Derby Week: Battle for Civil War cannon as duel for Texas takes over MLS
The main and traditional Texas rivals are Dallas and Houston. The former (formerly the Dallas Burn) is one of the 10 clubs that founded MLS in 1996, however, they have never won it. The closest it came was 14 years ago, when it lost in the final to the Colorado Rapids. In 2016, they won the Supporters' Shield, the trophy for the winner of the MLS regular season, but fell short to the Seattle Sounders in the quarter-finals of the playoffs.
Houston Dynamo were formed in 2005 after the owners of the then-league participant San Jose Earthquakes decided to relocate from California to elsewhere. The players and staff of the club also moved to Houston - the original Earthquakes de facto just moved to another state and another city, changing the name, club colours and logo (the club would return to Major League Soccer in 2008 under new owners, but with the original branding).
The Dynamo have participated in MLS since 2006. And in its very first year it won the whole competition - in the final after a penalty shootout against the New England Revolution. A year later, they even defended their title, beating New England in the final once again.
With Houston's entry into MLS, Texas had two clubs in the league. The instant success of the overnight rival, in addition to the resentment and envy from the fans of the 'traditional' FC Dallas, greatly strengthened the rivalry.
A strong rivalry quickly developed, for which the name Texas derby was coined. Taking a cue from other football rivalries in the USA, the Texas rivalry also introduced the idea of competing for a physical trophy, which would go to the team that was more successful in the season's duels. However, unlike other derbies, this is not a trophy, shield, or other traditional type of prize, but a replica of a historic war cannon.
In the event that both rivals score the same number of points in the annual derby, the better score determines where El Capitan ends up. If even that is tied, consideration is given to any further matches between them in the play-offs, the domestic cup or the CONCACAF Champions League. If neither can be applied, the trophy remains with the current holder.
That was the case last season, when the two rivals met in just two competitive matches and both resulted in draws meaning El Capitan remained in Dallas. Of the 18 seasons so far in which the Texas derby has occurred in MLS, Dallas has won the famous cannon 10 times, whilst Houston have won it eight times.
Copa Tejas - new club, new trophy
In 2021, another Texas-based club, Austin FC, expanded the league. The cities of Austin, Dallas and Houston are among the four largest in the state, so naturally there is a great rivalry between them. And because the derby between Dallas and Houston is well established, with its own trophy and rules, another trophy has been added to decide which Texas club had the best season, and Austin FC can claim that trophy. It's called the Copa Tejas, or the Texas Cup.
It was created back in 2019 at the behest of San Antonio FC fans who, following the Texas Derby model, also wanted to experience the atmosphere of fighting for a local trophy. San Antonio operates in the USL Championship, a competition that is the de facto second league behind MLS. With Austin's entry into the elite, the Copa Tejas is being contested on multiple levels - a separate Texas Cup has been introduced for the best of the MLS teams, and a separate one for opponents in the USL Championship (which, along with San Antonio, is currently held by El Paso Locomotive and was also played last season by Rio Grande Valley FC, however they folded in December 2023).
The Copa Tejas will be decided by a mini-table of matches. So far this season, Austin has beaten Dallas 2-1 and last weekend also beat Houston 1-0, giving them six points in the battle for the cup. Now the Texas derby between Dallas and Houston will take place in MLS, kicking off at 02:30 CET on Saturday night.
Next derby of the week
Wednesday April 24th
Greece - Super League
Athenian derby
Athens is home to the so-called Big Three, Greece's three most successful clubs. They are Olympiakos Piraeus (47 titles), Panathinaikos (20) and AEK (13, reigning champion). Derby Week has told the story of the Athens Big Three before. AEK and Panathinaikos are currently in a straight fight for the title in the extra group, whilst PAOK Thessaloniki and Olympiakos are also in the mix with them.
Serbia - Kup Srbije
Crvena Zvezda Belgrade - Partizan Belgrade
Eternal derby
Red Star was founded in close connection with the state security (police), whilst Partizan was founded as a football team within the Yugoslav People's Army. Both clubs were among the most successful in the whole of the former Yugoslavia. Crvena Zvezda has 34 championship titles (including 19 Yugoslav titles). Partizan has won 27 titles (11 in the Yugoslav era).
England - Premier League
Merseyside derby
The duel between Everton and Liverpool, two clubs from Liverpool, is named after the county of Merseyside (and after the River Mersey, which empties into the Irish Sea in Liverpool). It is the longest played derby in the English top flight. It has been played continuously since the 1962/63 season. It will now be a return fixture with serial number 244.
Saturday April 27th
Australia - A-League
Newcastle Jets - Central Coast Mariners
F3 Derby
The Central Coast Mariners are based in Gosford, about 70 kilometres south of Newcastle and about the same distance north of Sydney. Their event is named after the highway that connects the three towns. Central Coast Mariners have won the last four derbies and are favourites now - they are second in the table and defending their title from last season.
