Marcelo Sarvas and Hector Jimenez scored second-half goals, and the Los Angeles Galaxy beat FC Dallas 2-0 on Sunday night to post back-to-back wins for the first time since April.
Sarvas nodded home a cross from Robbie Keane in the 65th minute, and Jimenez slotted a feed from Robbie Rogers in the 80th for the Galaxy (9-7-3), who dominated the game and vaulted from fifth to third in the Western Conference, four points behind Real Salt Lake.
Second-place FC Dallas (8-4-7) would have pulled even on points with RSL with a win.
''It was close (to a complete performance),'' Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. ''Not quite there, but tonight was one of our better games on the year. I thought we played very well at both ends of the field.
''Our passing was much improved, our movement off the ball was very good. We again created chances, finished a couple tonight, could have finished even more. Rock-solid defending against a team that is outstanding.''
Los Angeles, the two-time reigning MLS Cup champion, outshot Dallas 22-6 and created nearly a dozen scoring chances. Dallas tested goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini just once, with Jackson Goncalves' dipping shot from 28 yards forcing a diving save in the 76th minute.
''We basically just got outworked,'' Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said. ''We didn't create enough chances, which causes you problems. We didn't have enough people running off the ball. We didn't win very many tackles.''
Rogers, who played the full 90 minutes for the first time since signing with the Galaxy in late May, twice came close to scoring his first goal for the club. He fired at Dallas goalkeeper Troy Perkins from an Omar Gonzalez through ball in the 18th minute, and a drive in the 49th that got through Perkins but was cleared off the line by Jair Benitez.
Rookie Gyasi Zardes had the best chance before the goal, a header four minutes into the second half that Perkins dived to repel.
Keane earned assists on both goals, giving him an MLS-best eight this season in just 11 appearances. He set up Sarvas' header, taking a pass on the left flank from Gonzalez, beating Dallas defender Stephen Keel to the byline, and chipping toward the far post.
On the second goal, Keane fed Rogers at the left byline for a pass to the middle of the box to Jimenez.
