Although they're still waiting on star addition Giovani dos Santos, the Los Angeles Galaxy are getting enough scoring from Robbie Keane and Sebastian Lletget.
Keane looks to become the first MLS player to record three straight hat tricks as Los Angeles tries to avoid matching the club's longest road winless streak Saturday night against the Houston Dynamo.
Keane had his third trick across all competitions in a 5-2 home win over San Jose last Saturday. Kansas City's Eddie Johnson was the only other player to notch back-to-back efforts in 2007.
"I'm one of those players, I want to score a hat trick every week, so that drives me on," the league's reigning MVP told the team's official website.
Lletget also scored his fifth goal in six games for the Galaxy (9-6-7), while longtime Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard added a tally in his MLS debut.
Los Angeles recently added dos Santos as it goes after its fourth MLS Cup in five years. However, the former Villarreal and Barcelona midfielder isn't set to arrive until August.
The Galaxy have totaled 25 goals during a five-game home winning streak across all competitions, but they've been outscored 19-9 while going 1-5-6 on the road. They're also 0-8-8 over a 16-game winless stretch in MLS play, one shy of the team record set from 2003-04.
Los Angeles is coming off a potentially costly 2-1 exhibition loss to FC Barcelona on Tuesday. Lletget is expected to play despite tightening up in the contest, but midfielder Baggio Husidic's status is uncertain after he went down with a strained calf.
Houston (6-8-6) comes in off a 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake last Saturday and a 3-1 defeat at Sporting Kansas City in US Open Cup play on Tuesday. The club, though, has gone 4-0-1 in its last five home games in all matches.
The Dynamo hope to get a boost from Erick Torres, who has finished his loan spell with Guadalajara in Liga MX and been cleared of sexual assault accusations. Torres, who had 15 goals for Chivas last season, should help ease the loss of Giles Barnes (six goals), who is with Jamaica on Gold Cup duty.
The Dynamo, tied for last in the West, could have a difficult time slowing Los Angeles without defenders DaMarcus Beasley (Gold Cup), Kofi Sarkodie (red card), and Jermaine Taylor (injury).
They added help Thursday by acquiring veteran defender Sheanon Williams from Philadelphia.
"We feel the addition of Sheanon, the recent arrival of Torres and the upcoming return of our national team players positions us well for an exciting push toward the MLS Cup playoffs," VP/general manager Matt Jordan told the team's official website.
Keane and Houston's Nathan Sturgis scored early goals in a 1-all draw at StubHub Center on March 21 before Keane assisted on Alan Gordon's late tally in Los Angeles' 1-0 home win May 22.
The Galaxy, though, have dropped the past three matchups in Houston.
