2021 Houston Dynamo FC season
Houston Dynamo 2021 soccer season
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The 2021 Houston Dynamo FC season was the 16th season of the team's existence since joining Major League Soccer (MLS) prior to the 2006 season. It was the team's second season under head coach Tab Ramos and seventh season under general manager Matt Jordan. On August 30, with the team on a 15-game winless streak, Jordan was fired.[1] On November 1, with one game left in the season, Pat Onstad was hired as the new GM.[2]
OwnerGabriel Brener
(until June 22)
Ted Segal
(from June 22)
(until June 22)
Ted Segal
(from June 22)
General managerMatt Jordan
(until August 30)
Pat Onstad
(from November 1)
(until August 30)
Pat Onstad
(from November 1)
Head coachTab Ramos
StadiumPNC Stadium
| 2021 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Owner | Gabriel Brener (until June 22) Ted Segal (from June 22) | ||
| General manager | Matt Jordan (until August 30) Pat Onstad (from November 1) | ||
| Head coach | Tab Ramos | ||
| Stadium | PNC Stadium | ||
| MLS | Conference: 13th Overall: 25th | ||
| MLS Cup playoffs | DNQ | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | Canceled | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Fafà Picault (11 goals) All: Fafà Picault (11 goals) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 20,021 (7/3 v. CIN) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 6,376 (4/16 v. SJ) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 12,220 | ||
| Biggest win | HOU 3–0 ATX (9/11) | ||
| Biggest defeat | HOU 0–3 LAG (10/20) | ||
|
| |||
The Dynamo finished the season last in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the 7th time in 8 seasons.
On the front office end, it was Gabriel Brener's sixth season as majority owner and John Walker's third season as President of Business Operations.[3] On June 22, Ted Segal became majority owner after purchasing a controlling stake of the Dynamo and Dash for a reported $400 million. Former majority owner Brener kept a minority stake in the team, with James Harden, Oscar De La Hoya, and Ben Guill keeping their minority stakes. Minority owner Jake Silverstein sold his part of the team.[4][5]
In October, BBVA Stadium was rebranded as PNC Stadium following PNC Financial Services' acquisition of BBVA USA.[6][7]
Final roster
- As of November 4, 2021[8]
Appearances and goals are totals for MLS regular season only.
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Date of birth (Age) | Signed from | Signed in | Apps. | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||
| 1 | Marko Marić |  |
GK | January 3, 1996 (age 25) | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | 2020 | 45 | 0 |
| 26 | Michael Nelson |  |
GK | February 10, 1995 (age 26) | Southern Methodist University | 2018 | 11 | 0 |
| 31 | Kyle Morton | |
GK | March 31, 1994 (age 27) | Saint Louis FC | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| Defenders | ||||||||
| 2 | Alejandro Fuenmayor |  |
DF | August 29, 1996 (age 25) | Carabobo FC | 2018 | 38 | 3 |
| 3 | Adam Lundkvist |  |
DF | March 20, 1994 (age 27) | IF Elfsborg | 2018 | 90 | 0 |
| 4 | Zarek Valenin |  |
DF | August 6, 1991 (age 30) | Nashville SC | 2020 | 48 | 0 |
| 5 | Tim Parker | |
DF | February 23, 1993 (age 28) | New York Red Bulls | 2021 | 34 | 0 |
| 13 | Ethan Bartlow (GA) | |
DF | February 2, 2000 (age 21) | University of Washington | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Maynor Figueroa |  |
DF | May 2, 1983 (age 38) | FC Dallas | 2019 | 58 | 2 |
| 18 | Teenage Hadebe (DP) |  |
DF | September 17, 1995 (age 26) | Yeni Malatyaspor | 2021 | 17 | 0 |
| 29 | Sam Junqua | |
DF | November 9, 1996 (age 24) | University of California | 2019 | 31 | 1 |
| Midfielders | ||||||||
| 8 | Memo Rodríguez (HGP) | |
MF | December 27, 1995 (age 25) | Rio Grande Valley FC | 2017 | 106 | 17 |
| 10 | Fafà Picault | |
MF | February 23, 1991 (age 30) | FC Dallas | 2021 | 31 | 11 |
