Houston Dynamo to host Pachuca in the Leagues Cup Round of 32

The Houston Dynamo will meet CF Pachuca in international competition for the first time in over a decade.

Thanks to the Orlando City 3-2 win over Santos Laguna, Houston finishes second in the South 2 group of the 2023 Leagues Cup. That sets up a match it with the Liga MX Apertura 2022 champion, as the latter enters the competition in the Round of 32 along with MLS Cup champion LAFC.

The Dynamo will host Pachuca on August 2 at Shell Energy Stadium, with the kickoff time still to be confirmed. It will be the first encounter between the two sides since July 15, 2010, which also took place in Houston at the now-demolished Robertson Stadium.

The two clubs formed an international rivalry, similar to the one shared in MLS with Sporting Kansas City, due to seven encounters between 2007 and 2010 in the Concacaf Champions Cup (including its rebrand as Champions League) and SuperLiga, the predecessor to the Leagues Cup.

Additionally, Houston Dynamo midfielder and team captain Hector Herrera is a product of the Pachuca Academy. This will be the first official encounter for Herrera against his boyhood club.

When did Hector Herrera play for Pachuca?

Houston Dynamo midfielder Hector Herrera began his youth career with Pachuca in 2007 and made his professional debut with the club on July 21, 2010. The midfielder and Mexican international totaled 52 appearances and two goals with the club.

In June 2013, Herrera was sold to Portuguese club Porto on an €8 million transfer fee. The Mexican went on to spend a decade in European football before returning to North America last year by joining the Houston Dynamo.

What is the rivalry history between Houston Dynamo and C.F. Pachuca?

The clubs have a storied history, meeting in seven competitive matches. Pachuca has won four matchups, while Houston has won three. 

The two have first met in the semifinals of the 2007 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, where Pachuca edged Houston 5-4 in a dramatic series that required extra time in the second leg. When the competition was renamed the Concacaf Champions League, the clubs were drawn together in the group stage of the 2009-10 edition where they met another two times.

The teams met three times in the North American Superliga, including the Dynamo getting the better of Pachuca 2-0 in the 2008 semifinals. The most recent matchup came in the 2010 Superliga group stage when Houston won 2-1.

When will tickets go on sale?

Tickets for Houston Dynamo vs. Pachuca will go on sale to the general public on SeatGeek starting at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, July 30. 

Shell Energy Stadium is a 100% digitally ticketed facility which means box office tickets (i.e. face value) can only be purchased online and are identified as such. It is also a cashless facility.

For more information, please call the Shell Energy Stadium at 713-547-3000 and option 1 for Box Office. For SeatGeek customer support please call 888-387-7995.