 MLS Cup win, a sanctioned star
was added above the shield in 2008, after wearing the scudetto in 2007. Since they won the MLS Cup again in 2007. they wore the scudetto for the second consecutive year in 2008. Consequently, a sanctioned star was added to the logo in 2009 for their win at MLS Cup 2007
.
Dynamo plays its home matches at 32,000-seat Robertson Stadium
on the University of Houston
campus. The Dynamo signed a three year lease, through 2008, to play at the stadium temporarily as they make plans to construct a permanent 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 is scheduled to open in April 2012.
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.
According the information contained on the website of the Houston Dynamo as of August, 2011, the new Dynamo stadium will be a state-of-the-art, open-air stadium designed to host Dynamo matches as well as additional sporting and concert events. When it opens in 2012, the 22,000-seat stadium will be the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer located in a city's downtown district.
Spectators will be able to experience unobstructed views from both the lower and upper seating bowls, which are supported by a single concourse. The concourse provides full access around the stadium with easy access to concession and toilet facilities. The fan experience will be enhanced by modern sound and video elements throughout the stadium. Fully integrated broadcast facilities will allow viewers and listeners to feel part of the atmosphere.
Aside from Major League Soccer and international soccer matches, the new Dynamo stadium will also host Texas Southern University football, concerts, boxing matches, and much more. With its downtown location, the new stadium will be a part of a true Stadium District, which already features Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center, as well as the George R. Brown Convention Center, Discovery Green, and The House of Blues.
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 9 August 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, El Batallón, Brickwall Firm, La Bateria and Texian Army.
on 3 April 2007. 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 helping to promote the Dynamo in Houston.
Notably the Dynamo Girls were featured in an episode of the MTV reality series Made
.
Houston's main geographic rival is FC Dallas
. Each season they compete in the Texas Derby, or El Capitán Clasico, in which the victor wins an 18th century cannon named El Capitán.
Note ‡: FC Dallas won on away goals rule, 4-2
as well as the CONCACAF Champions League
since 2007 and have a combined record of 3-3-1.
Note ‡: Pachuca won on penalty kicks, 4-3.
Note ‡‡: Houston Dynamo and Pachuca were already qualified for the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League; therefore, both teams could not qualify for North American SuperLiga 2009.
Note †: Although both teams were in the 2008 CONCACAF Champions League, neither met each other in the tournament.
Note ‡: Pachuca did not qualify.
Note ‡‡: Neither team qualified
provider, Amigo Energy
, worth US$7.5M. Amigo Energy
became the official jersey sponsor. The Dynamo were the fifth league team to sign jersey sponsors, after Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake
and Toronto FC with Columbus Crew
and Chicago Fire each adding jersey sponsors for the 2008 season
The Amigo Energy logo appeared on all team jerseys, along with other on-field gear, and Amigo Energy also became the official home and business retail energy provider of the Dynamo. As part of the deal, Amigo Energy established a focused marketing strategy that uses the Dynamo in co-branded advertising, customer retention, and new customer acquisition programs.
Recycling as their new corporate jersey sponsor. The deal is with $12.7 million over three-years, with two additional option years, making it the largest sponsor in team history. The Greenstar logo will be featured on Dynamo game jerseys and all team apparel. Greenstar will also manage all recycling and waste management services for the team's new downtown stadium.
-DT Channel 11.2, when not carried by the national MLS broadcast partners such as ESPN
and the Fox Soccer Channel
(FSC). Select games will also be simulcast on Fox Sports Houston
. Glenn Davis
calls the play-by-play with James Clarkson calling the color commentary on home games. Spanish coverage is on KHLM-LP
"TV Informa", Channel 43, with Ernesto Del Valle calling play-by-play and Gustavo Rangel providing color.
English radio broadcasts are carried by KBME
SportsTalk 790 AM, with Jonathan Yardley calling play-by-play. Spanish radio broadcasts are carried by KEYH
850 AM La Ranchera, with Daniel Mejia calling play-by-play and Alex Parra providing color.
Dynamo All-Access is a local Houston radio broadcast on KBME (AM), which is hosted by Glenn Davis
. It regularly features head coach Dominic Kinnear and the team's players.
games, but are not part of the senior roster.
Wade Barrett (2006–10) Ronald Cerritos
(2006) Ricardo Clark
(2006–09) Ryan Cochrane (2006–07), (2009–10) Paul Dalglish
(2006–08) Dwayne De Rosario
(2006–08) Stuart Holden
(2006–09) Nate Jaqua
(2007–08) Kei Kamara
(2008–09)
Luis Ángel Landín
(2009–10) Brian Mullan
(2006–10) Richard Mulrooney
(2007–10) Joseph Ngwenya
(2007,2010) Pat Onstad
(2006–10) Adrian Serioux
(2006, 2010) Craig Waibel
(2006–10) Brian Ching
(2006–11) Chris Wondolowski
(2006–09)
Senior club staff
Coaching staff
Note †: Eliminated in the Qualification Semifinals.
. During the 2008 season, the Dynamo participated in the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship
as well as the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League
.
MLS regular season only, through 2011 season
Although regular season attendance dipped a little bit in 2007, in spite of the Dynamo's MLS Cup win in their first year, they nearly sold out the second leg of their Western Conference Semifinal match against FC Dallas
, and then they did sell out the Conference Final match against the Kansas City Wizards
.
In 2008, regular season attendance rebounded a bit from the lull in 2007. The attendance for the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinal was nearly identical to the previous year, just under a sellout crowd.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, that plays in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, the top professional soccer league in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic fans because 1836 refers to the war for Texas independence
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
. Since its inception the club has played its home games at Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
on the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
campus but will be moving to its new stadium for the 2012 Major League Soccer season
2012 Major League Soccer season
The 2012 Major League Soccer season is the upcoming 100th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 34th with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 17th season of Major League Soccer...
starting on May 12, 2012.
