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Dynamo Team Formation
MLS Commissioner Don Garber revealed on November 16, 2005, that the league had granted permission to San Jose Earthquakes’ owners Anschutz Entertainment Group to relocate the team for the 2006 season, giving the entertainment giant 30 days to make a decision. Garber was in Houston and spoke with the media before an international friendly between Mexico and Bulgaria at Reliant Stadium, citing Houston as the next destination for an MLS club whether the Earthquakes moved or not.
On December 15, 2005, Major League Soccer announced the relocation of the San Jose franchise, along with all players and coaches under contract, to Houston. The Earthquakes name, colors and competition records were retained by the league for a possible expansion team. According to MLS, AEG had invested more than $20 million in the Earthquakes since purchasing the team in 2003 and suffered significant losses during that period because of its stadium deal. AEG had previously considered Houston as a site to relocate to and entered “positive discussions” about finding a soccer stadium in Houston.
A ceremony was held outside Houston City Hall on December 16, 2005, to officially announce the franchise’s arrival. Mayor Bill White joined city council members, Harris County officials, local soccer organizers and fans in welcoming team coach Dominic Kinnear and players Pat Onstad and Wade Barrett with cowboy boots and hats. It was disclosed that the team would train and play at the University of Houston’s Robertson Stadium on a three-year lease with the university earning a percentage of the revenues from concessions, parking, and other sources.
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2006 MLS Champions
MLS Cup 2006 was the 11th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), and took place on November 12, 2006. It was contested between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo to decide the champion of the 2006 season. The match was played at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, which had hosted the previous cup.
Both teams qualified for the playoffs by placing second in their respective conference during the regular season. New England was appearing in their second consecutive final, while Houston had been formed from the relocated San Jose Earthquakes. The match was tied 1–1 on goals scored 71 seconds apart by Taylor Twellman and Brian Ching in extra time. Houston won 4–3 in the first penalty shootout in MLS Cup history, with Ching scoring the winning penalty kick and Pat Onstad saving the follow-up in the fifth round. Houston and New England would stage a rematch in the following cup, which the Dynamo won in Washington, D.C.
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2007 MLS Champs
MLS Cup 2007 was the 12th edition of the MLS Cup, the post-season championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States. It was played on November 18, 2007, at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C., between the New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo in a rematch of the previous edition. The match determined the championship of the 2007 season and was attended by 39,859 spectators.
Houston won the match 2–1 after falling behind on a Revolution goal scored by Taylor Twellman in the 20th minute. The Dynamo made a tactical change in the second half that yielded two goals from Joseph Ngwenya and Dwayne De Rosario, the latter of whom was named the match’s most valuable player. The Dynamo became the second team to win consecutive MLS Cups, while New England lost their third consecutive and fourth overall cup.
Houston Dynamo’s domestic success consists of winning the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cups in their first two seasons. They also won the U.S. Open Cup in 2018. In 2008, Houston became the first American club to secure a point on Mexican soil in the CONCACAF Champions League era during the 2008 – 2017 format of the tournament.
Established
2005
City
Houston
League History
2006 – Present / Major League Soccer
Team History
2021 – Present / Houston Dynamo Football Club
2006 – 2020 / Houston Dynamo
Nickname
Dynamo – Houston announced the name “Dynamo”, on March 7, 2006, which refers to Houston’s energy-based industrial economy, as well as a previous Houston soccer team, Houston Dynamos who played in the Lone Star Soccer Alliance and United Soccer League. The official reason for the name is that “Dynamo is a word to describe someone who never fatigues, never gives up.
Championship
MLS Cups 2
2007, 2006
Stadium
2012 – Present / BBVA Stadium
2007, 2011 / Aggie Soccer Stadium
2006 / Carl Lewis Track & Field Stadium
2006 / Reliant Stadium
2006 – 2011 / Robertson Stadium
Owner
2015 – Present / Gabriel Brener, Oscar De La Hoya, Jake Silverstein, Ben Guill
2008 – 2015 / Anschutz Entertainment Group, Oscar De La Hoya (through Golden Boy Promotions) and Gabriel Brener
2005 – 2008 / Anschutz Entertainment Group
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history