This will be the eighth time the Houston Dynamo FC and Sporting Kansas City have met in the playoffs, but only the second in the last 10 seasons (2017 First Round). The Houston Dynamo has advanced on four of the previous five occasions, though Sporting Kansas City went on to lift the MLS Cup the only previous time it eliminated the Houston Dynamo FC, in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals.
The home side has won seven of the last nine meetings between the Houston Dynamo Fc and Sporting Kansas City (D2) with both sides progressing in a home knockout match in the last two US Open Cups. The last away win by either side was a 2-1 Sporting Kansas City in Houston in October 2020.
The Houston Dynamo FC have lost only one of their16 matches in all competitions since returning from the Leagues Cup break (W9 D6, including two penalty shoot-outs), including lifting the US Open Cup. Houston Dynamo FC’s only loss in that time was a 2-1 defeat at Sporting Kansas City on September 23.
Sporting Kansas City’s 4-1 win at St. Louis City SC in game one of the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs was the club’s second outright win in 27 all-time road playoff games (plus one breakaway shootout win). Sporting Kansas City has not lost any of its last three road playoff games (W1 D2) after having never gone consecutive away games in the postseason without defeat before.
Hector Herrera set up Houston Dynamo FC’s lone goal in game three against Real Salt Lake, his 18th assist of the MLS season, equaling Brad Davis’ single-season club record (including playoffs) set in 2011. Thirteen of those assists have come at home, equaling Carles Gil for most of any MLS player this year.
Alan Pulido and Gadi Kinda each assisted on three of Sporting Kansas City’s six goals in the first round of this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs. Only two Sporting Kansas City players had recorded three assists in a s ingle postseason entering this year: Felipe Gutierrez in 2018 and Eric Quill in 2002.