In 2008, under the management of Dominic Kinnear, the Houston Dynamo was the first Major League Soccer club to secure a point on Mexican soil in the CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
era. The Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
(2006 & 2007) in their first two years following player and coaching staff relocation of the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
; the Earthquakes were put on hiatus until 2008.
The team is owned by majority owners Anschutz Entertainment Group
Anschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
(AEG) in partnership with Brener International Group (headed by Gabriel Brener), and multiple world and Olympic boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
. The team's head coach is former US international Dominic Kinnear
Dominic Kinnear
Dominic Kinnear is a Scottish-born American former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.As a player, he began his professional career with Scottish club St...
.
History
The team was created on December 15, 2005 when the San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
players and head coach Dominic Kinnear were relocated, due to AEG being unable to secure a soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
. Although all of San Jose's players and Kinnear moved to Houston, the team's name, logo, history and statistics were not transferred and remained inactive in San Jose until the Earthquakes were reactivated in 2007. The Dynamo was thus officially a new team, similar to the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL).
Choosing a name
On January 25, 2006, Houston 1836 was first announced as the team name. This followed an online survey for the fans to provide unofficial suggestions for the new team name, with given options of: Apollos, Bulls, Eagles, Gatos, Lonestars, Stallions, Toros, Americans, Buffaloes, Generals, Houston 1836, Mustangs, and Stars. 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 AllenAugustus Chapman Allen
Augustus Chapman Allen , along with his younger brother, John Kirby Allen, founded the City of Houston in the U.S. state of Texas. He was born on July 4, 1806, in Canasareaugh, New York, to Sarah and Roland Allen.- Early years :...
and John Kirby Allen
John Kirby Allen
John Kirby Allen was born in Canasareaugh, near Syracuse in the U.S. state of New York. He, along with his older brother, Augustus Chapman Allen, founded Houston, Texas in 1836. John Kirby Allen was never married...
, though it had perceived ambiguity, as it is also the year of Texan independence
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Houston 1836's logo featured a silhouette
Silhouette
A silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
of General Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
, one of Houston's and Texas' most famous historical figures.
Controversy
The choice of Houston 1836, however, soon became a political issue. While their stated intent was to link to the founding year of the city, 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, MLS opted to choose another nickname, "Dynamo". It refers to Houston's energy-based industrial economy, as well as a previous Houston soccer team, Houston Dynamos
Houston Dynamos
Houston Dynamos was a U.S. soccer team which existed in various forms from 1983 to 1991. In 1991, the team’s owners changed the name to Houston International, but the team lasted only through the 1992 season before folding.-1984: United Soccer League:...
who played in the Lone Star Soccer Alliance
Lone Star Soccer Alliance
Lone Star Soccer Alliance was a soccer league that existed from 1987 to 1992. While the majority of the teams came from Texas, some also came from Oklahoma and Kansas.-History:...
and United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
. 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." However, the name "Dynamo" also has precedent in the soccer world, specifically in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and its allies (FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv
FC Dynamo Kyiv is a professional football club based in the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. Founded in 1927, the club currently participates in the Ukrainian Premier League and has spent its entire history in the top league of Soviet and later Ukrainian football...
, FC Dynamo Minsk, Dinamo Bucureşti, FC Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
, Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo Zagreb
GNK Dinamo Zagreb, commonly referred to as Dinamo Zagreb , or by their nickname Modri are a Croatian football club based in Zagreb. They play their home matches at Stadion Maksimir. They are the most successful club in Croatian football, having won thirteen Croatian championship titles, ten...
, KS Dinamo Tirana
KS Dinamo Tirana
Klubi Sportiv Dinamo Tirana is an Albanian football team, playing in the Albanian capital of Tirana, founded in 1950. They play at the Stadiumi Qemal Stafa which has a capacity of 25,000. Their main rivals are fellow Tirana team KF Tirana.- History :...
and Dynamo Dresden
Dynamo Dresden
SG Dynamo Dresden are a German association football club, based in Dresden, Saxony. They were founded in 1950, as a club affiliated with the East German police, and became one of the most popular and successful clubs in East German football, winning eight league titles...
among others) where the Dynamo Sports Club
Dynamo Sports Club
Dinamo, also Dynamo, is the oldest sports and physical training society that was created in 1923.-Name:The name given to the society was supposed to mean "Power in Motion" from Greek: δύναμις; dynamis -power, and Latin: motio, -motion...
and its equivalents like the SV Dynamo
SV Dynamo
The Sports Club Dynamo was the sport organization of the security agencies of former East Germany. The sports club was founded on 27 March 1953 and was headquartered in Hohenschönhausen in East Berlin...
were prominent Soviet institutions and notoriously held associations with the secret police forces, like the Soviet KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
and the East German Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
. The team colors are orange, white, and "Space City" blue or "Luv Ya Blue" (light blue), meant as a symbol of yet another team in Houston's sports history - the Houston Oilers of the NFL.
With the controversy over the Dynamo's original name being picked by online surveys, the MLS has not since used online surveys to name expansions clubs.
Inaugural season (2006)
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
, the Dynamo beat the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
5–2. Brian Ching
Brian Ching
Brian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
led the charge for the Dynamo with four goals, all of which were set up with assists from teammate Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
. Later in the season they went on to beat established MLS clubs such as D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, Chicago Fire and eventually their Texan state rivals FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
.
The Dynamo finished their first season in Houston with an 11-8-13 record, earning them second place in the Western Conference. In the Conference semifinal playoffs, they beat Chivas USA. On November 5, 2006, they beat Colorado Rapids 3-1 in the Western Conference Final to advance to the MLS Cup.
