Real Salt Lake-Galaxy Preview

Unbeaten starts have become common the past few seasons for Real Salt Lake, but they mean a little less after finishing ninth in the Western Conference last year.

Nevertheless, Jeff Cassar's club is the only one not to lose in MLS, and keeping it going Saturday night against the Los Angeles Galaxy would end Salt Lake's struggles at one of its biggest rival's grounds.

Salt Lake (4-0-2) topped last season's five-game unbeaten streak with last Saturday's 1-0 home win over Vancouver, and the 2015 run came after a club-record 6-0-6 start in 2014. But last season's 2-0-3 start quickly turned sour, and RSL missed the postseason for the first time since 2007. That was Chris Wingert's first year with the club before spending last season with New York City FC and returning this year.

"We're off to a decent start but it's still super early," the defender told the club's official website. "We're looking forward to the challenge. At LA is always a fun one. It will be exciting and a big test for us."

The win over the Whitecaps was Salt Lake's third straight, setting it up for its top winning streak since a four-gamer in June 2013. It's strung together clean sheets and hasn't given up a goal from the run of play in 281 minutes since a 2-2 draw at Portland on March 19.

Nick Rimando has been in goal for five matches and both shutouts, and if the veteran goalkeeper can extend that, he'll do so while becoming the second player in MLS history to reach 400 career games.

Offensively, however, RSL is going to have to find a new spark with Joao Plata expected to miss at least this match with a hip flexor and quadriceps injury suffered Wednesday in training. The striker assisted on Juan Manuel Martinez's 55th-minute goal against Vancouver, giving Plata four goals and four assists to start the season with at least a goal or assist in each match.

RSL is up against a Galaxy (3-1-2) team that remains without Robbie Keane, who's missed three matches with a knee injury. They'd initially and unsurprisingly had trouble scoring with the Ireland international sidelined, though they broke through in Friday's 4-1 win in Houston.

Giovani Dos Santos had two goals with Baggio Husidic and Gyasi Zardes also scoring after the Galaxy fell behind in the first minute. It was also Steven Gerrard's return after missing two games with a calf injury, and the midfielder picked up a assist on Dos Santos' second goal while playing 90 minutes.

"You're still fighting to get your match sharpness and your match fitness," he told the club's official website. "I got an unfortunate injury at a bad time which was a bit of a setback, but while I've been out I've worked so hard to maintain a certain level of fitness, and I'm really happy with how I looked tonight."

Los Angeles hasn't given up more than a goal in a match this season while going 2-0-2 since its only loss of the season at Colorado on March 12.

Galaxy midfielder Nigel de Jong is serving the second of a three-match ban for a rough challenge on Darlington Nagbe in a 1-1 draw against Portland on April 10.

These clubs have plenty of history, having met in the 2009 MLS Cup and in the postseason three times since then. The Galaxy have won the last three in Los Angeles by a 7-0 total, and RSL hasn't scored on its rival away from home in 280 minutes.