The Houston Dynamo will open the 2019 season, fueled by 76®, on Saturday, March 2 when they host Real Salt Lake at 5 p.m. CST at BBVA Compass Stadium, the club and Major League Soccer announced today.
The Dynamo have gone 8-1-4 in home openers during the club’s 13-year history and are 6-0-1 in home openers at BBVA Compass Stadium. A year ago, the Dynamo opened the 2018 season with a 4-0 win over Atlanta United FC, dealing the eventual MLS Cup champions their worst defeat of the season.
Tickets for Opening Day will go on sale Friday, Dec. 21 at 10 a.m. online at HoustonDynamo.com, by phone at 713-276-4625 (GOAL) or at the stadium box office, with prices starting at just $24.
Under the leadership of Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera, the Dynamo captured the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship – the first in club history – in September and earned a spot in the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League. Houston will open its 2019 campaign on Tuesday, Feb. 19 when the Dynamo travel to Guatemala to face CD Guastatoya for the first leg of the home-and-home Round of 16 series.
The 2018 Dynamo showcased an electric and entertaining style of play as they scored a club-record 58 goals, setting new scoring records in back-to-back years under Cabrera. La Naranja will return players who accounted for 50 of those 58 years a year ago, led by 23-year-old forward Mauro Manotas, who set club single-season scoring records in 2018 with 25 goals across all competitions and 19 in league play.
Alongside the Colombian native will be 22-year-old Honduran forward Alberth Elis, who scored 11 goals last season and tallied 10 assists to become the first player in club history to hit double digits in both categories in the same season. Fellow Honduran Romell Quioto added six goals and 12 assists, while Argentinian midfielder Tomás MartÃnez chipped in 13 assists and five goals of his own.
Real Salt Lake reached the Western Conference Semifinals in 2018 and qualified for the postseason after Houston defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 on Decision Day presented by AT&T on Oct. 28. Last season, RSL defeated the Dynamo in both encounters, winning each by a 2-1 margin.
Much like the Dynamo, Salt Lake was one of the most prolific teams in the league, scoring 55 goals on the year, just behind Houston in goals scored during the regular season. A balance of experience and youth led Salt Lake to sixth place in the Western Conference in 2018. Midfielder Damir Kreilach earned the club’s Golden Boot and MVP honors in 2018 and combined with midfielder Albert Rusnák for 22 goals and 15 assists last season. RSL boast two of the league’s most experienced players in goalkeeper Nick Rimando and midfielder Kyle Beckerman, who have combined for 948 league appearances in their storied careers. With those two stalwarts leading the way, Real Salt Lake has advanced to the postseason nine times in the last 11 seasons.
The full schedule for the 2019 Dynamo season, fueled by 76®, will be released in January. Dynamo full season memberships are available for purchase at HoustonDynamo365.com with prices starting at only $320. Full season memberships include all 17 regular season MLS home games along with the BBVA Compass Dynamo Charities Cup, complimentary admission to select U.S. Open Cup matches and unique members-only events and experiences throughout the year.
Through the Dynamo 365 program, season ticket members have access to a year-round membership platform that includes personalized events based on the way each fan uses his or her tickets. The Dynamo 365 Membership is in addition to all existing Member benefits, such as savings on tickets, playoffs priority and access to gameday experiences.