On November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park
Pizza Hut Park is a soccer-specific stadium with a 21,193-seat capacity, built and owned by the city of Frisco, Texas. Its primary tenant is Major League Soccer team FC Dallas, which relocated from the Cotton Bowl in central Dallas to the fast-growing suburb...
in Frisco, Texas
Frisco, Texas
Frisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also...
, Houston beat New England Revolution 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie to win the 2006 MLS Cup. The game was scoreless until the second half of extra time, when New England's Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman
Taylor Twellman is a retired American soccer player who currently works as a television analyst for the Philadelphia Union and ESPN soccer.-Youth and College:Taylor was raised in St...
scored. Only one minute and six seconds later, Brian Ching headed in the tying goal for Houston, and the championship was, for the first time in MLS history, decided by a penalty shootout. Substitutes Kelly Gray
Kelly Gray
Kelly Gray is an American soccer player, currently without a club.-College:Gray played forward and midfielder at the University of Portland from 1999 to 2001...
and Stuart Holden
Stuart Holden
Stuart Alistair Holden is an American football player who currently plays as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League....
scored Houston's first two penalty kicks. Dwayne De Rosario and Brian Ching scored the last two. Ching's gave Houston a 4-3 lead, and goalkeeper Pat Onstad
Pat Onstad
Patrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
saved New England's Jay Heaps
Jay Heaps
Jay Heaps ) is a former American soccer player. He is the current head coach for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer....
penalty kick to secure the MLS Cup for Houston. By winning the MLS Cup, Houston qualified for the 2007 CONCACAF Champions Cup
CONCACAF Champions' Cup 2007
The 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 42nd edition of the annual international club football competition held in the CONCACAF region , the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It determined that year's club champion of association football in the CONCACAF region...
.
2007 season: repeat
Houston began the 2007 season early, competing in the 2007 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. After winning a dramatic quarterfinal, beating Costa RicaCosta Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
n team Puntarenas F.C.
Puntarenas F.C.
Puntarenas Fútbol Club, S.A.D. is a Costa Rican football club, currently competing in the Unión de Clubes de Fútbol de la Primera División ....
, Houston went out of the competition in the semifinals, beating Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
team Pachuca 2-0 in the first leg but losing 5-2 after extra time in the return leg.
Immediately after, Houston began its 2007 MLS league season with consecutive shutouts against Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
and Chivas USA. Houston then struggled in the regular season, losing against New York Red Bulls, Chicago Fire, Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, and New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
. Due to their success in winning the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
in their first season, Houston were invited to spend the day at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on May 29, 2007 and meet with President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Houston also made some significant trades during the 2007 season They traded Kevin Goldthwaite
Kevin Goldthwaite
Kevin Goldthwaite is a former American soccer player who last played for Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer.-College:After graduating from Christian Brothers High School ,...
and a first round pick in the 2008 SuperDraft to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for Richard Mulrooney
Richard Mulrooney
Richard Mulrooney is a former American soccer player.-College:Mulrooney played four years of college soccer at Creighton University, where he recorded 51 assists from 1995 to 1998...
. They also traded Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno
Alejandro Moreno is a Venezuelan footballer. He played for the Dallas Texans Soccer Club before attending UNC Greensboro. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-College:...
to Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in exchange for Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya is a Zimbabwean footballer currently without a club.-College:Ngwenya attended the Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, leading them to the 1999 Zimbabwe National High School Championship, before coming to the United States in 2000 to attend and play college soccer at Coastal Carolina...
. And they traded Kelly Gray
Kelly Gray
Kelly Gray is an American soccer player, currently without a club.-College:Gray played forward and midfielder at the University of Portland from 1999 to 2001...
to Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
for Nate Jaqua
Nate Jaqua
Jonathan "Nate" Jaqua is an American soccer player who last played for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.-High School:...
. After regrouping and pulling off a win against FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
, Houston began an unbeaten streak of eleven games and a shutout streak of 726 minutes, a new MLS record.
Houston was also invited to compete in the inaugural North American SuperLiga
North American SuperLiga
The SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
, where they dominated the group stages before losing in a semifinal shootout against Pachuca.
They finished in second place in the regular season in the Western Conference, advancing to the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs
2007 MLS Cup Playoffs
The 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs was the postseason to Major League Soccer's 2007 season, and it concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C....
, where they met state rivals FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
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
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
in the Western Conference final, winning 2-0 to advance to the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
championship game for the second year in a row. Just like in 2006, they faced the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
for the championship, and won it 2-1 on a game-winning goal by Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
in the second half, thus winning their second MLS Cup in a row.
Partnership with Golden Boy Promotions
Late in 2007, Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
informed Dynamo owners Anschutz Entertainment Group
Anschutz Entertainment Group
The Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
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
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. 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
Golden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. is a combat sport promotional firm started by former boxer six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya...
, owned by the famed boxer Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
.
On February 26, 2008 Houston Dynamo President Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck
Oliver Luck is the athletic director of West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck is a retired American football player who spent four seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers . He was also the first president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo...
revealed the planned negotiations to the media stating that the Houston Dynamo would be managed in majority by original owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (who will hold 50% of ownership) along with newfound partners Gabriel Brener, head of Brener International Group, and multiple World and Olympic boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
(each with 25% ownership). 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
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
, 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.
