Colorado (5-5-0) at Los Angeles (4-4-2) PREVIEW (4/7/08)

[TheGift]

The Colorado Rapids opened their season with a convincing win over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Outside of MLS play, the Rapids continued their dominance in the series by eliminating Los Angeles from the U.S. Open Cup last week.

The Galaxy now hope to get some revenge.

With David Beckham returning to the club from international competition, the Galaxy go for their second win in nine matches against the Rapids as the Western Conference rivals square off in Carson, Calif., on Saturday night.

Colorado (5-5-0) scored a season-high four goals in a shutout of Los Angeles (4-4-2) in each club’s season opener on March 29. The Galaxy’s loss kept them winless in their last 11 regular-season road games against the Rapids, who have held Los Angeles scoreless for 790 consecutive minutes at their home stadium.

Colorado’s success in the series isn’t limited to the mountain time zone, however. The Rapids eliminated the Galaxy from the U.S. Open Cup with a 1-0 win at The Home Depot Center on May 27. That game didn’t count in MLS standings, but Colorado has also held Los Angeles to one win in the teams’ last three meetings in Carson.

Overall, Colorado is 6-1-1 against Los Angeles since the 2006 season.

The Rapids have had less success against FC Dallas, but they pulled out a 2-1 win on Sunday - their first victory in their last 12 games against Dallas dating to Sept. 4, 2004. Colorado forward Tom McManus put a shot between goalkeeper Ray Burse and the right post in the 72nd minute for the game-winner.

“I say every game is different, but at the end of the game it was clear that we wanted to change that,” Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo said. “We needed to get the message loud and clear across the league we’re going to be hard to beat.”

Clavijo, in his fourth year with Colorado, is 10-4-2 lifetime against Los Angeles, including his tenure with New England from 2000-02.

The Galaxy are coming off a 2-0 loss to Toronto FC last Saturday, thanks in part to the absences of Beckham, who was with the English national team, and Landon Donovan, who was sidelined with a groin injury.

With both players in the lineup, Los Angeles had won its previous two league matches by a combined 8-2.

“It’s difficult missing Landon and David,” defender Chris Klein said. “But we’re going to have to deal with it because in this league you play games when the national teams play too, so we’re going to have games where we’re missing those guys.”

Donovan will miss this game because of commitments to the United States national team, but Beckham will be back on the field. He had just returned from international duty when the Galaxy fell 4-0 to the Rapids in March.

“It’s always going to be tough when you have international games,” Beckham said after that loss. “I felt OK for most of the match, maybe not at my sharpest.”

Colorado midfielder Terry Cooke had one goal and two assists against the Galaxy in March, but has no goals and one assist in six matches since.

Rapids-Galaxy Preview - MLS - Yahoo! Sports