In Defeat, Coach at a Loss for Words : Soccer: Menezes doesn’t speak to anyone, including his players, after Salsa drop their second consecutive game, 3-2.

Rildo Menezes, the Salsa head coach, doesn’t bother mincing words.

Before the American Professional Soccer League season started last month, Menezes declined to discuss his top players. The reason? It might hurt the feelings of the other players, he said.

Earlier this week, he was asked about Sunday’s game against Vancouver and he didn’t hesitate.

“I’m very confident that we’re going to win this weekend,” he said.

And when they didn’t, blowing a one-goal lead in the final 13 minutes to lose, 3-2, Menezes again didn’t mince words.

That’s because there were no words. He quickly left the premises, without so much as a syllable even to his team after a couple of chip shots by Domenic Mobilio in the final 13 minutes erased a 2-1 Salsa lead in front of 2,082.

However, goalkeeper Ian Feuer and defender Richard Ryerson were plenty talkative. The two sharply criticized their teammates after the Salsa (4-2) dropped their second consecutive game.

“It’s impossible for me to stop three one-on-ones a game,” Feuer said angrily. “I’ve never been with a team that gave up so many one-on-ones. I should be stopping shots, not one-on-ones.”

Ryerson said the problem was the old back-door play.

“I think they were just catching us off-guard, sneaking behind us with runs while we were watching the ball,” Ryerson said. “It’s going to happen. We’re at a high level now. The thing is having the desire to follow your man. It takes a lot of heart.”

And were the Salsa lacking in that department on Sunday?

“A lot of games we won at the beginning of the year were close, and we won because we had heart and desire,” Ryerson said. “Today, it seemed like we were deflated.”

The Salsa fell behind, 1-0, three minutes into the game, but forward Paul Wright’s shot from the right side of the goal a minute later tied the score, 1-1. Then, at the 26-minute mark, more snappy Wright dribbling led to another goal. Wright worked his way around several 86er defenders and guided a pass to Waldir Guerra, who shot it into the net for a 2-1 Salsa lead.

Then the roof caved in.

Part of the Salsa’s problem was that, when the team defeated the 86ers, 2-1, in Vancouver May 9, the 86ers were missing Bob Lenarduzzi, their head coach, along with an assistant coach and seven players who were in Toronto with the Canadian national team for a World Cup qualifier. All were back for the rematch.

But the Salsa were welcoming back Paulinho, their Brazilian star, who had basically missed the past three games because of a dislocated elbow.

But that, coupled with their loss last week, wasn’t enough to carry the Salsa.

“This game, we clearly had it,” Ryerson said. “Unfortunately, we gave it away.”

Notes

The Salsa are in third place in the American Professional Soccer League. Vancouver (6-2) is in first. . . . Vancouver forward John Catliff was ejected from the game with 13 minutes remaining when he received a red card. . . . Mexican star Manuel Negrete, signed by the Salsa two weeks ago, was dressed but did not play. . . . The Salsa have the weekend off before playing host to Tampa Bay at 8:05 p.m. June 26 in Titan Stadium.