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CHULA VISTA -- The San Diego Flash played the third game in its history Saturday night and achieved a few more firsts.
First red card.
First bad injury.
First enforcement of Murphy's Law.
The Flash lost 1-0 to the Cincinnati Riverhawks on an evening when about the only thing that went right was that the skies didn't open and soak the 3,879 fans at Southwestern College's Devore Stadium.
This was a night when midfielder Eric Chaisongkram made his Flash debut in the 68th minute after missing the first two games with a strained hamstring . . . and then was helped off the field in the 72nd minute with a second-degree concussion.
A night when referee Kevin Stott gave Cincinnati defender Mike Crosby a yellow card, then pulled out his red card thinking it was Crosby's second yellow . . . and then -- oops -- realized it was really Crosby's first booking and let him stay on.
A night when the Flash (1-2) dominated the Riverhawks for long stretches and had a promising breakaway in the 67th minute . . . and then watched helplessly as the breakaway became a Cincinnati counterattack that resulted in the game's lone goal.
A night when the Flash couldn't find the net against a team that was 0-for-the-season, that had surrendered 13 goals in three matches, that had played the night before against Orange County and lost 5-1.
"I think we were the better team," San Diego coach Ralf Wilhelms said. "Even after the red card (to defender Jamie Munro), we still were creating chances. We pinned them in their own half. They were desperately kicking the ball out.
"But it's the same old story. You have to finish your chances."
The Flash had four shots and seven legitimate scoring chances in the opening eight minutes, and the frustration built from there. It culminated in the 59th minute, when Munro tackled Cincinnati's Wes Schulte (hard) just past the sideline and was assessed the first red card in club history.
Eight minutes later, Cincy's Matt Caution sent a nice ball to an unmarked Joe Burch on the left side. Burch dribbled to the top of the penalty box and fired a rising shot past Flash goalkeeper Joe Cannon.
"They were fighting because they had lost three games in a row," Flash defender Michael N'Doumbe said. "They were fighting for everything. We just didn't have that sharpness."
Now the Flash heads on the road for three games, the first two against Vancouver and Seattle. The good news is that they won't have to worry about overlooking a lesser opponent. Vancouver and Seattle are two of the best teams in the A-League.
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