1:3 New York Los Angeles Royer Alessandrini 2 dos Santos 05.14.17 · League

Don't worry, said the pollyannas. Last week's awfulness was due to a congested schedule. Just wait until we play at home with a rested team,! Just wait...

We waited, and got what we deserved: a 3:1 shellacking at the hands of Los Angeles that was not as close as the final score suggested. (And, by the way, can the commentators stop with the end of the home unbeaten streak? It ended last year the playoffs. We know it's not part of league records, but come on.)

Jesse Marsch made two changes from last week: Connor Lade returned for Michael Murillo, and Tyler Adams' trip to the U-20 World Cup meant that Sean Davis got to start.

Metro started out incredibly flat. In the 8th minute, LA had a breakaway; Metro was lucky to avoid the goal, but the play ended with a foul on the right side of the field. Romain Alessandrini's free kick sailed through the penalty area, untouched into the net. A minute later, wide open space led to a wide open Alessandrini. He doubled the lead on a shot that Robles looked to have stopped, but the ball trickled into the net.

The rest of the first half consistent of Metro attempting to create something, but lacking any imagination to complete it, so let's move on to the second. There, a minute in, Daniel Royer was pushed in the box by Ashley Cole, but no foul was called.

And you know what? Metro was better in the second half, playing with some urgency. But it was too little too late, as time was wasted, corner kicks sailed out of play, and attacks stalled. In the 78th, Giovanni dos Santos made an already difficult deficit insurmountable by scoring on a penalty kick. Royer prevented Metro being shutout for the third straight time by getting at the end of a Kemar Lawrence cross in injury time. That was Metro's third shot on goal the entire game.

That has been the continuing problem, pollyannas; this entire season, even in wins, Metro has failed to convert attacking zone possession into shots. If this disturbing trend does not go away, expect more results like the past three.

Here is another problem: while other teams in the league upgraded themselves during the offseason, this one stood pat. So, needing two goals, playing in a situation where a supposedly competitive team would bring on an attacking threat, off the substitute bench came... Sal Zizzo. And no offense to Zizzo, but that's just lame.

Lineup: Robles, Lawrence, Long, Perrinelle, Lade, Martins, Davis, Kljestan, Royer, Muyl, Wright-Phillips. Subs: Grella, Gulbrandsen, Zizzo.