Lyle Foster has set his sights on silverware with the Houston Dynamo, insisting the Western Conference side have the quality to challenge for the MLS Cup as they look to revive a stuttering playoff push.

Foster, who arrived at the club in the recent transfer window, arrives with Houston sitting fifth in the West — six points adrift of conference leaders the Vancouver Whitecaps and just one behind the fourth-place San Jose Earthquakes.

The Dynamo's form has dipped badly in recent weeks. They have won just one of their last seven matches (D3 L3) and are winless in their last three, a run that includes a 2-0 defeat to Sporting Kansas City. Foster, however, is unfazed.

“I saw where they were in the table. Immediately you think the guys are doing this; why is there no reason that we can go all the way?” Foster said in an interview with Houston's media team.

“But obviously, we take it a training session at a time, with the way that we've been playing.

“The qualities I believe I have, I believe that I can just be a piece of a puzzle that fits into the team and hopefully try our best to bring [a title] to the H.”

Minnesota United's Defensive Woes

Standing between Houston and a return to form are Minnesota United, who are themselves mired in a difficult spell. The Loons sit 14th in the West on 29 points, seven points behind the LA Galaxy for the final wildcard spot.

Minnesota are winless in their last six games — losing each of the last five — and have conceded a staggering 20 goals across that six-match stretch. Head coach Cameron Knowles acknowledged the defensive record is the club's major concern and said it has been a focus during the international break.

“We've conceded too many goals in recent games,” Knowles said. “The guys have put in a really good shift over last week and into this week.”

Players to Watch

Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah: Yeboah has scored in three straight regular-season home matches. Only three Loons players have scored in more consecutive home league matches: Darwin Quintero (five – 2018), Christian Ramirez (four – 2017) and Robin Lod (four – 2021).

Houston Dynamo – Jonathan Bond: Bond has kept 10 clean sheets so far this season. He is the fourth goalkeeper in Dynamo history to record double-digit clean sheets in a single campaign and the first since Steve Clark in 2023, when he matched Tally Hall's club record with 12.

Match Prediction and Key Numbers

Minnesota and Houston split their 2025 series, each posting a victory by two goals, though there have never been three straight matches decided by multiple goals in the fixture's history across all competitions.

The Loons have scored in each of their last 10 regular-season matches — their longest streak of games with a goal since a 12-game stretch from June to September in 2024 — and are one of five MLS teams currently on a streak of double-digit regular-season matches with a goal.

Houston, meanwhile, have tightened up at the back since the end of the World Cup break, conceding the fewest league goals (nine) of any MLS team while being tied for the most shutouts (seven, with Nashville SC). By comparison, Minnesota have allowed 27 goals and kept just one clean sheet in that same period.

Opta's win probability model favors the hosts, giving Minnesota United a 44.3% chance of victory, the draw 26.8%, and Houston Dynamo a 28.9% chance.