GALAXY VS. DALLAS.

Byline: Scott French

Site/kickoff: Rose Bowl, 7:30 p.m.

TV/radio: No TV; KTNQ-AM (1020 Spanish).

Series: Tied, 5-5 (first meeting in 1998).

Galaxy (9-1, 25 points) update: L.A.'s unbeaten record and regular-season winning streak came to an end at 15 games Wednesday in Chicago, where the Galaxy was dominated by a fired-up Fire 3-1. The Galaxy hopes not to skid as it did when its win streak ended at 12 games in 1996; it followed that with four straight losses, five losses in six games, and with a 7-13 record the rest of the way. . . . Welton got L.A.'s goal in the loss to overtake teammate Cobi Jones for the Major League Soccer scoring lead. The Brazilian has nine goals and six assists for 24 points, one more than Jones, who won't return to MLS action until the United States' World Cup run is over. . . . Injuries have decimated any depth the Galaxy defense might have had. Dan Calichman is out until at least September with a broken right leg and Paul Caligiuri is sidelined four to six more weeks with a stress fracture of his lower left fibula. Reserve goalkeeper Matt Reis, who wasn't available Wednesday after suffering a rotator cuff injury last Sunday, also will miss tonight's game. Orange County Zodiac goalkeeper Mike Littman, who played for coach Octavio Zambrano with the L.A. Salsa, will be Kevin Hartman's backup.

Burn (6-3, 14) update: This is a crucial game for second-place Dallas, which can climb within eight points of the Western Conference leaders with a regulation win or fall 14 points back with a loss. . . . Speedy striker Dante Washington is Dallas' top scorer with 10 points (4 goals, 2 assists), and the return of defensive midfielder Leonel Alvarez after a season in Mexico has enabled Jason Kreis to find his 1996 form. Kreis, who has looked good in injured Swiss midfielder Alain Sutter's absence, has three goals and three assists (9 points). . . . Gerell Elliott has three goals and Temoc Suarez has three assists. . . . Alvarez returns from a red-card suspension. Dallas is 21-9 all-time with the Colombian in the lineup, 18-25 without him. . . . The Burn lost nobody because of the World Cup, but the loss of Sutter to a hip injury hasn't helped. He suffered the injury after stepping in a hole several weeks ago, and when it didn't get better headed home to see some Swiss doctors. They've apparently discovered a cartilage tear and no one's sure when he'll return. He's played just 341 minutes over four matches in '98.