Jader Obrian's headed goal just before halftime allowed FC Dallas to draw 1-1 with the Columbus Crew on Saturday night in Frisco, Texas.
The Crew had a 1-0 lead due to Nkosi Tafari's own goal, but Dallas (10-10-9, 39 points) managed to scrape out one point and stay in ninth place in the Western Conference standings. Only the top nine will make the playoffs.
Jesus Ferreira earned a free kick in the final minute of second-half stoppage time when his attempt at a pass hit the hand of Crew defender Malte Amundsen. However, the ensuing kick hit the Columbus wall.
The Crew (14-9-7, 49 points) continue to jockey for a top-four playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, which would ensure home-field advantage for the first round.
The Crew are now 0-10-16 in their last 26 road matches against Western Conference teams, a drought dating to July 2017.
Columbus had 53 percent of the possession and a 13-8 advantage in shot attempts.
FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes made four saves. The Crew's Patrick Schulte stopped one shot.
The own goal came in the 24th minute. The Crew were attacking down the right side on a give-and-go between Diego Rossi and Alexandru Matan. Rossi sent a low cross into the box, and Tafari's attempt to clear the ball instead poked the ball into his own net.
Obrian -- who had a point-blank shot saved and another attempt blocked early in the match -- broke through in the 43rd minute. Ferreira sent a perfectly weighted cross up ahead, and Obrian headed it past Schulte.
It was Obrian's second goal in three matches.
Cucho Hernandez and Aidan Morris had open shots before halftime for Columbus, but Paes saved them both.
Ferreira and Hernandez had close misses for their respective teams two minutes apart. Ferreira's lofted shot on a two-on-one flew to the right in the 64th minute. Then on the other end, Hernandez received a pass through tight coverage, and his shot ricocheted off the left post.
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