| 14 | Joe Corona | |
MF | July 9, 1990 (age 31) | LA Galaxy | 2021 | 30 | 0 |
| 20 | Adalberto Carrasquilla |  |
MF | November 28, 1998 (age 22) | Cartagena | 2021 | 10 | 1 |
| 21 | Derrick Jones (HGP) | |
MF | March 3, 1997 (age 24) | Nashville SC | 2021 | 20 | 0 |
| 22 | Matías Vera |  |
MF | October 26, 1995 (age 26) | San Lorenzo | 2019 | 80 | 3 |
| 24 | Darwin Cerén |  |
MF | December 31, 1989 (age 31) | San Jose Earthquakes | 2018 | 82 | 3 |
| 25 | Griffin Dorsey | |
MF | March 5, 1999 (age 22) | Toronto FC | 2021 | 20 | 2 |
| 27 | Boniek Garcia | |
MF | September 4, 1984 (age 37) | Olimpia | 2012 | 235 | 13 |
| 30 | Ian Hoffmann | |
MF | September 8, 2001 (age 20) | Rio Grande Valley FC | 2021 | 6 | 0 |
| 32 | Juan Castilla (HGP) |  |
MF | July 27, 2004 (age 17) | Houston Dynamo Academy | 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| Forwards | ||||||||
| 7 | Mateo Bajamich | |
FW | August 3, 1999 (age 22) | Instituto | 2020 | 9 | 0 |
| 11 | Ariel Lassiter |  |
FW | September 27, 1994 (age 27) | Alajuelense | 2020 | 35 | 3 |
| 12 | Corey Baird | |
FW | January 30, 1996 (age 25) | Los Angeles FC | 2021 | 7 | 0 |
| 17 | Nico Lemoine | |
FW | April 10, 2000 (age 21) | Rio Grande Valley FC | 2020 | 12 | 0 |
| 19 | Tyler Pasher |  |
FW | April 27, 1994 (age 27) | Indy Eleven | 2021 | 19 | 4 |
| 23 | Darwin Quintero (DP) | |
FW | September 19, 1987 (age 34) | Minnesota United FC | 2020 | 42 | 10 |
| 33 | Danny Ríos (HGP) | |
FW | March 29, 2003 (age 18) | Houston Dynamo Academy | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Maximiliano Urruti | |
FW | February 22, 1991 (age 30) | CF Montréal | 2021 | 30 | 7 |
Player movement
In
Per Major League Soccer and club policies terms of the deals do not get disclosed.
| Date | Player | Position | Age | Previous club | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 14, 2020 | Juan Castilla |
MF | 15 | Houston Dynamo Academy |
Signed as a Homegrown Player, effective January 1, 2021 | [9] |
| July 10, 2020 | Danny Ríos |
FW | 17 | Houston Dynamo Academy |
Signed as a Homegrown Player, effective January 1, 2021 | [10] |
| July 27, 2020 | Ian Hoffmann |
MF | 18 | Rio Grande Valley FC |
Signed a contract with Houston effective January 1, 2021. Spent the rest of 2020 with Houston's USLC affiliate RGVFC. | [11] |
| December 1, 2020 | Ariel Lassiter |
FW | 26 | Alajuelense |
Exercised the purchase option on loan agreement. Transfer fee undisclosed, but is rumored to be around $400,000. | [12][13] |
| December 17, 2020 | Fafà Picault |
MF | 29 | FC Dallas |
Acquired in exchange for $275,000 in general allocation money | [14] |
| December 31, 2020 | Joe Corona |
MF | 30 | LA Galaxy |
Free transfer, acquired his rights in stage 2 of the 2020 MLS Re-Entry Draft on December 22, 2020. | [15] |
| January 14, 2021 | Tyler Pasher |
FW | 26 | Indy Eleven |
Full transfer. Transfer fee undisclosed, but reported to be around $50,000. | [16][17] |
| January 18, 2021 | Maximiliano Urruti |
FW | 29 | CF Montréal |
Acquired along with Montréal's 2nd round pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft in exchange for Aljaž Struna and a 2021 international roster slot. | [18] |
| January 19, 2021 | Tim Parker |
DF | 27 | New York Red Bulls |
Acquired in exchange for $475,000 in general allocation money. | [19] |
| January 21, 2021 | Derrick Jones |
MF | 23 | Nasvhille SC |
Acquired in exchange for $250,000 in general allocation money. | [20] |
| January 27, 2021 | Kyle Morton |
GK | 26 | Saint Louis FC |
Signed on a free transfer. | [21] |
| June 28, 2021 | Teenage Hadebe |
DF | 25 |  Yeni Malatyaspor |
Signed as a Designated Player. Transfer fee undisclosed, but is rumored to be $1,650,000. | [22][23] |
| July 5, 2021 | Griffin Dorsey |
MF | 22 | Toronto FC |
Signed on a free transfer | [24] |
| July 30, 2021 | Corey Baird |
FW | 25 | Los Angeles FC |
Acquired in exchange for $750,000 in general allocation money and a 2022 international roster slot. | [25] |
Out
