FRISCO, Texas — The frustrations were visible on each FC Dallas player’s face, and the result had an all-too familiar taste.
A week after what FC Dallas wanted to dub an “off-game” against the New England Revolution, discouragement is beginning to settle in after FCD were shutout for the second straight game in a 1-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday at Pizza Hut Park.
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With Real Salt Lake moving up the table and FC Dallas suddenly sitting outside of the last automatic playoff spot, head coach Schellas Hyndman saw something in his players that he hadn’t yet seen this season.
“This might be the first time in a long time that I have seen the discouragement in the locker room,” Hyndman said. “People are really disappointed. We all know how important it is for us to get three points at home and define success, and I think this is probably one of the first times I’ve seen how discouraged they are.”
FC Dallas dominated the opening 25 minutes but had no goals to show for it after Maicon Santos hit the post and nearly scored the opening goal on various occasions.
“I feel frustrated,” Santos lamented. “When you don’t score a goal and the team loses that’s frustrating, and I don’t like it at all.”
It marked the second straight week Santos had ample chances and failed to convert, opening a small door of opportunity for Red Bulls forward Luke Rodgers to send home the game’s only goal just before halftime.
The loss also marked the second straight week FCD failed to get a win when they probably should have, considering the Red Bulls played without stars Rafa Márquez (suspension) and Thierry Henry (injury).
FC Dallas also dropped a 2-0 decision on the road last weekend to the New England Revolution, a team firmly outside the postseason picture as the season winds to a close.
“Very disappointing outcome,” Hyndman said. “[We] created many very good opportunities for ourselves but didn’t finish. And scoring goals is probably the most important thing in soccer.”
The home side generated 19 attempts on goal to the Red Bulls’ six and a late change to a 3-5-2 formation still left FC Dallas wondering what could have been. Hyndman complimented Santos for his play and recognized the fact that the ball hasn’t been rolling his way of late.
“The best part of his game is finishing and tonight it just wasn’t going to be there,” Hyndman said.
Midfielder Ricardo Villar was equally frustrated after again generating offensive opportunities against what he felt was a weaker opponent.
“It’s frustrating but it’s not like we didn’t create or anything,” Villar said. “I still think our team is the better team.”
