A Dynamo game can be a fun experience. Victor Araiza
So you want to jump on the Dynamo bandwagon or simply enjoy an affordable game for once? Look no more, a Dynamo match (that’s soccer speak for "game") is your best choice.
But you clearly want to get the most out of the experience. That’s why SportsMap is hooking you up with the complete guide.
How to buy tickets
Tickets to Dynamo matches are available at HoustonDynamo.com, BBVACompassStadium.com, AXS.com, or the BBVA Compass Stadium box office at 2200 Texas Ave.
If you’re looking for a hookup, you can call the Houston Dynamo ticket office at 713-276-7556 and speak with a ticket representative. In most cases, they’ll wave the extra ticket fees that you would normally be charged.
You can also purchase tickets on secondary market online platforms like StubHub, SeatGeek and Flash Seats. Lower profile games will give you a better bang for your buck on tickets during the season.
As far as location inside the stadium, it’s really up to your discretion, as everyone has different tastes. Some fans like to be in the second level to appreciate the tactical patterns while others enjoy being closer to the action on the sideline seats. Aside from your preference, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house in this intimate stadium.
Parking
There are several lots around BBVA Compass Stadium, ranging from $5-$25, depending on proximity to the stadium. The most expensive lots are B and C on the north side of the stadium (the lots adjacent to Minute Maid Park), but they are also the ones that provide the most parking space.
There is also street parking available near the stadium, subject to availability. Street parking is free every day after 6 pm and all day on Sundays.
Eat and drink
Located in EaDo, there are many bars around BBVA Compass Stadium to do some pre and post game drinking.
King’s Court, opposite of the southwest gate, is the official home bar of the “El Batallón” supporters group.
Lucky’s Pub and Little Woodrow’s are located immediately to the west of the stadium.
Neil's Bahr is located a few blocks west from the south end of the stadium on Walker Street.
8th Wonder Brewery is located a few blocks down the south end of the stadium.
Huynh Restaurant, located in the shopping center on St. Emanuel between McKinney and Walker, is a good stop for Vietnamese food.
Sigma Brewing Company is another local brewery located down the road on Harrisburg Boulevard
What games to go to
The answer to this question depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to go see big names and former European stars, your best bet is to hit up the matches against the big money clubs (New York, LA, Atlanta, Orlando, Seattle and Toronto).
If you just want to enjoy a soccer game, and prefer to get the best value, consider the lower profile teams like Columbus, Colorado, Real Salt Lake and San Jose.
Additionally, if you want a rivalry atmosphere the best case for that is any match against FC Dallas (also known as the Texas Derby). Sporting KC is also another rival of the Dynamo.
What time to be in your seats
Ideally, you would want to be in your seat by kickoff. If you are inside the stadium 30 minutes before kickoff you can witness all the players (starters and bench) warm up.
Autographs and photo opportunities
There are no guaranteed autographs and photo ops, but the best chance of securing one of these is immediately after the match as the players are heading toward the tunnel to the locker rooms. The best way to achieve this is to position yourself near the front rows of sections 137 and 138, on the side of 135, or in The Vault bar inside the tunnel.
With overnight temperatures dipping into the 20s this week in Houston, it seems good timing to have the warm thoughts of baseball being back, at least spring training games. The Astros have more shakiness about their squad than they have had in nearly a decade, but the Astros still have a nucleus of an American League West contender. With the exits of Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman, it’s just a notably different nucleus than in recent years.
Jose Altuve is the last remaining mainstay of the greatest era in Astros’ history, and he is one of the biggest stories of their preseason as he for the time being at least is left fielder Jose Altuve. By every indication he is embracing the challenge with class and energy. The obvious impetus for test driving the move is the soon-to-be 35 years old Altuve’s defensive deterioration. It can be tough for the player himself to notice that his range has declined. The voiding of defensive shifts after the 2022 season shined a brighter light on Altuve’s D decline. Still, last season Altuve made his ninth All-Star team and despite also displaying some offensive decline remained the clearly best offensive second baseman in the American League. It’s part of the tradeoff of reducing the defensive workload on Yordan Alvarez, and hoping to upgrade defensively at second with some combo of Mauricio Dubon, Brendan Rodgers, or other.
The natural comparison in Astros’ history of a franchise icon losing his defensive spot and making a late-career position change is to Craig Biggio. Biggio’s All-Star days were behind him when the Astros moved him from second base to center field for the 2003 season because of the signing of free agent Jeff Kent. It spoke to the athlete Biggio was that at 37 years old he could make the move at all. After not quite a season and a half in center, Biggio moved to left when the Astros traded for young stud center fielder Carlos Beltran. Both Kent and Beltran left in free agency after the 2004 season, and Biggio moved back to second for the final three seasons of his career.
Second basemen are often second basemen and not shortstops in part because of their throwing arms. Altuve’s throwing arm will be an issue in left field. Even though Daikin Park has the smallest square footage of fair territory in Major League Baseball because of its left to left-center field dimensions, Altuve’s arm will be a liability. In understandably wanting to put an optimistic spin on things, manager Joe Espada and general manager Dana Brown have talked of how Altuve will be able to get momentum behind throws more so than when playing second. That’s true when camping under a fly ball in the outfield. That is not true when Altuve will have to cut off balls hit toward the left field line, or cutting across into the left-center field gap. There will be balls that would be singles when hit to other left fielders that will become doubles when Altuve has to play them, and baserunners will go from first to third and second to home much more readily. As an infielder Altuve has always been outstanding at running down pop-ups, so there is reason to believe he’ll be solid tracking fly balls in the outfield. However, the reality of a guy who is five feet six inches tall (in spikes) is that there will be the occasional fly ball or line drive that is beyond his grasp that more “normal” sized outfielders would grab. Try to name a good outfielder who stood shorter than five-foot-nine...
Here’s one: Hall of Famer Tim Raines (also originally a second baseman) was (and presumably still is!) five-foot-eight.
Here's another: Hall of Famer Hack Wilson was five-six. Four times he led the National League in home runs topped by a whopping 56 in 1930 when he set the still standing record of 191 runs batted in for a single season.
And another: Hall of Famer five-foot-four “Wee” Willie Keeler. Who last played in 1910.
Just a bit outside
Another element new to the Grapefruit League in Florida (and Cactus League in Arizona) this year is the limited use of what Major League Baseball is calling the Automated Ball Strike System. The ABS is likely coming to regular season games next year. This spring will be our first look at its use in big league games. Home plate umpires making ball and strike calls will not be going the way of the dinosaur. Challenges can be made until a team is wrong twice. Significantly, only the batter, pitcher, or catcher can challenge and must do so within two seconds of the pitch being caught. No dugout input allowed. No time to watch a replay.
The Astros’ spring park in West Palm Beach is not among the 13 facilities set up with ABS cameras. That seems silly given that the Astros share the place with the Washington Nationals. More use would be gotten from, and more data collected there than will be from a park with half the spring games played in it.
The countdown to Opening Day is on. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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