The World Cup is over but soccer isn't. The Dynamo return with a new striker and bid for postseason

The Houston Dynamo are leaving fans no time to wallow in a post-World Cup haze as the team returns to action Wednesday at home against D.C. United.

It will be the Dynamo's first MLS match in two months as they aim to continue the momentum built across the city over the past six weeks.

"I hope the next couple of games people will come out," said Pat Onstad, Dynamo president of soccer. "Hopefully, they're not too soccered out, but I've always said this is a soccer city."

That soccer city thesis proved itself throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. All seven matches at Reliant Stadium were announced sellouts or near sellouts. Thousands of people descended on EaDo for FIFA Fan Fest, Shell Energy Stadium's Soccer Celebrations and watch parties at local bars.

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Houston finished the first half of the season on a hot streak with five wins and one draw in its previous eight MLS matchups. Included among those wins were a 4-1 victory over LAFC and a 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps. Both opponents enter the second half in the top three in the Western Conference standings.

The Dynamo, who sit in seventh in the standings, also won both of their Soccer Celebration exhibition matches at Shell Energy Stadium earlier this month against Colombian side América de Cali and Honduran team C.D. Olimpia.

Onstad hopes to see the team continue to climb the table and secure a top-four seed in the conference for the playoffs.

"I want us to compete," Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen said. "That's the first thing I ask, and everything else comes after that."

Guilherme, McGlynn don't need extra motivation

Guilherme, who arrived in the offseason from Brazil, emerged as the team's top player during the first half of the season. He scored eight goals and dished out five assists, both top marks on the team.

But when MLS announced the roster for its All-Star Game, which takes place next Wednesday in Charlotte, Guilherme wasn't among the players named to participate.

Olsen said he thought Guilherme warranted a spot on but that he doesn't think his dynamic attacker is concerned about being left out.

"He doesn't need motivation," Olsen said. "I don't think Guilherme's a type of guy that I've known so far that that's going to be super important to him. If it is, and he wants to use it, that's just fine by me."

He isn't the only one who could use a recent snub as motivation for the second half of the season. 

Jack McGlynn, was a mainstay for the U.S. men's national team for a portion of 2025 but found himself on the outside looking in as head coach Mauricio Pochettino trimmed down his roster in the months leading up to the World Cup.

The Dynamo played one match after the USMNT roster was announced, an away game against the Galaxy. Onstad said McGlynn pulled Olsen aside before the match and told his coach he wanted to play in the game. McGlynn played well in that match, Onstad said.

"If that motivates him, let's go, let's do it," Onstad said. "But I think he's motivated anyways. He wants to score goals. He wants to create goals for us. I know he's been challenged this preseason, not in the attack, but can he offer a little bit more defensively for us? I think he'll embrace that challenge."

New striker looks to add scoring to frontline

Houston made one major move during the two-month break, acquiring striker Duncan McGuire from Orlando City SC.

McGuire, 25, had 23 goals over his first two seasons with Orlando City but has notched only five over the past 18 months.

While he hasn't been in great goalscoring form recently, McGuire will hope to find his touch for a team in need of some production at the No. 9 spot. Goalscoring from starting striker Ezequiel Ponce has been non-existent this season as the 29-year-old forward has zero goals in 13 appearances.

"We brought Duncan in to play and score goals for us," Onstad said. "Ezequiel needs to show that he should be out there as well. I think it's a pretty open fight at this stage, and we'll see how these guys do coming out of this break."

Both players scored in the Dynamo's 2-1 exhibition victory over América de Cali last week. Olsen said McGuire has fit in very well with the group.

McGuire, who played with McGlynn on the U.S. Olympic team two years ago, said he wants to be a player who runs in behind the back line. Ideally, his runs would lead to him receiving the ball or opening up space for his teammates. 

"As a striker, I wanna get my first goal out of the way as early as possible," McGuire said. "I think that helps you settle in very quickly and takes the nerves away."

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Back to reality after a tricky, strange 'preseason'

The second preseason wasn't an easy break to navigate. Olsen called it tricky. Onstad called it strange. The break had its unique distractions, from the World Cup itself to the various activities Dynamo staff and players attended in the tournament.

That unusualness also wasn't unique to the Dynamo. Olsen said he talked to other coaches around the league and they agreed about some of the difficulties posed by the two-month break.

But the break also allowed Olsen to toy with tactics and formations heading into the second-half of the season.

That second half starts quickly with two home matches in four days starting Wednesday before six matches during August.

Olsen might not be happy with the quick turnaround between the Dynamo's first two matches back this season but he is excited to watch his team back competing in an MLS match.

"It's time for a real game," Olsen said. "A summer preseason, I think we've all navigated it in different ways, and it's time to put it to bed and start playing some real meaningful games and see where we're made of."

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