| Date | Player | Position | Age | Destination Club | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1, 2020 |  Kyle Adams |
DF | 24 | Real Monarchs |
Contract option declined | [12] |
| December 1, 2020 | Victor Cabrera |
DF | 27 | Tigre |
Contract option declined | [12] |
| December 1, 2020 | Cody Cropper |
GK | 27 | FC Cincinnati |
Contract option declined | [12] |
| December 1, 2020 | Tomás Martínez |
MF | 25 | Defensa y Justicia |
Contract option declined | [12] |
| December 1, 2020 | Ronaldo Peña |
FW | 23 | Universidad Central |
Contract option declined | [12] |
| December 1, 2020 |  Michael Salazar |
FW | 28 | Memphis 901 |
Contract option declined | [12] |
| December 1, 2020 |  Wilfried Zahibo |
MF | 27 |  Dundalk |
Contract option declined | [12] |
| December 1, 2020 |  Niko Hansen |
MF | 26 | Minnesota United FC |
Contract expired | [12] |
| December 8, 2020 | Mauro Manotas |
FW | 25 |  Tijuana |
Full transfer, Fee undisclosed, rumored to be $4,000,000 with Houston keeping a sell-on percentage. | [26][27] |
| January 18, 2021 |  Aljaž Struna |
DF | 30 | CF Montréal |
Traded to Montréal along with a 2021 International roster slot in exchange for Maximiliano Urruti and Montréal's 2nd round pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. | [18] |
| June 28, 2021 | Christian Ramirez |
FW | 30 |  Aberdeen |
Full Transfer. Fee undisclosed, rumored to be $250,000. | [28] |
Loans in
| Date | Player | Position | Age | Previous club | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 5, 2021 | Adalberto Carrasquilla |
MF | 22 |  Cartagena |
Signed on loan for the remainder of 2021 with an option to buy. | [29] |
Loans out
| Date | Player | Position | Age | Destination Club | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 9, 2020 | Mateo Bajamich |
FW | 21 | Instituto |
Loaned until January 21, 2021 | [30] |
| February 24, 2021 | Erik McCue |
DF | 20 | Charleston Battery |
Loaned for the 2021 season | [31] |
| March 3, 2021 | Marcelo Palomino |
MF | 19 | Charlotte Independence |
Loaned for the 2021 season | [32] |
| July 9, 2021 | Kyle Morton |
GK | 27 | Memphis 901 |
Loaned for 2 months | [33] |
| August 5, 2021 |  José Bizama |
DF | 27 | Charlotte Independence |
Loaned for the 2021 season | [34] |
MLS SuperDraft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Age | College | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Ethan Bartlow |
DF | 20 | Washington | Signed to a Generation Adidas contract. | [35] |
| 2 | 30 | Kristo Strickler |
FW | 22 | Virginia Tech | Signed with South Georgia Tormenta. | [35] |
| 3 | 57 | Brandon Terwege |
DF | 22 | SMU | [35] |
Coaching staff
- As of November 3, 2021[3]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Tab Ramos |
| Assistant coach | Omid Namazi |
| Assistant coach | Martín Vásquez |
| Coach | Michael Dellorusso |
| Goalkeeper coach |  Paul Rogers |
| Sports Performance Director/Fitness Coach | Paul Caffrey |
| Head of sports science |  Alex Calder |
| Equipment Manager | Chris Maxwell |
| Assistant Equipment Manager | Eddie Cerda |
| Chief Medical Officer | Dr. Rehal Bhojani |
| Head Athletic Trainer | Chris Rumsey |
| Assistant Athletic Trainer | Casey Carlson |
| Head Physical Therapist | Nathan Hironymous |
| Massage Therapist | Ivan Diaz |
Non-competitive
Preseason
| March 20 Friendly | Houston Dynamo | 2–0 | Austin Bold | Houston, Texas |
| 12:00 PM CDT | Ramirez  3rd period'Lassiter 3rd period' |
Report | Stadium: Houston Sports Park | |
| Note: Played in three 30-minute periods. | ||||
| March 24 Friendly | Houston Dynamo | 3–0 | FC Tulsa | College Station, Texas |
| 4:00 PM CDT | Urruti 15' Pasher 34'Vera 57' |
HOU Report TUL Report |
Stadium: Ellis Field |
| March 28 Friendly | Houston Dynamo | 2–0 | Louisville City | Houston, Texas |
| 1:00 PM CDT | Picault 5' Urruti 27' |
LOU Report | Stadium: Houston Sports Park | |
| Note: Extra 25 minutes played after initial 90. | ||||
| March 31 Friendly | Houston Dynamo | v | Austin Bold | Houston, Texas |