2008 season: Mediocre start; stunning finish
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 club also competed in the Texas Pro Soccer Festival presented by Touch-Tel featuring four Major League Soccer teams (Houston, DC United, Toronto, and Chivas USA) during an electrifying week of double-header exhibition games, events, and daily practices. The Houston Dynamo were declared winners of the tournament after a tiebreaker in goal difference was needed between them and D.C. United. Shortly following the Texas Pro Soccer Festival, the Dynamo was back on the pitch competing in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup (qualifying via 2007 MLS Cup Champions). The Dynamo played MunicipalCSD Municipal
Club Social y Deportivo Municipal, also known as Municipal or Los Rojos , are a Guatemalan professional football club based in Guatemala City...
in the Quarterfinals winning 3-1 on aggregate (0-0, 3-1) at Robertson Stadium. The club would lose to Deportivo Saprissa on 3-0 aggregate (0-0, 0-3) at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa.
The Houston Dynamo opened its home opener with a high scoring 3-3 draw with Texas Derby rival, FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
, after falling behind twice (1-2 & 2-3) and getting a game-tying goal from Geoff Cameron 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 roller coaster ride throughout the season before going 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 Semifinals 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 stunned the Dynamo in a 0-3 defeat in front of more than 30,000 fans. The Red Bulls would go to MLS Cup 2008 where they would lose to Columbus.
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 AtlanteAtlante F.C.
Club de Fútbol Atlante, is a Mexican professional football club, currently playing in the Mexican First Division League. The club is based in Cancún, Mexico as of the start of the 2007-08 season, when they relocated from Mexico City, and plays its home games in Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo.-Domestic...
in the quarterfinals, with the second leg at Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo.
In the regular season, Houston again evolved into one of the league's premier teams, going on an 11-game unbeaten streak (8-0-3) early in the season before losing to Western Conference rival the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
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. In the playoffs, Houston beat the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
1-0 on aggregate in extra time before losing 0-2 in extra time to the Galaxy in the Western Conference final. The game was interrupted several times due to rolling blackouts in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, the first of which occurred in the 18th minute. Andrew Hainault
Andrew Hainault
André Hainault is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Czech League:Hainault began his professional career with Montreal Impact in the USL First Division in 2004, and played three competitive games for the team prior to signing with small Czech...
had an opportunity to win the game in regulation, but his 78th minute header was disallowed for an off-the-ball foul by Luis Ángel Landín
Luis Ángel Landín
Luis Ángel Landín is a Mexican footballer. He currently plays for Atlante of the Primera División de México.-Professional:...
.
The Dynamo reached the semifinals of the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 96th edition of the oldest competition in American soccer, running from June through early September.The tournament proper features teams from the top five levels of the American Soccer Pyramid...
before losing to the expansion Seattle Sounders FC 1-2 in extra time after former Dynamo player Nate Jaqua
Nate Jaqua
Jonathan "Nate" Jaqua is an American soccer player who last played for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.-High School:...
scored the game-tying goal in the 89th minute.
2010 season: Key player departures; miss playoffs
During the 2009-10 offseason, the Dynamo saw the departures of two key players, Ricardo ClarkRicardo Clark
Ricardo Clark is an American soccer player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-High School and College:...
(Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
) and Stuart Holden
Stuart Holden
Stuart Alistair Holden is an American football player who currently plays as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League....
(Bolton Wanderers).
The Houston Dynamo competed in the 2010 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic
2010 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic
The 2010 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic was a preseason soccer tournament held at Walt Disney World's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The tournament, the inaugural edition of the Pro Soccer Classic, was held from February 25—27, 2011 and featured four Major League Soccer clubs.The...
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. The club would lose to the New York Red Bulls in the Semifinals (0-0, 5-6 in PKs), but would claim third place after defeating Texas Derby rival, FC Dallas, by a score of 2-1.
The 2010 season was kicked off with a 1-1 draw against Texas Derby rivals, FC Dallas, at Pizza Hut Park. The home opener hampered the season as Brian Ching was out for 4-6 weeks because of a left hamstring strain suffered during the first half against Real Salt Lake. The Dynamo went on to win 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
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
during a game against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park
Toyota Park (Bridgeview)
Toyota Park is a soccer-specific stadium located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, Illinois. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, members of Major League Soccer . Toyota Park was developed at a cost of around $100 million. The facility opened June 11, 2006...
; the Fire would win the game, 2-0. Cameron surprised everyone and eturned in August, and scored a 70th minute header from a free kick by Brad Davis against DC 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 would finish the season going 9-15-6 (7th in the West, 12th overall) and would miss the playoffs for the first time since moving to Houston during the 2005-06 offseason. The Dynamo, however, finished strong with the club's only winning streak all season coming at the very end of the season with wins against playoff bound teams at San Jose (1-0) on October 16 and at home against Seattle (2-1) on October 23 with rookie goalkeeper Tyler Deric in goal.
During the 2010 season, the Dynamo continued their season with the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club would defeat Miami FC
Miami FC
Fort Lauderdale Strikers is an American professional association football team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
, 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 quickly after a 0-1 loss to Morelia on August 5 at Robertson Stadium.
Colors and badge
The colors of the Dynamo crest are orange, black and white, with Space City blue added as an accent and border color. The star on the crest is an ad hoc adoption, likely a nod to the "Houston 1836" crest concept. It also retains the soccer ball with the star in the middle from the "1836" logo, though the shadow is changed to Space City blue.With the 2006 MLS Cup win, a sanctioned star
Star (football crest)
In association football, some national and club sides include one or more stars as part of the crest appearing on their shirt, to represent important trophies the team has previously won. Sometimes this is a unilateral decision by the team concerned rather than a privilege earned and sanctioned...
was added above the shield in 2008, after wearing the scudetto in 2007. Since they won the MLS Cup again in 2007. they wore the scudetto for the second consecutive year in 2008. Consequently, a sanctioned star was added to the logo in 2009 for their win at MLS Cup 2007
MLS Cup 2007
The 2007 MLS Cup was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup championship game. The match was played on November 18, 2007 between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo — a rematch of the 2006 MLS Cup final. For the second straight year, the Dynamo defeated the Revolution, this time by a 2-1...
