When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Shell Energy Stadium, Houston
Stream: Apple TV
Radio: KSTP-AM 1500
Weather: 78 degrees, clear skies, 11 mph north wind

Form: MNUFC (8-12-10, 34 points) snapped an eight-match winless skid with a 3-2 comeback win over white-hot St. Louis City last Saturday. Houston (13-9-8, 47 points) clinched an MLS Cup Playoffs spot last weekend with its third straight draw, 2-2 with FC Dallas.

Recent matchup: Dynamo’s Duncan McGuire scored in stoppage time to steal a 2-2 draw from Minnesota at Allianz Field two weeks ago. The Loons trailed 1-0 after Lyle Foster’s 18th-minute goal, but Kelvin Yeboah and Marcus Caldeira put MNUFC ahead until late.

Storyline: Captain Michael Boxall is on the verge of 300 MNUFC appearances in all competitions, but the 38-year-old center back is out of contract at the end of the season and his status with the club beyond that is up in the air.

“There has been some conversations,” Boxall told the Pioneer Press about contract negotiations with the Loons. “I would like to stay. I think they would like me to stay.”

Boxall is the club leader with 298 appearances, nearly 100 more than No. 2 Wil Trapp (203).

Boxall shared that he has been playing through what was “essentially a stress fracture” to his adductor area through the FIFA World Cup and the restart of the MLS season. He has played in 21 matches, his fewest in five years.

“Obviously, I think I can still perform close to what I’m capable of,” Boxall said. “I think I’m just about fully recovered from the injury now. Played through that for a few months, just niggled for far longer than I thought it would have.”

In September 2024, the Loons extended Boxall with a one-year contract for 2025, plus an option year for 2026. This season, MNUFC signed Morris Duggan and Jefferson Diaz to new contracts in August, but Boxall, Trapp and Drake Callender are the team’s three key players without contracts for next season.

Context: United is one of four clubs within five points of Colorado for the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Knowles was asked if MNUFC needs four wins out of the final four matches in order to make the playoffs.

“We might,” he said. “Mentioned that to the guys (Monday). We’ve shown that we can compete with anybody and might have to beat everybody. We don’t know. We don’t control our destiny in that sense. We can only control the game in front of us.”

Boxall added, “It is like a playoff game (Saturday). If we don’t win this game, we are virtually out. We just need to do everything we can to make sure we extend our season.”

The Loons can’t be officially eliminated from the playoffs this weekend, but every point is crucial to their outside chances.

Tidbit: The MLS Sprint Season — the 14-game schedule from late February to April 2027 — is expected to be released in the near future. Playoffs will be in May. Then a full-season schedule will flip, starting in fall 2027 and ending in spring 2028.

Scouting report: Dynamo’s defense has been solid this season. They are fifth in MLS in goals conceded per match (1.3) but have allowed 2.3 over the previous three. Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera didn’t play in the first Minnesota game but is back in the lineup and scored in the Dallas draw.

Absences: Peter Stroud (quad) and Alec Smir (knee) are out. Stroud has returned to full team training but is not ready for game minutes.

Prediction: Minnesota’s season is on the brink, while Houston has secured a playoff spot. The Loons have not wilted during tough times this season, have more to play for and will find a way to get it done. United wins 2-1.