By Victor Araiza
The Houston Dynamo and CF Pachuca renew a historic rivalry between the clubs, as one exits the Leagues Cup Phase One while another aspires to advance to the Knockout Round.
HEAD TO HEAD
- 8th meeting all-time (Pachuca leads 4-3)
- Houston won their last meeting at the Round of 32 in the 2023 Leagues Cup (won in PK's)
- Record at Leagues Cup: Houston Dynamo (3-6), CF Pachuca (2-4)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Pachuca
- 4 Wins, 0 Draws, 1 Loss
- Coming off loss in penalties vs LAFC, won their first game 3-2 over San Diego
- Houston Dynamo
- 0 Wins, 1 Draw, 4 Losses
- Have been outscored 6-1 in their two losses this tournament
MAIN STORYLINES
- Houston Dynamo is eliminated from Leagues Cup 2025 and seeks to fine tune details as it returns to MLS play against rival Austin FC
- Ezequiel Ponce, who leads the Dynamo with seven MLS goals, returned from injury against Mazatlán after missing the Tigres match.
- CF Pachuca will seek all three points to help its chances of reaching the Knockout Round
- Alexei Dominguez is coming off a brace against LAFC and leads Pachuca with two goals, one assist
- Carlos Moreno returns to Houston, where he began his current stretch as Pachuca’s starting goalkeeper at Leagues Cup 2023
KEY FACTORS
- Houston Dynamo
- Ben Olsen is expected to experiment with his lineup in the club’s final tune up before returning to the closing stretch of the MLS season
- Pedro Cruz, who won Goalie Wars as part of the MLS All-Star 2025 festivities, earned his first start against Mazatlán and could be among young players to get minutes
- Ezequiel Ponce returned from injury in their last game vs Mazatlán. He came off the bench and had 3 shots (1 on goal)
- Pachuca
- One of Mexico’s top youth academies, Pachuca features young stars in 20-year-old Alexei Dominguez and 19-year-old Elías Montiel
- Former Fluminense, Chelsea winger Kenedy joined the Tuzos this summer, on loan from Valladolid
- Forward Jhonder Cádiz will be unavailable due to red card suspension
WHAT TO EXPECT
CF Pachuca manager Jaime Lozano and his coaching staff return to Houston nearly a year after visiting the Dynamo FC facilities and meeting with club leadership — including current head coach Ben Olsen — as guests of the organization.
“I didn’t know Jimmy very well before he came here,” Olsen said ahead of Tuesday’s match. “We certainly welcomed him and his group. I think it was nice for them to see our environment and for us to pick their brains.”
“I give him a lot of credit for exploring different environments and continuing to grow, because we always need that,” Olsen added. “My time with him — he’s a wonderful guy and a really sharp coach. So I’m looking forward to seeing him again and competing against him.”
Now, Lozano returns as an opponent at the start of his tenure with the Tuzos. In prior years, the Mexican manager interviewed for the Dynamo’s head coaching job with current President of Soccer Pat Onstad and Technical Director Asher Mendelsohn.
“I came here recently because I have a very good friendship with Pat and Asher from those interviews,” Lozano said. “As I’ve said, at some point I would really like to be in this league.”
“It’s a league I enjoy watching,” he added. “I like how they work, I like the structure of the sport in the United States, and well — it’s a nice showcase for us, too — for us coaches.”
The Dynamo sit at 7W-11L-6T (11th in the West) in MLS play and are entering a pivotal 10-match stretch in their quest to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs. Houston is officially eliminated from advancing in Leagues Cup 2025 following losses to Tigres UANL and Mazatlán FC.
Olsen may use the match to make final experiments with his squad — which could include the debut of summer signing Antônio Carlos, a defender arriving from Fluminense.
Pachuca, meanwhile, is off to a 3-0-0 start in the Liga MX Apertura 2025 and sits atop the early standings. With five points already secured in Leagues Cup play, they aim to lock in their place in the Knockout Stage.
Carlos Moreno, who was named Pachuca’s starting goalkeeper by then-manager Guillermo Almada for Leagues Cup 2023, now returns as team captain and a seasoned leader. Since then, he’s helped the club win the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, finish as runners-up in the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and participate in this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Now, Moreno will aim for victory after Pachuca fell to Houston in penalties during their last Leagues Cup meeting. These two clubs also share a history that dates back to 2007, when the legendary Miguel Calero stood in goal for the Mexican side and faced Onstad and company for the Texas club.
