Dallas holds onto lead ahead of L.A. game
SANDY, Utah (AP) - Dallas maintained its five-point lead atop the Major League Soccer Western Conference standings by playing out a scoreless draw at Real Salt Lake on Saturday, but missed a chance to take a grip on the West title.
The Texan club is five points above Colorado and Los Angeles, but the latter can cut the gap to just two points if it wins at home against Seattle on Sunday.
The Eastern Conference is even tighter, with three teams tied on points atop the standings. New York City had been alone on 48 points after its home win against Chicago on Friday, but its city rival New York moved level by beating Montreal and they were joined by Toronto, which drew against Philadelphia.
All three teams have now clinched playoff berths.
Dallas came closest to scoring in the game at Real Salt Lake when midfielder Mauro Diaz hit the post early on, but the visitors later relied on goalkeeper Chris Seitz to preserve a point as he blocked a Joao Plata shot in the 85th minute.
RSL has taken two points from its past three games despite not scoring in any of them, and holds outright fourth place in the West.
New York secured a playoff berth for the seventh straight year by winning 1-0 at home against Montreal.
Daniel Royer scored his first MLS goal in the 60th minute as he bounced in a header from a Chris Duvall cross.
The Red Bulls extended their club-record unbeaten streak to 13 games, while Montreal remained fifth in the East.
Toronto also secured its place in the postseason despite being held 1-1 at home against Philadelphia.
Alejandro Bedoya scored for Philadelphia in the 25th minute, taking a pass with his back to goal, spinning into a shooting position and looping a chip over the goalkeeper.
Justin Morrow equalized in the 70th minute, charging forward from his left back position, taking a pass and firing in from a tight angle.
Ten-man Vancouver took advantage of Colorado's own goal late in stoppage time to draw 3-3 at home against the Rapids.
Shkelzen Gashi scored twice for Colorado, making it 3-2 midway through the second half, and Dominique Badji also scored for the hosts.
Pedro Morales and Kendall Waston scored for Vancouver, which was reduced to ten men in the 56th minute when Watson was shown a red card for bringing down Badji on a breakaway.
In the third minute of stoppage time, Whitecaps striker Erik Hurtado's header rebounded off the crossbar and deflected off Rapids defender Marc Burch, crossing the line to tie the scores.
Sporting Kansas City's Kevin Ellis scored his first goal of the season in the 81st minute to give the visitors a 2-1 win at San Jose; their first win away to the Earthquakes since 2000.
Houston's Mauro Manotas converted a penalty in the 34th minute, added the go-ahead goal in the 73rd and completed his hat trick in the 85th to lift Dynamo over Portland 3-1.
D.C. United's Patrick Mullins scored twice to set up a 4-1 victory over Orlando City.