The frustrating results are starting to pile up and they have some eerily similar characteristics.

Coming off two disappointing performances, the Seattle Sounders went on the road to play Austin FC in a match that felt like a potential get-right game. The Sounders had never before lost at Q2 Stadium, had beaten Austin earlier this year and were trending healthier than they’d been in several weeks.

Although the first half didn’t go exactly how they hoped — trailing 1-0 after a sloppy giveaway in their own end — they equalized at the start of the second half and were looking like the team more likely to score over the game’s final 20 minutes. As the match went into stoppage time, it was looking very much like they were going to settle for an annoying but grudgingly acceptable road point against a team who was chasing them for playoff position.

Instead, several defensive lapses allowed Austin to grab the winner on what was essentially the game’s final play. Zero points and a third consecutive deflating result.

Only a few weeks removed from what felt like a loud statement of intent that put them among the league’s top contenders, the Sounders have now lost...