Kyle Beckerman scored the game winner in the 73rd minute, deflecting an Andy Williams chip pass past Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala to lead Real Salt Lake to its second win of the season on Saturday night, 2-1 at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The win was huge for the home Real Salt Lake side, which was playing the game without coach Jason Kreis on the sideline after he was suspended for negative comments about the league officiating after last week's draw with Los Angeles.
RSL almost got the game's first game in the 25th minute when a free kick by Dema Kovalenko hit the post.
RSL did take a 1-0 lead when Argentine midfielder Javier Morales capitalized on a defensive gaffe by the Hoops. After a ball got behind defender Drew Moor, Sala came out to clear but played it off midfielder Andre Rocha. Morales was Johnny-on-the-spot and tapped in for his first goal of the season in the 28th minute.
Dallas almost equalized about nine minutes after the break when Abe Thompson timed a run in the box and took feed from Arturo Alvarez, but RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando made a big save to keep Dallas scoreless.
Less than five minutes later the Hoops did get the equalizer, however, as Kenny Cooper added his fifth goal of the season. The big forward ran onto a ball by Rocha in the offensive third and fired a perfect shot off the near post and in.
That was how the score would stay until Beckerman's winner 17 minutes from time.
RSL will look to start a modest winning streak when it travels to Colorado to take on its Rocky Mountain rivals on Thursday while Dallas hosts the Los Angeles Galaxy on May 18 in its next league fixture.
