SEATTLE (AP) - Kekuta Manneh scored in the final minute of the first half and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Friday night to move back into position for a playoff spot.
In front of 55,765 fans, the Whitecaps (11-8-13) won their third straight game and jumped a point ahead of Portland for the fifth and final Western Conference playoff spot. Both teams have two games remaining.
The Sounders (19-10-3) remained tied with Los Angeles atop overall MLS standings. The Galaxy visit FC Dallas on Sunday, then will face Seattle in a home-and-home series.
Manneh's goal, his fourth of the season, came off a counterattack. Midfielder Pedro Morales sent a long through ball to a streaking Manneh up the left wing side. Sounders defender Chad Marshall caught up, but Manneh took the ball into the left side of the penalty area, deked around Marshall, and sent a 14-yard shot into the back right corner for his fourth of the year
Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted had his league-leading 11th shutout.
SPORTING KC 2, FIRE 0
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - Dominic Dwyer headed in his 21st goal of the season to help Kansas City clinch a playoff spot with a victory over Chicago in rainy conditions.
Kansas City (14-11-7) moved into second place in the Eastern Conference, three points behind D.C. United. Chicago (5-9-18) had its winless streak hit seven matches.
Dwyer is three goals back of New York's Bradley Wright-Phillips in the race for the Golden Boot trophy. Dwyer sailed a penalty kick over the crossbar in the 13th minute.
Sporting took a 1-0 lead in the 80th minute on Graham Zusi's curled shot from distance.
Chicago's Matthew Fondy had a deflected ball fall to him at the top of the 6-yard box in the 91st minute, but Kansas City goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum stretched out for the save. It was Gruenebaum's third clean sheet of the season.