FC Dallas score 3 straight, move up standings

FC Dallas moved into the MLS Cup playoff picture Wednesday night, rallying to beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 in Sandy, Utah.

With Dallas trailing 1-0 at halftime, Paul Arriola scored to tie the game in the 56th minute and help spark the Dallas rally. Jesus Ferreira chipped in a brace over a nine-minute span to put the Texas club ahead for good.

Dallas (10-10-8, 38 points) won just its third road match of the season and moved into eighth place in the Western Conference standings -- though games later in the night could impact the club's positioning.

Chicho Arango scored in the 43rd minute to give RSL the first lead. Arango has tallied at least one goal in four consecutive matches. He has five goals in eight regular-season matches for Salt Lake.

It wasn't enough to save RSL, however, after the Utah club surrendered three unanswered goals over a 15-minute stretch. Salt Lake (11-11-7, 40 points) lost for the fourth time in five matches and dropped to a tie for sixth in the Western Conference.

Salt Lake got on the board when Arango scored on a snap-down header, threading the ball inside the left post. Braian Ojeda crossed the ball to the unmarked forward just outside the 6-yard box.

Dallas equalized on Arriola's goal in the 56th minute. Arriola nestled in between two defenders and latched onto a pass from Paxton Pomykal. He redirected the ball and tapped a right footer across the line.

The Texas club took a 2-1 lead in the 62nd minute on a penalty kick from Ferreira. It ended up being the first penalty kick of the season for Dallas and the first one since March of 2022.

Jefferson Savarino came close to scoring an equalizer for RSL in the 64th minute but Maarten Paes swatted the ball away before it passed the post.

Ferreira ended hopes of a comeback with an insurance goal in the 71st minute. He blasted a right footer inside the right post to finish off a counterattack.