MLS

• L.A. hopes to rebound against winless Houston

  
  

  Carson, CA (Sports Network) - The Houston Dynamo are off to another slow start and David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy are hoping to take advantage before the two-time defending champions heat up.

  Houston hasn't scored in two of its three Major League Soccer games this year and in five of seven matches in all competitions.

  The Dynamo are one of only two winless teams in MLS - the San Jose Earthquakes are the other - but their early-season woes and inability to score repeats the same path that led to the MLS Cup last season.

  Houston scored just one goal in its first four games last season and just five in its first eight while winning just two times. The Dynamo were scoreless in five of their first seven games last season.

  "Sometimes you score," coach Dominic Kinnear said, "sometimes you can't"

  L.A., which has lost two of its first three, hopes to add to Houston's woes at The Home Depot Center on Saturday night.

  The Galaxy got goals from Beckham and Landon Donovan to beat San Jose in their second game, but despite a pair of goals from Donovan lost to Toronto FC, 3-2, last week.

  L.A. had plenty of chances to defeat Toronto FC but a number of misses - three by Donovan - and a late goal from TFC's Jeff Cunningham decided the match.

  "It's about putting the goals away, and hopefully that will start soon," said Beckham. "We still created a lot of chances. It just wasn't enough."

  Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit was disappointed after the loss to Toronto, but felt the team played well.

  "I'm disappointed because we played so well," Gullit said. "Sometimes football is unfair."

  Although Houston hasn't scored in two of its first three matches, it has still managed a pair of draws. All three of the Dynamo's goals this season were in a 3-3 tie with FC Dallas and last week they tied Kansas City, 0-0.

  "We needed to be a little bit more clinical in front of the goal and we could have come up with a couple of goals," Kinnear said after the Kansas City draw.

  Houston will have to adjust to playing without defender Eddie Robinson, who is serving a three-game suspension for violent conduct.

  With starting defender Craig Waibel and goalkeeper Pat Onstad also out injured it puts more pressure on MLS rookie Tony Caig, who has experience playing with Gretna in Scotland.

  Caig allowed three goals after replacing an injured Onstad in the Dallas game, but was impressive in last week's scoreless draw with Kansas City.

  "I have a lot of experience and I have been around," Caig said. "I just know and realize that when I am called upon I have to be consistent and put on a good display."

  04/17 23:16:40 ET