The Texas derby is a soccer rivalry (derby) between the Houston Dynamo FC and FC Dallas, recognizing the best club in the state for the season until 2021 when Austin FC joined MLS. The two squads play a series of games with the series winner taking home El Capitán, a replica 18th century mountain howitzer cannon. Through the 2025 season, FC Dallas leads the series, 11âÂÂ9.
The Houston Dynamo clinched the 2006 series with a win on August 12, 2006, and the 2007 series with a win on August 19, 2007. FC Dallas claimed the 2008 series on the away goals rule, after having tied with Dynamo in all three games played that season. The away goals rule is no longer used as a tiebreaker.
Both the 2016 and 2017 series were tied, the first since 2008 and the first since the tiebreaker rules were changed. Houston won the 2016 series on goal differential. The tiebreakers couldn't separate the teams in 2017 so Houston retained El Capitán. Dallas won the 2019 series on goal differential and the 2023 series on the final tiebreaker (holders retain) as both matches ended in a draw.
Only MLS regular season matches are used to determine the winner of El Capitán, unless the season series is tied. If the series is tied, the tiebreakers are as follows:
Bold indicates a player who is still on a FC Dallas or Houston Dynamo roster.
Bold indicates a player who is still on a FC Dallas or Houston Dynamo roster.
Bold indicates a player who is still on a FC Dallas or Houston Dynamo roster.
Top 5 most-attended Houston home Texas derbies
Top 5 least-attended Houston home Texas derbies
Top 5 most-attended Dallas home Texas derbies
Top 5 least-attended Dallas home Texas derbies