Olsen challenges Dynamo to respond with Cincinnati next up

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Ben Olsen challenged his Houston Dynamo side to respond in the right manner when they host FC Cincinnati at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday.

The Dynamo are riding high in second place in the Western Conference and sit just three points adrift of table-topper the Vancouver Whitecaps, albeit they have played a game more.

However, they were beaten 1-0 by the San Jose Earthquakes last time out, Daniel Munie scoring the only goal of the game in the 38th minute.

It means Olsen’s side have only won once in their previous five MLS outings, but the head coach is now just fully focused on approaching the Cincinnati clash.

Speaking post-match after the Earthquakes setback, Olsen said: “Over the course of the week, you’re going to the east coast, you’re going to the west coach, you’re coming home in between, to grab four points [from the two games before the Earthquakes defeat] it’s not the end of the world. 

“It’s about responding now and getting ready for Cincinnati.”

Cincinnati are right in the play-off mix too in the Eastern Conference, though right now they occupy ninth spot and a wildcard berth.

Last time out, they were involved in a six-goal thriller, drawing 3-3 with Charlotte FC in a game that swung backwards and forwards.

Ultimately, Kevin Denkey’s second goal of the game in the first minute of second-half stoppage time earned a draw, but head coach Pat Noonan wants to see a better effort defensively.

“It’s a shame, so many good things are just overshadowed by our inability to defend and stay switched on and manage moments,” he said.

“There’s always structural things you can talk about. When you look at the goals, you don’t have to look very hard to see where the action needs to be better, where the player needs to be better, that’s the hard point.”

Different shades but the work remains the same. pic.twitter.com/BYx2ZE2VRp

— Houston Dynamo FC (@HoustonDynamo) September 16, 2026

It might not sound the most enthralling advice to watch a goalkeeper, but Jonathan Bond could be crucial to Houston’s chances of success.

Of the 10 regular-season clean sheets the English goalkeeper has in 2026, six have come in home matches. The only other MLS goalkeepers with six or more home shutouts in the 2026 regular season are Los Angeles FC’s Hugo Lloris and Vancouver’s Yohei Takaoka (seven each).

Denkey’s double was crucial in helping Cincinnati take a point last time out against the Earthquakes, and it was the continuation of a goalscoring theme.

With his brace last Saturday, Denkey (28) and Evander (31) have now scored 59 regular-season goals since the start of last season. That is tied for the third most by any team-mate duo in that time, behind only Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez (70) and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar (65).

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

Houston are coming off the back of a defeat, and their record in three competitive home outings with Cincinnati stands at two defeats and one draw – albeit the two losses were away from home.

So, you could certainly make the case for an away victory this weekend.

That being said, Houston are unbeaten in their last 10 home games across all competitions, winning eight and drawing two of those matches.

Indeed, it is the longest competitive home unbeaten run by any MLS team this season, and it is particularly impressive given they had lost 14 of their previous 24 home matches (W7, D3) prior to that streak.

Cincinnati may feel good value for a draw at least, though, given their stalemate with Charlotte was their eighth draw of the regular season.

It was the fifth draw in which teams scored multiple goals, which is lower than only Miami (six) for the most such draws in MLS in 2026.

Interestingly, there have been 10 goals scored in the three all-time matches played between the teams, with all 10 goals being scored by different players.

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