| 1:00 PM CDT | Report | Stadium: BBVA Stadium | ||
| Note: Canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test. | ||||
| April 3 La Copita | Austin FC | 2–3 | Houston Dynamo | Austin, Texas |
| 3:00 PM CDT | Pochettino 16' Redes 66' |
HOU Report ATX Report |
Picault 54', 71' Urruti 56' |
Stadium: St. David's Performance Center |
| April 3 Scrimmage | Austin FC | 0–1 | Houston Dynamo | Austin, Texas |
| 5:00 PM CDT | HOU Report | Rodríguez |
Stadium: St. David's Performance Center | |
| Note: 30-minute scrimmage. | ||||
| April 6 La Copita | Houston Dynamo | 2–0 | OKC Energy | Houston, Texas |
| 12:00 PM CDT | Rodríguez 11' Bajamich 42' |
Report | Stadium: Aveva Stadium |
| April 10 La Copita | Houston Dynamo | 0–3 | FC Dallas | Houston, Texas |
| 4:00 PM CDT | Report | Jara 37' Hollingshead 41'Ferreira 83' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium |
| April 10 Scrimmage | Houston Dynamo | 0–1 | FC Dallas | Houston, Texas |
| 6:00 PM CDT | Report | ElMedkhar |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium | |
| Note: 45-minute scrimmage. | ||||
Competitions
Major League Soccer
Standings
Western Conference
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Los Angeles FC | 34 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 45 |
| 10 | San Jose Earthquakes | 34 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 46 | 54 | −8 | 41 |
| 11 | FC Dallas | 34 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 47 | 56 | −9 | 33 |
| 12 | Austin FC | 34 | 9 | 21 | 4 | 35 | 56 | −21 | 31 |
| 13 | Houston Dynamo FC | 34 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 36 | 54 | −18 | 30 |
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Overall
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | FC Dallas | 34 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 47 | 56 | −9 | 33 |
| 24 | Austin FC | 34 | 9 | 21 | 4 | 35 | 56 | −21 | 31 |
| 25 | Houston Dynamo FC | 34 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 36 | 54 | −18 | 30 |
| 26 | Toronto FC | 34 | 6 | 18 | 10 | 39 | 66 | −27 | 28 |
| 27 | FC Cincinnati | 34 | 4 | 22 | 8 | 37 | 74 | −37 | 20 |
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 34 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 36 | 54 | −18 | 30 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 22 | −1 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 32 | −17 |
Results by round
Updated to match(es) played on November 4, 2021. Source: Match results
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Match results
| April 16 1 | Houston Dynamo | 2–1 | San Jose Earthquakes | Houston, Texas |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Picault  29'Rodríguez 39'Vera 41'Urruti 56'Jones 90+4' |
Report | López 51' Remedi 52'Marie 74'Ríos 87' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 6,376 Referee: Armando Villarreal |
| April 24 2 | Portland Timbers | 2–1 | Houston Dynamo | Portland, Oregon |
| 9:30 PM CDT | Asprilla 6' 26' Bravo 39'Paredes 73' |
Report | Paredes 28' (o.g.) Valentin 36'Urruti 37' |
Stadium: Providence Park Referee: Ismail Elfath |
| May 1 3 | Houston Dynamo | 1–1 | Los Angeles FC | Houston, Texas |
| 2:30 PM CDT | Pasher 57' |
Report | Murillo 29' Baird 55' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 7,850 Referee: Robert Sibiga |
| May 8 4 Texas Derby | FC Dallas | 1–1 | Houston Dynamo | Frisco, Texas |
| 2:30 PM CDT | Bressan 34' Obrian 42' 54'Acosta 82' |
Report | Picault 34' (pen.) Rodríguez 44'Vera 44'Corona 46' |
Stadium: Toyota Stadium Attendance: 8749 Referee: Alex Chilowicz |
| May 12 5 | Houston Dynamo | 1–0 | Sporting Kansas City | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Urruti 56' Picault 90+6' |
Report | Espinoza 70' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 7,054 Referee: Chris Penso |
| May 15 6 | Colorado Rapids | 3–1 | Houston Dynamo | Commerce City, Colorado |
| 8:00 PM CDT | Vines 29' Rubio 36'Bassett 42'Mezquida 85' |
