Win at Houston gives RSL momentum for CCL push


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SANDY — Real Salt Lake's season has been given a lifeline.

The 3-1 win at Houston moves the Salt Lake side from the bottom of the Western Conference to a tie for eighth with the Dynamo in a rapidly closing stretch run that will define RSL's MLS Cup playoff hopes.

The club still sits six points behind Portland for the final playoff spot, with time running out on the regular season. But the first road win in MLS play by RSL (9-11-8, 35 points) since May 9 signals a great change for the local club, providing momentum for perhaps an even bigger contest: CONCACAF Champion's League.

"Yes, it was a big win for us, especially going down to El Salvador on Tuesday for the Champions League, and we have L.A. on Saturday. So it's a big week for us," said forward Devon Sandoval, who notched his second goal of 2015 against Houston. "It's a good way to start this trip off."

Salt Lake's first foray into the North and Central America and Caribbean regional tournament since the 2012-13 tournament has gone as well as could be expected. The club picked up a 1-0 win at Guatemala's Municipal in the group stage opener Aug. 4, courtesy of Joao Plata's early goal and a standout defensive effort in Nick Rimando's return to the club from international duty.

With the first-ever meeting against El Salvador's Santa Tecla FC set to kickoff Tuesday night at 8 p.m. MT on Fox Soccer Plus, RSL could virtually lock up a place in the knockout round with six points — and with still two home games to go.

For RSL, winning on the road provides a huge boost. But winning in general — whether at home, on the road, in MLS play or in some regional tournament — is vital for a club in the middle of a front-office transition with only six games left in league play.

Even the new guy, former Boca Juniors striker Juan Manuel Martinez, agrees.

"We know we have another chance. We need to win all the games," said Martinez, who scored his first MLS goal against Houston. "This is the only possibility of getting into the playoffs, so we went into the game thinking, 'We need to win this game,' and after next Saturday against Los Angeles, we need to win that game and all the games like this.

"We need to win, win, win."

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Sean Walker

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