Andy Rose's stoppage-time winner was the difference as Sounders FC (17-7-3, 54 points) defeated Real Salt Lake (12-6-10, 46 points), 3-2, Friday night on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field. Lamar Neagle and Obafemi Martins also scored as Seattle won its fourth straight match.
With the win, Sounders FC extends its lead in the Supporters' Shield standings to four points ahead of the LA Galaxy. The club is just one win shy of its franchise record.
Real Salt Lake got on the board first in the 30th minute when Luke Mulholland fed a charging Javier Morales in the box for a low shot past Stefan Frei and inside the far post.
Neagle equalized in the 38th minute with a 25-yard shot rocket into the far top corner, just out of Nick Rimando's reach. It was Neagle's sixth goal of the season and second straight game he has recorded a point.
Seattle took a 2-1 lead in the 43rd when Martins combined with Dempsey to get a ball in the box behind the defense and put a close shot past Rimando. Martins 35 points this season are a new franchise single-season record, and his 13 goals are one shy of Eddie Johnson's club-record of 14 in 2012.
RSL tied the game early in the second half when Joao Plata fired a long-range shot from the corner of the box that deflected off a Seattle defender, skied over the outstretched arms of Frei, and bounced off the far post and into the net.
Salt Lake was forced to play with 10 men for the final 22 minutes after Nat Borchers was issued a red card for professional foul on Obafemi Martins in the 68th minute.
The score remained at 2-2 until the fourth minute of stoppage time. Osvaldo Alonso swung a ball in from the left side to DeAndre Yedlin in the box, who tapped it to an open Rose 10 yards out for a low shot past Rimando to clinch the win.
Yedlin recorded multiple assists for the first time in his career, and his three assists this season surpass his total from 2013.
Sounders FC now embarks on a three-match road trip beginning Tuesday at Philadelphia for the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final. Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. PT at PPL Park.
Scoring Summary:
RSL - Javier Morales (Luke Mulholland) 30'
SEA - Lamar Neagle (DeAndre Yedlin) 38'
SEA - Obafemi Martins (Clint Dempsey) 43'
RSL - Joao Plata (Javier Morales) 50'
SEA - Andy Rose (DeAndre Yedlin) 90+4'
Seattle Sounders FC - Stefan Frei; DeAndre Yedlin, Chad Marshall, Zach Scott, Leo Gonzalez; Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Gonzalo Pineda (Andy Rose 65), Lamar Neagle (Chad Barrett 79); Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins.
Substitutes Not Used: Josh Ford, Jalil Anibaba, Micheal Azira, Sean Okoli, Kenny Cooper.
TOTAL SHOTS: 22 (Martins 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (4 players, 2); FOULS: 10 (Gonzalez 3); OFFSIDE: 2 (Martins 2); CORNER KICKS: 10 (Evans 8); SAVES: 1 (Frei 1).
Real Salt Lake - Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Nat Borchers, Chris Schuler, Chris Wingert; Luke Mulholland, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Ned Grabavoy (Carlos Salcedo 70); Joao Plata (Cole Grossman 84), Robbie Findley (Alvaro Saborio 68).
Substitutes Not Used: Jeff Attinella, Abdoulie Mansally, Luis Gil, Olmes Garcia.
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Morales 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (3 players, 1); FOULS: 12 (Wingert 4); OFFSIDE: 0; CORNER KICKS: 5 (Morales 3); SAVES: 6 (Rimando 6).
Misconduct Summary:
SEA - Lamar Neagle (caution) 24'
RSL - Nat Borchers (ejection) 68'
RSL - Chris Wingert (caution) 71'
Referee: Kevin Stott
Referee's Assistants: Baboucarr Jallow, Peter Balciunas
4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal
Attendance: 38,976
Time of Game: 1:53
Weather: Clear and 70 degrees
