Los Angeles (2-3-2) at FC Dallas (2-2-3)

Winning hasn’t come easy for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2008, and problems on the road have contributed to their early season struggles.

The Galaxy hope to shake their sluggish start by picking up their first road victory of the year and winning in Dallas for the first time in seven tries on Sunday.

Los Angeles is 0-1-1 on the road this season and had an 11-game winless stretch (0-7-4) away from home in league play last April 8-Sept. 19. The team was just 3-8-4 as a visitor in 2007 en route to missing the postseason for a second straight year.

The Galaxy (2-3-2) have won only once in their last five MLS games overall. They were unable to complete a rally last Saturday, falling 2-1 at home to New York.

Alan Gordon tied it in the 77th minute for Los Angeles before the Red Bulls scored the winning goal one minute later.

“To get back into the game and then lose on a goal few minutes after, it’s a learning curve I think,” midfielder David Beckham told the Galaxy’s official Web site. “It’s the start of the season. There are going to be some games we are going to play well and some we are going to play bad.”

Beckham has avoided falling into the same troubles as his team, registering two goals and an assist in his last three games despite being bothered by a sore foot. The English star was hurt in the Galaxy’s 2-2 draw at Real Salt Lake on May 3.

He was also able to participate in Los Angeles’ 2-1 defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps in a friendly on Tuesday.

Injuries, though, kept Landon Donovan out of that match. The forward, who leads the league with eight goals, has a strained right calf and is questionable for Sunday.

Donovan’s absence would be a big loss for the Galaxy, as he has 14 goals and nine assists in 21 career games versus FC Dallas (2-2-3).

Los Angeles is 14-12-4 versus Dallas all-time after going 1-2-0 last season, winning the team’s most recent meeting 2-1 at home on Sept. 23.

However, the Galaxy have dropped six straight visits to Dallas since posting a 3-1 win on May 8, 2004.

FC Dallas fell to 0-2-1 in its last three games after last Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake. The team’s three-game winless streak is its longest since going 0-3-1 from Sept. 15-30.

Kenny Cooper notched his team-leading fifth goal in the 56th minute, helping Dallas avoid a third straight shutout.

But facing a Galaxy team that has allowed 15 goals this year could help Dallas end its recent offensive struggles.

“The way we started the season is a big difference compared to how we did in the last two games,” forward Arturo Alvarez told FC Dallas’ official Web site. “We need to start this here in practice and hopefully show it against L.A. this weekend at home.”

Cooper, who was limited to four goals in 14 matches last season because of a broken leg, has two goals in his last five games versus the Galaxy.