With FC Dallas riding a nine-game winless streak heading into Tuesday evening's US Open Cup match against USL Pro outfit Charlotte Eagles, the game presented a golden opportunity to give the MLS club some momentum heading into the summer break.
Instead, the third-division side handed Dallas yet another disappointing result.
The opponent notwithstanding, the 2-0 loss proved to be more of the same for Dallas given their recent showings in MLS – injuries continued to plague the team and the inability to put the ball in the net was proved their ultimate demise.
"I'm disappointed because I thought this was a really good opportunity to get back on track and get results,” said FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman. “I'm disappointed, obviously, because it has Lamar Hunt's name on the trophy. I'm disappointed in our performance. I think a fan said it best, when we were coming off the field. He said the outcome was unacceptable. That was an unacceptable performance by our players."
Now, FC Dallas will have nearly three weeks to get over all the adversity and misfortune they have faced this year.
"It's not only the best thing for the team, it's the best thing for the coaches,” Hyndman said. “The coaches have put in a lot of time and energy, and the players have put in a lot of work. The reality is a lot of those guys haven't been playing. I don't know if they were mentally tired, or if they just couldn't keep the pace up."
More injuries
FC Dallas lost a pair of defenders in the first half, which Hyndman said changed the match completely. Both George John and Zach Loyd were left due to head injuries.
“A couple pretty severe injuries came up,” Hyndman said. “You lose George and Zach in eight minutes. I think it affected us so much so that it gave up the goal, and it might have even been their first shot on goal.”
FCD also lost playmaker Jackson in the 78th minute as he picked up a red card, which has also been a continuing theme for this club.
“Jackson worked awfully hard,” Hyndman said. “It was a nothing situation to get a red card on. If you're going to get a red card, there's a level on which that card should look like. It could be something silly or a hard play, but not to take a break and go get a shower. It's not worth that."
Moving forward
FC Dallas will not have another game until a road contest against Houston on June 16, the Texan rivals' lone MLS matchup this season. As noted, Hyndman is happy about the break and feels his team can get refocused and make a run in the second half of the season.
“We used to be a team that refused to lose and we’ve got to get a little bit of that back and really just push forward,” Hyndman said. “We need to forget about what has already happened because there’s nothing we can do about it. We really need to get out there and make the most of every opportunity that we have.”
