Three games in seven days. These are the stretches that can truly make or break a season. And now you cap it off with a rivalry game.
Yeah, it doesn’t get much bigger than that.
FC Dallas wraps up the most taxing week in recent months on Saturday when they head down south to Shell Energy Stadium for the second leg of the Texas Derby. Dallas already clinched a playoff spot Wednesday night with the win over Seattle. Last month, they also locked up Copa Tejas for the 2026 season. But Saturday brings home one specific set of hardware that Dallas fans enjoy owning: El Capitan.
Houston sits fifth in the West on 46 points, fighting for playoff positioning that could mean a home playoff game. They’re not a team that is going to let a Saturday rivalry match slide. And when you factor in Brazilian Guilherme, who has been one of the best in MLS this season, this one will need to be earned.
Here’s what we’ll be watching out for on Saturday.
A statement game, potential playoff preview and a rivalry game in one
Dallas sits third in the West, Houston is fifth and only four points back. Both clubs are looking at the playoff seeding battle with five games to go. A win on Saturday not only sees Dallas claim El Capitan, but it extends their cushion over the Dynamo in the standings heading into the final few weeks. Lose, and Houston closes the cap, likely clinches a playoff spot of their own and makes the seeding picture a bit more complicated.
Home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs is real and it matters. Ask any team that’s had to open the road in the playoffs. Dallas has fought all season to get into this position, from the win back in May in New York, to closing the nine-game road trip with a gritty draw in St. Louis, to Wednesday’s result that clinched a playoff spot.
Saturday is a chance to make all of that mean something beyond just making it into the playoffs. Third or fourth in the West is a very different playoff draw than fifth or sixth. Time to go get it, while also making a statement against your main rivals.
Big D Soccer gives you the why — the tactical breakdowns, the honest assessments, the context that actually helps you understand what you watched on Saturday night.
If you're serious about this club, you should be reading all of it.
Guilherme Is the Entire Reason This Is a Hard Game
I hate dwelling too much time on the Dynamo here, but we can’t go too far into this one without spending some time on their Brazilian Designated Player. Guilherme has contributed to 25 of Houston’s 39 goals this season. That’s a staggering 64% of their total output. When a single player is involved in nearly two-thirds of everything your team produces offensively, stopping isn’t a priority, it mostly becomes the game plan.
He’s also done this to Dallas before. Back when the two sides met in the spring, the Brazilian recorded three goal contributions in the 4-3 loss in Frisco. Dallas’ back line needs to make his life miserable from the first whistle. Play a smart, tight, and organized effort around him. Limit the time he gets and see if anyone else for the Orange steps up.