FC Dallas are in for another long week.
For the second straight week, Schellas Hyndman’s club faces two matches in the span of four days, this time with a crucial league matchup against Houston on Wednesday and a shot against winless D.C. United at Pizza Hut Park on Saturday.
“I would have liked it to have been reversed,” Hyndman said on Monday. “I would have liked to play D.C. on Wednesday and then go to Houston on Saturday, because we’re getting home and we’re not even unpacking our bags because we know we’re going to go again.”
It’s not an unfamiliar feeling. The team trained in Frisco for just two days last week before hitting the road for a midweek US Open Cup play-in game with DC United, a match they lost 4-2. Then it was off to Gillette Stadium, where they posted a 1-1 last Saturday night.
And even though his team remains just one of two winless sides in MLS, Hyndman still sees plenty of positives to draw from heading into another busy week.
“I really do think this team is resilient,” Hyndman said. “We’re down a goal (at New England) and a lot of teams would blow up on that kind of mistake, lose focus, be angry and maybe get a card.”
FCD captain Daniel Hernandez agreed on the difficulty of his club’s taxing schedule, but admitted that it’s nothing new to the rigors of MLS.
“It’s always tough physically, especially with the travel. We have been traveling a lot, but it’s part of the game,” Hernandez said. “It’s something we have to get accustomed to doing.”
For their Wednesday match with in-state rival Houston, FCD hit the Bayou City still seeking their first-ever win at Robertson Stadium.
“I would be concerned if we weren’t getting scoring chances but right now, I think we’re getting scoring chances,” Hyndman said. “It will be very nice to get that first win.”
FCD are just 1-3-1 against D.C. United all-time at Pizza Hut Park. Their lone win in their new home came on September 28, 2008, when FCD rolled past D.C., 3-0.
