The Houston Dynamo are coming off a home win last week and will be looking to make it three wins in a row for the first time this season when they travel to Carson, CA to face the Los Angeles Galaxy on Friday night. Owen Coyle's side will be fully rested and healthy for the match, hoping to build on a 1 - 1 draw earlier this season against their sister-club by securing their second win on the road.

After surging late in the second half against the Portland Timbers, thanks to a timely substitution of Alex Lopez, Coyle will have some tough decisions to make. The striker duo of Will Bruin and Giles Barnes were sensational on the night, netting all three of the Dynamo's goals. Adding in their win in Toronto the week prior, the pair has five goals and one assist. It's certain they will start up top together in the usual formation, Barnes hanging back to be a link between the deeper midfield and Bruin up top. This has allowed the Jamaican International to use his blistering speed to great effect. With Bruin's runs better timed and spaced, defenses have been unlocked to devastating effect.

Coyle's dilemma comes in midfield. Captain Brad Davis has been good as of late while Oscar Garcia has been decent. However Lopez has been sensational for the past month. His assist to Barnes against the Timbers showcased the kind of maturity and patience fans have been eager to see. Davis has been steadily racking up assists on set pieces while his run-of-play has been ok. His best moments have come when DaMarcus Beasley has made timely runs from the left back position, looking for the overlap.

With Raul Rodriguez occupying the right back position as of late, Lopez has enjoyed more freedom to push forward, knowing the Spanish defender will cover the flank effectively. Does Coyle continue to use Lopez as an offensive spark off the bench or does he rely on one of the veteran players in Davis or Garcia?

Unlike their previous trip to LA, the Dynamo won't have to contend with such a formidable attack. Bruce Arena is dealing with a bunch of injuries, not the least of which is a groin strain to Robbie Keane. With Edson Buddle, Jose Villarreal and Kenny Walker also out, the offense has struggled. Defenders Robbie Rogers, Omar Gonzalez and Todd Dunivant are also battling injuries. Goalkeeper Brian Perk is out for the season, narrowing the pool. Young striker Bradford Jamieson IV is away with  the US U-20 team for the World Cup in New Zealand. The Galaxy are coming off a 4 - 0 spanking against Orlando City at the Citrus Bowl in which they never looked to be into the game.

Expect the team to come out looking to make a statement.

Against a Dynamo defense that is hit and miss, it could be a long night for the reigning champions or a good one. Last time around Coyle opted for a very defensive lineup to contain the offense prowess of the Galaxy. With his opponent limping, it wouldn't be surprising to see Coyle use a more balanced lineup, not dissimilar from the one he's used in the previous two games.

With summer tournaments rapidly approaching and the status of Erick Torres still in question one wonders when Coyle will rotate in the two new players acquired just before the window closed: Brazilian midfielder Alex and U-20 Colombian striker Mauro Manotas. While the latter is clearly a long-term project, the former is a veteran of MLS, racking up nearly 100 appearances in the league. Alex appeared for Chicago in numerous midfield positions and where Coyle sees him fitting into the squad will be revealing. With a lot of young players capable of playing on the wings (Lopez, Miranda, Lovejoy) it's likely Alex could be featured centrally as a two-way midfielder, helping manage Ricardo Clark's minutes. That would leave Zach Steinberger to fill in for Luis Garrido during the Gold Cup.

Manotas appears to be more of a speed and finesse striker, making him capable of slotting in for Barnes. The talented youngster will be fighting with Chandler Hoffman for minutes alongside Bruin. Fans shouldn't be looking for the Colombian to feature in this match as he still needs to acclimate to his new club and teammates. If not this one, though, it's possible he gets a few minutes in a friendly next week against Manchester City in the annual Dynamo Charities Cup.

With the scales tipped heavily in the Dynamo's favor, expect a hard-fought road win for Coyle's side, 2 - 1. The Dynamo's match is at 930 pm CDT on Univision Deportes.