.
Stadium
- Robertson StadiumRobertson StadiumJohn O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
; Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
(2006-present) - Carl Lewis Track & Field StadiumTom Tellez Track at Carl Lewis International ComplexThe Tom Tellez Track at Carl Lewis International Complex, also known as simply Tom Tellez Track or Carl Lewis International Complex, is home to the Houston Cougars outdoor track & field teams...
; Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
(2006) 1 game in US Open Cup - Aggie Soccer Stadium; College Station, TexasCollege Station, TexasCollege Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
(2007, 2011) 2 games in CONCACAF Champions' Cup and US Open cup
Dynamo plays its home matches at 32,000-seat Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium
John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston, located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams...
on the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
campus. The Dynamo signed a three year lease, through 2008, to play at the stadium temporarily as they make plans to construct a permanent soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
.
New Houston Dynamo Stadium
On December 2, 2010, Harris County and the Houston Sports Authority reached an agreement for the 20,000–22,000-seat soccer specific stadiumNew Houston Dynamo stadium
Houston Dynamo stadium is a planned soccer specific stadium in Houston. The 16 to 18 month project is planned to be completed during the month of May in the 2012 Major League Soccer season and is expected to cost $110 million...
in Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston
Downtown Houston is the largest business district of Houston, Texas, United States. Downtown Houston, the city's central business district, contains the headquarters of many prominent companies. There is an extensive network of pedestrian tunnels and skywalks connecting the buildings of the district...
east of Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a ballpark in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Major League Baseball Houston Astros....
, across Highway 59
U.S. Route 59
U.S. Route 59 is a north–south United States highway . A latecomer to the U.S. numbered route system, U.S. 59 is now a border-to-border route, Part of NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallels U.S. Route 75 for nearly its entire route, never much more than away, until it veers southwest...
which would be the third sporting facility for Downtown Houston. The venue is scheduled to open in April 2012.
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
Annise Parker
Annise Danette Parker is an American politician and the mayor of Houston since January 2, 2010. She served as an at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to 2003 and city controller from 2004 to 2009...
, 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.
According the information contained on the website of the Houston Dynamo as of August, 2011, the new Dynamo stadium will be a state-of-the-art, open-air stadium designed to host Dynamo matches as well as additional sporting and concert events. When it opens in 2012, the 22,000-seat stadium will be the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer located in a city's downtown district.
Spectators will be able to experience unobstructed views from both the lower and upper seating bowls, which are supported by a single concourse. The concourse provides full access around the stadium with easy access to concession and toilet facilities. The fan experience will be enhanced by modern sound and video elements throughout the stadium. Fully integrated broadcast facilities will allow viewers and listeners to feel part of the atmosphere.
Aside from Major League Soccer and international soccer matches, the new Dynamo stadium will also host Texas Southern University football, concerts, boxing matches, and much more. With its downtown location, the new stadium will be a part of a true Stadium District, which already features Minute Maid Park and Toyota Center, as well as the George R. Brown Convention Center, Discovery Green, and The House of Blues.
Supporters
The team's attendance figures received a boost on 9 August when they played a game against Los Angeles Galaxy in Houston's Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Houston, Texas, USA. Reliant Stadium has a seating capacity of 71,500, a total square footage of with of natural grass playing surface....
as part of a double-header, with the other game being an exhibition match between FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Mexican side Club América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
, 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, El Batallón, Brickwall Firm, La Bateria and Texian Army.
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 was of an orange haired fox and named, Dynamo Diesel. He was unveiled at Houston ZooHouston Zoo
The Houston Zoo is a zoological park located within Hermann Park in Houston, Texas, United States. Housing over 6,000 animals belonging to over 900 species, the zoo receives 1.6 million visitors each year and is the seventh most visited zoo in the nation...
on 3 April 2007. 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 helping to promote the Dynamo in Houston.
Notably the Dynamo Girls were featured in an episode of the MTV reality series Made
Made (TV series)
MTV's MADE is a self-improvement reality television series broadcast on MTV. The series follows teens who have a goal and want to be "made" into things like singers, athletes, dancers, skateboarders, etc. The teens are joined by a "Made Coach", an expert in their chosen field, who tries to help...
.
Geographic
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. Each season they compete in the Texas Derby, or El Capitán Clasico, in which the victor wins an 18th century cannon named El Capitán.
| Season | Played | Dynamo Win | Draw | FCD Win | Dynamo Goals | FCD Goals | +/- | Texas Derby Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | Houston Dynamo | |
| 2007 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | Houston Dynamo | |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | FC Dallas‡ |
| 2009 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | Houston Dynamo | |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| FC Dallas | ||||||||
| 2011 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | Houston Dynamo | |
| Total | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 27 | 19 | Houston Dynamo (4), FC Dallas (2) |
Note ‡: FC Dallas won on away goals rule, 4-2
International
The team's main international rival is Pachuca. The Houston Dynamo and Pachuca have faced each other in the North American SuperLigaNorth American SuperLiga
The SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
as well as the CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
since 2007 and have a combined record of 3-3-1.
| Season | Played | Dynamo Win | Draw | Pachuca Win | Dynamo Goals | Pachuca Goals | +/- | SuperLiga Rivalry Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |  C.F. Pachuca‡ |
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Houston Dynamo | |
| 2009‡‡ | N/A | |||||||
| 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Houston Dynamo | |
| Total | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | Houston Dynamo (2), Pachuca (0), Tie (1) |
Note ‡: Pachuca won on penalty kicks, 4-3.
