FRISCO, Texas -- Over the last three seasons, it was almost expected that FC Dallas would make the playoffs. In fact, heading into this campaign, only twice in club history had the Hoops missed out on the postseason. And there was every reason to believe that the 2008 team wouldn't add themselves to that list.
However, looking back, the '08 campaign took on an almost ominous tone in the season opener against Chivas USA on March 30. FCD took an early lead on a 21st-minute goal by Juan Toja, who would leave for Romania later in the year. However, a gaffe by new center back Duilio Davino just six minutes from full time allowed Maykel Galindo to net an equalizer and the Hoops had to settle for a 1-1 draw and just a point.
It was a scenario that replayed itself time and time again throughout the season. FCD finished the year at just 5-4-6 at home. To put the mark in historical perspective, even the 2003 team, which finished just 6-19-5 overall and missed the playoffs for the first time in FCD history, won five times at home in an otherwise abysmal season. And the '04 team, which also missed the postseason, won six times at home.
FCD's struggles at Pizza Hut Park are something current head coach Schellas Hyndman, who took over in mid-June after Steve Morrow was fired in May, is well aware of.
"I don't know if this team ever really got the support that other teams get at home," he said. "(It was a case of) not fulfilling our job at all, not getting it done at all. When I talk to the players because we always have to have a closure after the game (at Real Salt Lake on Oct. 18), I said it should have never come down to this game, it should've been decided earlier. We should've been in the playoffs earlier.
"I think if we had taken care of some of our home games, we'd have been fine," Hyndman continued. "Right at this point in time, we have 11 ties and if you take half of those into wins, then we're in the playoffs. So, we're a team that had to come back and tie or either people caught us."
Four disappointing results in particular stand out: A May 28 match with Houston that saw FCD blow two leads and settle for a 2-2 draw with the two-time defending league champs. Others were a 1-0 loss to Colorado on Sept. 4 and a 1-1 draw with San Jose on October 2 and a 2-2 tie with Toronto FC nine days later. The Hoops were headed for defeat in both of those before being bailed out by late penalty kicks.
And Sunday at The Home Depot Center, FCD finished the year in disappointing fashion. After trailing early after a goal by the Galaxy's Edson Buddle, the Hoops got unanswered tallies from Drew Moor and Victor Sikora to lead 2-1 at the break. However, that lead didn't hold and late in the game, Landon Donovan tied it on a penalty kick and the sides finished tied 2-2. FCD also had a player sent off for the second consecutive week when Aaron Pitchkolan was sent to the locker room after getting a second yellow in the final half of play.
The FCD players are also well aware of how many points they left on the table this year.
"Bottom line is that we had opportunities, we had chances and we put ourselves into a good position to make the playoffs at the end of the season," defender Drew Moor said. "It wasn't as easy as we wanted the road to have been but we put ourselves into those spots and just didn't take advantage of them. We had some missed opportunities where we had to get a point or three points but we didn't. It's a long, tough season and we play a lot of games in a lot of competitions but to not make the playoffs is disappointing."
This year has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for FCD and their supporters. Things started off with the team in a 3-5-2 under Steve Morrow but ended with the Hoops being coached by midseason hire Schellas Hyndman, who employed a 4-4-2 system.
A number of players came and went, including two-time MLS all-star Toja, now in Romania, and Arturo Alvarez, who was traded to San Jose. FCD also acquired veteran striker Jeff Cunningham and he performed well down the stretch.
But this promises to be a busy offseason in Frisco. A coaching change won't happen and FCD president/general manager Michael Hitchcock is down for another year but on the player front, there could be a lot of comings and goings. That list could start with Kenny Cooper, who finished second in MLS scoring with 18 goals. He could be leaving for Europe. But then again, the Dallas native could be staying. That would be one sweet tune for FCD supporters indeed.
"Bottom line, it was wins," defender Adrian Serioux said. "It could've been not getting the results that we needed at certain times when we should've gotten results. Fortunately for us, we had an opportunity coming down to the end of the season but still, you shouldn't have to wait until then and it came back to bite us. Now, we have to look forward to next year."
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