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Johnson, Movsisyan lift Real Salt Lake past FC Dallas

Oct 19, 2008 - 5:38 AM By Tony Pizza PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- Will Johnson and Real Salt Lake moved a step closer to making a trip to the playoffs a reality.

Johnson and Yura Movsisyan scored as Real Salt Lake recorded a 3-1 victory over FC Dallas on Saturday.

Robbie Findley also tallied and Nick Rimando stopped two shots for Real Salt Lake (10-10-9), which can clinch the first playoff appearance in the franchise's four-year history with a loss or draw by Colorado on Sunday.

"We'll get together and watch (the Chivas/Colorado match) and have a nice meal together," Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis said.

"We've been trying to get our playoff spot clinched for a while, we're still not there yet," Johnson said. "It's going to be tough tomorrow. Hopefully Chivas can do us a favor and get a point and if not, we'll go to Colorado and get a result, which we're capable of doing."

Marcelo Saragosa scored the lone goal for FC Dallas (8-10-11), which was eliminated from postseason contention.

After he was asked where his side goes from here, FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman was direct.

"FC Dallas goes to L.A. next week, and we're hoping to get a win there and finish the season," Hyndman said.

Johnson scored the eventual game-winner in the 54th minute after Chris Wingert served him a perfect ball to the right side of the box. Johnson one-touched the ball, spun and then volleyed the ball past helpless goalkeeper Dario Sala for his second goal of the season.

"It's the best feeling in the world," Johnson said. "You get a big goal in a big game, it's always nice."

Real Salt Lake benefited from a man advantage for most of the match as Dallas' Marcelo Saragosa was sent off the pitch in the 30th minute after receiving a yellow card, his second of the match, for an elbow to the face.

"To be in a situation where we have not done well before, we did very well for tonight," Kreis said. "That's a good thing."

FC Dallas held a 1-0 lead, but Real Salt Lake got the equalizer six minutes later when Javier Morales played a ball into Movsisyan on the left side of the box. After momentarily losing control, Movsisyan collected the ball on the left side and fired a shot that ricocheted off a defender and bounced over Sala, before finding the back of the net.

"(Marcelo's) second yellow put us a man down, gave (Real Salt Lake) a chance to do what they wanted to do and score a goal," Hyndman said. "And then from then on, it was just trying to play in altitude and trying to find a way to score."

"You know it's obviously tough going a man down 30 minutes in," FC Dallas defender Drew Moor said. "You've got to give Salt Lake credit. They kept their heads up after going a goal down early. We were kind of chasing the game from then on and just didn't have enough in us this time."

Findley put the game out of reach when he scored his team-leading sixth goal in the 86th minute.

"The goal that Robbie (Findley) scored was huge," Johnson said. "To get that extra goal was important."

Marcelo opened in the sixth minute when he beat Rimando from point-blank range on an Adrian Serioux assist. Dallas' Pablo Ricchett also received a red card in the 90th minute.