D.C. United built up a sizable lead in the Eastern Conference with a hot start, but its recent struggles have seen that advantage all but evaporate.
United will look to get back on track Saturday night against the Colorado Rapids, though it has struggled in recent road meetings.
D.C. (13-10-5) was 10-5-4 through June 24, building a 10-point edge atop the conference. United has gone 3-5-1 in league play since, however, and has been outscored 8-1 during a three-match losing streak.
Now, obtaining the East's top seed is far from a certainty with New York, Columbus, and New England all on United's heels.
"100 percent (we're worried)," forward Chris Rolfe, who leads the team with nine goals, told the team's official website. "How could you not be? It's gut check time. It's time to figure out whether we really want this or if we don't."
D.C. was completely dominated in its 3-0 defeat at New York on Aug. 30, getting outshot 24-9. The club has surrendered 17 goals over its last eight games after allowing as many in its previous 20.
"We need to get back to just being sharp and not giving up goals and eventually we'll get some chances," defender Sean Franklin said. "There's not a lot of room for error. We have six games left and this is the time we need to be thinking about going into a little win streak. We need to figure it out quickly."
United hasn't dropped four in a row since a seven-game skid March 23-May 1, 2013. Road tilts haven't been kind lately to D.C., which has been shut out three times while going 1-4-1 in its last six. United is unbeaten in its last four meetings with the Rapids, including a 4-2 home victory last year, but is 1-9-3 in the last 13 at Colorado.
This series has been extremely even overall in the last decade with each team winning six meetings apiece with three draws since 2006.
At ninth place in the West and eight points out of a playoff spot, the Rapids (8-10-9) have all but been eliminated from the postseason picture. They've done well to make a late push, winning three straight before Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Vancouver.
"It's a good opportunity for the guys to bounce back," coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "It's all about the mindset. It's about being more brave with the ball and not as reckless with it ... It's important we really take the game to D.C. in the early stages."
Defender Drew Moor will likely pick up his 300th regular-season MLS cap. He would become the 33rd player in league history to do so, an accomplishment Mastroeni has also achieved.
