LAFC - Houston Dynamo: Why is the Western Conference final game played in Los Angeles?

Ahead of Saturday’s Western Conference Final, Los Angeles FC are hoping to do what only three teams have ever done before. The 2022 MLS Cup winners are one match away from reaching this season’s showpiece game for the second year running and could join D.C. United and city rivals LA Galaxy in winning back-to-back titles.

Upcoming opponents Houston Dynamo are the other club to have achieved that feat, incredibly in the first two years of their existence (2006 and 2007). However, MLS Cup glory has eluded them since then, in which time they also lost successive finals to the Galaxy.

Home and away wins for the Dynamo vs LAFC

The two teams meet at BMO Stadium in California on Saturday having had almost identical records in the regular season. The Black and Gold ended the 34-game campaign in third spot, six points behind Western Conference winners St. Louis City FC, after recording 14 wins, 10 draws and 10 defeats.

The Dynamo ended up one point and one place worse off, although they will go into the Conference Final in confident mood after winning both of the regular season fixtures between the teams. The two victories for the Texans came in a double header in June, with the one at Shell Energy especially eye-catching due to the 4-0 scoreline.

Ben Olsen’s men followed it up with a single-goal triumph in Los Angeles four days later, which means they may not feel too daunted by the prospect of being away from home for the final.

Why do LAFC have home advantage?

While soccer finals are often played at neutral venues, MLS rules state that home-field advantage in every round of the playoffs goes to the team that performed better during the season’s league phase.

LAFC or Houston Dynamo will face either FC Cincinnati or Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup and the Eastern Conference winners will have home advantage for that game due to both finishing ahead of their Western Conference counterparts in the regular season.

LAFC vs Houston Dynamo: when, where, how to watch?

LAFC host Houston Dynamo at BMO Stadium today, Saturday 2 December 2023, with kick-off in Cincinnati, Ohio, scheduled for 9:30pm ET/6:30pm PT.

You can watch LAFC vs Houston live on MLS Season Pass a subscription service on the streaming platform Apple TV+

LAFC - Houston Dynamo: live online with AS USA

You’ll also have the option of following live-text commentary of LAFC vs Houston Dynamo right here at AS USA. Will Gittens will be building up to the game from about an hour ahead of kick-off, before talking you through the action.