Note ‡‡: Houston Dynamo and Pachuca were already qualified for the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League; therefore, both teams could not qualify for North American SuperLiga 2009.
| Season | Played | Dynamo Win | Draw | Pachuca Win | Dynamo Goals | Pachuca Goals | +/- | CONCACAF Rivalry Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Pachuca |
||||||||
| 2008† | N/A | |||||||
| 2008-09‡ | N/A | |||||||
| 2009-10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Pachuca |
||||||||
| 2010-11‡‡ | N/A | |||||||
| Total | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 | ||
| Houston Dynamo (0), Pachuca (2) |
Note †: Although both teams were in the 2008 CONCACAF Champions League, neither met each other in the tournament.
Note ‡: Pachuca did not qualify.
Note ‡‡: Neither team qualified
First sponsorship
On August 24, 2007, the Houston Dynamo reached a four-year sponsorship deal with Houston based retail electricityElectricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
provider, Amigo Energy
Amigo Energy
Amigo Energy is a privately owned, full-service retail electricity provider]] for residential and commercial customers, located in Houston, TX, United States. Amigo Energy was founded in 2003, and has provided electricity to customers across nearly all deregulated areas in Texas.-History:Amigo ...
, worth US$7.5M. Amigo Energy
Amigo Energy
Amigo Energy is a privately owned, full-service retail electricity provider]] for residential and commercial customers, located in Houston, TX, United States. Amigo Energy was founded in 2003, and has provided electricity to customers across nearly all deregulated areas in Texas.-History:Amigo ...
became the official jersey sponsor. The Dynamo were the fifth league team to sign jersey sponsors, after Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
and Toronto FC with Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
and Chicago Fire each adding jersey sponsors for the 2008 season
The Amigo Energy logo appeared on all team jerseys, along with other on-field gear, and Amigo Energy also became the official home and business retail energy provider of the Dynamo. As part of the deal, Amigo Energy established a focused marketing strategy that uses the Dynamo in co-branded advertising, customer retention, and new customer acquisition programs.
Renewed sponsorship
On December 7, 2010, the team announced GreenstarGreenstar
Greenstar is the largest waste management company in Ireland and is a provider of integrated waste management services. Greenstar are a major landfill & transfer station operator in the region. Greenstar has made a number of acquisitions and stakes in UK waste management companies to expand its...
Recycling as their new corporate jersey sponsor. The deal is with $12.7 million over three-years, with two additional option years, making it the largest sponsor in team history. The Greenstar logo will be featured on Dynamo game jerseys and all team apparel. Greenstar will also manage all recycling and waste management services for the team's new downtown stadium.
Broadcasting
Local English coverage is carried by KHOUKHOU-TV
KHOU is the CBS affiliate television station in Houston, Texas. Serving Greater Houston, it is owned by the Belo Corporation and broadcasts on digital and PSIP channel 11...
-DT Channel 11.2, when not carried by the national MLS broadcast partners such as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and the Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...
(FSC). Select games will also be simulcast on Fox Sports Houston
Fox Sports Houston
Fox Sports Houston is a regional sports network that covers sports in Houston, Texas. The network operates out of Downtown Houston....
. Glenn Davis
Glenn Davis (sports broadcaster)
Glenn Davis is an American sports journalist and broadcaster, college and professional soccer player, and youth soccer coach.-Playing:In college, Davis was an NAIA All-American and an All-WVIAC selection...
calls the play-by-play with James Clarkson calling the color commentary on home games. Spanish coverage is on KHLM-LP
KHLM-LP
KHLM-LD is a low-powered digital television station owned and operated by Lotus Communications Corporation. It broadcasts on channel 43 and licensed to Houston, Texas.-Digital television:The station's digital channel is multiplexed:...
"TV Informa", Channel 43, with Ernesto Del Valle calling play-by-play and Gustavo Rangel providing color.
English radio broadcasts are carried by KBME
KBME (AM)
KBME AM is a sports-talk radio station in the Houston, Texas metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station airs local sports-talk every weekday from 6am until 9pm and carries nationally syndicated Fox Sports Radio programming.-History:The station first went...
SportsTalk 790 AM, with Jonathan Yardley calling play-by-play. Spanish radio broadcasts are carried by KEYH
KEYH
KEYH is a Spanish language radio station in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Liberman Broadcasting....
850 AM La Ranchera, with Daniel Mejia calling play-by-play and Alex Parra providing color.
Dynamo All-Access is a local Houston radio broadcast on KBME (AM), which is hosted by Glenn Davis
Glenn Davis (sports broadcaster)
Glenn Davis is an American sports journalist and broadcaster, college and professional soccer player, and youth soccer coach.-Playing:In college, Davis was an NAIA All-American and an All-WVIAC selection...
. It regularly features head coach Dominic Kinnear and the team's players.
Current roster
As of August 5, 2011.Reserve Team Players
This list shows players who have played for the team in official 2011 MLS Reserve Division2011 MLS Reserve Division
The new MLS Reserve League was resurrected for the 2011 season, after not having played since 2008. Each team will play 10 games against divisional opponenets, with clubs being allowed schedule additional games against non-MLS opponents. The schedule begins March 20 and tentatively concludes Oct...
games, but are not part of the senior roster.
Notable former players
This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.Wade Barrett (2006–10) Ronald Cerritos
Ronald Cerritos
Ronald Osvaldo Cerritos Flores is a former Salvadoran footballer, who played as a striker.Cerritos is the all-time goalscorer of the Major League Soccer team, the San Jose Earthquakes, with 61 goals and also holds the all-time assists with 47.-Club career:Cerritos has spent the bulk of his career...
(2006) Ricardo Clark
Ricardo Clark
Ricardo Clark is an American soccer player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-High School and College:...
