FRISCO, Texas — FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman borrowed a word from FCD supporters to describe his team's 0-2 loss to USL PRO team Charlotte Eagles in third round play of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
"When I came off the field, I think a fan said it to me probably the best. And it’s the word I used with the team. And the only word I used with the team, 'unacceptable'," Hyndman said.
"That was an unacceptable performance by professional players."
At least one player didn't disagree, either.
Goalkeeper Chris Seitz said of Tuesday's match: "in all honesty, it's one of our worst games."
Hyndman had hoped the US Open Cup, named for past FCD owner Hunt, could serve as a springboard into the second half of the season.
Instead, it encapsulated everything that's gone wrong for FC Dallas in 2012.
Two players - Zach Loyd and George John - had to leave the game after getting banged up.
Seitz said players on the field couldn't afford to get distracted by the two exits and tried their best to integrate the subs and keep playing.
"It's not one of those things you can really take a breath and be like, darn they're off the field," Seitz said.
Another player, Jackson, was sent off late in the match for a challenge on the Charlotte goalkeeper that Hyndman said was "a nothing situation to get a red card on."
Both Hyndman and Seitz were blunt in their post-match analysis on where the team is right now.
"We’re just not doing enough." Hyndman said. "I have to believe you make your own luck."
Seitz said the team needs to make good use of the time - nearly three full weeks - until its next match, against rival Houston Dynamo on June 16. That means working to cut down on goals allowed and energizing the FCD offense.
"Coach kind of gave us a good analogy the other day. We used to be the team that refused to lose," Seitz said. "And we've got to get a little bit of that back."