It may be for charity, but national and league pride will also surely be on the line as the Houston Dynamo and C.F. Monterrey square off for the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup on Friday, June 29 (TICKETS).
The opponent is apt for the 10th edition of the annual charity match, as it was Monterrey that visited Robertson Stadium for the first Charities Cup back in 2009, a 2-1 win for Houston.
That match was indicative of many of the Dynamo’s encounters with Mexican sides in the 2000s – raucus crowds, tightly contested matches, and a good share of on-field flare-ups. Shortly after Geoff Cameron opened the scoring in the second half, a benches-clearing scuffle broke out and resulted in four red cards being issued. Jesús Zavala tied the match for Rayados in the 82nd minute, but Dominic Oduro gave Houston the win with a goal three minutes later.
The teams met again in 2011 for a friendly that turned decidedly antagonistic, a 3-0 win for the Dynamo that included another four ejections – including Monterrey’s then-head coach Victor Manuel Vucetich.
The Dynamo’s recent history with Mexican teams has been more amicable. Liga MX squads have visited BBVA Compass Stadium for the Dynamo Charities Cup or one-off exhibitions in each of the last three seasons, with the Dynamo defeating Santos Laguna 4-0 in 2015, tying Chivas de Guadalajara 0-0 in 2016, and falling 5-3 to Cruz Azul in 2017.
Houston’s overall record against teams from Mexico stands at 10-9-5, with a mix of official competitions such as Concacaf Champions League and the now-defunct SuperLiga to along with friendlies.
While there is still an undeniable difference in overall level between Liga MX and MLS, the wins by the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC in this year’s Concacaf Champions League have shown the dwindling gap on the competitive stage between the two leagues.
June’s charity match won’t make a dent in the bigger picture of the regional tug-of-war, but it will allow players on both teams to measure up the competition and talent levels on the other side of the Rio Grande.
Originally published on April 27, 2018