(2006–09) Ryan Cochrane (2006–07), (2009–10) Paul Dalglish
Paul Dalglish
Paul Kenneth Dalglish is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.-Playing career:Dalglish, son of former Scotland international Kenny Dalglish, was born in Glasgow though spent his childhood in Liverpool where his father managed Liverpool F.C...
(2006–08) Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
(2006–08) Stuart Holden
Stuart Holden
Stuart Alistair Holden is an American football player who currently plays as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League....
(2006–09) Nate Jaqua
Nate Jaqua
Jonathan "Nate" Jaqua is an American soccer player who last played for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer.-High School:...
(2007–08) Kei Kamara
Kei Kamara
Kei Kamara is a Sierra Leonean footballer who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.-Early life:Kamara was born and raised in Kenema, Sierra Leone's third largest city to Temne parents...
(2008–09)
Luis Ángel Landín
Luis Ángel Landín
Luis Ángel Landín is a Mexican footballer. He currently plays for Atlante of the Primera División de México.-Professional:...
(2009–10) Brian Mullan
Brian Mullan
Brian Mullan is an American soccer player who plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer. He has previously played for Wisconsin Rebels, Colorado Comets, Los Angeles Galaxy, San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo. He is one of only two players to have won MLS Cup five times, the other being...
(2006–10) Richard Mulrooney
Richard Mulrooney
Richard Mulrooney is a former American soccer player.-College:Mulrooney played four years of college soccer at Creighton University, where he recorded 51 assists from 1995 to 1998...
(2007–10) Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya
Joseph Ngwenya is a Zimbabwean footballer currently without a club.-College:Ngwenya attended the Mzilikazi High School in Bulawayo, leading them to the 1999 Zimbabwe National High School Championship, before coming to the United States in 2000 to attend and play college soccer at Coastal Carolina...
(2007,2010) Pat Onstad
Pat Onstad
Patrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(2006–10) Adrian Serioux
Adrian Serioux
Adrian Serioux is a Canadian soccer player who is currently a free agent.-Club career:After playing college soccer for the University of New Haven, Serioux started his pro career with the Toronto Lynx in the A-League. He then moved to England to join Millwall...
(2006, 2010) Craig Waibel
Craig Waibel
Craig Waibel is a former American soccer player.-College:Waibel played college soccer at University of Washington, and with Spokane Shadow in the USL Premier Development League prior to turning professional....
(2006–10) Brian Ching
Brian Ching
Brian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(2006–11) Chris Wondolowski
Chris Wondolowski
Christopher Elliott Wondolowski is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(2006–09)
- See also All-time Houston Dynamo rosterAll-time Houston Dynamo rosterThis list comprises all players who have participated in at least one league match for Houston Dynamo since the team's first Major League Soccer season in 2006...
Team officials
- Owner: Anschutz Entertainment GroupAnschutz Entertainment GroupThe Anschutz Entertainment Group is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. It is the world's largest owner of sports teams and sports events, the owner of the world’s most profitable sports and entertainment venues, and under AEG Live the world's...
- Equity partners: Oscar De La HoyaOscar de la HoyaOscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
, Brener International Group
Senior club staff
- President of Business Operations: Chris Canetti
- Senior Vice President: Rocky Harris
- Senior Vice President of Business Development: Steve Powell
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Dominic KinnearDominic KinnearDominic Kinnear is a Scottish-born American former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.As a player, he began his professional career with Scottish club St...
- Assistant Coach: Steve RalstonSteve RalstonSteve Ralston is a retired American soccer player and a current assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo.-Professional:...
- Assistant Coach: Wade Barrett
- Goalkeepers Coach: Tim HanleyTim HanleyTim Hanley was a U.S. soccer goalkeeper who played in the North American Soccer League and Europe. He is a long time Major League Soccer goalkeeper coach.-Youth:...
- Head Athletic Trainer: Theron Enns
- Assistant Athletic Trainer: Shane Caron
- Manager, Team Operations: Nick Kowba
- Equipment Manager: Mike Porter
Achievements
- MLS CupMLS CupThe MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
- Winners (2): 2006MLS Cup 2006The 2006 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2006 Major League Soccer season, played on November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo. Houston won 4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw following extra time...
, 2007MLS Cup 2007The 2007 MLS Cup was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup championship game. The match was played on November 18, 2007 between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo — a rematch of the 2006 MLS Cup final. For the second straight year, the Dynamo defeated the Revolution, this time by a 2-1... - Runner-up (1): 2011
- Winners (2): 2006
- MLS Supporters' ShieldMLS Supporters' ShieldThe Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system...
- Runner-up (1): 2008
- MLS Western Conference
- Winners (Regular Season) (1): 2008
- Winners (Playoff) (2): 2006, 2007
- MLS Eastern Conference
- Winners (Playoff) (1): 2011
- North American SuperLigaNorth American SuperLigaThe SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
- Runner-up (1): 2008
- Pan-Pacific ChampionshipPan-Pacific ChampionshipThe Pan-Pacific Football Championship was an inter-confederation football tournament between teams from A-League , Chinese Super League , J...
- Runner-up (1): 2008
- Minor Trophies
- Texas DerbyTexas DerbyThe Texas derby is a soccer rivalry between Texas's two MLS teams, Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas, recognizing the best club in the state for the season. The two squads play a series of games with the series winner taking home El Capitán, a replica 18th century mountain howitzer cannon...
Winners (4): 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 - Carolina Challenge CupCarolina Challenge CupThe Carolina Challenge Cup is a four-team round robin pre-season competition hosted by the Charleston Battery. It was started in 2004 and features teams from Major League Soccer and the United Soccer Leagues. The Columbus Crew edged out D.C. United on goal differential to win the 2004 competition,...
