The Dynamo Charities Cup returns after a four-year hiatus with an MLS vs. Liga MX friendly as Houston hosts Atletico de San Luis on June 11 at PNC Stadium.
The match will feature two Brazilian coaches as Paulo Nagamura faces off against Andre Jardine. The latter led the Brazilian men's team to Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
Dynamo season ticket holders will receive entry at no additional cost. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, May 5, at 10:00 a.m. CT at HoustonDynamoFC.com/Tickets.
WILF THORNE / HOUSTON DYNAMO
C.F. Monterrey won the 2018 Dynamo Charities Cup
What is the Dynamo Charities Cup?
The Dynamo Charities Cup began in 2009 as an international friendly that grew into an annual tradition. This year marks the 11th edition of the match and the first since 2018.
A portion of the proceeds from the match are donated to a different charitable cause each year by Dynamo Charities, the charitable arm of Houston Dynamo Football Club. This year’s charitable cause will be announced at a later date.
This is the fifth time that the Houston Dynamo will face a Liga MX opponent in the Charities Cup. Only one edition of the Dynamo Charities Cup has gone to penalties to decide a winner.
Past results (winners in bold):
- 2009: Houston Dynamo 2-1 C.F. Monterrey (Mexico)
- 2010: Houston Dynamo 4-0 CD Aguila (El Salvador)
- 2011: Houston Dynamo 0-2 Bolton Wanderers (England)
- 2012: Houston Dynamo 1-2 Valencia CF (Spain)
- 2013: Houston Dynamo 2-0 Stoke City FC (England)
- 2014: Houston Dynamo 0-1 Aston Villa (England)
- 2015: Houston Dynamo 4-0 Santos Laguna (Mexico)
- 2016: Houston Dynamo 3-3 (5-3 PKs) Real Sociedad (Spain)
- 2017: Houston Dynamo 3-5 Cruz Azul (Mexico)
- 2018: Houston Dynamo 1-2 C.F. Monterrey (Mexico)
The Charities Cup has been played at the home stadium of the Houston Dynamo. From 2009-2011 it was hosted at Robertson Stadium and moved to PNC Stadium in 2012. The Valencia match has been the only sellout with 22,039 attendees.
Former Dynamo players have featured for the visiting team. Stuart Holden did not play but came to town with Bolton Wanderers during their U.S. preseason tour. Geoff Cameron was on the field for Stoke City in his return to Houston.
WILF THORNE / HOUSTON DYNAMO
Geoff Cameron (left) returned to Houston with Stoke City F.C. after departing the Dynamo for the English Premier League.
About Atletico de San Luis
Atlético San Luis is finished in 10th place in Liga MX with a 7-2-8 record. They will visit Monterrey on Saturday in the wild card round of the Clausura 2022 playoffs.
The team has played in the Mexican first division since 2019, earning promotion from Ascenso MX after defeating Diego Maradona's Dorados de Sinaloa in back-to-back finals. The club has been co-owned by La Liga’s Atletico de Madrid since 2017, ending a short hiatus and returning professional soccer to the city of San Luis Potosí. The capital of the state that shares its same name lost its previous Liga MX club to Chiapas due to relocation.
Atletico San Luis is coached by André Jardine, who was appointed in February after previous manager Marcelo Méndez was fired after a poor start to the season. The team's best offensive star is 23-year-old Argentine winger Germán Berterame, whose future at the club is in doubt with his contract expiring on June 30. The team also counts with longtime Liga MX midfielder Rubens Sambueza, former Mexican national team midfielder Javier Güémez and Spanish defender Unai Bilbao.
What They Said
Houston Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad:
“We are thrilled to announce the return of the Dynamo Charities Cup for this season and look forward to measure our first team against San Luis, a quality Liga MX opponent. One of our sporting priorities is to improve our relationships with the Mexican soccer community, specifically FMF, Liga MX, and key Mexican clubs. These partnerships are critical to our player development efforts as they provide our teams with valuable competition, our players with national team opportunities, and our staff with opportunities to share best practices.”
Julie Sudduth, PNC regional president for Houston:
“The Dynamo Charities Cup has a more than decade long history in Houston, and we’re happy for all Houstonians that it’s back. This game is important, given the good it does. For PNC, it’s one more example of how we activate and deliver on the vision we have as a Main Street Bank, which is to support our local community in the way they most need. It’s a win-win.”
