Houston Dynamo host Real Salt Lake at the Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday in the first leg of a best-of-three series MLS Cup playoff round one.
Making their first MLS postseason appearance since 2017, Houston has been the feel good story of the season. Ben Olsen's side, who lifted the US Open Cup last month after beating Inter Miami in the final, finished in fourth position in the Western Conference table in the regular league season.
The Orange Crush finished with back-to-back wins, hammering Colorado Rapids 5-1 before securing home field advantage for round one with a Portland Timbers 3-1 away triumph on the final day.
Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, will be participating in the MLS Cup playoffs for a third consecutive campaign and finished a position behind their Sunday's opponents on the table.
Unlike Houston, the visitors faded towards the end of the regular season, losing 3-2 to Sporting Kansas City before playing out a 2-2 draw with LA Galaxy. However, Pablo Mastroeni's side did narrowly beat Colorado Rapids on the decision day to restore some confidence heading into the postseason.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Houston Dynamo vs Real Salt Lake kick-off time
| Date: | October 29, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 06:00 pm ET |
| Venue: | Shell Energy Stadium |
The MLS playoff round one match between Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake will be played at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas, USA.
It will kick off at 06:00 pm ET on Sunday, October 29, 2023 in the United States (US).
How to watch Houston Dynamo vs Real Salt Lake online - TV channels & live streams
 | Apple TV | Watch here |
The game will be available to watch and stream worldwide on Apple TV, through the MLS Season Pass. Fans who cannot watch the game can follow the live updates on GOAL, while highlights of the game will be uploaded to the official MLS YouTube channel.
Team news & squads
Houston Dynamo team news
Houston Dynamo duo Ifunanyachi Achara and Tate Schmitt are both sidelined, and neither of them will play any part in this weekend's affair as they are recovering from knee injuries.
Houston Dynamo possible XI: Clark; Dorsey, Sviatchenko, Micael, Escobar; Artur, Herrera; Carrasquilla, Caicedo, Quinones; Baird
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Clark, Nelson, Valdez |
| Defenders: | Hadebe, Escobar, Steres, Dorsey, Bartlow, Murana, Sviatchenko, Micael |
| Midfielders: | Herrera, Bassi, Carrasquilla, Franco, Castilla, Artur, Caicedo, Baird, Auguste, Quinones, Kowalczyk |
| Forwards: | Ferreira, Ulfarsson, Aliyu |
Real Salt Lake team news
Real Salt Lake head into the postseason with a lengthy absentee list as the likes of Brayan Vera (sore ankle), Cristian Arango (hamstring), Pablo Ruiz (knee) and Erik Holt (shoulder) continue their spells on the sidelines. Justen Glad also picked up a knock last match, but he should be shake it off in time to feature here.
Marcelo Silva and Jefferson Savarino are doubts for Sunday's clash due to respective personal issues, with the former listed as on family bereavement leave.
Real Salt Lake possible XI: MacMath; Hidalgo, Glad, Oviedo; Brody, Gomez, Luna, Ojeda, Loffelsend; Julio, Rubin
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Macmath, Beavers, Gomez |
| Defenders: | Glad, Pierre, Rivera, Brody, Vera, Oviedo, Farnsworth, Hidalgo, Eneli |
| Midfielders: | Nyeman, Ojeda, Loffelsend, Palacio, Wellings, Caldwell, Luna |
| Forwards: | Kreilach, Gomez, Julio, Chang, Jacquesson, Arango, Rubin, Musovski, Paul |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 27/08/23 | Real Salt Lake 0-0 Houston Dynamo | MLS |
| 24/08/23 | Houston Dynamo 3-1 Real Salt Lake | US Open Cup |
| 07/05/23 | Houston Dynamo 0-0 Real Salt Lake | MLS |
| 29/05/22 | Real Salt Lake 3-0 Houston Dynamo | MLS |
| 28/02/22 | Houston Dynamo 0-0 Real Salt Lake | MLS |