'Inexcusable': Assessing what one Austin FC player terms the worst loss in his career

Alex Ring didn't mince words about Austin FC's 5-1 loss against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, but then again, that's kind of his thing.

Alex Ring, in his usual flat and frank style, entertained my question about where this 5-1 loss against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night ranks among his (and Austin FC’s) worst losses.

“Worst one in my career,” he assessed. “I've never been down 4-0 at halftime, can never remember being down 4-0 … inexcusable.”

While Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff acknowledged RSL’s excellence of late — this win over Verde, after all, extended its league-unbeaten streak to 13 matches — he also expressed concern over the various mistakes and lapses that led to being in such a deep halftime hole.

“They are a good team,” Wolff observed. “I think that's the first thing … the record bears that … the quality that they have shows that. Regardless of if it's at Salt Lake City or at home, we can't beat ourselves.”

“I mean, we prided ourselves this year on … we know we’ve got to play as close to mistake-free soccer as we can,” he added. “We have some limitations in our group, there's travel fatigue, all that, but the mistakes that we make and some of the decisions and giveaways that are costly, and they're extremely costly against a good team. You can't beat yourself in this league. I mean, you just have to do better. I mean it was not good enough, not even, not anywhere close to good enough.”

Alex Ring’s PK conversion in stoppage time was a bright spot in an otherwise bleak night (Austin FC/Instagram)