Two teams returning to form this season will meet with a trip to the U.S. Open Cup final on the line as the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake clash in Houston. The Dynamo missed the playoffs last season, but have had a major turnaround under Ben Olsen this season while Real Salt Lake have made major additions to the squad after just making it into playoffs last season. Chief among those has been Cristian Arango who brings a formidable presence atop the lineup that with give Houston quite a bit of trouble.
Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Aug. 23 | Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Shell Energy Stadium -- Houston, Texas
- TV: CBS Sports Golazo | Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Houston Dynamo +109; Draw +225; Real Salt Lake +210
Storylines
Houston Dynamo: Coming off of a high of defeating Portland 5-0 in their last match, Houston will need to make sure to keep their composure because this match is much closer against Portland. The Dynamo last won this competition in 2018 and have a chance to win the fourth domestic title in club history if they can make it to another final. With Hector Herrera and Adalberto Carrasquilla in midfield, the Dynamo have. balance that most teams can't match, but Salt Lake's attack can keep up with the best in the league.
ISWT: Want more coverage of American soccer? Listen below and make sure to follow the In Soccer We Trust: A CBS Sports Soccer Podcast for everything you need to know about the game in the United States.
Real Salt Lake: Playing their first game since Aug. 8, it will be interesting to see which RSL side shows up. One of the drawbacks of Leagues Cup is that teams who were knocked out early had long layoffs that they'll need to rebound from, which is what Real Salt Lake had after losing to Los Angeles FC. The silver lining is that it provided Arango with more time to train with his new club as they'll have a tough task travelling to Houston.
Prediction
The Dynamo will keep their home form going as they pass circles around Real Salt Lake to book their place in the U.S. Open Cup final. Pick: Houston 2, Real Salt Lake 1
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