Thanks in large part to their dominant form at home over the last eight months, the Dynamo set themselves up to dream of winning another championship.
Those hopes may have ended Tuesday night with a nightmarish performance in front of a record crowd of 22,661 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Playing with 10 men for much of the game because of an early red card, the Dynamo conceded two first-half goals en route to a 2-0 loss to reigning MLS champion Seattle Sounders FC in the first leg of the Western Conference finals.
One of those goals came from Will Bruin, who scored 50 goals for the Dynamo in six years before being traded to Seattle last off-season.