Houston Dynamo lock in Ben Olsen through 2027-28 with contract extension

Ben Olsen has committed his future to the Houston Dynamo, signing a contract extension that keeps him at the club through the 2027-28 season.

Olsen joined the Dynamo in 2022 after a 10-year stint in charge of D.C. United, taking the reins from Paulo Nagamura. The 49-year-old has overseen a remarkable turnaround, leading Houston to the 2022 US Open Cup and guiding the team to the postseason in three of his five seasons at the helm.

Houston have already secured a playoff berth this term, with their preparations continuing in a 2-2 draw against FC Dallas in their most recent MLS encounter. But Olsen believes there is still plenty of progress to be made.

"I was drawn to this opportunity with the Dynamo because of the significant potential of both the club and the city, and I am proud of the progress we have made together and the standards we have established," Olsen said. "That progress reflects the commitment of our players, coaches and staff, along with the unwavering support of our fans. I am grateful to Ted, Pat and the entire Dynamo organisation for their continued trust and belief in what we are working toward. I am energised by the opportunity to continue building on our success and make the city of Houston proud."

Next up: Minnesota United

Olsen's next test comes against a Minnesota United side also chasing the playoffs, though time is running out for the Loons. Minnesota boosted their hopes with a 3-2 comeback victory over St. Louis City SC, with Marcus Caldeira completing the turnaround in the 86th minute.

The Loons sit five points behind the Colorado Rapids in the Western Conference. Assistant coach Cameron Knowles said morale has lifted ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.

"There is good energy within the team coming off the back of coming from two goals down against one of the top teams in the league," Knowles said. "There has been good energy within the group on the training ground for sure. We had the guys in and they are still feeling physically from the game. But we are back in which is a quick turnaround and it's been a tough and competitive couple of sessions, but the group are ready and raring to go."

Players to watch

Guilherme (Houston Dynamo): The Brazilian tallied his team-leading 10th assist to go with 16 goals this season, becoming the first Dynamo player to record 15-plus goals and 10-plus assists in a single regular season. He is the fourth Brazilian to achieve the feat in MLS, joining Evander (twice), Gabriel Pec and Welton.

Kelvin Yeboah (Minnesota United): With a goal and an assist last weekend, Yeboah has 21 goal contributions this season (17 goals, four assists). He is the fourth Loons player to reach 20 or more goal contributions in a single regular season and the first since Robin Lod (22) in 2024.

Match outlook

Houston won the last home meeting with Minnesota in May 2025 — their first regular-season win at Shell Energy Stadium against the Loons since September 2020. The Dynamo have failed to win consecutive home league games against Minnesota since a four-game stretch from 2017-20.

Houston's fifth goal in the 90th minute or later this season came on Saturday, taking their tally to 11 such goals over the last two campaigns — the first time in club history they have scored five or more late goals in consecutive seasons.

Minnesota, meanwhile, came from two goals down to beat St. Louis after trailing 2-0 at half-time — the first time the Loons have won an MLS match they trailed by multiple goals at the break, and just the third time they have earned any result from such a position (D2 L31 prior to Saturday).

Opta gives Houston a 45.3% win probability, with the draw at 26.9% and Minnesota at 27.8%.