CARSON, Calif. - With six matches left in the regular season, first-place FC Dallas are looking to improve in several areas in order to reach the playoffs in top form.
Saturday night's 1-1 tie with Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center served to underline some of FCD's deficiencies.
With a one-goal lead through 80 minutes, FC Dallas failed to keep possession and conceded the tying goal in the 81st minute when Juan Pablo Garcia volleyed a shot past Dario Sala after two defenders failed to clear a chipped pass in the area.
"We lost our shape at the end and our lack of discipline led to too many chances for Chivas," said FC Dallas defender Greg Vanney. "We have to be tactically more disciplined from beginning to end. Before the game a tie would have been an OK result but to get a tie after being up a goal late is frustrating."
"We weren't good enough with the ball for about five minutes at the end," added coach Colin Clarke. "You're up with 10 minutes to go so it's disappointing to give it up at the end."
FC Dallas struggled to fend off Chivas USA's furious attacks on goal through much of the second half, particularly after bunkering into a defensive posture after Kenny Cooper put the visitors ahead in the 55th minute with a 19-yard shot past Brad Guzan.
"It was a pretty wide open game," said Clarke. "They threw a lot of bodies forward towards the end and we just couldn't hang on."
The inability to hang on to a late lead is indicative of a problem midfielder Ronnie O'Brien said has followed the team through much of the season.
"We get complacent and haven't played as well as we can," he said. "We really need to pick up our performance, we can't limp into the playoffs like we do every year."
With a loss by the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday and a win at home on Wednesday again versus Chivas, FC Dallas can clinch a playoff spot.
"We need to win Wednesday," said Vanney. "Chivas' backs are up against the wall and we're at home so we definitely need to get a result."
Despite losing the late lead, Saturday's performance was a marked improvement from FC Dallas' last meeting with Chivas - a 3-0 loss on July 1.
A positive that Clarke took away from the tie was the play of FC Dallas' two forwards, Cooper and Abe Thompson, who started in place of the suspended Carlos Ruiz.
"Thompson played very well, he held the ball up, maintained possession, brought people in to play and he was unlucky on a couple of chances," he said. "We've had goals from different areas and that's pleasing - we're not just relying on Carlos to score."
Ruiz, though, will be back in action Wednesday as FC Dallas play host to Chivas at Pizza Hut Park, where they are 10-2-1 on the year.
"We just got to keep picking up points here and there and hopefully it'll keep us firing away as we come into the playoffs," said O'Brien.
Danny Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
