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FRISCO, Texas (AP) -- Carlos Ruiz and Kenny Cooper each scored in the first 14 minutes as FC Dallas defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 Saturday night to clinch a playoff spot for the second straight year.
FC Dallas (15-10-4) had lost two straight, including 3-2 in Salt Lake last weekend. It leads the Western Conference by eight points over second-place Houston with three games remaining, although Chivas USA had a chance to move past Houston later Saturday night.
Dallas, which hosts the MLS Cup on Nov. 12, became the second team to secure a playoff spot. Real Salt Lake (10-13-6) remained three points behind Colorado for the fourth and final berth in the Western Conference.
Ruiz opened the scoring with his team-leading 11th goal in the 9th minute, his third in two games after enduring a career-long 11-game goal-less streak. Greg Vanney crossed a free kick from 20 yards near the right sideline to the far goalie box, where Ruiz headed it past Salt Lake goalkeeper Scott Garlick.
Cooper, a 21-year-old rookie, struck five minutes later for his 10th goal. After taking a short pass from Abe Thompson, Cooper carried down the left flank and stopped about 15 yards out to shake a defender. He then launched a perfect shot that curled into the goal's top far corner.
Real Salt Lake closed the gap when Jeff Cunningham scored his MLS-leading 16th goal. He was sprung on a breakaway by a nice pass from Willis Forko and chipped a shot from the right side of the penalty box into the far side of the goal.
Salt Lake's best chance to tie came two minutes into stoppage time when Chris Klein drilled a shot from the top of the penalty box that Dallas goalkeeper Shaka Hislop gathered in.
In his MLS debut, Hislop stopped three shots starting in place of Dario Sala, who sat out with a strained left calf. Hislop, signed by Dallas in July, played two games for Trinidad & Tobago in the World Cup and helped lead the Premier League club West Ham United to the FA Cup Final in 2005-06.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-09-23-06 2119MDT
