The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic fans because 1836 refers to the war for Texas independence. The club originally played its home games at Robertson Stadium on the University of Houston campus but moved to the BBVA Compass Stadium during the 2012 Major League Soccer season.

In 2008, under the management of Dominic Kinnear, the Houston Dynamo was the first Major League Soccer club to secure a point on Mexican soil in the CONCACAF Champions League era. The Houston Dynamo won the MLS Cup (2006 & 2007) in their first two years following player and coaching staff relocation of the San Jose Earthquakes; the Earthquakes were put on hiatus until 2008.

The team is owned by majority owners Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in partnership with Brener International Group (headed by Gabriel Brener), and multiple world and Olympic boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya. The team's head coach is former US international Dominic Kinnear.

Houston ( /ˈhjuːstən/) (Alibamu: Yosti ) is the largest city in the state of Texas, and the fourth-largest city in the United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of 656.3 square miles (1,700 km²). Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, which is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the United States, with 6.08 million people as of July 1st, 2011.

Houston was founded in 1836 on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. It was incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837, and named after then-President of the Republic of Texas—former General Sam Houston—who had commanded at the Battle of San Jacinto, which took place 25 miles (40 km) east of where the city was established. The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the city's population. In the mid-twentieth century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located.

Brian Ching (born May 24, 1978) is an American professional soccer forward currently under contract with the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

Ching attended Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, and played college soccer at Gonzaga University, where he scored 34 goals and had 23 assists. Between 1998 and 1999, he played for the Spokane Shadow of the USL Premier Development League where he was rookie of the year in 1998.

In 2001, Ching was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy as the 16th pick in the MLS SuperDraft, the first ever Hawaiian native to be drafted by MLS. That year for the Galaxy, he appeared in 8 games and scored one goal. In 2002, Brian was released by the Galaxy and signed by the Seattle Sounders of the A-League for whom he had played several games with in 2001, on loan from Los Angeles. Playing for the Sounders, he was ranked second in the A-League in scoring and was selected as a member of the A-League All-League team.

In February 2003, Brian was acquired by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2003 MLS Supplemental Draft. When Dwayne DeRosario suffered a devastating knee injury in the 2003 pre-season, Brian was thrust into the starting forward role. Ching played solidly until August 2003 when he ruptured his right Achilles' tendon causing him to miss the rest of the Earthquake's 2003 Championship season. In 2004, he re-gained a starting job and co-led the league (with Eddie Johnson) in goals with 12. Brian was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year and to the league MLS Best XI for his efforts. In four years in MLS, Ching has scored 26 goals and added 12 assists in league play.

Giles Gordon K. Barnes (born 5 August 1988) is an English professional footballer, who plays as a midfielder. He is most notable for his spell at Derby County, where he won the club's Young Player of the Year award in 2007 and was Championship Player of the Month in March 2007. He has played for England at Under 19 level. He plays as an attacking midfielder and can also play as a winger.

Barnes' professional career began on his 17th birthday when he signed a professional contract with Derby County after being a trainee. He made his first team debut under Phil Brown aged 17 as an 84th-minute substitute for Paul Peschisolido in a 1–0 defeat at home to Grimsby Town in the 2005–06 League Cup, with his league debut coming in a 1–1 draw away to Crewe two weeks later as a 73rd minute replacement for Marcus Tudgay. Barnes intermittently made first team appearances as Derby struggled but began to command a regular place when Phil Brown was replaced by Derby's academy manager Terry Westley in January 2006. Westley was familiar with Barnes from his time as a youngster at Derby and made him an integral part of the side as Derby managed to avoid relegation to Football League One. Barnes played a role in 16 matches under Westley, with his first start coming in Westley's first game in charge (a narrow 1–0 home defeat to Sheffield United) and his first professional goal coming in a 2–2 draw away to Watford.