HARRISON, N.J. (AP) - Fabian Espindola scored two first-half goals and Alvaro Saborio also tallied and Real Salt Lake topped the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Real Salt Lake (15-7-6) needs one more win to clinch a fourth consecutive playoff spot.
Espindola's second goal tied Saborio for the team lead and gave Real Salt Lake a 3-0 halftime lead.
The win marked Real Salt Lake's fifth straight and moved it into a second-place tie with Seattle.
Considering the Western Conference's third-place team came in tied with Los Angeles for the fewest goals allowed in the league (22), the early deficit was too much for the Red Bulls to overcome.
The Red Bulls (7-7-15) remained three points behind Philadelphia and Houston, who are tied at 39 points, for the conference's final playoff spot.
Chivas USA 2, D.C. United 2
WASHINGTON (AP) - Juan Pablo Angel scored twice and Dan Kennedy saved a stoppage-time penalty kick to lift Chivas USA to a comeback draw against D.C. United.
Angel scored in the 57th and 70th minutes for Chivas (8-12-10) to push the club to its first two-goal comeback this season and snap a four-match losing skid.
Kennedy then went to his left to stop Dwayne De Rosario's penalty effort, after De Rosario drew a penalty kick for what TV replays showed was minimal contact with Angel.
De Rosario and Ethan White scored for United (8-9-10), which yielded a two-goal lead for the first time this season and fell below .500 for the first time since July 20.