Times have greatly changed for the LA Galaxy since FC Dallas beat them 3-2 with only 10 players less than three weeks ago on May 12 at Frisco, Texas.
The LA Galaxy lost four straight matches with that defeat but have won consecutive games since by 1-0 scores against Montreal and San Jose.
The Galaxy (5-6-1, 16 points) hope to get their third straight win when they host FC Dallas (5-1-5, 20 points) on Wednesday at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.
The Galaxy's Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who hit the post from a late free kick in the loss at FC Dallas, will return after missing Saturday's game against San Jose because of a red card he drew against Montreal for slapping a player on the head.
LA Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said his team was "disappointed" of the loss at FC Dallas. He was critical of his team's defense after FC Dallas got two goals from Roland Lamah and three assists from Mauro Diaz in the victory.
"Disappointed because of the goals we gave up and even being down we had enough chances to equalize the game and tie the game up. We've got to defend better," Schmid said after the match. "We can't give up the goals we're giving up. We're not defending well enough. Defending is not just defenders, but the whole team. We're giving up soft goals and we can't be giving up soft goals."
Now that the Galaxy has not allowed a goal in their last two games, Schmid is understandably pleased.
"It's a learning process and it looks like we are turning the corner toward consistency," he said.
FC Dallas is coming off a 1-0 win on the road against Toronto FC.
Ibrahimovic will return to the lineup and he will not be going up against the same defense he did against FC Dallas in the previous meeting. Matt Hedges is suspended for yellow card accumulation and Anton Nedyalkov is out six to eight weeks with a collar bone injury.
FC Dallas is second in the league in goals against per game, but it will be put to the test against the LA Galaxy.
"I'm really proud of the defense," defender Reto Ziegler said after FC Dallas blanked Toronto last week. "I think that at the moment we are one of the best defenses. We showed that we don't concede many goals.
"Today is another clean sheet, so it makes me smile when I see for the All-Star game we only have one defender on the ballot. It makes me smile because I think we deserve more than that."