Report | Ramirez 39' Corona 67'Figueroa 86' |
Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park Referee: Victor Rivas |
| May 22 7 | Houston Dynamo | 2–1 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Houston, Texas |
| 8:00 PM CDT | Rodríguez 8' Jones 22'Corona 32'Urruti 42'García 82'Picault 88' |
Report | Cavallini 21' Bikel 52'Caicedo 80'Baldisimo 81' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 9,255 Referee: Dave Gantar |
| May 29 8 | Sporting Kansas City | 3–2 | Houston Dynamo | Kansas City, Kansas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Busio 51' Pulido 61' (pen.)Kinda 65'Zusi 90+1' |
Report | Jones 4' Vera 13' 42'García 82'Urruti 90+3' |
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Attendance: 20,086 Referee: Drew Fischer |
| June 19 9 | Los Angeles FC | 1–1 | Houston Dynamo | Los Angeles, California |
| 10:00 PM CDT | Cifuentes 50' |
Report | Parker 17' Vera 30'Urruti 58'Picault 71' |
Stadium: Banc of California Stadium Attendance: 22,043 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
| June 23 10 | Houston Dynamo | 2–2 | Portland Timbers | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Picault 15' 59' Pasher 33' |
Report | Bonilla 38' Asprilla 50'Mabiala 72'Blanco 73'Ebobisse 90+1' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 10,791 Referee: Armando Villarreal |
| June 26 11 | Real Salt Lake | 1–1 | Houston Dynamo | Sandy, Utah |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Glad 11' |
Report | Vera 42' Urruti 52' 66'Cerén 84' |
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium Attendance: 13,588 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| July 3 12 | Houston Dynamo | 1–1 | FC Cincinnati | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Pasher 3' Figueroa 48'Valentin 70'García 81' |
Report | Barreal 5' Kubo 55' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 20,021 Referee: Marcos de Oliviera |
| July 7 13 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–0 | Houston Dynamo | Seattle, Washington |
| 8:00 PM CDT | Andrade 33' Leyva 51' Rowe 62' Ruidíaz 90+4' |
Report | Picault 80' |
Stadium: Lumen Field Attendance: 27,421 Referee: Robert Sibiga |
| July 21 14 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 0–0 | Houston Dynamo | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 9:00 PM CDT | Rose 24' Alexandre 83' |
Report | Hadebe 42' Junqua 56' Picault 83' |
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium Attendance: 0 Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr. |
| July 24 15 | San Jose Earthquakes | 1–1 | Houston Dynamo | San Jose, California |
| 9:00 PM CDT | Valentin 45+5' (o.g.) Cardoso 70' Fierro  90+7' |
Report | Vera 40', 68' Picault 53' Parker 57' Urruti 90+8' |
Stadium: PayPal Park Attendance: 12,793 Referee: Ted Unkel |
| July 31 16 | Houston Dynamo | 0–0 | Real Salt Lake | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Report | Glad 40'  87'Holt 90+2' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 13,462 Referee: Guido Gonzalez Jr. |
| August 4 17 Copa Tejas | Austin FC | 3–2 | Houston Dynamo | Austin, Texas |
| 8:00 PM CDT | Pochettino 7', 45+1' Domínguez 56'Stroud 83' |
Report | Cerén 70' Pasher 27'Dorsey 79'Picault 86' |
Stadium: Q2 Stadium Attendance: 20,738 Referee: Joseph Dickerson |
| August 7 18 | Minnesota United FC | 2–0 | Houston Dynamo | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Lod 14' Kallman 71' |
Report | Rodríguez 21' Junqua 21' Jones 62' |
Stadium: Allianz Field Attendance: 19,625 Referee: Silviu Petrescu |
| August 14 19 | Houston Dynamo | 1–3 | Colorado Rapids | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Picault 45+6' (pen.) |
Report | Abubakar 5' Rubio 24' Barrios 60' Galván 80' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 13,908 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| August 18 20 | Real Salt Lake | 2–1 | Houston Dynamo | Sandy, Utah |
| 9:00 PM CDT | Meram 6' Kreilach 29'Julio 88'Rusnák 90' |
