Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - D.C. United will be hoping to bounce back from a disappointing outing while the Los Angeles Galaxy eye a return to the win column for the first time since the opening weekend when the two sides square off at RFK Stadium on Saturday.
After winning 1-0 against Montreal to start the season United returned from a one-week break to lose 2-0 at Red Bull New York.
The result itself was disappointing, but it was the performance at Red Bull Arena that had United head coach Ben Olsen so upset after the game.
"I don't know what we think we earned, what gives us the right to step on the field in the first half with that type of mentality," Olsen said. "But that will change. I know that."
United came out flat against the Red Bulls and turned in a poor first-half display that saw the hosts take the lead in the 25th minute through Bradley Wright-Phillips.
It wasn't until the second half when Lloyd Sam scored in the 71st that New York was able to double its lead, but Olsen was most bothered by the fact that his side looked like a totally different team from one half to the next.
"In the second half - in the scoresheet - we lose the second half as well, but it was a different team," said Olsen. "And it's mindboggling to me that we can have a half that way, and then all of a sudden turn up the juice and then put on a second half in which we're the team that has had success."
The Galaxy also enter Saturday's contest carrying a bit of frustration from last weekend as the club was held to a second successive draw, this time earning a point against Houston in a 1-1 deadlock.
Robbie Keane had Los Angeles in front inside of three minutes, but despite the Galaxy controlling large portions of the match, a mistake in the 11th minute led to the Dynamo's Nathan Sturgis tallying the equalizer.
Los Angeles won its first game of the campaign against Chicago, but the back- to-back draws have left Keane frustrated, and he expects better from the defending champions.
"We can't keep carrying on [like this] every game," Keane said following the draw against Houston. "We know it's three games in; I keep saying it's going to take four or five games [to develop the necessary sharpness], but when you have a game that's there for the taking, playing at home, get off to a great start and give a silly goal away - at this level that's not good enough."
Keane will not be around on Saturday to help ensure his team claims three points as he will be away on international duty with Ireland, while Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo is with Panama and forward Gyasi Zardes is representing the United States.
Even without those three key players the Galaxy will be aiming to extend their run of dominance over United as the club brings a 12-match unbeaten streak against Ben Olsen's side into the fixture.