Heating up: How the Dynamo became the biggest threat in the West

Houston Dynamo FC offense Ondrej Lingr (9) and LA Galaxy defense Jakob Glesnes (5) battle for the ball during the second half of an MLS soccer match, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, in Houston. (Oscar Herrera/Sports Fusion Live)

The MLS is seeing something that hasn't happened in a long time.

The Houston Dynamo have taken sole possession of the first-place spot in the MLS Western Conference. With a record of 12-2-6, Houston have been on a five-game winning streak with two wins cementing their place in the West.

With their season trending upward, the Dynamo prepare to take on a St. Louis City team that is climbing up the rankings in the West. With their current momentum, the Dynamo should be able to keep their win streak alive and retain their first-place spot in the West.

This win streak is nothing short of new to the Dynamo, as their previous season didn't see much success at all. So what changed for the Dynamo, and how have they been able to keep winning against some of the biggest teams in the MLS?

Powering up the Dynamo

In order to recover from a disastrous 2025 season where the Dynamo went 9-15 with 10 draws, many key changes on the roster had to happen. The offseason was the break the Dynamo needed, and the signings that followed proved to be much needed for the roster.

The Dynamo would end up having some spectacular signings in the offseason, gaining some key midfielders like Héctor Herrera and Agustín Bouzat to really spice up the midfield. These signings would end up allowing Houston to make major defensive plays later in the season and had a major impact on their ability to control the ball.

Another player was Guilherme, a forward from one of the best Brazilian leagues. His power would keep Houston competitive throughout the entire game, and allowed the Dynamo to have more pressure in the forward position. 

These players have given the Dynamo a major shift in direction, where the club looks like they have a completely different roster today compared to last year. The biggest proof of this was their recent win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, a team that was competing for one of the top spots in the Western Conference.

The Dynamo beat the Whitecaps 1-0 with the sole goal coming from Franco Negri, another huge player who recently joined the Dynamo this past offseason. After his goal, the Dynamo's defense became impenetrable and rock solid, giving the Whitecaps some trouble when it came to equalizing the score.

The defense kept Houston in the lead and allowed them to win, giving the Dynamo the No. 1 spot in the West. With all of these changes that have happened to the club, St. Louis looks to be just another hurdle on their way to the playoffs.

What's Next?

The Dynamo have secured their first-place spot for now and look to be a favorite to keep it throughout the last few games of the year. The next game against St. Louis will be one of the games to keep the win streak alive, but Houston will keep up their confidence and look to be one of the biggest threats in the MLS.