their last three league games plus a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal loss. Everyone seems to be asking the same question: What does FC Dallas have to do to score a goal?
"No excuses. At the end of the day, we didn't get a victory," said FC Dallas coach Colin Clarke said.
The Hoops continue to make crisp passes, play staunch defense, and are dangerous on set pieces. It's a mystery as to why they aren't putting the ball into the net.
"It could have gone our way tonight," Clarke said. "We just need a goal. Bo [Oshoniyi] pulled off three or four good saves -- he kept it blank. We had chances right up to the last minute."
Clarke might very well have the solution. It's back to the practice field to work on those things that might need refining.
"We've got to work harder -- work harder on both sides of the ball and fight through it together," Clarke said.
Right now, it seems to be a game of inches for FC Dallas. Defender Drew Moor actually put the ball into the net late in the match, only for the apparent goal to be ruled out for offside. Later he put another header on target, but Oshoniyi got just enough of the ball to have it trickle on top of the net.
"Tonight was a good opportunity, we all played well," Moor said. "Right now we're just struggling to put the ball in the net."
The goal surely will come. Finding the back of the net will certainly help right the FC Dallas ship.
"If we're playing well, and we're passing the ball well we're creating good opportunities," said Moor. When you get one (goal) or two, the floodgates will open."
The loss left FC Dallas with its second three-game losing streak of the season. The first one, from June 28 to July 4, was followed by a four-game winning streak -- which came to an end on Aug. 12, the first game of the current losing skid.
"We need to come out of it strong," Moor said. "And showing a little bit of character is what is going to bring us out."
Thomas Foote is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
