MLS Cup holders Los Angeles FC take on the US Open Cup winners Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference final at BMO Stadium on Saturday.
The Black and Gold edged past the Seattle Sounders 1-0 in the conference semifinal last weekend to advance to this stage, while the Orange Crush reached their first conference final since 2017 thanks to a narrow 1-0 win against Sporting KC.
Third-seeded LAFC aim to repeat and extend head coach Steve Cherundolo's perfect record in the playoffs, but they will have to get past a resurgent Houston Dynamo, who finished just one point behind LAFC in the regular season.
The Dynamo have already clinched silverware under first-year head coach Ben Olsen by defeating Inter Miami to lift the U.S. Open Cup back in September, and will be eager to add the Western Conference title to the trophy cabinet.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Los Angeles vs Houston kick-off time
| Date: | Saturday, December 2, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 9:30pm ET/ 6:30pm PT |
| Venue: | BMO Stadium |
| Location: | Los Angeles, California, USA |
The Western Conference final between LAFC and Houston Dynamo will be played at BMO Stadium on Saturday, December 2, 2023, with kick off at 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT for fans in the US.
How to watch Los Angeles vs Houston online - TV channels & live streams
The game will be available to watch and stream worldwide through Apple TV's 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
Los Angeles FC team news
Head coach Steven Cherundolo made two changes to the LAFC starting XI in their conference semi-final victory over the Rave Green, with Aaron Long and Mario Gonzalez making way for much more experienced and big-game players in Giorgio Chiellini and Carlos Vela.
LAFC's attack have been led by MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga this season, who’s 37 goals in all competitions puts him just one goal shy of the all-time single-season MLS record.
LAFC possible XI: Crepeau; Hollingshead, Murillo, Chiellini, Palacios; Tillman, Sanchez, Acosta; Olivera, Vela, Bouanga
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Crepeau, McCarthy, A. Romero |
| Defenders: | Long, Murillo, Chiellini, Maldonado, Leone, J. Romero, Dollenmayer, Palacios, Hollingshead, Avila, Rodriguez, Palencia, Gaines, Rosales |
| Midfielders: | Acosta, Sanchez, Crisostomo, Moyado, Cifuentes, Tillman, Duenas, Jaime, Bogusz, Malle, Batioja, Maia, Opoku |
| Forwards: | Ordaz, Subah, Aguirre, Biuk, Vela, Torres, Olivera, Bouanga |
Houston Dynamo team news
Defender Tate Schmitt and forward Ifunanyachi Achara are both out with knee injuries and are unlikely to play any part in this encounter for Houston Dynamo.
Former Atletico Madrid midfielder Hector Herrera, who joined Houston midway through the 2022 season, has been the team's main standout player this season. He struggled to hit the ground running straightaway, but has shown his class under Ben Olsen this year and has contributed 19 assists from midfield.
Houston Dynamo possible XI: Clark; Dorsey, Sviatchenko, Micael, Escobar; Artur, Herrera; Carrasquilla, Bassi, Quiñónes; Baird
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Clark, Tarbell, Valdez |
| Defenders: | Hadebe, Micael, Bartlow, Steres, Gasper, Smith, Escobar, Dorsey, Murana |
| Midfielders: | Artur, Caicedo, Carrasquilla, Herrera, Raines, Bassi, Kowalczyk |
| Forwards: | Baird, Aliyu, Ulfarsson, Quinones, Franco |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 15/6/23 | LAFC 0-1 Houston Dynamo | MLS |
| 11/6/23 | Houston Dynamo 4-0 LAFC | MLS |
| 19/9/22 | LAFC 3-1 Houston Dynamo | MLS |
| 1/9/22 | Houston Dynamo 2-1 LAFC | MLS |
| 20/6/21 | LAFC 1-1 Houston Dynamo | MLS |