ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC coach Bradley Carnell is not looking for any sympathy following a 3-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday night at CityPark.
Neither are his players.
"We know we can do better," Carnell said. "It starts with us."
Explained City SC defender Jake Nerwinski, "That's not who we think we are. That's not what the fans deserve."
Djordje Mihailovic scored three times and City SC came up with its third successive offensive goose egg before a sold-out crowd that waited all night in the heat and humid for a reason to go crazy.
City SC (3-6-9, 18 points) has gone 292 minutes without scoring. The team's last tally came in a 3-3 tie June 1 at Inter Miami.
"I believe when that first win comes, we'll go on a roll for sure," Akil Watts said.
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City SC remains winless over its past seven matches, a franchise low. City SC's last victory was a 3-1 triumph over the Chicago Fire on May 11.
It has also dropped two in a row during this rough 0-5-2 stretch that began with a 2-0 loss at home to the Los Angeles Football Club on May 15.
City SC had played relatively well in the two matches prior to Wednesday, including a 0-0 tie against Portland on June 8.
But the effort against Colorado (8-7-4, 28 points) was a major step back.
City SC wasted scoring chances and had trouble marking in its defensive end. Even sure-handed goalkeeper Roman Burki made a mistake with a bad outlet pass that landed on the foot of Mihailovic and led to the second goal in the 60th minute.
"We have to bridge a gap right now and it starts with us and our principles and our basics," Carnell said. "It's a challenge that I've embraced, it's a challenge my players will embrace."
City SC outshot Colorado 16-15 and had several solid chances but simply could not convert, a trend that has bothered it throughout the scoreless drought.
The best opportunity came in the 25th minute when Eduard Lowen hit the crossbar on a penalty kick with his team trailing by a goal. Lowen made his lone PK earlier in the season. City SC is 2 for 4 on penalty kicks this season.
Lowen also was halted on a nifty save by Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen midway through the second half. Steffen recorded his second successive clean sheet.
City SC held possession for 60 percent of the match.
"We know we're better than our results," Nerwinski said. "We have the skill, our tactics are right. It just comes down to more of a grit, getting it done. A mentality of just wanting to beat that player.
"And I think Colorado did that to us tonight."
Carnell showed his team some brief game film of the contest just minutes after the group arrived in the locker room.
He said it is time to flush the effort, move forward and remain focused.
"As a group, as an organization, we have to stick together," Carnell said. "We know we're moving in the right direction. Do I feel the frustration? One-hundred percent. Is it warranted? One-hundred percent. We need our fans to be connected with us in a tough time. I urge them and embrace them to do so."
Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute on Mihailovic's first tally off a throw-in. Sebastian Anderson began the play with a long toss along the sideline that dangerously bounced in the box. Mihailovic got his head on the one-hopper and popped it past Burki.
Mihailovic added a penalty kick goal in stoppage time to complete the natural hat trick.
Burki had kept City SC in the match with a diving save off a shot by Omir Fernandez in the 59th minute to keep the deficit at one goal.
City SC will host Atlanta (5-8-5) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Defender Tim Parker sat out the match due to yellow card accumulation. Joakim Nilsson missed the contest with a hamstring injury, making City SC thin along the back line.
Moving out
City SC defender Nikolas Dyhr was been sold Tuesday to the Randers FC of the Danish Superliga.
The 22-year-old was signed in January. He made two starts among his six appearances.
His debut came March 1 in a 2-0 win over New York City FC.
"We want to thank Nikolas for all of his hard work and time while in ºüÀêÊÓƵ," City SC sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel said in a statement.Â