Updated: Friday, November 6, 2026, 8:03 PM ICT (UTC+07:00).
Houston Dynamo FC and St. Louis CITY SC meet at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday, November 7, for MLS Decision Day. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Houston time, Central Standard Time (CST, UTC−06:00). That is 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC−05:00), or 00:00 UTC on Sunday, November 8. Both clubs have already qualified for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, so this game is about Western Conference seeding and Round One home-field advantage. St. Louis can secure a top-four seed with a win or draw; Houston can secure it with a win, or with a draw plus a San Jose loss and a favorable tiebreak. The match is still upcoming, so no final score or starting lineup is available yet.
MLS lists both teams on 51 points, with St. Louis fourth and Houston fifth before the final matchday. The latest league availability report lists multiple players out and two Houston players as questionable. Fans can watch on Apple TV, with MLS 360 providing goals and key moments from the Decision Day slate.
The clubs enter the final day level on 51 points, but St. Louis holds fourth place and Houston is fifth in the Western Conference standings. The regular-season result will not determine whether either side reaches the postseason: both have already clinched playoff berths. Instead, the key question is who finishes in the top four and takes the higher seed into Round One.
Under MLS’s 2026 format, the top seven teams in each conference advance directly to a best-of-three Round One series, while seeds eight and nine play a single-elimination Wild Card match. The higher seed hosts Game 1 and, if the series goes three games, Game 3. That makes the final seed meaningful for travel, home support and the location of a potential deciding game.
The league’s Decision Day scenarios give St. Louis a clear path: a win or a draw at Houston secures Round One home-field advantage. Houston secures the same advantage with a win. A draw can still work for the Dynamo, but only if San Jose loses at Minnesota and Houston wins the applicable tiebreak over San Jose. Because Western Conference matches start simultaneously, the final seed may depend on another result as well as the score at Shell Energy Stadium.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas. Houston will be on Central Standard Time (CST, UTC−06:00) on that date, after daylight saving time has ended. The local kickoff is 6:00 p.m. CST. In the Eastern time zone, it is 7:00 p.m. EST (UTC−05:00). The same moment falls at 00:00 UTC on Sunday, November 8, so international listings may show the next calendar date.
MLS’s match center identifies Shell Energy Stadium as the venue and Apple TV as the broadcaster. The schedule also places the game in the Western Conference Decision Day window, when those matches begin together at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Check the official match center on match day for any schedule changes and live updates.
MLS lists the game for streaming on Apple TV. The league’s Decision Day coverage also points fans to MLS 360 for goals and key moments from all 15 matches, which is useful while other Western Conference scores affect the home-field picture. The league’s match center is the place to follow the score, match clock and official postgame information. Availability and viewing options can vary by territory, so confirm the listing in the Apple TV app or through the league’s official watch page before kickoff.
Houston’s club has also promoted the match as Fan Appreciation Night at Shell Energy Stadium, with a wearable flag giveaway while supplies last. That promotion is subject to availability at the venue; it does not change the published kickoff time.
The MLS Player Availability Report, updated through Matchday 34, lists Houston goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer (back) and defender Marcelo Saracchi (lower body) as out. Forward Guilherme (lower body) and midfielder Héctor Herrera (lower body) are listed as questionable. For St. Louis, goalkeeper Roman Bürki (concussion protocol), Alex Matan (lower leg) and Celio Pompeu (knee) are listed as out.
These are the latest statuses shown in the league report checked for this preview; clubs can issue updates before kickoff. They are not a confirmed starting XI. Neither club’s published match preview provides a final lineup, so readers should check the official team channels and match center closer to the game.
Both sides are coming off losses. Houston’s most recent league match was a 3-1 defeat at Portland on Nov. 1, ending a five-match unbeaten run, according to the Dynamo’s recap and St. Louis’s preview. CITY lost 1-0 at home to San Diego the same weekend. St. Louis won the teams’ August league meeting 2-1 and also advanced past Houston in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal after a 2-2 draw and penalty shootout. Those results add context, but the Decision Day standings and availability updates are the more immediate factors.
A St. Louis win or draw keeps CITY in the Western Conference top four and secures Round One home-field advantage under the league’s posted scenarios. A Houston win gives the Dynamo that advantage and changes the order of two teams that enter level on points. If the match is drawn, Houston’s route depends on San Jose’s result against Minnesota and the relevant tiebreak; MLS lists a draw as likely to leave Houston outside the top four unless those conditions fall its way.
The league’s Decision Day schedule is designed to keep conference matches simultaneous, so standings can shift as results arrive. The regular-season schedule ends on Nov. 7, followed by the November international window before MLS Cup Playoffs action begins. No postgame score, playoff opponent or final seed should be treated as confirmed before the match and the other relevant games are complete.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00) on Saturday, November 7, at Shell Energy Stadium. That is 7:00 p.m. EST and 00:00 UTC on November 8.
Yes. Both clubs have clinched Audi MLS Cup Playoffs places. Their Decision Day match is mainly about top-four seeding and Round One home-field advantage.
MLS lists the match on Apple TV. MLS 360 will also track goals and key moments across Decision Day’s 15 matches.
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