Maybe it’s just destiny. Maybe this D.C. United squad just isn’t meant to be playing into the postseason. While I hate to be pessimistic about the squad’s chances to break a years-long playoff drought this year, it’s hard not to think such things after what happened in the waning moments of Saturday night’s match.

The Black-and-Red dropped yet another crucial match in the frantic race to the playoffs on Saturday at RFK, but it was the manner in which it came that stung the most. Chicago’s Sebastian Grazzini and Diego Chaves both scored in added time after the ninety minutes of regulation had expired, stunning 16,548 fans at RFK and the home team, who had apparently sealed a much-needed three points with a Dwayne De Rosario penalty kick in the final minute of regulation.

“It was one of the toughest losses I have ever taken,” said head coach Ben Olsen. “I’m not going to sugarcoat it.”

There was little Olsen could say, really — the United gaffer was probably still in a state of disbelief. After all, his team had stuck to the gameplan, going blow-for-blow with the Fire, who came into the match in the same boat as United: win or stay home for the postseason. And while D.C. can technically catch New York for the final wild card playoff spot, it will need to earn wins in its last two matches — the next on Wednesday against Portland at RFK — and have things fall their way. But has the frustration of throwing a win away so dramatically crush what was left of D.C.’s spirit?

It sounds like that, sadly, might be the case.

“We can’t keep doing this to ourselves, we’re too good of a team to get scored on and scored on again,” said De Rosario. “It just isn’t worth it, especially in these games. I want to say that guys should be learning but it’s frustrating, because every game it’s the same thing.”