Houston Dynamo and Vancouver Whitecaps are set to face off at Shell Energy Stadium on Thursday, with both teams seeking to bounce back from recent losses in Major League Soccer.
The Whitecaps arrive in Texas having slipped to third in the Western Conference after back-to-back defeats, while Houston sits 12 points behind them in 10th place, still in the hunt for a playoff spot
Match Preview
Houston Dynamo returns to action Thursday night hoping to respond positively after a setback over the weekend disrupted their recent momentum.
Last season’s fifth-place finish and early playoff exit gave fans hope for growth in 2025, but the club currently sits 10th in the Western Conference with 26 points from 22 games. They’ve managed seven wins and suffered 10 defeats in that stretch.
After dropping three straight matches in June, Ben Olsen’s squad looked to be turning a corner. A 1-0 win over St. Louis City was followed by a thrilling 4-3 away victory against San Diego FC, where Lawrence Ennali and Franco Escobar found the net before Ezequiel Ponce sealed the win with two late goals.
That mini run came to an end in their latest outing at Real Salt Lake. Houston left without points after conceding late in the first half to a goal from William Agada.
With just a point separating them from the ninth-place team and three points behind seventh, Houston remains firmly in the mix. A home win Thursday could lift them into the playoff zone.
Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen pictured on March 12, 2025
Vancouver also enters this fixture looking to stop the bleeding and reignite their strong early-season form.
The Whitecaps had an excellent start to 2025, picking up 35 points in their first 16 games after finishing eighth last season and exiting the playoffs early. But their recent form has stalled, earning just three more points from the last five matches. A narrow 1-0 win away at LAFC was sandwiched between two losing streaks.
They’ve now lost their last two games by identical 3-0 scorelines—first to LA Galaxy and then to Colorado Rapids, where goals from Calvin Harris, Rafael Navarro, and Andreas Maxso sealed the result.
Despite the dip, Vancouver remains third in the West, five points ahead of fourth place but now trailing San Diego FC by four. Thursday presents a chance to reset and close that gap.
Houston Dynamo MLS form:
LLLWWL
Vancouver Whitecaps MLS form:
WLLWLL
Vancouver Whitecaps form (all competitions):
LLWLWL
Team News
Houston remains without Nelson Quinones, Andrew Tarbell, and Erik Sviatchenko, who are sidelined due to injuries.
Ezequiel Ponce, who has scored nine goals across league and cup competition this year, is expected to lead the attack once again. He’ll likely be supported by Amine Bassi in a 4-2-3-1 setup.
Sebastian Kowalczyk could return to midfield alongside Artur, while Duane Holmes, Ondrej Lingr, and Gabriel Segal compete for attacking roles in the lineup.
The Whitecaps are managing injuries of their own, with Sam Adekugbe, Ali Ahmed, Ryan Gauld, Giuseppe Bovalina, and Andres Cubas all likely to remain unavailable.
Forward Brian White has been a consistent bright spot, tallying 15 goals in all competitions so far—including 10 in 13 MLS games. He hit 16 league goals in each of the past two seasons.
In defense, Ranko Veselinovic is expected to reunite with Tristan Blackmon in central defense. Ralph Priso-Mbongue should keep his place in midfield alongside Sebastian Berhalter and Jean-Claude Ngando.
Houston Dynamo possible starting lineup:
Bond; Andrade, Bartlow, Ortiz, Escobar; Artur, Kowalczyk; McGlynn, Bassi, Holmes; Ponce
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Takaoka; Laborda, Veselinovic, Blackmon, Johnson; Berhalter, Priso-Mbongue, Ngando; Vite, White, Sabbi
–
