SOCCER: GALAXY IS BLANKED AGAIN FC DALLAS 1, GALAXY 0.

Byline: SCOTT FRENCH Staff Writer

A better performance didn't lead to a substantially better result Wednesday, the Galaxy falling victim to an early Carlos Ruiz goal to finish a three-game road swing with a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.

The Galaxy (2-4-1), playing its final game before Landon Donovan and Chris Albright join the U.S. team for its final World Cup preparations, failed to score for the second successive game, but this time they had far more of the match than in Saturday's 4-0 defeat at New England.

``I thought it was a very good performance,'' Galaxy coach Steve Sampson said. ``I was very upset after the New England game, and I'm very proud of the effort we put in tonight. We were extremely unlucky not to come away with at least a tie.''

Ruiz scored in the 20th minute, racing into space to fire past goalkeeper Steve Cronin after Ramon Nunez's cross ricocheted off Todd Dunivant.

L.A. dictated play from start to finish and kept Dallas' defense under heavy pressure after Dallas' Bobby Rhine was red-carded for a foul on Ned Grabavoy just before halftime. The ``Hoops'' (4-1-2) held on to return to first place in the Western Conference.

Donovan played, but Albright was held out with a strained hamstring, and Sampson moved Ugo Ihemelu from the middle to right back with rookie Kyle Veris partnering Tyrone Marshall in central defense.

Ihemelu was splendid, ``one of the real bright spots for us,'' Sampson said.

Forward Herculez Gomez departed midway through the first half with a sprained MCL in his right knee, and with Cornell Glen gone -- he's with Trinidad and Tobago, which played Peru to a 1-1 draw Wednesday, and not expected back until T&T's World Cup trek is done -- the Galaxy heads into Saturday's home game against Real Salt Lake short of strikers.