Finland - Veikkausliiga
Klassikko
Klassikko is the name given to the match between HJK Helsinki and FC Haka. These are historically the best Finnish clubs. HJK from the capital city is clearly the strongest, having already won 33 titles. They currently hold a streak of four championships in a row. The Haka team from Valkeakoski has celebrated nine times (but the last time was in 2004).
Turkey - Super Lig
Besiktas-Fenerbahce derbisi
Together with Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas form the strongest trio of football clubs in Turkey. All three are based in Istanbul and there is a great rivalry between all three. This and other Istanbul derbies were the subject of a previous Derby Week. Historically, Fenerbahce is the country's top team (28 titles), with Besiktas third (21 titles).
Sunday April 28th
Mexico - Liga MX
Clásico Tapatío
Club Atlas and CD Guadalajara, called Chivas, are traditional teams from Guadalajara, Mexico's third largest city in the state of Jalisco. The clash between these two teams is called the Clásico Tapatío. Tapatío is a colloquial expression that in Mexican Spanish refers to something or someone who is from Guadalajara.
Italy - Serie A
Derby del Sole
Naples and AS Roma are the most popular clubs outside of northern Italy, where the centre of gravity of Italian football lies thanks to Torino, Milan and many other cities and clubs. The clash between the two biggest teams from the southern half of the country is called the Derby of the South (Derby del Sud) or also the Derby of the Sun (Derby del Sole). The two rivals are currently fighting hard for places guaranteeing participation in the European Cups for next season.
England - Premier League
North London derby
The North London derby between the two giants of the English Premier League - Arsenal and Tottenham - is one of the biggest in the world. The two big clubs are based just six miles apart. They've never been so close before. Arsenal was founded in Woolwich in the south of the English capital and moved to north London in 1913. This, and other derbies in English football, are the subject of the book More Than a Match.
Brazil - Serie A
Clássico da Rivalidade
The derby, or clássico in Brazil, between Flamengo and Botafogo, two clubs from Rio de Janeiro, is one of the biggest rivalries within Brazilian football. The two clubs have faced each other 389 times. Flamengo have won 147 derby matches, while Botafogo have beaten their rivals on 118 occasions.
Greece - Super League
PAOK Thessaloniki - AEK Athens
Double-headed eagles derby
In the Super League title race in Greece, de facto every match is a derby or a rivalry. This is also the match between PAOK Thessaloniki and AEK Athens. The letter K in the case of both clubs' abbreviations refers to Constantinople (today's Istanbul). It is from there that the founders of both rivals, who were Greek refugees, originated. The symbol of Constantinople is the double-headed eagle, another link between the two teams.
Hungary - OTP Bank Liga
Örökrangadó
The Örökrangadó (Eternal Derby in Hungarian) is a clash between two of the best teams historically, not only from the capital city of Budapest, but also throughout Hungary. Ferencváros has won a total of 34 titles. MTK has 23 championships. Ferencváros has clearly won both derbies so far this season (6:1 and 5:1).
Spain - LaLiga
Derbi sevillano (Seville derby)
The Seville derby is also known as the big derby (El Gran Derbi). While FC are based in the lucrative Nervión district of Seville, Betis are a club from the southern, poorer part of the city. Consequently, the derby is partly a battle of social classes. Historically, Sevilla is stronger, but currently Betis is more successful. In the derby itself, however, Sevilla is unbeaten for five games in a row.
Portugal - Primeira Liga
Dragoes vs Leos
FC Porto and Sporting are historically the best clubs in Portugal after Benfica (38 titles). FC Porto have won 30 titles, Sporting 19. The rivalry between them is intensified by the competition between the capital Lisbon and the country's second largest city, Porto. The rivalry is named after the animals that are the clubs' main symbols.
Ecuador - Liga Pro
El partido inmortal
The clubs Emelec and Barcelona SC are based in Guayaquil. This major port city is the second largest in Ecuador with its three million inhabitants. Emelec and Barcelona are the top two in the country in terms of number of titles (Barcelona have won 16, Emelec 14). They beat all rivals from the capital Quito and the rest of Ecuador.
Monday April 29th
Israel - Ligat ha'Al
Haifa derby
As in other Israeli cities, the clash between football clubs with the names Hapoel and Maccabi is a great rivalry. Derby Week explained the nature of the Hapoel-Maccabi derby using Tel Aviv as an example. Even in Haifa, the two clubs represent different social classes and values. Yet they share a stadium for more than 30,000 spectators.
Tuesday April 30th
Brazil - Serie A
Choque-Rei
Sao Paulo and Palmeiras are two of Brazil's biggest and most successful clubs. Both are based in Sao Paulo. Their duel is called the Clash of Kings. The Brazilian league system and especially the Big Four football clubs from Sao Paulo were described by Derby Week recently. The two rivals currently have the same number of wins (116) in their matches against each other.
