Houston Dynamo vs DC United
Dynamo and United share spoils in MLS stalemate
Herrera and Baribo trade blows to settle for a draw.
Houston Dynamo took the lead through H. Herrera just before the break, but DC United fought back after the break with a goal from T. Baribo to level the score at 1-1. The match ended in a hard-fought draw, defying Fipster's prediction of a narrow home win. Both sides will feel they left points on the pitch in this evenly matched encounter.
Analysis
Houston Dynamo host DC United in what promises to be a closely contested MLS regular season encounter. Both teams have shown flashes of attacking prowess, but Houston's home form and key players in fine fettle suggest they will just shade this one.
This match is part of the 2026 MLS regular season, round 18. Houston Dynamo currently sit 7th in the league with 22 points from 14 games, showing a mixed but promising campaign. DC United have been consistent scorers recently, but Houston's home performances have been notably stronger, setting the stage for an intriguing battle.
Houston Dynamo's attacking trio of Guilherme, Jack McGlynn, and captain Artur have been in excellent form, combining for multiple goals and assists recently. Guilherme alone has netted 7 goals in his last 10 matches, making him a constant threat. Meanwhile, DC United's top scorer Tai Baribo, also with 7 goals in his last 10, will look to break down Houston's defence, which has been relatively solid at home. The midfield creativity from DC's João Peglow and Keisuke Kurokawa will be crucial to unlock Houston's defensive stalwarts like Felipe Andrade. Both sides have full squads available, so expect a tactical and competitive match with Houston's home advantage likely to tip the scales.
Prediction
The prediction leans towards a home win for Houston Dynamo with a 2-1 scoreline. The halftime score is expected to be 0-0, reflecting a cautious start before the goals come in the second half. The match is also predicted to see around four cards, indicating a competitive but controlled affair. Confidence in this outcome stands at 35%, acknowledging the close nature of the contest but favouring Houston's home edge and attacking form.
Outcome probability
Key Insights
Houston's attacking trio in strong form
Guilherme, McGlynn, and Artur show good recent scoring and assisting form, likely to exploit DC United's defense.
DC United's scoring streak vs Houston's defense
DC United has scored in last 5 matches, but Houston's home defense has a positive clean sheet streak, creating a balanced contest.
Houston's home form stronger than away
Houston scores more and concedes less at home, supporting predicted home win despite overall mixed form.
DC United's creative midfielders key to breaking defense
Peglow and Kurokawa provide assists and creativity, crucial to challenge Houston's defensive stalwarts.
No significant injuries reported
Both teams have full squads available, so tactical and form factors dominate the match outcome.
Key Takeaways
In summary, Houston Dynamo's strong home performances and key players in form should see them edge past DC United in a tight 2-1 victory. DC United will pose a threat, but the Dynamo's attacking firepower and home advantage are likely to be decisive.
- Houston Dynamo are 7th in the MLS with 22 points from 14 games (W7 D1 L6).
- Guilherme has scored 7 goals in his last 10 matches for Houston.
- DC United's Tai Baribo also has 7 goals in his last 10 matches.
- Houston's captain Artur has provided 4 assists in the last 10 matches.
- The predicted halftime score is 0-0, with a fulltime score of 2-1 to Houston.
- Total cards expected in the match are around 4, indicating a competitive game.
- Both teams have full squads available with no significant injuries.
Player Insights
Standout players Fipster expects to impact the match — curated highlights, not full squad lists
Home — Houston Dynamo
Away — DC United
Form as the teams went into this match — excludes this result and anything since.
Team Comparison
Season shape — attack, defence, form, clean sheets & win rate
Home vs Away comparison
Goal difference in each of the last few fixtures — above the line is a net win, below is a net loss
Season comparison
Goals scored & conceded, goal difference and clean sheets across the season
Halftime Performance
What each side does once the whistle goes for half time
Streaks
Recent-form runs — each side’s most-recent game meets in the middle
Head to Head
Herrera
Hopkins
McGuire
Halter
Hefti
Yellow Card
Servania
Peglow
Munteanu
Artur
Yellow Card
Baribo
Yellow Card
Dozzell
Yellow Card
Ennali
Herrera
Baribo
Assist: Ordaz
Bogusz
Andrade
Dozzell
Stroud
Yellow Card
Yellow Card
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vancouver Whitecaps | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 | +21 | 34 |
| 3 |  San Jose Earthquakes | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | +13 | 33 |
| 4 |  Houston Dynamo | 17 | 9 | 2 | 6 | +1 | 29 |
| 5 |  Real Salt Lake | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | +4 | 27 |
Match Statistics
Houston Dynamo
4-1-4-1Starting XI
- 5Lucas HalterD
- 6ArturM
- 8J. McGlynnM
- 11L. EnnaliD
- 16H. HerreraM
- 19M. BoguszM
- 20GuilhermeM
- 23D. McGuireF
- 31J. BondG
- 34A. ReschD
- 36Felipe AndradeD
Substitutes
- 9O. LingrM
- 10E. PonceF
- 14D. HolmesM
- 18D. SamassékouM
- 21F. NegriD
- 24A. IbrahimF
- 26B. GillinghamG
- 28E. SviatchenkoD
- 30A. BouzatM
DC United
4-4-2Starting XI
- 1S. JohnsonG
- 3L. BartlettD
- 5S. HeftiD
- 6K. KurokawaD
- 7PeglowM
- 9T. BariboF
- 11L. MunteanuF
- 13S. NealisD
- 21A. DozzellM
- 23B. ServaniaM
- 25J. HopkinsM
Substitutes
- 4M. PeltolaD
- 8J. StroudM
- 17J. MurrellF
- 22N. OrdazF
- 26A. BonoG
- 27Nikola MarkovicD
- 32O. AvilezF
- 77Hosei KijimaM
Houston Dynamo
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Héctor Herrera | M | 78 | 8.0 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| Jack McGlynn | M | 95 | 7.7 | — | — | 1 | — | 7 | — |
| Artur(C) | M | 95 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — |
| Agustin Resch | D | 95 | 7.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Guilherme | M | 95 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/5 |
| Lucas Halter | D | 61 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| Felipe Andrade | D | 88 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Duncan McGuire | F | 59 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 2/2 |
| Mateusz Bogusz | M | 88 | 6.6 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4/5 |
| Lawrence Ennali | D | 77 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0/4 |
| Jonathan Bond | G | 95 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Duane Holmes | M | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Agustín Bouzat | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Blake Gillingham | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ibrahim Aliyu | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ondrej Lingr | M | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — |
| Franco Negri | D | 18 | 6.7 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
| Ezequiel Ponce | F | 36 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1/1 |
| Diadié Samassékou | M | 17 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Erik Sviatchenko | D | 34 | 6.3 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
DC United
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucas Bartlett(C) | D | 95 | 7.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tai Baribo | F | 95 | 7.0 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Sean Johnson | G | 95 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Hopkins | M | 53 | 6.9 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Brandon Servania | M | 67 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Andre Dozzell | M | 88 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1/1 |
| Sean Nealis | D | 95 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Louis Munteanu | F | 67 | 6.5 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
| João Peglow | M | 67 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Keisuke Kurokawa | D | 95 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Silvan Hefti | D | 95 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Nikola Markovic | D | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oscar Avilez | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jacob Murrell | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alex Bono | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nathan Ordaz | F | 28 | 6.9 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — |
| Matti Peltola | D | 42 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Hosei Kijima | M | 28 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |
| Jared Stroud | M | 28 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | 0/1 |