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FC Dallas-Dynamo Preview

May 5, 2010 - 2:41 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

FC Dallas (0-1-4) at Houston (3-2-1), 9:00 p.m. EDT

Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching is close to returning from an injury that has sidelined the star for the past month.

The team might decide not to rush its top-scoring threat back, considering the way strikers Luis Angel Landin and Dominic Oduro are performing.

The Dynamo look to build on an impressive victory and take the season series from winless FC Dallas for the fourth time in five years Wednesday night.

Ching has resumed full training after straining his left hamstring April 1. The Dynamo's scoring leader each of the past three years, Ching says he could play Wednesday. Coach Dominic Kinnear says he is more likely to return Saturday against Chivas USA.

Ching wore a protective sleeve on his calf as he went through a team workout Tuesday and said he felt no pain.

"Everything felt great. I had no issues with the shots, I didn't feel anything," said Ching, who hopes to make the U.S. World Cup roster. "I felt good, just a little bit rusty. Hopefully, over the course of this week, I can get back into form."

While Ching has been working his way back, fellow forwards Landin and Oduro led Houston (3-2-1) to a 3-0 victory over Kansas City on Saturday. Landin had a goal and an assist and Oduro had two assists to help the Dynamo improve to 3-1-0 at home.

Landin left the game in the second half because of a left ankle injury and didn't return, but the problem isn't considered serious. His early exit opened the door for Samuel Appiah to make his MLS debut, and the rookie completed the scoring for Houston in the 88th minute.

"We have good players," defender Mike Chabala told the Dynamo's official website. "You see Sammy step up and take care of his opportunity. Good for him."

Chabala scored his first MLS goal in the 36th minute of a 1-all tie with Dallas (0-1-4) in the season opener.

The Dynamo went 4-1-3 in their last eight against Dallas and have won El Capitan, a replica 18th-century cannon given to the winner of the season series, three of the past four years.

Dallas forward Atiba Harris scored against Houston on March 27, and headed in a free kick from Dax McCarty in the 66th minute of a 1-all tie with New England on Saturday.

Dallas had plenty of opportunities against the Revolution, firing a season-best 11 shots on goal, but again came up short of notching its first win.

"We're doing everything right," McCarty said. "You could probably say we're playing some of the best soccer in the league in terms of our possession and our build-up play. We're really just not finishing right now.

"We're five games into the season, but we're dropping points that we should be collecting. It's frustrating. We're going to keep our heads up and keep fighting and hopefully the results will come."