Dome Torrent: “I can accept [not playing well]. But I can’t accept about the attitude.” (FrontRowSoccer.com Photo)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — At halftime of New York City FC’s 3-1 loss at D.C. United, head coach Dome Torrent addressed his team.

“You can play much better because you played much better than them at Yankee Stadium,” he told his struggling team. “Explain me the reason why you play different here.”

City has been great at home, but abysmal on the road.

“It’s about confidence,” Torrent told reporters at Audi Field. “Sometimes I don’t understand this because it’s the same players.”

Torrent wasn’t finished about NYCFC, which has won only once in its last eight games (1-4-3) since the middle of August. The team needs a win or a tie in its regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Union next Sunday to secure third-place in the Eastern Conference and home field for a knockout-round game Oct. 31-Nov. 1.

“I can accept [not playing well],” he said. “But I can’t accept about the attitude. And they have attitude because they’ve shown me many, many games. You have to play with confidence, if not it’s impossible to win in MLS and they are much, much better.”

NYCFC needs to regain some confidence in that match if its playoff time will be quite quick.

“It’s very important for our confidence to win that next game against Philadelphia,” Torrent said. “It’s not about just the one point, if you are able to win the game, you play the first game at home. And at home we are stronger than away, this is clear at least this year.”

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.