Report | Picault 51' |
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium Attendance: 13,570 Referee: Jair Marrufo |
| August 21 21 Texas Derby | Houston Dynamo | 2–2 | FC Dallas | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Picault 25' (pen.) Vera 72' Urruti 82' Cerén 90+1' |
Report | Cerrillo 15' Schön 30' Burgess 54' Pepi 58' Acosta 65' Hedges 83' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 13,548 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| August 28 22 | Houston Dynamo | 1–2 | Minnesota United FC | Houston, Texas |
| 8:00 PM CDT | Carrasquilla 1' Dorsey 61'Hadebe 73'Valentin 77' |
Report | Hunou 16', 73' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 14,521 Referee: Ted Unkel |
| September 3 22 | Houston Dynamo | 0–2 | Portland Timbers | Houston, Texas |
| 17:00 PST | Parker 50' |
Report | Y. Chará 15' Mora 20' (pen.)Bravo 51'Zambrano 86'Mabiala 90+2' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 9,872 Referee: Rubiel Vazquez |
| September 11 24 Copa Tejas | Houston Dynamo | 3–0 | Austin FC | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Dorsey 1' Picault 24', 64', 39'Lundqvist 52' |
Report | Pochettino 22' Ring 44'Berhalter 51' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 14,070 Referee: Ismail Elfath |
| September 15 25 | LA Galaxy | 1–1 | Houston Dynamo | Carson, California |
| 9:30 PM CDT | Hernandez 61' dos Santos 69' |
Report | Picault 13' Vera 51' Cerén 65' Valentin 79' Quintero 86' García 90+4' |
Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park Attendance: 15,341 Referee: Kevin Stott |
| September 18 26 Texas Derby | Houston Dynamo | 3–2 | FC Dallas | Houston, Texas |
| 8:30 PM CDT | Dorsey 5' Picault 20'Valentin 40'Quintero 59' (pen.) |
Report | Obrian 86', 90+4' Schön 90+6' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 12,353 Referee: Victor Rivas |
| September 25 27 | Minnesota United FC | 2–0 | Houston Dynamo | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| 7:00 PM CDT | Lod 5' Finlay 5'Reynoso 40' |
Report | Quintero 41' Junqua 72' |
Stadium: Allianz Field Attendance: 19,471 Referee: Allen Chapman |
| September 29 28 | Houston Dynamo | 0–0 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Houston, Texas |
| 8:00 PM CDT | Report | Baldisimo 47' Dájome 55' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 12,114 Referee: Alan Kelly |
| October 3 29 | Sporting Kansas City | 4–2 | Houston Dynamo | Kansas City, Kansas |
| 3:00 PM CDT | Russell 16' (pen.), 90' Sallói 26'Kinda 57'Zusi 85' |
Report | Junqua 16' Hadebe 27'Picault 50'Vera 53'Quintero 76' |
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Attendance: 17,867 Referee: Alex Chilowicz |
| October 16 30 | Houston Dynamo | 2–1 | Seattle Sounders FC | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Urruti 14' Quintero 20'Figueroa 79'Corona 90+2' |
Report | Medranda 41' Arreaga 54'João Paulo 90+4' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 14,265 Referee: Nima Saghafi |
| October 20 31 | Houston Dynamo | 0–3 | LA Galaxy | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Figueroa 79' |
Report | Hernández 9' Araujo 11'Kljestan 39' (pen.)Valenin 45+1' (o.g.)Cabreal 47'DePuy 84' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 13,798 Referee: Rosendo Mendoza |
| October 24 32 Copa Tejas | Austin FC | 2–1 | Houston Dynamo | Austin, Texas |
| 3:00 PM CDT | Marić 7' (o.g.) Pereira 38'Driussi 45+4' (Ring), 47'Kolmanič 54' |
Report | Cerén 11' Vera 74'Cascante 90+2' (o.g.) |
Stadium: Q2 Stadium Attendance: 20,738 Referee: Timothy Ford |
| October 31 33 | Houston Dynamo | 1–0 | Colorado Rapids | Houston, Texas |
| 2:00 PM CDT | Carrasquilla 29' Rodríguez 44'Corona 52' |
Report | Badji 10' 58' Bassett 75'Shinyashiki 90+6' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 14,474 Referee: Guido Gonzalez Jr. |
| November 3 34 | CF Montréal | 2–0 | Houston Dynamo | Montreal, Quebec |
| 7:30 PM CDT | Camacho 58' Miller 62' Breza 90+1' |
