Final
  for this game

United targets another road win at L.A.

Jun 2, 2011 - 9:44 PM Carson, CA (Sports Network) - D.C. United ended Portland's perfect home start last weekend and has its sights set on a similar challenge Friday night at the Los Angeles Galaxy.

United downed Portland, 3-2, to end the expansion Timbers' five-match home win streak, and will try to snap the Galaxy's six-game home unbeaten record at The Home Depot Center.

L.A. (8-2-5) is one three Major League Soccer teams without a defeat at home - the Philadelphia Union and the Columbus Crew are the others (Sporting Kansas City has yet to play at home) - but D.C. is unbeaten in four straight.

United (4-4-3) rookie Perry Kitchen, who scored his first MLS goal last week, admitted it's "a long season," so the club didn't want to get carried away with its run of success.

But for United, it's tough not to get a little excited after last season.

United had the worst record in MLS last year, but is just seven points off its total from last week ahead of the game with L.A., which will be without Landon Donovan.

D.C. could climb within two points of first-place Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference and equal its road wins from all of last season against L.A. United has lost three of its five road games but last week's win may provide a spark.

Kitchen admitted "it's going to be a different" against the Galaxy, who have "different threats and different tools," and, after a pause, "Beckham."

But "Against the Galaxy, just like against Portland," Kitchen said, "we need to bring the same mentality and the same edge."

L.A. leads MLS with 29 points, but has played at least one more match than all the others teams and six more than both Real Salt Lake and Kansas City. And in addition to being without Donovan on Friday, goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is on international duty as well.

D.C. will avoid Donovan in both the clubs' meeting this season, as he missed a 1-1 draw on April 9 at RFK Stadium, and a win to claim the season series would be huge for first-year coach Ben Olsen and United.