Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy -- a game that was 4-0 before it was 40 minutes old -- had very few positives for FC Dallas.
Dominic Oduro netted his first goal of the year in the second half off a great cross from Kenny Cooper, who got his first assist of the year, but other than that, there were few positives to take from the debacle in front of a record crowd at Pizza Hut Park.
And with Real Salt Lake, the same team that handed them a 2-1 defeat nearly two weeks ago at Rice-Eccles Stadium, coming to Frisco for a visit on Saturday, the Hoops look to win for the first time in May, a month in which they have taken one point earned out of a possible nine.
Sunday's loss stung not only because of how much the Galaxy dominated play on the Hoops' home field, but also how FCD felt the effects of it in the standings. They started the week in second place in the Western Conference with nine points but now find themselves in fourth, just one point ahead of both RSL and Chivas USA.
FCD head coach Steve Morrow didn't have much to say about the loss on Sunday but did take personal responsibility for the blowout.
"Yes, (the team has put in behind them) because you have to," Morrow said on Monday. "It's a new day and you have to always learn from mistakes to move on in a positive way. We certainly had a long, clear-the-air meeting this morning and will have more of that tomorrow to make sure we get it all out of our system."
Morrow reiterated how much he believes in his team and that despite their recent struggles, the character remains strong.
"There are always going to be hiccups along the way and things that are sent to test you and this is a test for us right now," he said. "We're very confident of the character, talent and personality that we've got within the team. We know that we'll come out stronger as a group. The things that we do will stay within the group. It's a strong mentality within the group and these things will certain bring us closer as a group. We'll come out fighting for sure."
The Hoops will certainly be without one starter for the match with RSL. Starting left back Adrian Serioux was sent off for the first time in his MLS career after a hard tackle on the Galaxy's David Beckham right in front of the Hoops bench in the second half. Either Aaron Pitchkolan or Anthony Wallace are the likely replacements.
Pitchkolan, who has appeared in five games this year for FCD, including one start, last played on May 10 at RSL, when he came on for Serioux in the 71st minute after he was injured. Wallace made his second start in three games on Sunday, this time at left midfield after starting two weeks earlier at center back in Serioux's place.
"We'll look at that as the week goes on," Morrow said when asked about the possible replacements for Serioux. "Those are certainly two options that we've got. We haven't looked at it too much yet. We'll look at it in training this week and make a decision."
Morrow plugged Wallace into the left midfield spot for Juan Toja, a 2007 MLS all-star who has yet to find his form in 2008 and has continued to struggle. Toja was moved to a more central role on Sunday, the same place where he scored most of the six goals he had a year ago when he was one of the league's breakout performers. For the most part, he performed better than he did a week prior on the left side but still wasn't involved enough in the attack to be much of a factor against the Galaxy.
"He certainly got more involved in the game," Morrow said. "There is a gradual process of Juan getting back to his form and that will come as the season goes on. It's a long season and we all need to be peaking at the right time. I'm sure as the games go on, he'll continue to get better."
Should the Hoops not break through with their first win of the month on Saturday, the road doesn't get much easier as two-time defending MLS Cup champion Houston, who has found their groove of late after struggling earlier in the year, comes to Frisco for a midweek affair the following Wednesday.
FCD wants to avoid going winless in the month of May, something that has happened only twice before in club history, most recently in 2004. That was when the Hoops were 0-4-1 in May, a record that happened for the first time four years earlier.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