Report | Hoffmann 44' Lassiter 53' Carrasquilla 85' |
Stadium: Saputo Stadium Referee: Ted Unkel |
U.S. Open Cup
On July 20, U.S. Soccer announced that the Open Cup would be cancelled for 2021 and would resume in 2022.[36]
Season statistics
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | MLS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | |
|
Apps | Goals | Assists | |
| ||||
| 1 | GK | | Marko Marić | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | | Alejandro Fuenmayor | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | | Adam Lundqvist | 25 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | | Zarek Valentin | 29 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | | Tim Parker | 34 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | | Mateo Bajamich | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | | Memo Rodríguez | 31 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | | Christian Ramirez[a] | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | | Fafà Picault | 31 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 31 | 11 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | | Ariel Lassiter | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | | Corey Baird | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | DF | | Ethan Bartlow | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | | Joe Corona | 30 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | | Marcelo Palomino[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | | Maynor Figueroa | 13 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | | José Bizama[b] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | | Nico Lemoine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | | Teenage Hadebe | 17 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | | Tyler Pasher | 19 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | | Adalberto Carrasquilla | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | | Derrick Jones | 20 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | | Matías Vera | 30 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | | Darwin Quintero | 20 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | | Darwin Cerén | 25 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 25 | MF | | Griffin Dorsey | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | GK | | Michael Nelson | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | | Boniek García | 16 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | | Erik McCue[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | DF | | Sam Junqua | 22 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 30 | MF | | Ian Hoffmann | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | GK | | Kyle Morton[b] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | MF | | Juan Castilla | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | FW | | Danny Ríos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | FW | | Maximiliano Urruti | 30 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 30 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Source: Player Stats and Match reports in Competitions
Honors and awards
MLS Team of the Week
| Week | Team of the Week | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting XI | Bench | ||
| 1 | Boniek García
|
[37] | |
| 6 | Memo Rodriguez (2) |
[38] | |
| 8 | Maximiliano Urruti |
[39] | |
| 10 | Marko Marić |
[40] | |
| 24 | Fafà Picault |
[41] | |
| 25 | Michael Nelson |
[42] | |
| 26 | Griffin Dorsey |
[43] | |
| 28 | Teenage Hadebe |
[44] | |
| 30 | Darwin Quintero |
[45] | |
MLS Goal of the Week
| Week | Player | Opponent | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Darwin Quintero | Seattle Sounders FC | October 16 | [46] |
Dynamo team awards
| MVP | Defensive Player of the Year | Newcomer of the Year | Young Player of the Year | Players' Player of the Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fafà Picault | Teenage Hadebe | Teenage Hadebe | Griffin Dorsey | Fafà Picault | [47] |