Austin FC will host Texas rival Houston Dynamo for the first time at the Q2 Stadium in the inaugural Copa Tejas derby match.

The Verde and Black have lost three matches in a row and have been shut out 11 times on the season while the Dynamo are on a nine-match winless run, having not won since May 22nd. 

Houston sits in ninth place in the Western Conference standings, but are winless on the road while Austin is 13th and last in the conference, but are just eight points out of a playoff spot.

Team news

Danny Hoesen will miss out as he continues to recover from a hip injury. Nick Lima is expected back after missing a month with a hamstring injury and is in contention to start.

Forward Aaron Schoenfeld underwent a minor procedure on his left knee and his return date is unknown, but the Verde and Black's newest signing, attacking midfielder Sebastian Driussi, may feature as a reserve,

The Dynamo traded for Corey Baird and he made his debut off of the bench in the draw against Colorado over the weekend. Maxi Urruti, Darwin Quintero and Ariel Lassiter -- are unlikely to feature in the match after missing Saturday’s match due to health & safety reasons.

Predicted lineups

Austin FC: Stuver; Jiménez, Cascante, Belser, Kolmanic; Pochettino, Fagundez, Ring; Stroud, Domínguez, Gallagher

Houston: Maric; Lundqvist, Parker, Junqua, Valentin; Cerén, Corona, Vera; Rodríguez, Pasher, Picault

Ones to watch

Brad Stuver has shown why he has been one of the top goalkeepers in MLS this year. The 30-year-old has kept the Verde and Black in almost every game they've played this year with four clean sheets and six other games allowing just one goal.

As mentioned above, Baird made his Houston debut Saturday night and he showed Dynamo fans what he could do. He came very close to scoring and his link-up play with Tyler Pasher, after not sharing a single minute on the training pitch together, looks to be an exciting combination. 

Previous meeting

This is the first regular-season meeting between Austin and Houston.

How to watch

The match will be streamed nationally on ESPN+. Coverage in Austin will be provided by KBVO. QuestTexas 55 will have English-language coverage in Houston while TelExitos is the Spanish-language home of the match. Kick-off time is scheduled for 9pm Eastern. 

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