CF Pachuca will visit the Houston Dynamo for a critical Leagues Cup group stage finale, aiming to secure the three points needed to qualify for the knockout rounds. The match will take place at Shell Energy Stadium on August 5 at 8:30 PM ET, with the broadcast available on Apple TV.
While Pachuca’s qualification hopes hang in the balance, the Houston Dynamo have already been eliminated from the tournament. Their focus now shifts to preparing for their return to MLS action against state rivals Austin FC.
This will be the eighth meeting between the two clubs, with Pachuca holding a narrow 4-3 lead in the all-time series. However, Houston emerged victorious in their most recent encounter, defeating Pachuca on penalties in the Round of 32 of the 2023 Leagues Cup.
Pachuca enters the match in strong form, having won four of their last five games (4W-0D-1L), with their only loss coming in a penalty shootout against LAFC after a 3-2 opening win over San Diego. In contrast, the Dynamo are winless in their last five (0W-1D-4L) and have been outscored 6-1 across their two tournament defeats this year.
Pachuca will lean on the impressive form of 20-year-old winger Alexéi Domínguez, who leads the team with two goals and an assist after scoring a brace against LAFC. In the midfield, Víctor Guzmán has been a key contributor, and goalkeeper Carlos Moreno returns to Houston, where his tenure as a starter began in the 2023 Leagues Cup. With forward Jhonder Cádiz suspended, the experience of Colombian veteran Luis Quiñones will be crucial as the team seeks to improve its goal difference.
For the Dynamo, striker Ezequiel Ponce, the team’s leading MLS scorer with seven goals, recently returned from injury. Coach Ben Olsen is expected to rotate his squad to rest key players for the ongoing MLS playoff push. Nonetheless, players like midfielder Brooklyn Raines, who has started both tournament games, and defender Griffin Dorsey will be ones to watch.
Pachuca coach Jaime Lozano faces a tactical decision, needing to balance the effectiveness of his consistent starting lineup against player fatigue and the absence of Cádiz. Los Tuzos will need an aggressive, attack-minded approach to secure the necessary result while remaining defensively sound against a Dynamo side playing with nothing to lose.
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