On the outside looking in at the playoffs and back at Audi Field for the first time in nearly a month, D.C. United sorely needed points Saturday night against a Philadelphia Union team it had come tantalizingly close to cracking this year.
But rather than build on that progress, United regressed — undone before halftime by a calamitous giveaway, disorganized defending and an ice-cold attack.
With the 3-1 loss, D.C. (8-12-6) squandered an opportunity to reclaim the ninth and final Eastern Conference playoff slot with eight matches remaining. United’s winless skid in MLS play extended to four games, and Coach Wayne Rooney’s team dropped to 1-4-1 over its past six in all competitions.