Winners (2): 2006Carolina Challenge Cup 2006The Carolina Challenge Cup is a four-team round robin pre-season competition hosted by the Charleston Battery. In the short history of this tournament, the champion has gone on to win one of the two year-end MLS trophies, the MLS Supporters' Shield or MLS Cup...
, 2007Carolina Challenge Cup 2007The Carolina Challenge Cup is a four-team round robin pre-season competition hosted by the Charleston Battery. In the short history of this tournament, the champion has gone on to win one of the two year-end MLS trophies, the MLS Supporters' Shield or MLS Cup... - Texas Pro Soccer FestivalTexas Pro Soccer Festival 2008The Texas Pro Soccer Festival is a four-team round robin pre-season competition hosted by the Houston Dynamo, held in San Antonio, Texas.The Dynamo have made San Antonio its annual home for a week-long pre-season training camp...
Winners (1): 2008Texas Pro Soccer Festival 2008The Texas Pro Soccer Festival is a four-team round robin pre-season competition hosted by the Houston Dynamo, held in San Antonio, Texas.The Dynamo have made San Antonio its annual home for a week-long pre-season training camp... - MLS Reserve DivisionMLS Reserve DivisionThe MLS Reserve Division is an USA soccer league for the reserve teams of Major League Soccer.It was inaugurated on April 9, 2005, with the first official reserve game being a 2-0 victory by Chivas USA over the host San Jose Earthquakes, and disbanded after the 2008 season.The reserve division...
Winners (1): 2008MLS Reserve Division 2008The MLS Reserve Division is a USA soccer league for the reserve teams of Major League Soccer, much like the English FA Premier Reserve League is to the FA Premier League.... - Dynamo Charities CupDynamo Charities CupThe Dynamo Charities Cup is an annual friendly match pitting the Dynamo against an international opponent, with a portion of the match’s proceeds donated to charity.-Format:...
Winners (2): 2009, 2010
- Texas Derby
Seasons
| Year | Regular Season | Playoffs | US Open Cup | CONCACAF Champions' League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2nd, West | Champions | Semi-Finals | Could not qualify |
| 2007 | 2nd, West | Champions | Round of 16 | Semi-Finals |
| 2008 | 1st, West | Quarter-Finals | Round of 16 | Semi-Finals |
| 2009 | 2nd, West | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Group Stage |
| 2010 | 7th, West | Did not qualify | Quarter-Finals | Did not qualify |
| 2011 | 2nd, East | Final | Did not qualify† | Did not qualify |
Note †: Eliminated in the Qualification Semifinals.
International tournaments
The Dynamo have had a recent run of competition against international clubs for the two years following their inaugural season. By virtue of their MLS Cup victories, the Dynamo have entered prestigious competitions like the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the North American SuperLigaNorth American SuperLiga
The SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
. During the 2008 season, the Dynamo participated in the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship
Pan-Pacific Championship
The Pan-Pacific Football Championship was an inter-confederation football tournament between teams from A-League , Chinese Super League , J...
as well as the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
.
Team records
- Games:
Brad DavisBrad Davis (soccer)Brad Davis is an American footballer who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(159) - Games (GK):
Pat OnstadPat OnstadPatrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(136) - Goals: Brian ChingBrian ChingBrian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(51) - Assists: Brad DavisBrad Davis (soccer)Brad Davis is an American footballer who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(62) - Points: Brad DavisBrad Davis (soccer)Brad Davis is an American footballer who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(83) - Shots: Brian ChingBrian ChingBrian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(253) & Brad DavisBrad Davis (soccer)Brad Davis is an American footballer who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(260) - Shots-on-Goal: Brian ChingBrian ChingBrian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(115) & Brad DavisBrad Davis (soccer)Brad Davis is an American footballer who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(112) - Game-Winning Goals: Brian ChingBrian ChingBrian Ching is an American professional soccer forward currently playing for the Montreal Impact of Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(12) - Shutouts: Pat OnstadPat OnstadPatrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(37) - Saves: Pat OnstadPat OnstadPatrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(384) - Wins: Pat OnstadPat OnstadPatrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
(53)
MLS regular season only, through 2011 season
Average attendance
The Dynamo's first year regular season attendance was excellent, placing third only behind the two Los Angeles teams. Playoff attendance, however, was in-line with regular season attendance, with neither game selling out (just under 31,000 at Robertson Stadium).Although regular season attendance dipped a little bit in 2007, in spite of the Dynamo's MLS Cup win in their first year, they nearly sold out the second leg of their Western Conference Semifinal match against FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
, and then they did sell out the Conference Final match against the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
.
In 2008, regular season attendance rebounded a bit from the lull in 2007. The attendance for the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinal was nearly identical to the previous year, just under a sellout crowd.
| Year | Regular Season | Playoffs |
| 2006 | 18,935 | 20,274 |
| 2007 | 15,883 | 30,530 |
| 2008 | 16,939 | 30,053 |
| 2009 | 17,047 | 27,465 |
| 2010 | 17,310 | Did Not Qualify |
| 2011 | 17,694 | 24,749 |
Top five Houston Dynamo matches at Robertson Stadium
| Attendance | Date | Match | Notes |
| 30,972 | 11/10/07 | HOU vs. KC Kansas City Wizards Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... |
2007 Western Conference Final |
| 30,588 | 10/7/07 | HOU vs. LA Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
|
| 30,361 | 10/18/08 | HOU vs. LA Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
|
| 30,088 | 11/2/07 | HOU vs. DAL FC Dallas FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada... |
2007 Western Conference Semi-Final, Second Leg |
| 30,053 | 11/9/08 | HOU vs. NY Red Bull New York The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
2008 Western Conference Semi-Final, Second Leg |