MLS Houston Dynamo FC

Houston Dynamo Host Sporting Kansas City Tomorrow Afternoon

November 8, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


HOUSTON (Friday, Nov. 8, 2013) - The Houston Dynamo and Sporting Kansas City open the Eastern Conference Championship with the first leg tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. CT at BBVA Compass Stadium. Tickets are available at www.HoustonDynamo.com, by calling 713-276-GOAL, or by visiting the BBVA Compass Stadium box office (2200 Texas St., Houston) from 9 a.m. through kickoff tomorrow.

Saturday's game, presented by BBVA Compass, is the first in the two-game, aggregate score series. The team with more total goals over the two legs wins the series and will advance to MLS Cup 2013. The second leg is Saturday, Nov. 23 at Sporting Park in Kansas City.

Tomorrow is Houston's final potential home game in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs.

The game will be broadcast live on NBC (KPRC Local 2 in Houston) and can be heard on ESPN 97.5 FM and La Ranchera 850 AM (Spanish).

The Dynamo opened the Eastern Conference Playoffs with a 3-0 win over the Montreal Impact on Oct. 31 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Houston reached its third straight Eastern Conference Championship with a 2-1 extra-time win over the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday for a 4-3 aggregate series win. Omar Cummings scored 14 minutes into extra time and goalkeeper Tally Hall made eight saves as the Dynamo advanced to their sixth conference championship in eight years.

Sporting Kansas City overturned a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the other Eastern Conference Semifinal series with a 3-1 extra-time victory on Wednesday at Sporting Park for a 4-3 aggregate series win over the New England Revolution.

The Eastern Conference Championship marks the third straight season Houston and Sporting Kansas City have met in the playoffs. The Dynamo secured a 2-0 single-leg win in the 2011 Eastern Conference Championship at Sporting Park before registering a 2-1 aggregate series victory in the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Last year, Houston won the first leg at BBVA Compass Stadium for a 2-0 series lead. In the second leg Sporting Kansas City pulled within a goal at Sporting Park but the Dynamo preserved the margin for a 2-1 series win.

Sunday's game is the ninth meeting between Houston and Sporting Kansas City since last July. Sporting KC snapped Houston's MLS record 36-game home undefeated streak with a 1-0 win at BBVA Compass Stadium on May 12. The clubs drew 1-1 in a rematch on May 26 at Sporting Park before playing to a 0-0 draw in their most recent meeting on Oct. 9 in Houston. The clubs met five times last year, with three regular season games and two more in the playoffs.

Houston defender Corey Ashe is suspended for Saturday's first leg. He will serve a one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation after receiving his second yellow card of the playoffs on Wednesday.

The Dynamo are 9-1-1 all-time in home playoff games, a winning percentage of .864, the best in MLS history, and have outscored opponents 23-8.

For complete information about the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs, including ticket information and Dynamo playoff history, visit www.HoustonDynamo.com/Playoffs.

Group tickets for Dynamo home playoff games may be purchased by calling 713-276-GOAL.

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Major League Soccer Stories from November 8, 2013


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