Houston Dynamo FC defeated Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on Sunday night at Shell Energy Stadium to advance to the MLS Western Conference Final for the first time since 2017. Defender Franco Escobar scored the only goal of the game in the 32nd minute, heading in a corner kick from Darwin Quintero. The Dynamo defense held firm for the rest of the match, denying Sporting KC any clear chances to equalize. Goalkeeper Marko Maric made four saves to earn his second shutout of the playoffs.
The Dynamo, who finished fourth in the Western Conference regular season, have now won three consecutive playoff games, including a penalty shootout victory over LAFC in the first round. They will face the winner of the Seattle Sounders FC vs. LAFC match, which will be played on Monday night at Lumen Field. The Western Conference Final is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 2 at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Sporting KC, who entered the playoffs as the eighth seed, saw their Cinderella run come to an end. They had upset the top-seeded St. Louis City SC in the previous round, winning both legs of the best-of-three series. They also eliminated the San Jose Earthquakes in the wild card round on penalty kicks. However, they could not break down the Dynamo’s organized and disciplined backline, which has conceded only one goal in the postseason.
The Dynamo have a history of success in the MLS playoffs, having won two MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007, and reaching the final four times in total. They are looking to return to the MLS Cup for the first time since 2012, when they lost to the LA Galaxy. They will face a tough challenge in the next round, as both Seattle and LAFC are former MLS Cup champions and have potent attacking players.
The Dynamo’s win also means that the Eastern Conference will host the MLS Cup final on Saturday, Dec. 9. The Eastern Conference semifinals will be played on Saturday, Nov. 25, with Orlando City SC facing Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati taking on Philadelphia Union.
