Houston • Tomas Martinez scored in the 63rd minute and his free kick in the 77th led to an own goal, helping the Houston Dynamo beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Wednesday night.
Houston (12-10-10) moved within one point of a third-place tie with Portland and Seattle. Second-place Sporting KC (12-8-12) needed at least a draw to secure a playoff spot.
Only Vancouver, three points ahead of Sporting KC, has secured a playoff spot in the Western Conference. With two games remaining for every team in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake remains tied for seventh with San Jose, one point behind FC Dallas in sixth place.